Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 172

HEALED, HEALTHY AND WHOLE - Marion M Pyle - One Free Book

Welcome, Marion. What would you like for my readers to know about you personally?
My love for God and my faith are the most important things about me, followed by the love for my husband, family, friends … and animals!

I’ve had an eclectic life divided into distinct chapters, each with its unique adventures. My parents were Scottish-American, but I was born in Argentina, raised in Mexico City, and educated in the U.S. Romance and career also took me to Australia where I lived for several years. I’m also a world traveler, so today, I consider myself a global citizen with a deep appreciation for many cultures.

My career has always been in arts, media and communications, something I share with my husband. We also do missions work together. That effort has included smuggling Bibles into restricted global regions and spiritually equipping believers in Chinaand several Southeast Asian countries. Lots of amazing God-stories and adventures there! But, that’s another book! J

Tell us about your family.
Growing up in foreign countries, we were just a small nuclear family: my two parents and my older sister. Unfortunately, when I was 12, my mother tragically died in a plane accident just outside Mexico City. Our lives were blown apart until my father remarried a widow with four children. We then became a blended family of six siblings. The adjustment was demanding, captivating, often dysfunctional, but the Lord took the broken pieces of our lives and brought wholeness out of them. He also used it to prepare my sister and I (she is a missionary) to be His ambassador to the nations. As I shared, though my father was Scottish and my mother American, we were living in Latin America and my stepmother was Lebanese! We had such a mix of cultures at home, I always joked that our house was a mini-United Nations! We had friends from all over the world and that was completely normal to us. Those early influences shaped broad cultural sensitivities in me and I’m very grateful for that.
Have you written other nonfiction books?
Not yet. I do have a blog called Spiritbeats.com that I began writing before my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Then, our healing journey took center stage and evolved into the Healed, Healthy and Whole book. However, many readers found Spiritbeats very uplifting, so I’m getting back to it with even more to say now! My joy and gifting is to encourage and inspire others.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?Yes. One is a collection of inspiring women’s stories about navigating life-altering transitions. When the past has been ripped from us and we can’t yet see where we’re going, how do we make it through? The Bible has a lot to say on this subject, and I’ll be unpacking that. In addition, I also believe these very personal contemporary testimonies will offer tremendous hope and guidance.
An illustrated children’s book of fiction about how the Word of God is alive and active is also rumbling around in my brain. It’s pure joy to be shaping that story.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?
I began my career in the theatre and worked as an actor and drama coach for television, film, and the stage, mostly in Australia. So I have a passion for good acting and just adore watching great movies, television, and theatre. It’s a world I still feel very connected to, and I do a little acting on the side when time allows.

Healthy eating has, of course, become a hugely important part of our lives, so my husband and I have become very inventive amateur chefs. We also love to entertain, so our friends get to try out all our creations! I suppose a cookbook is in the works at some point.

Photography is another passion and I’m always taking pictures everywhere I go. These later get folded into my e-newsletter, blog, and Facebook posts. I love complementing thoughts with images.

I also love to sing! Worshiping God through music is simply the most joyous thing for me. And lastly, perhaps nothing beats curling up with a good book and one of my four cats on my lap. They like to take turns! J
I also have a strong drama background with a BA in Speech and Drama and graduate work in Drama. I’ve been a director, set designer, and actress. I’ve even done voice-over for commercials locally. Why did you write the featured book?
I felt compelled to write this book. This cancer journey so shook my world, so tested my faith, so strained my human strength and endurance that when it was all over and God, in His unbelievable mercy, gave us the victory, I had to give him thanks. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops! The book is my offering to Him—and the passion of my heart is that it also helps others get healed, healthy, and whole.
What do you want the reader to take away from the book?
I pray their faith in God is strengthened—or kindled if they don’t know Him. I pray they discover a God who does perform the impossible, even today. I pray that those who are suffering find a kindred spirit in me, as one who has also experienced the crucible of affliction and was reduced to a rubble by the fear, pain, and sorrow … but came out, by God’s grace, a stronger, wiser, healthier, and more loving person. I pray they will be enlightened about the wealth of integrative therapeutic alternatives that I share about and are proving so effective in the healing of cancer and other chronic conditions.
Is there anything you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book?
Healed, Healthy and Whole has been called an adventure tale, a mystery, a triumphant tale of human perseverance, an overwhelming Christian testimony, a deep and abiding romance, a survival guide for anyone battling cancer or a life-threatening condition. It speaks to readers on many levels; it grips you by the heart, takes you on a dramatic 12-month journey, and doesn't let you go until the end. It’s a profoundly spiritual book, a practical guide, and inspirational work. I am very vulnerable about my personal journey in this story, and it has just resonated with people. I receive emails from all over the world saying how the book has given readers the courage to fight, to believe God’s promises are true, to help them find a way when their mind has been hijacked by fear and pain. They’re also so grateful to learn about these healing resources that are saving lives. The book has helped many people.
Where on the Internet can the readers find you?
I can be reached through my website at www.healedhealthyandwhole.com. I’m always looking for people’s stories about healing and/or overcoming tough life transitions, so if anyone would like to share their testimony, I’d love to hear from them!
They can also find spiritual encouragement on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BeatingCancerNow?

Healed, Healthy and Whole , How We Beat Cancer through Integrative Therapies and Essential Healing Strategies can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iBook. Kindle and Nook versions are also available.
For those who prefer an Audio Book, that version is available on my website, as well as a complementary Prayer Journal and narrated CD of the Healing Scriptures that we carried in our hearts during our healing journey.
# # #

Thank you, Lena, for allowing me to share a little about my life and testimony of God’s great healing, love and faithfulness. To Him be the glory and blessings to you.

