Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 152
June 8, 2016
CAPTURED - Dennis Jernigan - One Free Book
Dear Readers, I’m thrilled to introduce you to the first book in Dennis Jernigan’s Chronicles of Bren series. When we were raising our children, James and I sang in the church choir. Many of the songs we used were written by this man. I really love his music. He also came to our church back then more than once. He’s been part of my Christian music heritage, and his life testimony is powerful.
Welcome, Dennis. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.In Book One of The Chronicles of Bren,
Captured
, I saw myself as the protagonist - the main character - Lee/Leonolis. It is very allegorical to my life in many ways. As a young man, I was often bullied but as I grew into manhood - and especially as I came into the understanding of who God made me to be - I was able to overcome so many obstacles in my life. This is how I wrote the character in
Captured.
Once a victim but eventually victorious!
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?It may not be quirky, per se, but I have been working on a building a fantasy adventure land for my grandchildren. I have several acres of woods where I have built a campground and cleared almost 3 miles worth of trails. Each trail will be named for a grandchild. My goal is to fill this fantasy land with statues of creatures like lions, dragons, unicorns, etc. At the entrance will be 2 stone lions. After a few feet down the trail they will come to a stop sign. Below that stop sign will be another sign that reads “Stop here. Put down your logic and put on your imagination…and proceed.”
That sounds awesome. When did you first discover that you were a writer?My first introduction to writing came in the form of music. To express myself musically helped me develop the craft of writing in general. In college, I wanted to declare my major as a song writer, but was not allowed into that degree program because they saw no potential in me. I have since had over 400 songs published! As I grew into my gifting to write, the next natural step was to write a book. I was approached by a book publisher due to my song writing. My first book was a devotional book called A Mystery of Majesty which went on to sell in excess of 12,000 copies and win an Angel Award. Now, one of my life verses is Psalm 45:1 which says “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer…” My belief is that if I am ready to write, God is ready to pour out material to write about!
That is so true. That verse is one of my life verses, too, but mine is mostly Christian fiction, not music. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I love biographies and autobiographies like The Hiding Place by Corrie Tenboom. I am drawn to allegory. Some of my favorite books are Hinds Feet On High Places and Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard. I have read The Chronicles of Narnia to my children through the years. In addition, I read to my children the entire Little House series by Laura Wilder.
Hinds Feet On High Places is my favorite classic allegory. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?Since I have a singing/speaking career, we travel many weekends during the year. My wife and I live in the country on the farm where I raised my children. When my mind is overwhelmed with writing or I just need a break from work, I walk outside my barn (where my studio is) and go fishing at one of my ponds. Sometimes, I go walk in the woods to clear my mind and refresh my soul. I spend time worshiping the Lord in song. I LOVE being with my grandchildren so I spend as much time with them as I can. Keeps my soul focused on the important things rather than the urgent things.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I base each character’s name on the meaning. In fact, before I write the name I think of the meaning then find a name that contains that meaning. Often, I will derive a name from the Latin word with the desired meaning…especially when writing in the fantasy genre.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?Several things come to mind. My wife and I have been married for over 32 years. We have raised 9 children together. We are about to be grandparents for the 8th time. Even though I have songs that are sung literally all over the world via the church, my greatest accomplishment is my family. Everything I write is to leave a legacy for them…for generations to come.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I’ve never been asked that before! The first thing that comes to mind is an eagle. I often imagine myself with the ability to fly!
What is your favorite food?Popcorn, hands down! Just ask my children!
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Being told I had no potential as a song writer was a major blow to my very identity. The way I overcame it was through my faith. I came to a point of being so convinced of who God made me to be that it affected every aspect of my life. My worldview changed overnight and I became convinced God would give me a song a day if I would listen…if I was ready! That attitude carried through to authoring books. I’ve released several devotional books designed to lead people to understand their identity in Christ. My autobiography was released a couple of years ago and continues to do well. In addition, I have authored several children’s books and am currently finishing up a fourth fantasy novel featuring my grandchildren as the main characters. Writing is simply fun and empowering and allows me to go anywhere and do anything my imagination affords me!
Tell us about the featured book.
The Chronicles of Bren,
Captured
, is my story told in allegory. The word Bren means “tears.” Even though I have gone through much pain in my own life, I have also enjoyed quite the adventurous journey in the process. This story begins the saga of Lee. Life is rough for this young man. Bullied and teased and constantly on the lookout for those who would antagonize him, he does not start the journey well. Yet, through a series of events, he finds himself falling into another realm. In this realm he has a new name and, rather than being bullied, finds he is a prince - the son of a king! Even in this realm, he finds himself in danger, taken captive by the resident evil lord of the realm. Though in his previous life he felt no hope for rescue, in the land of Bren he finds that his father - the high king - is laser-focused on finding his captured son. What ensues is a tale of many twists and turns, fantastical characters, and the discovery of magical gifts. I wrote the book to encourage young people (from 10 years of age to 110!) to pursue their destiny and to discover the reason and purpose of their existence…no matter how rough their reality may be.
Please give us the first page of the book.Chapter OneLEE PICKS A FIGHTLee picked himself up from the ground, as the boys who had just delivered his latest humiliation—yet another pummeling—walked away mocking him. At least this time he would come away reasonably unscathed. Last time he had walked home with a black eye and a bloodied nose. The embarrassment and shame he had had to endure for almost two weeks of school had taught him to be quick to block the punches to his face. This time he would have the weekend to at least ice the swollen lip he now wore and bring it back to its normal size and shape before school began again on Monday.
Leon Jennings was about to turn thirteen, but for all he had already endured in life he felt much older. Born into a farming family and expected to work the farm, Lee (as his folks called him) found the work easy enough. Every morning at 6:00 a.m. his dad would call up the stairs, “Lee! It’s time to get up! The cows won’t milk themselves!” Dragging himself from his slumber, he’d somehow manage to dress himself in the dark so as to not wake his three little brothers who shared the attic bedroom with him. Traipsing out into the predawn morning, he would go out into the pasture and find the two old Guernsey cows and herd them to the barn. Once there, he would put some feed in the stall and guide the first cow in. Once he had gotten all the milk he needed, he turned her out to the holding pen where the cow’s calf was kept so the baby could have her turn. Then he would drive in the next cow and go through the process once again. Lee’s dad was a good man. Hardworking and silent most of the time (and stern in his discipline), he kept Lee busy. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” he always said. Lee loved his father and, being a sensitive boy, often hoped he would hear his dad say something to him besides just giving him his next chore list. He really looked up to his dad.
But Lee and his dad couldn’t have been more different than night and day.
The boy was quite adept at drawing and spent hours (when he could squeeze time in on weekends between chores and schoolwork) drawing images conjured by his dreams. When he wasn’t drawing you could find him playing the old upright piano that had belonged to his grandmother Jennings. Lee’s mom had recognized his musical abilities quite early on. It was she who had traded some of her handmade quilts to purchase back the old piano from the elderly neighbor lady who had bought it years before. On his twelfth birthday, she had surprised him with that old piano and he had spent hours losing himself in its vast array of magical tones, improvising and making up tunes that went hand in hand with the adventures he had envisioned for himself from the time he could remember. Although at first glance Lee seemed to be different than the other country boys he was raised with, at heart he was every bit as passionate and every bit as strong as they were . . . just in a different way, a way they could not seem to see.
When Lee had gone to school, he lapped up every art lesson and ached when he had to go on to spelling or math. By the time he was in fifth grade, the other boys began to take a somewhat less than well-intentioned interest in Lee’s artwork. The day the other boys discovered he played the piano was one of the worst days of the boy’s life. (Incidentally, it also didn’t help matters that he was skinny as a rail and had big ears). Innocently, Lee had assumed others would appreciate his talent and be as encouraging as his folks had been. But he was wrong.
One day during the morning recess break, Mr. Tillman, the music instructor, had heard that Lee could play the piano. Asking him to please meet him in the auditorium, the teacher asked the boy to play something for him. As Lee began to play one of the tunes he had made up, one of his classmates was at the door listening. Having heard Mr. Tillman ask Lee to meet him in the auditorium, the boy had assumed Lee was in some kind of trouble and wanted to check it out for himself, hoping to find yet another reason to tease Lee. This discovery would prove to be a goldmine for the boys.
How can readers find you on the Internet?www.dennisjernigan.comwww.thechroniclesofbren.comhttps://m.facebook.com/official.dennisjernigan/
Other Books by Dennis JerniganA Mystery of Majesty(Angel Award Winner)This Is My DestinyHelp Me To RememberWhat Every Boy Should Know...What Every Man Wishes His Dad Had Told HimGiant KillersA Worshiper’s Guid to Creativity, Song Writing, and MinistryVictim to VictorA Worshiper’s Guide to the Holy LandDaily Devotions For Kingdom Seekers - Vol. ISing Over Me - AutobiographyThe Chronicles of Bren: Book One: Captured The Chronicles of Bren: Book Two: SacrificeThe Chronicles of Bren: Book Three: GenerationsThe Christmas DreamDaddy’s SongA Thread of Hope
Thank you, Dennis, for sharing this book with us today.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.Captured (Book 1 of the Chronicles of Bren Trilogy)[image error] - Paperback
The Chronicles of Bren: Captured: Book One - Kindle[image error]
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Welcome, Dennis. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.In Book One of The Chronicles of Bren,
Captured
, I saw myself as the protagonist - the main character - Lee/Leonolis. It is very allegorical to my life in many ways. As a young man, I was often bullied but as I grew into manhood - and especially as I came into the understanding of who God made me to be - I was able to overcome so many obstacles in my life. This is how I wrote the character in
Captured.