And thank you, Marion, for sharing this book with us. It's a valuable resource. I know my readers will be interested.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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, 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

IRISH ENCOUNTER - Hope Toler Dougherty - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I am one-fourth Irish, so I like reading novels set in Ireland. I read Irish Encounter and really enjoyed it. It’s a contemporary novel, and I felt as if I were in Ireland myself, meeting these interesting characters. They stole my heart.
Bio: Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master's degree in English and taught at East CarolinaUniversity as well as York Technical College. A member of ACFW, RWA and SinC, she writes for AlmostAnAuthor. Before writing novels, she published non-fiction articles on topics ranging from gardening with children to writing apprehension. She cheers for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ACC basketball, and Army West Point Football. Hope and her husband, Kevin, live in North Carolinaand chat with their two daughters and twin sons through ooVoo. Her second novel, Mars...With Venus Rising, released with Pelican Book Group in August.
Welcome, Hope. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.I write something of myself into a lot of my characters. I don’t always consciously include myself, but people say they can hear my voice when they’re reading. That’s why for my second novel, Mars…With Venus Rising, I specifically chose a character who loves math—my antithesis, but I had her crochet in one scene because I love to crochet.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?I’m not sure if it’s quirky or crazy, but my husband and I took our four children on a home exchange when they were five, five, seven, and nine. We spent one week in Francewith former exchange students and their families, and we spent three weeks in Galway plus three weeks in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland. The two families stayed in our house while we lived in theirs. That exchange trip plus another in 2007 planted the seed for Irish Encounter .
When did you first discover that you were a writer?When I was in second or third grade, we had to write the copy for a picture book. I still remember the paragraph I turned in for the first page of the book. When my teacher graded it, she wrote excellent on the top of the right hand side of the page, angled toward the corner in red ink. I loved writing that page and knew I wanted to write more. I’ve had great encouragement from peers, teachers, and professors since then.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I love reading all kinds of books. I read romance and romantic suspense because who doesn’t love that first time you notice someone, that heady time of falling for someone special. As a former English instructor and as a book club facilitator, I love reading the classics like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice and literary fiction from Anne Tyler, Kaye Gibbons, and Elizabeth Berg. I also read non-fiction like Unbroken, and children’s and young adult fiction from Sarah Dessen, Markus Zusak, and Richard Peck, and travel stories like Under the Tuscan Sun. Did I say I love reading?
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I try to pray and have a quiet time every morning. A few years ago when my quiet time seemed boring to me, I figured it was boring to God as well. I made note cards with verses that describe God’s character from Isaiah and Psalms. I love meditating over those verses before the day gets frantic.
How do you choose your characters’ names?Naming something or someone is so hard. In our family, it’s taken us two or three weeks to name a pet. We always have some negative connotation attached to a name. For Irish Encounter , I needed a name for a forty-three year old. Names popular today like Brittany or Tiffany wouldn’t work. I needed a name that would have been popular in the early seventies, so I chose Ellen. Payne was easy because it fit his character so well. I Googled ethnic names for the story and checked a baby name book and phone books, too.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I’m happy that I soloed a Cessna 150 years ago, but the accomplishment that I’m most thankful for is the fact that God allowed me to help rear four pretty tremendous human beings. Our children are fun and funny, interesting and interested. They’re solid, contributing citizens who have close, personal walks with Jesus Christ. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?If ostriches really buried their heads in sand when trouble comes, that’s what I’d be because I don’t like confrontation. Since that popular belief is a myth, I’ll choose a dolphin because I like to swim.
What is your favorite food?I love food, especially Italian, Mexican, and spicy food. I really love my mother’s fried pork tenderloin nestled in one of her homemade biscuits. For dessert, I never turn down a chocolate mousse or ice cream or frozen yogurt …
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? PITCHING. I hate it. I’m horrible at it. I’m so thankful my agent, Jim Hart, can send proposals out for me now. For the writing process, procrastination and fear are pretty strong. Some days I have to make myself sit down and write. Writing is fun, but the blank page or screen can be scary. I have a formidable internal editor. I’ve had to pray and wrestle him out of my office many times to get a rough draft into Scrivener.
Tell us about the featured book. Irish Encounter is the story with which God wooed me onto the fiction path. It’s the story of my heart and the story of second chances.
Blurb: After almost three years of living under a fog of grief, Ellen Shepherd is ready for the next chapter in her life. Perhaps she’ll find adventure during a visit to Galway. Her idea of excitement consists of exploring Ireland for yarn to feature in her shop back home, but the adventure awaiting her includes an edgy stranger who disrupts her tea time, challenges her belief system, and stirs up feelings she thought she’d buried with her husband.
After years of ignoring God, nursing anger, and stifling his grief, Payne Anderson isn’t ready for the feelings a chance encounter with an enchanting stranger evokes. Though avoiding women and small talk has been his pattern, something about Ellen makes him want to seek her—and God again.
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.Ellen Shepherd’s fingers trembled as she fiddled with the zipper on her small backpack. “I can’t wait to see Galwayagain. It’s been so long since we were here.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, an image of her husband, dead now for three years, smiling and popping a piece of brown bread into his mouth, wavered in her mind.
Was she crazy? She didn’t want to see Galwaywithout Steve.
“Mom, are you sure you’re up to going into town? I should be finished with my exam around noon. Relax this morning, and then I’ll come back here for lunch.” Olivia, a college junior, sipped coffee out of a mug depicting the Cliffs of Moher. Natural light from the cathedral windows behind her brightened the kitchen despite this morning’s low-hanging clouds.
Ellen smiled at her daughter and banished the bittersweet memories that wanted to join forces with the dark clouds overhead. “I appreciate your concern for your poor ol’ mom, but I’m not ready for a rocking chair and a warm blanket yet. At least allow me to celebrate my forty-fourth birthday before you cart me away to a retirement center.” She drank the last of her orange juice.
Olivia rolled her hazel eyes, the exact color of Ellen’s, and bit her toast shimmering with blackberry jam. “Mmm. You should plant some blackberry bushes when you get back home. Then next year make some delicious jam like this.” She wiggled the remaining half of the triangle at her mom.
“Thanks for adding not one but two items to my to-do list. They’ll have to roost at the bottom for now, though.” A pall crept into her chest as she thought about her yarn shop, holding its own but barely and her farm, the fields lying fallow this year because of her uncle’s stroke in March.
What would next year bring?
How can readers find you on the Internet?http://hopetolerdougherty.com/https://www.facebook.com/hope.t.doughertyhttps://twitter.com/HopeTDoughertyhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13941031.Hope_Doughertyhttps://www.pinterest.com/hopetdougherty/

Thank you, Hope, for sharing this book with us. I know my readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Irish Encounter - paperback
Irish Encounter - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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

SURRENDER TO LOVE - MaryAnn Diorio - One Free Book

Welcome, MaryAnn. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
Whenever an author writes, some of herself goes into her characters. How much is difficult to assess. Some of my characters deal with struggles I have personally experienced; others deal with struggles I have never experienced. But, while I may never have experienced a particular situation my character is going through, I have experienced the emotion associated with that experience. We all know what terror feels like, even though we may never have been threatened at gunpoint.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? 
I don't know if you would call this "quirky," but it was typical of my writer's mind that so often gets distracted. My husband and I were entertaining relatives from Italy. We wanted to take them across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Because of the number of people, we drove in two cars. My husband drove ahead of me, and I followed. Just as I approached the bridge, I noticed that my gas gauge registered empty. Because of all the exciting chatter catching up with my Italian family, I had neglected to check the gas gauge. So, here we were, with 17 miles to go before leaving the bridge, and no gas stations along the way! I immediately began to pray. We made it within a mile of the exit when my car started huffing and puffing. With no shoulder on the bridge, I pulled over to the right as far as I could, at which point my car came to a complete stop. My husband, of course, kept going. It was during the era before cell phones. As I thought quickly about what to do, a police car immediately pulled up beside me. I explained my problem to the officer, and he called on his radio for help. Within two minutes, another patrol car pulled up with a gallon of gasoline. My Italian relatives were amazed! "What efficiency!" they exclaimed. "Had this happened in Italy, we would have had to wait at least a couple of hours for help." Needless to say, I was very proud of my country. Oh, by the way, my husband finally realized he could no longer locate me in his rearview mirror. I found him waiting with the rest of the family at the end of the bridge. :)
When did you first discover that you were a writer?I first sensed God's call to write when I was 30 years old. One day, I began to have a strong desire to write. The desire kept increasing. I went to the Lord and said, "Lord, if this desire is of You, please increase it. If not, please take it away because it is getting unbearable." The Lord increased the desire and then confirmed it by allowing one of my poems to be published in the prestigious magazine, The Saturday Evening Post. I had no idea what I was doing in submitting my poem to a slick magazine that was so difficult to crack (as I later learned). So when the poem was accepted, I knew without doubt that it was God's way of confirming His call on my life to write.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read widely in multiple genres. I read contemporary fiction, the classics of literature, books on theology, philosophy, quantum physics, the end times, children's books, politics and culture, etc. I also read books and articles on writing fiction. I am always reading and devouring books and articles. I think it is very important for a writer of fiction to understand the culture in which her stories are set. To me, culture means not only historical setting but the mindset prevalent in that historical setting. By far, however, my favorite book to read is the Bible. I     spend a good deal of time reading God's Word. It is different from every other book in that it is alive.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
I practice the presence of God by continually communing with Jesus within me throughout the day. He keeps me in perfect peace as I fix my eyes on Him. My guiding verse is Isaiah 26:3 ISV: "You will keep perfectly peaceful the one whose mind remains focused on you . . . ." Also, my cell phone alarm is set to alert me to pray for fifteen minutes at 9am, noon, and 3pm each day. When the phone alarm sounds, I usually stop what I am doing and spend time with the Lord in prayer.
How do you choose your characters’ names?       
I keep a name notebook. Whenever I hear a name I like, I jot it down for possible use in a future story. I also consult baby name books. I check the origins of names to determine if they will fit my character. Often a trait I wish to express in my character can be enhanced by my choice of a name that signifies that trait. For example, the name "Leon" comes from the root word for "lion." If my character is proud, as a lion is proud, then I may give him the name "Leon."
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
As I was studying for my PhD, the Lord presented me with my Isaac test. I tell of this in the Author's Note at the beginning of Surrender to Love . In short, I was three months away from completing my doctoral degree after having spent nearly seven years taking courses and writing my dissertation. Holy Spirit told me to give up the degree. At first, I wondered if I were going crazy from too much studying. My professors thought the same thing. :) But I gave up the degree in obedience to the Lord. Several months later, God told me to resume and complete the degree. He said, "You have proven to Me that you love Me more than your PhD. You have surrendered your life to Me. Now the PhD will not keep you from Me. It will be My instrument to lead others to Me."
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
Since I am not an animal, I have difficulty answering this question. But if you wish to know what is my favorite animal, I would without hesitation say the dog. Dogs are loyal and sensitive to man. No wonder dogs have been called "man's best friend." :)
What is your favorite food?
I love vegetables of all kinds, especially green vegetables sautéed in olive oil and garlic. Sometimes I add Italian bread crumbs for extra flavor. :)
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
My greatest problem was understanding that I did not need large blocks of time to write a book. I needed to take advantage of the small snippets of time that were available to me, especially while I raised my children. So I started to write in five and ten-minute segments. I even wrote while waiting for a red light to change. I must admit I had some help since the person behind me always let me know when the light turned green. :)