Once a victim but eventually victorious!What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?It may not be quirky, per se, but I have been working on a building a fantasy adventure land for my grandchildren. I have several acres of woods where I have built a campground and cleared almost 3 miles worth of trails. Each trail will be named for a grandchild. My goal is to fill this fantasy land with statues of creatures like lions, dragons, unicorns, etc. At the entrance will be 2 stone lions. After a few feet down the trail they will come to a stop sign. Below that stop sign will be another sign that reads “Stop here. Put down your logic and put on your imagination…and proceed.”
That sounds awesome. When did you first discover that you were a writer?My first introduction to writing came in the form of music. To express myself musically helped me develop the craft of writing in general. In college, I wanted to declare my major as a song writer, but was not allowed into that degree program because they saw no potential in me. I have since had over 400 songs published! As I grew into my gifting to write, the next natural step was to write a book. I was approached by a book publisher due to my song writing. My first book was a devotional book called A Mystery of Majesty which went on to sell in excess of 12,000 copies and win an Angel Award. Now, one of my life verses is Psalm 45:1 which says “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer…” My belief is that if I am ready to write, God is ready to pour out material to write about!
That is so true. That verse is one of my life verses, too, but mine is mostly Christian fiction, not music. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I love biographies and autobiographies like The Hiding Place by Corrie Tenboom. I am drawn to allegory. Some of my favorite books are Hinds Feet On High Places and Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard. I have read The Chronicles of Narnia to my children through the years. In addition, I read to my children the entire Little House series by Laura Wilder.
Hinds Feet On High Places is my favorite classic allegory. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?Since I have a singing/speaking career, we travel many weekends during the year. My wife and I live in the country on the farm where I raised my children. When my mind is overwhelmed with writing or I just need a break from work, I walk outside my barn (where my studio is) and go fishing at one of my ponds. Sometimes, I go walk in the woods to clear my mind and refresh my soul. I spend time worshiping the Lord in song. I LOVE being with my grandchildren so I spend as much time with them as I can. Keeps my soul focused on the important things rather than the urgent things.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I base each character’s name on the meaning. In fact, before I write the name I think of the meaning then find a name that contains that meaning. Often, I will derive a name from the Latin word with the desired meaning…especially when writing in the fantasy genre.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?Several things come to mind. My wife and I have been married for over 32 years. We have raised 9 children together. We are about to be grandparents for the 8th time. Even though I have songs that are sung literally all over the world via the church, my greatest accomplishment is my family. Everything I write is to leave a legacy for them…for generations to come.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I’ve never been asked that before! The first thing that comes to mind is an eagle. I often imagine myself with the ability to fly!
What is your favorite food?Popcorn, hands down! Just ask my children!
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Being told I had no potential as a song writer was a major blow to my very identity. The way I overcame it was through my faith. I came to a point of being so convinced of who God made me to be that it affected every aspect of my life. My worldview changed overnight and I became convinced God would give me a song a day if I would listen…if I was ready! That attitude carried through to authoring books. I’ve released several devotional books designed to lead people to understand their identity in Christ. My autobiography was released a couple of years ago and continues to do well. In addition, I have authored several children’s books and am currently finishing up a fourth fantasy novel featuring my grandchildren as the main characters. Writing is simply fun and empowering and allows me to go anywhere and do anything my imagination affords me!
Tell us about the featured book.
The Chronicles of Bren,
Captured
, is my story told in allegory. The word Bren means “tears.” Even though I have gone through much pain in my own life, I have also enjoyed quite the adventurous journey in the process. This story begins the saga of Lee. Life is rough for this young man. Bullied and teased and constantly on the lookout for those who would antagonize him, he does not start the journey well. Yet, through a series of events, he finds himself falling into another realm. In this realm he has a new name and, rather than being bullied, finds he is a prince - the son of a king! Even in this realm, he finds himself in danger, taken captive by the resident evil lord of the realm. Though in his previous life he felt no hope for rescue, in the land of Bren he finds that his father - the high king - is laser-focused on finding his captured son. What ensues is a tale of many twists and turns, fantastical characters, and the discovery of magical gifts. I wrote the book to encourage young people (from 10 years of age to 110!) to pursue their destiny and to discover the reason and purpose of their existence…no matter how rough their reality may be.Please give us the first page of the book.Chapter OneLEE PICKS A FIGHTLee picked himself up from the ground, as the boys who had just delivered his latest humiliation—yet another pummeling—walked away mocking him. At least this time he would come away reasonably unscathed. Last time he had walked home with a black eye and a bloodied nose. The embarrassment and shame he had had to endure for almost two weeks of school had taught him to be quick to block the punches to his face. This time he would have the weekend to at least ice the swollen lip he now wore and bring it back to its normal size and shape before school began again on Monday.
Leon Jennings was about to turn thirteen, but for all he had already endured in life he felt much older. Born into a farming family and expected to work the farm, Lee (as his folks called him) found the work easy enough. Every morning at 6:00 a.m. his dad would call up the stairs, “Lee! It’s time to get up! The cows won’t milk themselves!” Dragging himself from his slumber, he’d somehow manage to dress himself in the dark so as to not wake his three little brothers who shared the attic bedroom with him. Traipsing out into the predawn morning, he would go out into the pasture and find the two old Guernsey cows and herd them to the barn. Once there, he would put some feed in the stall and guide the first cow in. Once he had gotten all the milk he needed, he turned her out to the holding pen where the cow’s calf was kept so the baby could have her turn. Then he would drive in the next cow and go through the process once again. Lee’s dad was a good man. Hardworking and silent most of the time (and stern in his discipline), he kept Lee busy. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” he always said. Lee loved his father and, being a sensitive boy, often hoped he would hear his dad say something to him besides just giving him his next chore list. He really looked up to his dad.
But Lee and his dad couldn’t have been more different than night and day.
The boy was quite adept at drawing and spent hours (when he could squeeze time in on weekends between chores and schoolwork) drawing images conjured by his dreams. When he wasn’t drawing you could find him playing the old upright piano that had belonged to his grandmother Jennings. Lee’s mom had recognized his musical abilities quite early on. It was she who had traded some of her handmade quilts to purchase back the old piano from the elderly neighbor lady who had bought it years before. On his twelfth birthday, she had surprised him with that old piano and he had spent hours losing himself in its vast array of magical tones, improvising and making up tunes that went hand in hand with the adventures he had envisioned for himself from the time he could remember. Although at first glance Lee seemed to be different than the other country boys he was raised with, at heart he was every bit as passionate and every bit as strong as they were . . . just in a different way, a way they could not seem to see.
When Lee had gone to school, he lapped up every art lesson and ached when he had to go on to spelling or math. By the time he was in fifth grade, the other boys began to take a somewhat less than well-intentioned interest in Lee’s artwork. The day the other boys discovered he played the piano was one of the worst days of the boy’s life. (Incidentally, it also didn’t help matters that he was skinny as a rail and had big ears). Innocently, Lee had assumed others would appreciate his talent and be as encouraging as his folks had been. But he was wrong.
One day during the morning recess break, Mr. Tillman, the music instructor, had heard that Lee could play the piano. Asking him to please meet him in the auditorium, the teacher asked the boy to play something for him. As Lee began to play one of the tunes he had made up, one of his classmates was at the door listening. Having heard Mr. Tillman ask Lee to meet him in the auditorium, the boy had assumed Lee was in some kind of trouble and wanted to check it out for himself, hoping to find yet another reason to tease Lee. This discovery would prove to be a goldmine for the boys.
How can readers find you on the Internet?www.dennisjernigan.comwww.thechroniclesofbren.comhttps://m.facebook.com/official.dennisjernigan/
Other Books by Dennis JerniganA Mystery of Majesty(Angel Award Winner)This Is My DestinyHelp Me To RememberWhat Every Boy Should Know...What Every Man Wishes His Dad Had Told HimGiant KillersA Worshiper’s Guid to Creativity, Song Writing, and MinistryVictim to VictorA Worshiper’s Guide to the Holy LandDaily Devotions For Kingdom Seekers - Vol. ISing Over Me - AutobiographyThe Chronicles of Bren: Book One: Captured The Chronicles of Bren: Book Two: SacrificeThe Chronicles of Bren: Book Three: GenerationsThe Christmas DreamDaddy’s SongA Thread of Hope
Thank you, Dennis, for sharing this book with us today.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.Captured (Book 1 of the Chronicles of Bren Trilogy)[image error] - Paperback
The Chronicles of Bren: Captured: Book One - Kindle[image error]
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
June 7, 2016
MEDICAL JUDGMENT - Richard L Mabry, MD - One Free Book on this Blog, Plus Much More
Dear Readers, we have another medical suspense novel from Richard L Mabry, MD.
Welcome, Richard. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?