Tell us about the featured book. Surrender to Love began as part of an anthology whose theme was surrendering to God's will. Due to some unforeseeable circumstances, the anthology never materialized, so I published the story on my own. The main character is a young widow and life coach who has difficulty dealing with grief after her husband's untimely death. She refuses to let go of the past and enter into the destiny God has prepared for her. Ironically, she who is so skilled at coaching others into their destiny has trouble heeding her own advice. This irony was deliberate on my part and shows that even though we can help others, sometimes we cannot help ourselves. I wanted to show in this story that we are all interdependent in the Body of Christ. Also, as we yield to God's plan for us, we find the fulfillment we have been looking for, often in the very place we never thought we would find it.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Dr. Teresa Lopez Gonzalez screamed, stumbled, and stifled a sob with her fist. "No!" It's not true!" She gasped for air as the tragic news sucked the life out of her. "You're talking about the wrong person. It can't be my husband. Roberto is at work."
            Trembling, she grabbed the edge of the kitchen counter to keep from falling. This couldn't be happening to her. Surely it was all a dream. A bad dream. She would awaken soon to discover all was well.
            The police officer lowered his head then lifted it again. Compassion filled his glistening eyes. "Ma'am. I'm sorry. So very sorry." He reached into his belt pouch. "We found this in your husband's shirt pocket."
            Teresa's stomach clenched. She immediately recognized the blue identification badge that Roberto carried to his job five days a week as chief mural artist for the city of New York. He'd been so proud of his current project—an outdoor mural for the north wall of the DrugRehabilitation Buildingin Harlem. An attempt to revitalize the neighborhood where he volunteered in his spare time to minister to street gangs. He'd been thrilled to get the assignment.
            Dizziness coiled itself around her brain, strangling her thinking. Her body shook with cold tremors as her mind spun deliriously.
            She could still hear her husband's voice lingering in her ear from their parting conversation that morning. "I love you, Tessa Babe." Her chest clenched. He always ...
How can readers find you on the Internet?
I am always happy to hear from readers. They can reach me via the following venues:Website: www.maryanndiorio.comBlog (Matters of the Heart): http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/maryanndiorioblogAmazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/author/maryanndiorioFacebook: http://www.Facebook.com/DrMaryAnnDiorioTwitter: http://Twitter.com/@DrMaryAnnDiorioGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6592603LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=45380421Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/drmaryanndiorio/Google+: http://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrMaryAnnDiorio
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/drmaryanndiorio/
Thank you, MaryAnn, for sharing this book with us. I know my readers are as eager to read it as I am.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.SURRENDER TO LOVE

JOLINE'S REDEMPTION - Vickie McDonough - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Vickie and I have been long-time writer friends. We’ve been on retreat together and at ACFW national conferences. I’ve spoken at the Tulsa chapter of ACFW several times, and we spent time together then. She is very knowledgeable about Oklahoma history and often writes novels about it. Joline’s Redemption is one of those novels. Her Land Run novels are so authentic. You’ll love this one.
Welcome back, Vickie. Tell us a little about yourself and your background.My husband and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We have four grown sons, one of whom is married and has a very precocious nine-year-old daughter. I’ve been writing since 2001 and have had nearly 40 books and novellas published. I have always loved horses and books and grew up watching cowboy shows with my dad, so I guess it’s no surprise that I write mostly historical romances set in the Old West.

How did you become interested in writing?                       For years, I had prayed for a home business idea. We had four sons, and I wanted to be home when they were, so I couldn’t work fulltime. I have always been an avid reader, but I never once considered writing a book. One day a story idea started going through my mind. I kept seeing more and more of the story, and it got to where it was disrupting my sleep, so I decided to try writing it down in hopes it would go away. I ended up writing the whole book. As soon as I’d completed it, another idea started running through my mind, so I wrote it down, too.
After finishing the second book, I talked to my husband and said, “I wonder if God is trying to tell me I’m supposed to be a writer.” My husband said “go for it” and has fully supported me from day one. I started taking classes on writing, attending writers’ groups, and writers’ conferences, all the while learning the craft of writing fiction. Three years later, my first novella was published. This math-loving gal never planned to become a writer, but God had His own plans for me. A common theme I write about is: God has bigger dreams for us than we can dream for ourselves.
             That is so true. What compelled you to write a book on this subject? I grew up in Oklahomaand have always been intrigued by the land runs, which occurred to settle some of the land originally promised to various Indian tribes. Oklahoma had five land rushes, and I thought it would be interesting to create a series about them. Gabriel’s Atonement, book 1 in my Land Rush Dreams series, features the 1889 land run. Joline’s Redemption includes the 1893 Cherokee Strip run, and Sarah’s Surrender, book 3, deals with the land lottery. It was a fascinating time in American history.

What is the main theme or point that you want readers to understand from reading your book? In Joline’s Redemption , the main theme is that no matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen, God is still willing to forgive you and set you free from the chains of the past.
Are there any other themes present in the book? Forgiveness, trusting others, starting over.

Are there some specific lessons you hope readers will learn and apply to their lives after reading your book?

The heroine in Joline’s Redemption led a rough life because of her stubbornness and the bad choices she made. We all make the wrong choice at one time or another, but God is quick to forgive us and help us not to make the same mistake again, if we seek Him and ask for forgiveness and strength. I hope readers will see that even though they mess up, redemption is still available.
A lot of people today need to understand that and take the assurance into their hearts. What makes your book different than any other books similar to yours that are in circulation today? It starts out with my heroine living in a brothel—a result of the awful choices she made. Not many Christian fiction books start out that way. Don’t worry though, she’s not there for long. Jo has a lot to overcome in her life, and I think some readers will relate to her story. Also, all of my books have some humor in them to balance the drama and suspense.
How does the book intertwine with God’s call on your life and how you are currently serving Him? I’m like everyone else—I don’t always say or do the right thing—and sometimes that hurts someone I care about, like Joline hurt the family members who loved her. Jo’s story is a reminder to me of God’s grace and love. 
Do you have a favorite Scripture verse?Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
I love that passage, too. When you are not writing, what do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies? My sister and I have a booth at an antique mall. I can sometimes be found at estate sales, auctions, or garage saling, looking for items to put in the booth. I also refurbish some of the furniture I buy.
I love stained glass creations and have taken a class to learn the craft. I’m still in the beginner’s stage, but I enjoy making the colorful creations. Readingis also a hobby of mine, as is traveling.

As we close, is there anything else you would like to add? Each book in my Land Rush Dreams series is a complete story, but the series is a long, family saga, and you’ll see most of the same characters in each book. If you can start with Gabriel’s Atonement and read the books in order, you’ll understand the overall family arc better.
Also, I’d love for anyone who is interested to sign up to receive my newsletter so they can keep up with my book and family news. Click on this link: http://www.vickiemcdonough.com/www.vickiemcdonough.com/Newsletter_Sign-up.html
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?Website: www.vickiemcdonough.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickieMcDonoughTwitter: https://twitter.com/vickiemcdonoughPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/VickieMcDonough/Heroes, Heroines, and History blog: http://HHHistory.com

Thank you, Vickie, for sharing this new book with us. I know 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
Joline's Redemption (Land Rush Dreams Book 2) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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WINNING!!!!!