I’ve always enjoyed suspense and thrillers, and although I started out writing straight novels, I eventually moved into writing in that genre. Because I have almost four decades of experience in medicine, it seemed natural to write in that sub-genre. And as for Christian fiction, I’ve been a Christian since my mid-teens, and it just seemed natural to write from that viewpoint.
If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?For several years, Kay and I had a timeshare condo in North Carolina for a week in the fall, when the leaves were turning. We liked the people, and the weather was nice when we were there—but I don’t think I’d like to live there year-round. There are lots of other areas in the USwe enjoy visiting, but I think when all’s said and done, we’re happy staying in north Texas.
What foreign country would you like to visit and why?We loved Germany, and would like to go back, not just because I speak the language and we enjoy the food and the scenery, but also because we were treated well by the people we encountered. Of course, that may have all changed since we were there last. Actually, our whole world has changed.
Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.I’d enjoy going back to the little inn on the island of Santoriniin Greece. It was a lovely setting, and our time there was very relaxing.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?Thus far, all my novels and novellas have either been set in the Dallas area or in fictional towns I’ve created based on real places in the area, mainly because I’m familiar with them. If I decided to change my setting, I’d probably choose somewhere in the northeast—Boston or New York. Of course, that would require a tax-deductible trip for research, and even after travel there, I’d probably get something wrong.
What is the main theme of this novel? Medical Judgment is about a widowed emergency-room doctor who, although she seems to have lost her support system, struggles to be strong and survive despite crisis after crisis.
Tell us about the story.
Someone is after Dr. Sarah Gordon. They’ve stalked her, then set a fire at her home, and she has no idea what will come next. Her late husband’s best friend and a recovering alcoholic detective are trying to solve the mystery before it’s too late, but both appear to be vying for her affection as well. Sarah finds herself in constant fear as the process plays out. The questions keep mounting. Who is doing this? Why are they after her? What will they do to her? Will it mean her death? And, meanwhile, whom can she trust?
Please give us the first page of the book.The smell of smoke gradually nudged Dr. Sarah Gordon from a troubled sleep into a state of semi-wakefulness. Hours earlier she’d finally given in and taken a sleeping pill. Now it made her feel? She eased up in bed, resting on one elbow, and sniffed the air around her. There it was again. The smoke was real. Her brain, still numbed by sleep and Ambien, took a few seconds to make the connection. Smoke meant fire. Something in her house was burning—perhaps the whole house was about to go up in flames. She had to wake Harry. He’d take charge. After she awakened him, they’d hurry down the hall together and get Jenny. Then Harry would lead them to safety. Sarah reached to her left across the king-sized bed, but when her hand touched a bare pillow, the reHow can readers find you on the Internet?
I love connecting with my readers and invite them all to connect with me via the Internet. My website is rmabry.com. I’m on Twitter (twitter.com/RichardMabry) and Facebook (facebook.com/rmabrybooks). I blog twice a week at rmabry.blogspot.com.
Just what the doctor ordered: heart-thumping suspense and intrigue, courtesy of Richard Mabry’s new medical drama, Medical Judgment. Someone is after Dr. Sarah Gordon. They’ve stalked her and set a fire at her home. Trying to recover from the traumatic deaths of her husband and infant daughter is tough enough, but she has no idea what will come next. As the threats on her life continue to escalate, so do the questions: Who is doing this? Why are they after her? And with her only help being unreliable suitors in competition with each other, whom can she really trust?
Join Richard in celebrating the release of Medical Judgment by entering to win an e-reader!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of Medical JudgmentA Kindle Fire HD 6Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on June 21st. The winner will be announced June 22nd on the Litfuse blog .
Thank you, Richard, for sharing this new book with us. Many of my blog readers join me in eagerly awaiting your next book. We all are thrilled with a new one.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.Medical Judgment[image error] - Amazon, KindleMedical Judgment - Amazon, Hardback
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
Welcome, Richard. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?
I’ve always enjoyed suspense and thrillers, and although I started out writing straight novels, I eventually moved into writing in that genre. Because I have almost four decades of experience in medicine, it seemed natural to write in that sub-genre. And as for Christian fiction, I’ve been a Christian since my mid-teens, and it just seemed natural to write from that viewpoint.If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?For several years, Kay and I had a timeshare condo in North Carolina for a week in the fall, when the leaves were turning. We liked the people, and the weather was nice when we were there—but I don’t think I’d like to live there year-round. There are lots of other areas in the USwe enjoy visiting, but I think when all’s said and done, we’re happy staying in north Texas.
What foreign country would you like to visit and why?We loved Germany, and would like to go back, not just because I speak the language and we enjoy the food and the scenery, but also because we were treated well by the people we encountered. Of course, that may have all changed since we were there last. Actually, our whole world has changed.
Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.I’d enjoy going back to the little inn on the island of Santoriniin Greece. It was a lovely setting, and our time there was very relaxing.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?Thus far, all my novels and novellas have either been set in the Dallas area or in fictional towns I’ve created based on real places in the area, mainly because I’m familiar with them. If I decided to change my setting, I’d probably choose somewhere in the northeast—Boston or New York. Of course, that would require a tax-deductible trip for research, and even after travel there, I’d probably get something wrong.
What is the main theme of this novel? Medical Judgment is about a widowed emergency-room doctor who, although she seems to have lost her support system, struggles to be strong and survive despite crisis after crisis.
Tell us about the story.
Someone is after Dr. Sarah Gordon. They’ve stalked her, then set a fire at her home, and she has no idea what will come next. Her late husband’s best friend and a recovering alcoholic detective are trying to solve the mystery before it’s too late, but both appear to be vying for her affection as well. Sarah finds herself in constant fear as the process plays out. The questions keep mounting. Who is doing this? Why are they after her? What will they do to her? Will it mean her death? And, meanwhile, whom can she trust?Please give us the first page of the book.The smell of smoke gradually nudged Dr. Sarah Gordon from a troubled sleep into a state of semi-wakefulness. Hours earlier she’d finally given in and taken a sleeping pill. Now it made her feel? She eased up in bed, resting on one elbow, and sniffed the air around her. There it was again. The smoke was real. Her brain, still numbed by sleep and Ambien, took a few seconds to make the connection. Smoke meant fire. Something in her house was burning—perhaps the whole house was about to go up in flames. She had to wake Harry. He’d take charge. After she awakened him, they’d hurry down the hall together and get Jenny. Then Harry would lead them to safety. Sarah reached to her left across the king-sized bed, but when her hand touched a bare pillow, the reHow can readers find you on the Internet?
I love connecting with my readers and invite them all to connect with me via the Internet. My website is rmabry.com. I’m on Twitter (twitter.com/RichardMabry) and Facebook (facebook.com/rmabrybooks). I blog twice a week at rmabry.blogspot.com.
Just what the doctor ordered: heart-thumping suspense and intrigue, courtesy of Richard Mabry’s new medical drama, Medical Judgment. Someone is after Dr. Sarah Gordon. They’ve stalked her and set a fire at her home. Trying to recover from the traumatic deaths of her husband and infant daughter is tough enough, but she has no idea what will come next. As the threats on her life continue to escalate, so do the questions: Who is doing this? Why are they after her? And with her only help being unreliable suitors in competition with each other, whom can she really trust?
Join Richard in celebrating the release of Medical Judgment by entering to win an e-reader!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A copy of Medical JudgmentA Kindle Fire HD 6Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on June 21st. The winner will be announced June 22nd on the Litfuse blog .
Thank you, Richard, for sharing this new book with us. Many of my blog readers join me in eagerly awaiting your next book. We all are thrilled with a new one.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.Medical Judgment[image error] - Amazon, KindleMedical Judgment - Amazon, Hardback
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
June 6, 2016
A NANNY FOR KEEPS - Janet Lee Barton - One Free Book
Dear Readers, I’ve known Janet Lee Barton for decades. We both started writing for the same publisher, and we became good friends. Her featured book is part of her current Boardinghouse Betrothal series. I’ve followed the various people who came to the Heaton House and subsequently found their forever love. Her settings for this book are authentic, and her characters will grab your heart and bring you along on their adventures.
Welcome back, Janet. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?I like to write about forgiveness, trust, and how we sometimes judge others when we should be looking at our own short fallings.
What other books of yours are coming out soon?I have a contemporary novella called To Heal a Cowboy’s Heart out now. It’s a sequel to the novel Stormy’s Rainbow. I’m working on another Boardinghouse Betrothal (to soon be known as Heaton House) story. For those who have been reading the series, it will be Julia’s story.
Yes, we’ll be featuring your cowboy novella a little later on this blog. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?I’ve always wanted to meet George W. and Laura Bush. I loved how they brought dignity to the White House, and we don’t get to hear much from them any longer.
Since they spend most of their time when they’re not on the Crawford ranch at their house in Dallas, I’m blessed to see news stories about them. They’re very low key, but they do a lot of charity things. She in literacy, and the former president with wounded warriors and other veteran events. He truly is and was a president we could respect. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?In researching these stories, I found out about Clara Driscoll who was over the “Tiffany Girls,” the women who worked for Tiffany making stained-glass lampshades, but never really got credit for it. I’d like to meet her and find out more about what it was like to be a woman at the turn of the century, living in a boardinghouse and being independent in that time period.
The turn of the 19thcentury into the 20th was a very interesting time of change. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?If you love writing and get joy out of it, keep at it. Keep learning and don’t give up. Rejections are a part of this life, so don’t let them get you down. Even published authors get proposals rejected. And you don’t know what they’ve recently contracted or what they bought last year that might be coming out soon that might be similar to your story, so don’t take it personal.
Tell us about the featured book. With no teaching positions open, Georgia Marshall agrees to become the temporary nanny for the two little girls next door. But she soon becomes enamored of the precocious children and their dashing but distant widowed father. Though she's falling for him, she can't help but think that the nobleman is out of her reach.
After the tragic loss of his wife, Tyler Walker swore he’d never again give his heart away. Until his neighbor brightens his home and brings some much-needed stability to his motherless family. But he refuses to allow this arrangement with the pretty teacher to become permanent … no matter how much he wants Georgiaby his side—forever
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.Georgia Marshall stepped off the trolley and headed down the sidewalk toward Gramercy Park and Heaton House. The spring day was beautiful with clear blue skies and sunshine, along with trees and flowers beginning to bud, but she was preoccupied and barely noticed. After her interview with the school superintendent, it appeared she must give up on finding a teaching position until the next term, which meant she needed to find employment as soon as possible.
Thankfully, she had some money saved from her teaching days in Virginia. And when she arrived in New York City, Mrs. Heaton had refused to charge her rent until she found suitable employment. She’d insisted Georgiawas a family friend and she didn’t want her to feel pressured. Because of her charitableness, Georgiahadn’t needed to dig into her savings.
However, she couldn’t take advantage of Mrs. Heaton’s kindness any longer. She would find employment, even if it wasn’t in her preferred field. She refused to return home. There was nothing for her there. She’d pour over the classifieds again later that evening in hopes of finding something she might be qualified for.
Just walking up the steps to Heaton House comforted her. Georgia had felt at home from the very first and the warm and welcoming feeling always seemed to lift her spirits. She let herself in, surprised to hear a man’s voice in the parlor at teatime. It was unusual for any of the male boarders to be home at this time of day.
She peeked inside to see Mrs. Heaton speaking to her new neighbor from England, if his accent was any indication.
“Georgia, dear! Come in and join us. I believe you might have met at Matt and Millicent’s wedding last month, but if not, let me introduce you to Sir Tyler Walker. Sir Tyler, Miss Marshall is a family friend and boarder here.”
Georgiacaught her breath as the tall, broad-shouldered man, who’d stood and started toward her the moment she entered the room, took her hand in his and bowed over it.
How can readers find you on the Internet?Readers can find me at: www.janetleebarton.com On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/janetleebartonbooks/
Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetLeeBarton
Thank you, Janet, for sharing this new book with us. I really love that cover. Of course, I also love the story.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
A Nanny for Keeps (Boardinghouse Betrothals) - Kindle
Comments: What other books have you read that were set at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century?
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
Welcome back, Janet. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?I like to write about forgiveness, trust, and how we sometimes judge others when we should be looking at our own short fallings.What other books of yours are coming out soon?I have a contemporary novella called To Heal a Cowboy’s Heart out now. It’s a sequel to the novel Stormy’s Rainbow. I’m working on another Boardinghouse Betrothal (to soon be known as Heaton House) story. For those who have been reading the series, it will be Julia’s story.
Yes, we’ll be featuring your cowboy novella a little later on this blog. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?I’ve always wanted to meet George W. and Laura Bush. I loved how they brought dignity to the White House, and we don’t get to hear much from them any longer.
Since they spend most of their time when they’re not on the Crawford ranch at their house in Dallas, I’m blessed to see news stories about them. They’re very low key, but they do a lot of charity things. She in literacy, and the former president with wounded warriors and other veteran events. He truly is and was a president we could respect. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?In researching these stories, I found out about Clara Driscoll who was over the “Tiffany Girls,” the women who worked for Tiffany making stained-glass lampshades, but never really got credit for it. I’d like to meet her and find out more about what it was like to be a woman at the turn of the century, living in a boardinghouse and being independent in that time period.
The turn of the 19thcentury into the 20th was a very interesting time of change. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?If you love writing and get joy out of it, keep at it. Keep learning and don’t give up. Rejections are a part of this life, so don’t let them get you down. Even published authors get proposals rejected. And you don’t know what they’ve recently contracted or what they bought last year that might be coming out soon that might be similar to your story, so don’t take it personal.
Tell us about the featured book. With no teaching positions open, Georgia Marshall agrees to become the temporary nanny for the two little girls next door. But she soon becomes enamored of the precocious children and their dashing but distant widowed father. Though she's falling for him, she can't help but think that the nobleman is out of her reach.After the tragic loss of his wife, Tyler Walker swore he’d never again give his heart away. Until his neighbor brightens his home and brings some much-needed stability to his motherless family. But he refuses to allow this arrangement with the pretty teacher to become permanent … no matter how much he wants Georgiaby his side—forever
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.Georgia Marshall stepped off the trolley and headed down the sidewalk toward Gramercy Park and Heaton House. The spring day was beautiful with clear blue skies and sunshine, along with trees and flowers beginning to bud, but she was preoccupied and barely noticed. After her interview with the school superintendent, it appeared she must give up on finding a teaching position until the next term, which meant she needed to find employment as soon as possible.
Thankfully, she had some money saved from her teaching days in Virginia. And when she arrived in New York City, Mrs. Heaton had refused to charge her rent until she found suitable employment. She’d insisted Georgiawas a family friend and she didn’t want her to feel pressured. Because of her charitableness, Georgiahadn’t needed to dig into her savings.
However, she couldn’t take advantage of Mrs. Heaton’s kindness any longer. She would find employment, even if it wasn’t in her preferred field. She refused to return home. There was nothing for her there. She’d pour over the classifieds again later that evening in hopes of finding something she might be qualified for.
Just walking up the steps to Heaton House comforted her. Georgia had felt at home from the very first and the warm and welcoming feeling always seemed to lift her spirits. She let herself in, surprised to hear a man’s voice in the parlor at teatime. It was unusual for any of the male boarders to be home at this time of day.
She peeked inside to see Mrs. Heaton speaking to her new neighbor from England, if his accent was any indication.
“Georgia, dear! Come in and join us. I believe you might have met at Matt and Millicent’s wedding last month, but if not, let me introduce you to Sir Tyler Walker. Sir Tyler, Miss Marshall is a family friend and boarder here.”
Georgiacaught her breath as the tall, broad-shouldered man, who’d stood and started toward her the moment she entered the room, took her hand in his and bowed over it.
How can readers find you on the Internet?Readers can find me at: www.janetleebarton.com On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/janetleebartonbooks/
Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetLeeBarton
Thank you, Janet, for sharing this new book with us. I really love that cover. Of course, I also love the story.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
A Nanny for Keeps (Boardinghouse Betrothals) - Kindle
Comments: What other books have you read that were set at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century?
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
June 5, 2016
WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!
Kay M (TN) is the winner of
The Beautiful Pretender
by Melanie Diskerson.
Jackie (GA) is the winner of A Twist of Faith by Pepper Basham.
Nancy M (KY) is the winner of Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin.
Connie L (TX), Kim H (TX), and Brenda (VA) are the winners of a print copy of Battle Ready by Mike Mayhugh.
Mary P (Aus), Sharon (SC), and Connie (KY) are the winners of an ecopy of Battle Ready by Mike Mayhugh.
Jill (CA) is the winner of Family Lies, Deadly Ties by J A Marx.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Jackie (GA) is the winner of A Twist of Faith by Pepper Basham.
Nancy M (KY) is the winner of Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin.
Connie L (TX), Kim H (TX), and Brenda (VA) are the winners of a print copy of Battle Ready by Mike Mayhugh.
Mary P (Aus), Sharon (SC), and Connie (KY) are the winners of an ecopy of Battle Ready by Mike Mayhugh.
Jill (CA) is the winner of Family Lies, Deadly Ties by J A Marx.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
June 3, 2016
THE VALIANT HEARTS ROMANCE COLLECTION - Darlene Franklin - One Free Book
Welcome back, Darlene. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else?Writing was one of five dream jobs I wanted when I was ten. Having said that, it fell far below my life’s ambition: I believed with all of my heart that God wanted me to be a music missionary to Mexico. I studied music, studied Spanish on my own until I got to high school and could take classes (no one spoke Spanish in Maine, at least not in the 1960s), and majored in Bible, theology, and music in college.Then life happened. Without going into all the circumstances, my ex-husband and I failed in full-time ministry in the states before we ever went overseas.
When we separated, I started to write and never gave up.
How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish? I don’t write very that quickly. I spent all of April writing two novellas and most of May editing them, and I still have about two weeks of work left to do before publication. At that speed, over a month for a novella from first draft to final edits for a novella. My editor does it in two weeks.For a short novel (Heartsong length or cozy mysteries), about 3 months. For a longer book, it could take me as long as 6 months. In planning, I also allow for periods I can’t write. I can’t afford to wait until the last minute to meet a deadline, and then fall sick.
But even so I’m writing more than ever. In 2016, I expect to finish five novellas and two cozy mysteries.
How do you come up with themes for your stories?I always choose a Bible verse that I expect to impact the story. Sometimes the story takes a different direction, and I have to choose a different verse.