Linda (CA) is the winner of  The 12 Brides of Christmas  by Susan Page Davis.

Jeanie (AZ) is the winner of  Intertwined  by Jennifer Slattery.

Kim (NE) is the winner of  A Tide Worth Turning   by Beth Wiseman.

Caryl (TX) is the winner of  Run ... You Can't Hide  by Janice Olson.

Patty (SC) is the winner of  Valley of Decision  by Lynne Gentry.

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Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.

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Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

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When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

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TIES THAT BIND - Cindy Woodsmall - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Cindy Woodsmall is an award-winning author of Amish novels. I’ve enjoyed her writing, and her stories are so authentic.
Welcome, Cindy. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.Hopefully I put very little of me in the characters. My goal as a writer is to develop characters that tell me who they are, not the other way around. I focus my energy on learning who each character is, often by basing a character on a few real people I know and their individual responses to actual incidents in the Amish community. I rely heavily on Plain friends, experiences, and research while developing the characters. While gathering all that information, it naturally goes through the filter of my mind, will, and emotions. In that sense, I can’t prevent the characters from being influenced by me to some degree. For the most part, I think my characters influence me in the story writing far more than I influence them.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I have two main methods. When choosing a name for an Amish character, I start by researching my stack of paperback directories for Old Order Amish districts, which I purchased from an Amish friend’s dry goods store. When choosing a name for a character who isn’t Amish, I often begin with a Google search of the top girl or guy names used in the year that character would have been born. If nothing on that list appeals to me, I search earlier years. To me, a lot of “baby name” sites seem cumbersome and slow, so I usually stick to the online Social Security list of names. After choosing the appropriate research tool, I look for a name that feels right for each character, and that often leads me to research the meaning of the name.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?1. Be teachable. Highly opinionated people are difficult to teach, but they rarely see themselves that way. They may listen and ask questions, showing great interest in what an editor or critique partner is saying, but by the next morning, they will have rationalized away whatever insights the person tried to share. These writers will defend their point of view to the end. Months or years later, they won’t be able to figure out why no one wants to work with them. That’s not to say an author should accept everything that’s said. But if an author is resistant to suggestions (even politely), dealing with that person can be exhausting and counterproductive.
2. Be patient with yourself and with the market. Both are constantly changing.
3. Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you sow. (Robert Louis Stevenson said that.) The most important thing we can do is remain faithful. That alone will reap quite a harvest because someone is always watching us, and faithfulness to ourselves and our dreams is impacting our friends and family. When others hit a rough patch in their lives and are tempted to give up, they may recall our faithfulness and find the needed strength for themselves. And we should stay faithful to writing because when we seek, we find … eventually.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?An owl or eagle. Wouldn’t it be fun to soar, like we occasionally do in our nighttime dreams? Most of us are used to seeing pictures of owls perched on a branch, looking much like a stuffed bird. But they’re very skilled at soaring almost silently during the night. In my best dreams, that’s what I’m doing—soaring across beautiful, lush fields in the dim glow of moonlight, the ponds and lakes I fly over shimmering with that same light. Do I fly at night because I’m nearing the midnight hour of my life? Hm. I’ve never swooped for prey, which is a plus because the fun dream would turn into a rude awakening. If I’m choosing an animal based on dreams in which I can fly, I guess a third runner-up to the owl or eagle would be a flying squirrel. Ha-ha. I place that third because in those dreams, I could only fly from one tree to the next.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I’m pleased that my family survived as a functional unit while my kids moved from childhood into adulthood. Maybe that sounds weird. But marriage is a little like a three-legged race, with the husband and wife constantly connected to the children. When your kids grow up and get married, you may or may not become a team with your adult children and their spouses. And they may or may not become a team with their siblings and spouses.  
My three sons are completely different from one another. I knew each one was distinctive from the moment he began to stir in my belly. And my two daughters-in-law are as different from each other as winter and summer—which only makes sense.
I wasn’t sure what would happen once my nest was empty. Would my sons move as far away as possible or stay in the area? Would their uniqueness put them at odds with one another? Would holiday visits be more taxing than refreshing? I did my best to get my boys to adulthood as friends who knew how to embrace their differences, discuss and have healthy arguments, and give each other space and respect. But what would happen when my mommy-ing years ended?
What did happen was beautiful and unexpected. All of my sons and daughters-in-law tossed lassos around one another’s teams—not just for major holidays or on birthdays, but often. I love it. I’m honored by it. I’m inspired by it. I’m also exhausted by it. But they strengthen me.
I so agree. My two daughters live in adjoining suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas, and our suburb adjoins one of theirs. Actually, we live just north of and just south of the same major street. And all the grandchildren and great grandchildren live in those same suburbs. We get together often.
Cindy can be found online here:http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/ https://www.facebook.com/authorcindywoodsmallhttps://twitter.com/cindywoodsmallhttps://www.pinterest.com/cindywoodsmall/www.goodreads.com/author/show/117290.Cindy_Woodsmall
Thank you, Cindy, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers will be interested in reading it.

Here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
 - Amazon
Ties That Bind: A Novel (The Amish of Summer Grove) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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THE POTTER'S LADY - Judith Miller - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I’ve long been a fan of Judith Miller’s books. She writes the kind of romantic historical novels that I like best. I think you’ll love them, too.
Welcome back, Judith. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?I’ve recently completed the Refined by Love series set in West Virginia, and truly enjoyed that project. In addition, I joined with Nancy Moser and Stephanie Grace Whitson for the recently released Christmas novella collection, A Basket Brigade Christmas. As for the horizon, I’ve recently signed a contract for another book with Bethany House, and I’m considering several other projects that have piqued my interest.
Tell us a little about your family.My husband, Jim, passed away five years ago so I’ve been adjusting to a new normal, but am finally adjusting to life on my own. I have three adult children, one in Iowa, one in Missouri, and one who lives here in Topeka. Most importantly, I have a 20-month old granddaughter who keeps me smiling and busy.
They have a way of doing that. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?Yes, my reading habits have changed. I try to read as much as possible between projects, but much of my reading ends up being research. While I love research and combing books for nuggets of information, it’s not the same as enjoying a good novel. While I’m working on a project, I tend to read in another genre. When I’m between projects, I read historicals.
What are you working on right now?I’ve just begun my new book, and it will be set in the early 1900’s. The rest is a secret for now, but it entails an interesting slice of history that I think readers will enjoy.
I’m sure they will. What outside interests do you have?I enjoy Bible studies, walking, knitting, volunteer work, and spending time with my children and friends
How do you choose your settings for each book?Many times my settings have developed as I’ve discovered information through research for other books. Some of the others have occurred because I visited the setting or a reader recommended a particular setting to me. Many of my books have developed due to setting. If I have no interest in the setting, the story doesn’t captivate me.
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?The amount of time I would need to devote to studying the craft and the amount of self-discipline it takes to complete a novel.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?To work toward being my best self all of the time.
We all need that. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?Study the craft by attending conferences and studying good books on writingRead, read, readDevelop self-discipline so you meet deadlines and have a less stressful writing experience
Tell us about the featured book. The Potter’s Lady is the second book in the Refined by Love series although readers can read the books on their own. There’s enough information that they won’t feel they’ve miss out on something if they begin with book two.
This book features Rose McKay the oldest of the McKay sisters. She has just completed her education at the Philadelphia School of Design and convinces her brother and his wife that the family should invest in a pottery in Grafton, West Virginia.
With her talents and education, she believes the business can become successful. Rylan Campbell remains as a valued employee of the company. He likes Rose, but he dislikes change and he certainly doesn’t trust Joshua Harkness, a man from Rose’s past.   When the company begins to lose their bids and it appears Rose’s dreams of success will fail, she convinces her brother they should enter a contest announced by the Franklin Hotels. Rose and Rylan work together to create something magnificent, but Rylan must convince Rose her trust in Joshua has been misplaced.
Please give us the first page of the book.Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMay 1872Rose McKay stared out the narrow window of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Her gaze darted between passing buggies and wagons before perusing the pedestrians traversing Broad Street. Where was Ewan? Her brother said he’d be here by two o’clock. If he didn’t hurry, they’d miss their train.
“Why don’t you sit down, Rose? Staring out the window isn’t going to make your brother appear any sooner.” Mrs. Fisk, director of the school, nodded toward one of the perfectly arranged chairs in the sitting room.
Inimitable paintings and sculptures, all of them fashioned by students who had attended the school, adorned the entry hall and sitting room where visitors were received. To have a creation displayed in either place was considered the most prestigious award any student could achieve. Each year, one student received the Excellence in Design Award. Along with the plaque came the honor of having one piece of work on display. Rose’s heart warmed at the thought of her own work joining those of the previous students.
How can readers find you on the Internet?My website is at: www.judithmccoymiller.com Readers can email me through my website and also sign-up for my newsletter. 