Some books are theme-driven. Calico Brides, the collection where Buttons for Birdie, first appeared, grew out of my passion for missions. (All four brides found a missions project close to home.) A Ranger’s Trail was about forgiving enemies and Tobogganing for Two looked at forgiving yourself.
But where do the themes come from? They’re integral to the story. I don’t start with a theme to write a story; I start with a story which sometimes dictates the theme. The actual events of the Mason County “Hoo Doo” War in Texas inspired the story in A Ranger’s Trail. A feud left dozens dead and no one was brought to justice. How would the widow respond to the lack of resolution? How could she forgive the family in part responsible for her husband’s death?
Do you have a schedule of when you write? I have daily writing or editing goals, but I don’t have a schedule. On my best days, I get in an hour before lunch and then the bulk of my work in the early afternoon. I never know when I’ll be interrupted by a visitor, a doctor, or fighting sleepiness (an ongoing problem). Supper refreshes me for another short burst.
I have learned to write when I have the opportunity and energy to do so. That’s how I’ve continued to be productive in spite of my change of circumstances and unpredictable health.
How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?I answered that a little above. By writing when I can. Finding balance has always been a challenge. I tend to be reclusive. I go to church services here twice a week but I eat in my room. I rarely go to activities—they either take place while I have a shower (mornings) or when I’m down to the final push to reach the day’s goal (afternoons). But I have restorative therapy which helps keep me physically active, I am spending more time with the Lord, and I take breaks from writing to read, visit on Facebook, watch TV, do word search puzzles, and adult coloring books. I play piano at church and talk with aides at length, using my spiritual gifts.
I found adult coloring when I was trying to find things to take to rehab after my second knee-replacement surgery for the times I wasn't doing physical therapy. I’ve loved it since. What elements do you think make a great story line? Well-rounded characters. A clear tension that can’t be easily resolved. A story where the characters must change to find resolution. To some extent, the unexpected.
What was the hardest thing about writing a book? Pushing through even when what I’m writing feels like junk. I recently finished my Christmas book for this year (Matchmaking Mix-Up). While I was writing it, I told my editor I wasn’t even sure if it was worth publishing. (I rarely get that discouraged.)
Lo and behold, when I went through the edits, I realized it was humorous, light-hearted and fun, and didn’t prolong the tension too long. How long could the twin pretend to be her sister? It turned out just right. Tell me if you agree when it comes out.
That’s my most recent example of learning to trust the process.
How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? I have written forty-six different stories, some of them not yet published, but those have been packaged in sixty-nine different collections. Between Barbour and Forget Me Not, I look even more productive than I am. You’re asking me to choose a favorite child! I will always be proud of my first book Romanian Rhapsody, and even the second that proved I wasn’t a one-hit wonder (Gunfight at Grace Gulch). But of all the books I’ve written? Oh, that’s so hard. I’m thankful for Dressed in Scarlet—that collection was where we first met. When it finaled in the Book of the Year contest, I decided maybe I could write historical fiction after all, and my career took off.
Yes, and I’ve enjoyed sharing in more than that one collection with you. We have another one coming up in September, Mountain Christmas Brides. Do you have a favorite character?I love the characters in my Dressed for Death series. I rarely get to visit with the same characters in more than one book, so writing the mystery series was a hoot. In fact, I may revisit Grace Gulch for a second series, with the youngest Wilde sister (Dina) as the sleuth.
Tell us about the story.Birdie Landry, recently delivered from the life of a soiled dove, is determined to make it on her own without help from anyone—especially a man. She has found purpose in seeking to help others in the life to escape, but she lacks the funds to make it possible. How can storekeeper Ned Finnegan overcome her barriers and win her heart?Please give us a peek at the first page of the book.Birdie Landry smoothed her gloved hand over the sign one of her sewing circle friends had made for her: Fresh Eggs Cheaper by the Dozen. She could picture it now, sitting inside the window of Finnegan’s Mercantile, drawing customers in to buy her eggs from Ned. I’m doing Ned Finnegan a favor. Gerard’s, the other general store in town, didn’t offer eggs. Birdie could have danced for joy when Miss Kate agreed that she could raise chickens on the property. She figured she would have enough eggs to pay for her room at the boardinghouse Miss Kate ran in addition to the diner, and then sell the extras for cash at the mercantile. Those two-and-a-half-dozen hens represented the first step in bringing Birdie’s dreams for her mission project to life. She hoped and prayed that Ned wouldn’t hold her past against her. No, Birdie told herself. Her friends—imagine, calling the daughter of a pastor a friend—kept reminding her that she was a child of the King. As in the fairy tales she had loved when she was a girl, that made her a princess. Unlike the stories, she didn’t expect Prince Charming to ride up and save her. Mr. Finnegan treated her with respect, like any other woman who frequented his store. Mr. Gerard had frequented the Betwixt’n’Between on more than occasion, although he had never requested Birdie’s services. Every day, Birdie was reminded of her former occupation as she walked the streets of Calico. No matter what route she traveled from the boardinghouse, she passed one of her former clients’ homes. Mrs. Fairfield, the pastor’s wife, encouraged her to pray for the men and the families involved. She called it heaping coals of fire on their hands. Like the pretty white house standing to her right. The bank president lived in that place. Birdie kept her eyes open as she prayed, hoping to imprint the image of new summer grass and children at play on the lawn over the sight of the man in his long underwear. The door to the house opened, and Birdie crossed that street. She tugged her sunbonnet forward and kept her gaze focused on her feet. No one else appeared in her line of vision as she turned onto Main Street. Because of the early hour, earlier than most people came to the store, she hoped to catch Mr. Finnegan before he had any customers. Spotting the deputy sheriff heading down the street, Birdie ducked into the doorway of the mercantile. Mr. Finnegan smiled at her as he unlocked the door. His slight build and kind face matched his occupation. He opened the door wide and stood back so she could enter. “Good morning, Miss Landry! You’re up and about early today.” He said that every time she came, although he must guess her reasons for the hour. She shifted the bag holding the sign from one arm to the other and prayed for courage. “I see you have something in your bag already. Are you wanting to trade?” He walked to his register and leaned forward on his elbows.
I am eager for my copy of the book to arrive. Where can my readers find you on the Internet?Website and blogFacebookAmazon author pageTwitter: @darlenefranklin
Thank you, Darlene, for introducing this new book to us. I always love having you on the blog.
Comments: Have you read any romance collections? If so, which kind of collection is your favorite?
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
- Amazon
The Valiant Hearts Romance Collection: 9 Stories of Love Put to the Test - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
June 2, 2016
SISTER EVE AND THE BLUE NUN - Lynne Hinton - One Free Book
BIO: Lynne Hinton was born and raised in North Carolina. She is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro. She also attended NC School of the Arts, Schoolof Filmmaking, and graduated with her Masters of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, where she served on the Board of Trustees for six years and was a Distinguished Alumni in 2003. She is ordained in the United Church of Christ.
Lynne is the author of eighteen books, including the NY Times Bestseller, Friendship Cake and Pie Town, the 2011 NM Book of the Year: Fiction/Adventure, Drama Category and 2011 National Federation of Press Women’s Fiction Book of the Year. She has penned two mystery series and has one nonfiction collection of essays. She is a regular guest columnist in the Faith and Values Section for The Charlotte Observer and was the 2008 Lucy B. Patterson Author of the Year by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in NC. In 2010 and 2015, she was the recipient of a Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Grant and was named Favorite Local Writer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2012 by Albuquerque, The Magazine.
Lynne and her husband, Bob Branard, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Lynne has served as a hospice chaplain and pastor. She continues to write as well as teach classes and lead retreats on writing as a spiritual and healing practice. She can be reached at www.lynnehinton.com
Welcome, Lynne. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.I am deeply impacted by events in my life, especially emotionally; but I don’t usually write myself into the characters. I’m not nearly as interesting or funny as I like to think my characters are!
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Too quirky to tell!
When did you first discover that you were a writer?I’ve always kept a diary. Writing has always been my way of getting to my truth.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Mysteries, literary fiction, non-fiction about spirituality
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?A great husband who is supportive, a fabulous dog who runs trails with me, meditation, and journaling every day.
How do you choose your characters’ names?In this book, I used names of my coworkers at Hospice. It was fun to give them roles in the story!
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I ran a half marathon last year!
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I kind of like a butterfly’s life, just flitting about, looking beautiful.
What is your favorite food?I’m vegetarian, love Indian food.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?I’m Protestant, I had to learn a lot about Catholicism and about convents and monasteries.
Tell us about the featured book.Sister Eve learns more about The Blue Nun, a very interesting character from New Mexico history while solving the murder of a religion professor.
Please give us the first page of the book.
The tea arrived on a simple wooden tray and was left outside Dr. Kelly Middlesworth’s room without a note or card. The young woman stood inside with the door cracked and held only partially opened. She was wearing her nightgown and robe, having changed for the evening, and was hiding behind the door assuming her night attire would be disconcerting for the monks.
One of the residents at the monastery, after all, was who she expected to see. It would be Father Oliver, she thought or Brother Gary, the youngest of the men who, earlier in the week had brought her clean towels and a blanket, the youngest of them who could never quite look her in the eye.