Thank you, Judith, 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.
 - Amazo
The Potter's Lady (Refined by Love Book #2) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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TOBOGGANING FOR TWO - Darlene Franklin - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, Darlene is a long-time, dear writing friend of mine. We’ve been on a writing retreat together as well as connecting at ACFW national conferences and when I have spoken at the TulsaACFW local chapter. She has a vivid imagination and the ability to write stories that leap off the page. I’m thrilled to once again host her here on this blog.
Welcome back, Darlene. How did this book come about?Last year, before the ACFW Conference in September, I was part of a group of authors who wrote Christmas Traditions. The group clicked quickly, and we proposed two additional series to Barbour Publishing.
Barbour contracted with us for Blue Ribbon Brides, and Cindy Hickey decided to publish the Love’s Sporting Chance series with Forget Me Not Publishing.            I originally expected my novella to be set in Vermont, and that brought to mind winter sports. I settled on tobogganing: Tobogganing for Two . At one point, my hero thinks that tobogganing is the most romantic of the winter sports. And anyone who knows Edith Wharton’s classic Ethan Frome will recognize some similarities. I couldn’t mention it in the book, unfortunately. The book wasn’t published until nearly forty years later.
Tell us about the book’s cover and what makes it unique.Cindy Hickey designs all the covers for Forget Me Not, and she’s amazing at it. My cover features two toboggans, standing upright in the snow and facing each other, with two intertwining hearts on the snow. I used that scene in the book, when the toboggans reminds my heroine of a traumatic experience.
I agree that her cover designs are wonderful. I love having a really good cover for each of my books. Please explain and differentiate between what’s fact and fiction in the book.Plymouth, Nebraska, is an actual town in southeastern Nebraska. John Carter, his store, and the many community events that took place there are all true.
Of course my hero, Dr. Jay Andrews, is fictional, as are the ramps and boardwalks he put up around town.
I made sure that there would be places to toboggan in that part of Nebraskaby asking my ACFW friends and checking the weather patterns. An October snowstorm would be rare, but it could happen.
How much research did you have to do for this book?Finding the right town took the most work. I am going to add Tobogganing for Two to my Holidays of the Heart collection as a Thanksgiving story. For that, I needed a very special town: A town with a name that reminds me of ThanksgivingA town in the westA town far enough north to have snow in October/NovemberA town with enough rolling hills or prairie to allow for tobogganing.
I ended up finding two towns, Plymouth, Kansas, and Plymouth, Nebraska. I settled on Nebraska, but I kept confusing the history of one town with the other.
What are some of the most interesting things you found about this subject that you weren’t able to use in the story?I would have loved to include to include the social gatherings that took place at the Carter’s home. One of the issues that my heroine faces, however, is that her sister is paralyzed and can’t go up and down stairs. So they remain homebodies.
What inspired and surprised you while you were writing the book?Hmm. Perhaps it was imagining how a Civil War veteran dealt with a 19th-century version of PTSD. I’ve read about the horrible operating conditions and almost casual amputations. What was that like for the doctors? How would it affect them when they returned home? That’s what my hero is dealing with.             I see so many ads asking us to help returning vets. I confess I am as clueless to the extent of their suffering as the people of Plymouth.
What do you hope the reader takes away from the story?That God can heal painful memories and free us from fear.
What is the next project you’re working on?I plan to spend November doing Nano. I’ve spent the last year writing novella after novella. Writing a 50-60 K book with everything else I’m doing has become difficult. So I have planned out a new mystery series, and I hope to complete a rough draft by the end of the month. My heroine is a home health aide—the murder victim is a healthy elderly woman with a broken hip who dies the night after her 80th birthday party. I’m going to have a blast writing it!
I think I’ll try Nano, too. I need to write book two of my Love’s Road Home series, because two editors have requested the full manuscript of the first novel in the series. What do you do when you have to get away from the story for a while?I have a long list writing-related “to dos”: interviews, Facebook, planning, writing devotionals ... and I also do a lot of reading, word search puzzles, scripture memorization, and more time in prayer. As I get older, the more I want to know the Lord who has given me eternal life!
And Lena, let me just say, this is interview #10 between us—when we first worked on Snowbound Colorado Christmas together, I never expected to come so far, or to be so lucky as to count you as a friend. Thank you very much!
Yes, our friendship is precious to me, too. And I loved writing that Christmas collection with you, as well as the other two authors. Please give us the first page of this new novella. Plymouth, Nebraska, 1875“Hurry up, ladies. I’ve got a schedule to keep.” The stagecoach driver was eager to get back on schedule. He’d lost time when a dead bull blocked the road on the way from Lincoln. In spite of his complaint, he fell into conversation with the storekeeper where he had parked the carriage.
Laura Evans gritted her teeth but dismounted without saying a word. By now he should know her sister, Eliza, needed extra time getting up and down. He had panicked the first time he’d seen her bath chair. The shotgun rider lifted down their trunks while Laura faced Eliza. She forced a brave smile on her face. “We’re here at last, sister.”            When the shotgun rider grabbed Eliza’s chair, he stumbled a step, and Laura feared it would fall. “Be careful with that!”             He recovered in time and maneuvered it to the ground. “What in the dickens is this thing?” he grumbled.            Laura checked the chair over. Sixteen hundred miles by train and stagecoach had only caused a few scratches. “It’s my sister’s bath chair.” She rolled the wheels, which enabled the chair to move to the carriage. After she scooped her sister’s light form in her arms, she placed her in the adjacent chair.
“We’re in Plymouth.” Eliza spoke when she regained her breath from the transition into the chair. A light wind lifted her brown hair, drawing attention to her sparkling hazel eyes.
“And Aunt Minnie is waiting for us. Her home shouldn’t be very far from here.”
It felt so good to be free of the stagecoach. Laura’d hated being squished between Eliza and a large man. Every time they hit a bump, Eliza quivered. Not surprisingly, none of the men offered to help. She peered up and down the street, but the doctor Aunt Minnie had promised would meet them was nowhere to be seen.
Nebraska. Aunt Minnie had fallen in love with the place in her two short years in Plymouth. So far it surpassed Laura’s expectations. The land was not as flat as she’d expected. The sky seemed a deeper blue than the skies above the ocean at home. Bright yellow flowers dotted meadows she had seen between fields of waiving grain.
Eliza breathed deeply and sighed as Laura tucked a blanket over her lap. “It even smells wonderful.”
Laura wasn’t so sure. So far the dust and other odors of a western town appealed to her less than the salty, fishy air of her home in Maine. The stagecoach driver had finished his discussion with the storekeeper and headed out of town on his route.            The storekeeper saw Laura and Eliza in the middle of the street and smiled. “Welcome to Plymouth, ladies. I’m John Carter, the owner of this fine establishment. How may I assist you?” He tugged at his chin. “Let get you and your things onto the boardwalk and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
He reached for the bath chair handles but Laura grabbed them first. “I’d appreciate your help with our trunks.”
She’d known that two trunks and a bath chair were a lot to manage during their journey, but they couldn’t do with less, not with the equipment Eliza needed. By the time Laura had tugged Eliza onto the boardwalk, the storekeeper had moved the two trunks. “Thank you, Mr. Carter.”
“My pleasure.” He climbed the steps into the store before he looked back. “You must be Miss Bell’s nieces. I’ll have one of my clerks help you.”
Laura looked up and down the street. Aunt Minnie had promised that Dr. Andrews would pick them at the stage stop. Where was he? In such a small town, Aunt Minnie’s house couldn’t be far away. But Laura couldn’t manage the trunks as well as the chair, and she had no idea where to find the house. She probably should accept Mr. Carter’s offer.
Before she spoke, a long shadow fell across the boardwalk. “Miss Evans? Miss Laura Evans?”
As she was turning around, the man said, “And Miss Eliza Evans?” The shadow bent over the bath chair.
“Dr. . .” Laura completed her turn. The tallest, handsomest man she had ever seen towered over her, even though she was standing a step higher than he. “—Dr. Andrews?”
Her voice wobbled. She moved her foot to regain her balance, but instead stumbled forward. Into his arms.
I love it so far, Darlene. How can readers find you on the Internet?Website/blog: http://darlenefranklinwrites.com/(2 books will be given away every month, so stop by for further information!)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Poet.Darlene.FranklinTwitter: @darlenefranklinAmazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/
Thank you, Darlene, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers as eager as I am to read it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.http://www.amazon.com/Toboganning-Two-Christian-Historical-Romantic-ebook/dp/B0173X2RFC/

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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

TRUST ME - Jo Huddleston - One Free Book

Bio: Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Novels in her West Virginia Mountains Series and her Caney Creek Series are sweet Southern historical romances. She is a member of ACFW, the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Learn more at www.johuddleston.com where you can sign up for Jo’s mailing list and read her blogs.
Welcome back, Jo. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?Forgiveness—from God, from and toward others, of self; restoration of a person from a lifestyle not pleasing to God; finding God’s peace He promised He’d leave with us.
What other books of yours are coming out soon?My new release, Trust Me , is book 2 in the West Virginia Mountains Series. Book 3 in this series will probably release in spring 2016. The book will continue the stories of Julie and Robby, Loreen and Claude, plus a new character or two. No title yet.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?Billy Graham, the evangelist. I think to be in a room with him would be a peaceful experience. I’ve read his books, and would be excited to hear his words on any topic he chose. I so enjoyed his book about angels.
What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?I’d like to meet Amelia Earhart, the American aviation pioneer. I would like to meet her because I’ve always been fascinated with flight—birds, airplanes, and space craft. I’d like to hear her talk about her flying adventures so I could experience them vicariously.
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?On rare occasions your rejection letter will contain clues or suggestions about improving your manuscript—read those rejections carefully so you won’t overlook valuable gems. Make sure you’re sending your story to publishers who want to receive the kind of stories you write. Make sure your story is as good as it can get. Keep reading books about learning the craft of writing—we all never get good enough that we can’t continue to learn.
Tell us about the featured book.  Back cover blurb:
West Virginia, 1960 
A mine owner. An elegant lady.
Seductive voices that scoff at trust.
Loreen Fletcher has suffered heartbreak. She resolves never to trust a man again. She has earned a respected position with no help from anyone, especially not from a man. At thirty-six, Loreen knows loving brings inevitable misery, and she won’t pick at that scab again.