More than anybody else, however, Kelly expected or rather hoped it would be her sibling, Brother Anthony, to be the one who knocked so late. She knew he would still be observing the evening silence but she hoped he would stop by and at least demonstrate an effort to make amends for the argument they had earlier at dinner. She hated that things were left as they were, and she knew she was to blame, but she still hoped he would make the first move and come around and offer his forgiveness.
It had been strategy on her part to wait until the last minute to tell him, knowing that after dinner he was required to go to the service of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at seven, followed by Compline at seven thirty. Once those services in the monastery chapel had been completed, she knew that the monks would enter into Grand Silence and that he would be unable to speak to anyone until after breakfast, and by that time it would be too late. She would have already made her presentation; she would have already made his discovery public.
Interesting. I love all kinds of mysteries. How can readers find you on the Internet?My website is www.lynnehinton.com
Thank you, Lynne, for sharing this book with us. I'm sure my readers are as eager to read it as I am.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
- Amazon
Sister Eve and the Blue Nun (A Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery Book 3) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
Lynne is the author of eighteen books, including the NY Times Bestseller, Friendship Cake and Pie Town, the 2011 NM Book of the Year: Fiction/Adventure, Drama Category and 2011 National Federation of Press Women’s Fiction Book of the Year. She has penned two mystery series and has one nonfiction collection of essays. She is a regular guest columnist in the Faith and Values Section for The Charlotte Observer and was the 2008 Lucy B. Patterson Author of the Year by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in NC. In 2010 and 2015, she was the recipient of a Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Grant and was named Favorite Local Writer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2012 by Albuquerque, The Magazine.
Lynne and her husband, Bob Branard, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Lynne has served as a hospice chaplain and pastor. She continues to write as well as teach classes and lead retreats on writing as a spiritual and healing practice. She can be reached at www.lynnehinton.com
Welcome, Lynne. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.I am deeply impacted by events in my life, especially emotionally; but I don’t usually write myself into the characters. I’m not nearly as interesting or funny as I like to think my characters are!What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Too quirky to tell!
When did you first discover that you were a writer?I’ve always kept a diary. Writing has always been my way of getting to my truth.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Mysteries, literary fiction, non-fiction about spirituality
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?A great husband who is supportive, a fabulous dog who runs trails with me, meditation, and journaling every day.
How do you choose your characters’ names?In this book, I used names of my coworkers at Hospice. It was fun to give them roles in the story!
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I ran a half marathon last year!
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I kind of like a butterfly’s life, just flitting about, looking beautiful.
What is your favorite food?I’m vegetarian, love Indian food.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?I’m Protestant, I had to learn a lot about Catholicism and about convents and monasteries.
Tell us about the featured book.Sister Eve learns more about The Blue Nun, a very interesting character from New Mexico history while solving the murder of a religion professor.
Please give us the first page of the book.
The tea arrived on a simple wooden tray and was left outside Dr. Kelly Middlesworth’s room without a note or card. The young woman stood inside with the door cracked and held only partially opened. She was wearing her nightgown and robe, having changed for the evening, and was hiding behind the door assuming her night attire would be disconcerting for the monks. One of the residents at the monastery, after all, was who she expected to see. It would be Father Oliver, she thought or Brother Gary, the youngest of the men who, earlier in the week had brought her clean towels and a blanket, the youngest of them who could never quite look her in the eye.
More than anybody else, however, Kelly expected or rather hoped it would be her sibling, Brother Anthony, to be the one who knocked so late. She knew he would still be observing the evening silence but she hoped he would stop by and at least demonstrate an effort to make amends for the argument they had earlier at dinner. She hated that things were left as they were, and she knew she was to blame, but she still hoped he would make the first move and come around and offer his forgiveness.
It had been strategy on her part to wait until the last minute to tell him, knowing that after dinner he was required to go to the service of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at seven, followed by Compline at seven thirty. Once those services in the monastery chapel had been completed, she knew that the monks would enter into Grand Silence and that he would be unable to speak to anyone until after breakfast, and by that time it would be too late. She would have already made her presentation; she would have already made his discovery public.
Interesting. I love all kinds of mysteries. How can readers find you on the Internet?My website is www.lynnehinton.com
Thank you, Lynne, for sharing this book with us. I'm sure my readers are as eager to read it as I am.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
- Amazon
Sister Eve and the Blue Nun (A Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery Book 3) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
June 1, 2016
THE ALLIANCE - Jolina Petersheim - One Free Book
Welcome, Jolina. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.I have to admit that—for good or for bad—each protagonist is a glimpse into some aspect of my character and personality. Rachel Stoltzfus is headstrong and impetuous: two traits I’ve suffered with since childhood, which have caused some minor and major snafus over the years. (Once, when I was nineteen, I wrote a scathing email about something my “friend” Randy Petersheim had done or said—can’t even remember what!—and then wrote another, calmer version, but I accidentally sent the first. It’s a miracle he still married me!)
Rhoda Mummau, the head midwife of Hopen Haus, is a picture of the person I could become if I surrendered to bitterness when faced with trials and withdrew into myself instead of continuing to open my heart to others and to God. Through writing The Midwife, I saw how essential it is to view the journey of life as beautiful, despite the unpredictable valleys and hills. God has proven Himself faithful to me over these past twenty-nine years, and I know He will continue!
Leora Ebersole’s greatest flaw is the need to control her environment. I too struggle with this need, but God—in His mercy—has shown me, particularly through my husband’s medical journey last year, that the only true peace comes from complete surrender. This surrender is how Leora is able to thrive and grow into a valiant woman, despite modern society crumbling around her at such an unprecedented rate.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?My freshman year of college, two friends and I were goofing off down at the football track (there wasn’t a whole lot to do on the weekends) when I backed my snazzy Chevy Beretta over a fire hydrant and punctured my gas tank! Campus security came by, but they didn’t know how to help. So they called the police and fire department. It seemed every law enforcement official came around—with lights blazing—to inspect my car and debate if it was going to blow up once they pulled the car up off of the hydrant. Tearfully, I had to sign a waiver declaring that I would pay for any damages to the surrounding area if my car did, indeed, explode. To top it all off, the Dean of Student Life (who happened to become my boss the next year) was there to witness the whole thing. She is 6’1’’ and I am barely 5’2’’, but I’ll never forget how comforted I was when she leaned down and gave me a hug. Come to think of it, she gave me many comforting hugs during the years I was in her employment! J
When did you first discover that you were a writer? My father and my best friend’s father wrote music every Tuesday night from the time I was two years old until I was about fourteen. Listening to them—two carpenters—setting aside time and energy every week to create rhythm and language caused me to want to create as well. Therefore, I wasn’t even reading or writing when I began to make up stories. My mother was always very patient, listening to me ramble. This experience, coupled with a dedicated second grade teacher—who saw me struggling to read and helped me unlock that magic of story—caused me to know that I wanted to tell stories when I “grew up.” And what a joy it is!
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I enjoy stories rich with atmosphere, unusual characters, and situations that make you really think. Also, language is very important to me, since I tend to “hear” words in my head when I read them (or write them). Here are a few novels that have stood out to me over my past reading year: All the Light We Cannot See, Atonement, Far From the Madding Crowd, The Nightingale
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?At this stage of motherhood, with a four-year-old and a nineteen-month-old, I find that a simple lifestyle is best for my daughters’ growth and creativity. Because of this, my schedule is pretty simple as well. Also, I don’t have Internet access on my phone, and I enjoy this—since it allows me to really focus on my family when I’m not working. Being outside a lot (I love to garden and hike!) really helps to clear my head and rejuvenate my creativity. Add a book, and I am the happiest girl in the world!
How do you choose your characters’ names?I use a mixture of ways. I like to look at road signs (my character Ernest Looper was a combination of a road sign and a man who used to cut our hay in Tennessee). Rachel and Leah were, of course, names chosen for their allusion to the Old Testament Rachel and Leah. Meredith and Thom Fitzpatrick were created from a gentlemen I knew years ago whose named was Meredith Thom. I also like to employ a book that my parents gave me, The David and Anna Miller Story, which traces our Mennonite lineage across the generations and provides wonderful Plain names.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I’ve contemplated this one a while, and I’ll have to say that I’m proud to be a mama, though I’m not sure that “proud” is really the right word. I guess I just have an awareness that I’m in the midst of raising two precious souls, and therefore the responsibility is great. Oftentimes, I feel that I fail as a parent. (Tonight, for instance, when I tried to have a tea party with them and the girls were having meltdowns because the water wasn’t boiling fast enough, and I turned from the sink and said, “No one’s gettin’ tea!” And then I became convicted for raising my voice, made their mint tea, and knelt to hug and apologize to them.) So, yes, I fail daily, but I pray that—despite these failures—God can turn these little girls into valiant young women who use their unique giftings to glorify the kingdom. That thought makes every sleepless night, wiped nose, and crumb-strewn floor so worth it!
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?Hmm, a bobcat? But maybe that’s just wishful thinking! We discovered a bobcat hit on the lane up from our house in Tennessee, and I made my husband pull over so I could take a closer look. It was absolutely majestic—with white fur between its padded paws and this fluffy, speckled belly. So, yeah, definitely no physical resemblance, but I do enjoy being outside, hiking in the woods, and I’m pretty aggressive if I have a goal in mind. (And my husband nods in agreement.)
What is your favorite food?On Tuesdays, I go to a local café to write and have lunch, and I really enjoy their chicken curry salad with stone-baked pita bread. But maybe that’s just my favorite food at the moment because I enjoy getting out without a diaper bag! J
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?At this stage of life, I would have to say that trying to write with two young children (and their evolving needs) is my greatest challenge. Because I am determined not to allow my career to interfere with motherhood, I work for two hours before they are awake and for two hours during “quiet time” in the afternoons, though I’ve found that “quiet time” is not always quiet! As deadlines draw near, I have to cut out more time than this (mostly at night, when everyone is asleep = zombie mama!). But thanks to my supportive husband, and to a wonderful babysitter who watches my girls a few hours on Tuesdays, it works!
Tell us about the featured book.When Leora Ebersole sees the small plane crash in her Old Order Mennonite community, she has no idea it’s a foreshadowing of things to come. When the young pilot, Moses Hughes, regains consciousness, they realize his instruments were destroyed by the same power outage that killed the electricity at the community store, where Englischers are stranded with dead cell phones and cars that won’t start.Moses offers a sobering theory, but no one can know how drastically life is about to change. With the only self-sustaining food supply in the region, the Pacifist community is forced to forge an alliance with the handful of stranded Englischers in an effort to protect not only the food but their very lives.
In the weeks that follow, Leora, Moses, and the community will be tested as never before, requiring them to make decisions they never thought possible. Whom will they help and whom will they turn away? When the community receives news of a new threat, everyone must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their beliefs and way of life.
Please give us the first page of the book. (First Chapter)http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4964-0221-9.pdf
How can readers find you on the Internet? www.jolinapetersheim.com
Thank you, Jolina, for sharing this new book with us. It sounds interesting. I'm eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
- Amazon
The Alliance - Kindle
For those leaving a comment: When leaving a comment, please tell us why you would find this an interesting read.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
May 31, 2016
LEAD ME HOME - Amy K Sorrells - One Free Book
Bio: A lifelong Hoosier and registered nurse, Amy Sorrells has contributed her diverse, award-winning writing to medical journals, newspapers, and Indy Writes Books, an anthology benefitting literacy in central Indiana. She makes her home on the outskirts of town with her husband and three sons.
Lead Me Home
is her third novel. Connect with Amy at amysorrells.wordpress.com
Welcome, Amy. Tell us a little about this title, Lead Me Home.When I write, I hear music, whether I’m listening to it or not. Often I write to music, selecting or creating playlists supporting ideas for what the characters are experiencing—much like a filmmaker might imagine music for a movie. When I began this novel, I was drawn to old tent revival hymns, and I often listened to them as I wrote. As the characters and plot took shape, the song “Lead Me Home, Precious Lord” became more and more important to what I felt was nearly all of the characters’ essential journey: trudging through the pain of life with God at our side in order to discover where we truly belong.
What is your hope for this book?My hope for this book is for the person who picks it up, who feels they’re too small or too broken or too invisible to matter in life, to know that they matter. Not only do they matter, they are essential and beautiful and important.
Please introduce us to your two main characters.Pastor James Horton is the first protagonist who appears, and in my mind, he is a modern day Jimmy Stewart type of a man who is so beloved but so blind to how much his life matters to the people around him. Broken by the recent death of his wife, as well as the impending closure of his small town church, he feels lost and purposeless until life challenges him to reconsider.
The second protagonist is Noble Burden. He’s a young man who wants nothing more than to follow his dreams of singing and playing music, until his father abandons their dairy farm, mother, and special needs older brother, Eustace, forcing Noble to choose between his dreams and the people he loves. He’s stubborn and handsome, rough and gentle, with a heart that pushes the boundaries of the horizons he feels have him trapped.
You focus on the idea of “home” in your book. Can you unpack this a little for us?As long as we’re on this planet, we’re going to wish we were somewhere else. James struggles with wondering why God brought him to town. Noble struggles with wanting to get away from town as soon as he can. I think many people struggle with their place in the world. God gave us a longing for our eternal home that can never be fully realized on earth. All we can do is give thanks for where we are and ask Him what He wants from us while we’re here. Learning to embrace that, which essentially comes down to gratefulness, is something I have to work on. But oh the peace and joy when I remember that it’s true!
You focus on the idea of brokenness in your book. How do you hope to encourage the broken?The folks in
Lead Me Home
have a lot of reasons to be broken. We all do. Brokenness is especially difficult when you feel like you’re alone. So much importance is placed on the big and shiny in our world that the small town, small church, and smallness of the characters’ lives might parallel how many of us feel—small, unimportant, and even invisible in the eyes of God and others when we ask for help in the midst of our trials. I think many folks feel like they shouldn’t ask for help when neighbors struggle with something seemingly worse. But I’d like to encourage readers that no person, no place, and no trial is too small or too unnoticeable or too unworthy for our God, who is big enough not only to know us, but also to be with each of us in an intimate and personal way. I am especially grateful for God’s promise in Isaiah 42:3, that “He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.”
What other themes are explored in this title?Big versus small, old versus new, past versus future, fame versus marginalization, and hope versus despair, are a few of the other themes explored in Lead Me Home. Another important theme is community versus isolation, and how the Body of Christ plays in to our tendency to want to take care of our problems by ourselves. In this novel, set in rural Indiana, you explore the idea of how a small town can crush big dreams. Talk more about that. Small towns seem like unlikely places to fulfill the American Dream, especially if the American Dream is defined by fortune and fame, riches and happiness. We are not a society which celebrates small. Whether stores or churches, dreams or accomplishments, the tendency is to create bigger and better.
No wonder so many of us struggle with being satisfied with what we have and where we are. No wonder small towns, small farms, small churches and more are disappearing from our landscape. No wonder we can hardly claim to have true friendships when friendships have become defined by numbers on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. And no wonder Eustace is my favorite character in the novel.
Jesus says blessed are the poor and those who have lost what they hold dear. Blessed are those who are content and merciful and caring. Blessed are those with pure hearts, who don’t compete or fight. Matthew 5:3 (TMV) says, “With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” Not that those traits can’t be found in large venues. But I do fear what our society misses, more and more, because of the big and loud.
How is the setting of this novel important to you? My first two novels were set in places (Alabama, Michigan and Ukraine) familiar to me from travel, but I felt this novel pulling my heart toward my home state of Indiana. Not only that, but this story was also inspired by my cousins and their dairy farm, one of the few remaining, family owned, sustainable dairy farms in the state. The parallel between small, dying churches and the demise of small, privately owned farms in our country was important to me to portray. When we leave pieces of us—whether societal or personal—behind, which are the very things that have historically shaped and sustained us, we lose something. We lose knowledge. We lose the wisdom of generations which have gone before us. And at the end of the day, we lose a bit of our selves.
How do you hope this novel will resonate with your readers?
I have so many hopes for readers of this novel. First, I hope it makes folks think about where God has placed them, and ask themselves why, especially if they’re unhappy or think they want to be anyplace but where they are. God cares more about our hearts than our circumstances, and sometimes we are where we are because that’s the place where God can shape us and, more importantly, where we can find Him. I hope readers will think about the still, small places neglected in their own lives, and that they will pay closer attention to the whispers of God all around them. And most of all, I hope they’ll see that just like in Lead Me Home , God often uses the least expected, disregarded people and places in our lives to save us.
Thank you, Amy, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Lead Me Home - Kindle
Comments: When you leave a comment, please tell us whether you'd rather live in a large city, small town, or in the country.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
Welcome, Amy. Tell us a little about this title, Lead Me Home.When I write, I hear music, whether I’m listening to it or not. Often I write to music, selecting or creating playlists supporting ideas for what the characters are experiencing—much like a filmmaker might imagine music for a movie. When I began this novel, I was drawn to old tent revival hymns, and I often listened to them as I wrote. As the characters and plot took shape, the song “Lead Me Home, Precious Lord” became more and more important to what I felt was nearly all of the characters’ essential journey: trudging through the pain of life with God at our side in order to discover where we truly belong. What is your hope for this book?My hope for this book is for the person who picks it up, who feels they’re too small or too broken or too invisible to matter in life, to know that they matter. Not only do they matter, they are essential and beautiful and important.
Please introduce us to your two main characters.Pastor James Horton is the first protagonist who appears, and in my mind, he is a modern day Jimmy Stewart type of a man who is so beloved but so blind to how much his life matters to the people around him. Broken by the recent death of his wife, as well as the impending closure of his small town church, he feels lost and purposeless until life challenges him to reconsider.
The second protagonist is Noble Burden. He’s a young man who wants nothing more than to follow his dreams of singing and playing music, until his father abandons their dairy farm, mother, and special needs older brother, Eustace, forcing Noble to choose between his dreams and the people he loves. He’s stubborn and handsome, rough and gentle, with a heart that pushes the boundaries of the horizons he feels have him trapped.
You focus on the idea of “home” in your book. Can you unpack this a little for us?As long as we’re on this planet, we’re going to wish we were somewhere else. James struggles with wondering why God brought him to town. Noble struggles with wanting to get away from town as soon as he can. I think many people struggle with their place in the world. God gave us a longing for our eternal home that can never be fully realized on earth. All we can do is give thanks for where we are and ask Him what He wants from us while we’re here. Learning to embrace that, which essentially comes down to gratefulness, is something I have to work on. But oh the peace and joy when I remember that it’s true!
You focus on the idea of brokenness in your book. How do you hope to encourage the broken?The folks in
Lead Me Home
have a lot of reasons to be broken. We all do. Brokenness is especially difficult when you feel like you’re alone. So much importance is placed on the big and shiny in our world that the small town, small church, and smallness of the characters’ lives might parallel how many of us feel—small, unimportant, and even invisible in the eyes of God and others when we ask for help in the midst of our trials. I think many folks feel like they shouldn’t ask for help when neighbors struggle with something seemingly worse. But I’d like to encourage readers that no person, no place, and no trial is too small or too unnoticeable or too unworthy for our God, who is big enough not only to know us, but also to be with each of us in an intimate and personal way. I am especially grateful for God’s promise in Isaiah 42:3, that “He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.” What other themes are explored in this title?Big versus small, old versus new, past versus future, fame versus marginalization, and hope versus despair, are a few of the other themes explored in Lead Me Home. Another important theme is community versus isolation, and how the Body of Christ plays in to our tendency to want to take care of our problems by ourselves. In this novel, set in rural Indiana, you explore the idea of how a small town can crush big dreams. Talk more about that. Small towns seem like unlikely places to fulfill the American Dream, especially if the American Dream is defined by fortune and fame, riches and happiness. We are not a society which celebrates small. Whether stores or churches, dreams or accomplishments, the tendency is to create bigger and better.
No wonder so many of us struggle with being satisfied with what we have and where we are. No wonder small towns, small farms, small churches and more are disappearing from our landscape. No wonder we can hardly claim to have true friendships when friendships have become defined by numbers on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. And no wonder Eustace is my favorite character in the novel.
Jesus says blessed are the poor and those who have lost what they hold dear. Blessed are those who are content and merciful and caring. Blessed are those with pure hearts, who don’t compete or fight. Matthew 5:3 (TMV) says, “With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” Not that those traits can’t be found in large venues. But I do fear what our society misses, more and more, because of the big and loud.
How is the setting of this novel important to you? My first two novels were set in places (Alabama, Michigan and Ukraine) familiar to me from travel, but I felt this novel pulling my heart toward my home state of Indiana. Not only that, but this story was also inspired by my cousins and their dairy farm, one of the few remaining, family owned, sustainable dairy farms in the state. The parallel between small, dying churches and the demise of small, privately owned farms in our country was important to me to portray. When we leave pieces of us—whether societal or personal—behind, which are the very things that have historically shaped and sustained us, we lose something. We lose knowledge. We lose the wisdom of generations which have gone before us. And at the end of the day, we lose a bit of our selves.
How do you hope this novel will resonate with your readers?
I have so many hopes for readers of this novel. First, I hope it makes folks think about where God has placed them, and ask themselves why, especially if they’re unhappy or think they want to be anyplace but where they are. God cares more about our hearts than our circumstances, and sometimes we are where we are because that’s the place where God can shape us and, more importantly, where we can find Him. I hope readers will think about the still, small places neglected in their own lives, and that they will pay closer attention to the whispers of God all around them. And most of all, I hope they’ll see that just like in Lead Me Home , God often uses the least expected, disregarded people and places in our lives to save us.
Thank you, Amy, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Lead Me Home - Kindle
Comments: When you leave a comment, please tell us whether you'd rather live in a large city, small town, or in the country.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com[image error]
May 30, 2016
RESILIENCE - L R Burkard - One Free Book
Welcome back, Linore. Tell us about your salvation experience.I got saved in a confrontation very similar to what Richard experiences in RESILIENCE, when Tex asks him the simple question, “If you died tonight, would you go to heaven or hell?” It started a dialogue that led me to the Bible and eventually, to following Jesus. For me, coming to faith in Jesus Christ was the beginning of learning how to live. Jesus quickly began changing the course of my life, and since then, I have been blessed beyond measure. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?Well, I just did a retreat with seven other authors, and found that It’s hard to write when instead you can talk about writing! I think I'd prefer just one other author unless my aim was to pick the brain of a writer I admire. (That one author I’d enjoy doing a retreat with in order to actually get writing done? My best retreat buddy, fellow Ohioan author Teresa Slack.)
Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.I've done speaking engagements in the past, but I took a sabbatical to concentrate on writing and homeschooling. Likewise, I love to do workshops for writers, but haven’t been doing them recently for the same reason. I hope to start up again in the near future.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?The "most" embarrassing might not fit here, but once when my husband and I had just started dating, we were seated in a crowded, pricey restaurant for lunch in New York. I picked up a glass of ice water and somehow proceeded to drop it—water and ice went everywhere, including all over me. My date, (my future husband) was watching to see how I’d react, so I looked at him as though I was completely unfazed—and smiled. He later told me how surprised he was when I remained so cool about it. For me, it was either "act cool" or die of embarrassment!
People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?First, I help them explore whether they really mean it or not (because many people say that, but few really mean it). If they do, I try to encourage them and often give information on local writers’ groups and things like that. That’s my usual. But I have a big exception to the rule. If I’m on the last legs of a book manuscript, for instance, when my schedule is crazy busy due to writing, I might say, “Poor you! Don’t write unless you’re called to it!” (And then I encourage them, honest!)
Tell us about the featured book.RESILIENCE is the sequel to PULSE. It’s Book Two in the Pulse Effex Series—an apocalyptic YA exploration of the aftermath of an EMP that renders the United States powerless—literally. There is no electrical grid, no technology that still works, and the story unfolds through the eyes of three teen girls who tell what their lives have become—in a country without internet, cell phones, grocery stores, and lights, to name a few. The thing about this series is that the idea for it—that an electromagnetic pulse can send the country into the dark ages—is not fiction. Not only can it happen, but just yesterday a headline told us that N. Korea now has satellites above our nation that can cause such a thing to happen. Ted Koppel’s book, LIGHTS OUT, tells how it can be done. My books show what it will look like. Please give us the first page of the book.It’ll be a teaser, but you asked for it..
Chapter One: SARAH, May 11th, 4 months after the pulse.
I knew before we left that something was wrong, but Richard never listens to me. It was dusk, time to get moving. Most people stay in after dark, which is why we travel at night. It's safer this way. People are the primary threat. Not regular, normal people like your grandmother or neighbors, or kindergarten teacher; those people are mostly gone. All the nice ones, gone! The ones left? They're the reason we move at night.
“We don’t have time, Sarah.” I looked up at my brother, my only family in the world I know for sure is still alive now that the EMP has sent our country into the dark ages.
“Almost done.”
He frowned as I hurried to scribble a few more lines in this journal, one of my meager belongings I’ve held onto from the time life was normal. Since before the EMP—the electromagnetic pulse that took down the power grid of the nation. We had slept in an abandoned barn, on old, dusty hay. It was far cleaner than other places we’d slept in recently. Richard brushed hay out of his hair, and pulled a comb from his back pocket. I have to hand it to him—he’s grown a beard, but still manages to stay neat and groomed. His hair is short—he shaved his off not long after I shaved mine and for the same reason—lice. But unlike me, he looks good with the crew cut, like a military guy off duty. Except Richard is on duty. He’s always on duty. Life is too dangerous to ever relax, ever let down our guard.
“C’mon, time’s up.” My eyes met Richard’s and I sighed, shutting my book and letting him pull me to my feet. I knew he was right. I could hardly see what I was writing in the fading light. I shoved my journal and pen into my purse, strung it around my neck and tied it across my torso, close to my body. I shook hay off and pulled on my coat and zipped it, hiding the purse. Richard had already replaced his knife into its ankle holster, checked the pistol in his pocket, and was ready to move on. He slung the military-issue daypack over his back, then his rifle, and nodded at me.
Sometimes it was hard to remember this was Richard, my brother who had gone off to college and come home thinking guns should be banned. Or that building a strong military was foolish. Now he looks for firearms all the time. Sometimes we find them on fallen bodies … that’s all I can say right now about that. [For more of a sneak peek, readers can download the first two chapters here]
Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?Right now I have two websites, which reflect the two genres I write in. By next year, I hope to be unveiling a single integrated site. For my YA/Futuristic novels, the Pulse Effex Series, I’m at http://www.LRBurkard.com. For my historical romance, I’m at http://www.LinoreBurkard.com I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and GoodReads. To be among the first to hear of new books or contests and giveaways, readers can join my newsletter mailing list. (I don’t send a lot of mail—ever—and I don’t share my list!) They can sign up at either of my websites.
Thanks for having me on the blog, Lena.
It's my great pleasure to host you, Linore.
Readers, here is a link to buy the book.
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May 29, 2016
WINNERS!!!!!
Angela (KY) is the winner of
Someone Like You
by Victoria Bylin.
Trixi (OR) is the winner of the Ebook Love's Harvest by Linda Shenton Matchett.
Mary P (Aus) is the winner of the Ebook Promise Me by Jo Huddleston.
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When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Trixi (OR) is the winner of the Ebook Love's Harvest by Linda Shenton Matchett.
Mary P (Aus) is the winner of the Ebook Promise Me by Jo Huddleston.
J C (IN) is the winner of Here Today, Gone Tamale by Rebecca Adler.
KayLee (NY) is the winner of Through the Shadows by Karen Barnett.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