Claude Capshaw’s life has taken another detour. Things that drove him no longer motivate him. Nothing fulfills him anymore—except that elegant lady at West VirginiaUniversity. Why won’t Loreen trust Claude when he tells her he’ll never betray her?
Purchase link for Trust Me:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Historical-Romance-Virginia-Mountains-ebook/dp/B013EX0P0Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438875978&sr=1-5&keywords=Jo+Huddleston
Please give us the first page of the book.Spring, 1960Morgantown, West VirginiaJulie stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel from the rack, and twisted it around her short, wet hair. As she wrapped a second towel around her body, the telephone rang. She tucked the end of the towel against her skin so it wouldn’t slip and took the few steps to pick up the phone in the living room.
She cleared her throat to speak those first hoarse words of the morning. “Hello.”
“Is this Julia Capshaw?”     Her friends here at the university called her Julie. This caller must be somebody from home. Everyone there called her by her given name, Julia, as her daddy did.     “Yes, this is Julia Capshaw Montagna.”     “Oh, I’m sorry, Julia. After all this time, I can’t get used to you being married and living up there at West Virginia University. Julia, this is Hank, your daddy’s supervisor at his Coaltown coal mine.”     “What’s wrong, Hank? Why are you calling? Has something happened to Daddy?” Nothing can happen to Daddy! Since he moved her mother into the rest home in Charleston, he’d lived alone in that big house. Had he fallen?     “Well, Julia, a little bad news.”     Why won’t he just tell her? “What is it, Hank? Tell me.”     “It’s Mr. Capshaw, your daddy. He came to the coal mine earlier than usual this morning. I was already in the tipple. Said he didn’t sleep much last night. When we climbed up the slope to the mouth of the mine, he collapsed.”
You really left us with a hook, Jo. How can readers find you on the Internet?My links to social media:Website: http://johuddleston.comChristian authors’ books blog: http://johuddleston.com Inspirational blog: http://lifelinesnow.blogspot.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuddlestonFacebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/fournovelsAmazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/johuddlestonGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1615694.Jo_Huddleston
The Book Club Network: http://www.bookfun.org/profile/JoHuddleston
Thank you, Jo, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers are as eager to read it as I am.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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

A NOBLE MASQUERADE - Kristi Ann Hunter - One Free Book

Dear Readers, when I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I wanted to feature the author on the blog. So here she is.
Welcome, Kristi. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.There’s an element of myself in Miranda. As a more creative type growing up in a family of engineers there were times when I definitely felt a bit out of sync with the rest of my family. Beyond a basic idea, though, Miranda was her own character, and I loved getting to learn about her.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?My husband claims the quirkiest thing I’ve ever done is dance the lambada in a fish tank on Jupiter in the fall. As I have a very strong dislike of fish, I don’t think I’ve ever actually done that. Also given that answer, it’s entirely possible that the quirkiest thing I’ve ever done is marry my loving, supportive, and slightly dorky husband.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?The first time I considered the idea of writing books was when an author came to my third grade class and told us the book we’d read had started as a writing project for his fifth grade English class. It was a dream I toyed with for years after that. It wasn’t until about five years ago that I realized I could actually do it.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I’m definitely a romance junkie, and I float around the various romance genres most of the time. I do enjoy the occasional fantasy, though, and on even rarer occasions an adventure novel.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?I don’t. Sanity is highly over-rated.
I say that as a joke but there’s a certain amount of truth to it. As much as I would love to have a smoothly running, organized life, I don’t think I’ll ever be there even on my best day. It means boiling it down to what really matters and what has to get done. Prioritize and know that your life doesn’t have to match anyone else’s.
So true. How do you choose your characters’ names?There are lists of typical names for the time period. I start there and play around with combinations until one fits with the character in my head. Sometimes none of the names fit and I start picking pieces of different names and smashing them together until it works. For titles, I have an old book of English location names that I like to play around with.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?Signing my contract with Bethany House was a pretty exciting moment, I must say. Seeing my name on a book cover was astounding.
I think the thing I’m most proud of, though, is that I actually wrote the thing in the first place. Writing a book is something I first attempted in elementary school. I started several books over the years, but never finished. To actually complete a book and then write another and another, well, that’s a pretty big accomplishment.
As a side note, my husband wanted me to list marrying him as the answer for this question, too.
And I’m sure it would be a very good answer, too. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I think I’d be a horse. When you look at horses at lot of the beauty comes from the fact that they look impossible. Svelte legs holding up powerful bodies and majestic heads. While physically I don’t have the power, grace, or appearance of a horse, I love the essence of them. They are so perfectly constructed that it’s obvious God designed them. I want to own those qualities as well.
What is your favorite food?My first instinct is to say chocolate because that is my go-to treat, but I’m also a really big fan of pizza. Fortunately my husband is not so that keeps us from eating it too often.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Realizing that the delete button was my friend. It took me a very long time to admit that the first four chapters of my first book were back story and needed to be scrapped. I think learning to edit and being willing to edit is one of the most essential skills of a successful writer.
Rewrites and edits aren’t a favorite of mine, but they are so essential to help us become the authors God created us to be. Tell us about the featured book. Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside longs to be bold and carefree. To help her cope with her emotions, she pours her innermost feelings out in letters to her brother’s old school friend, the Duke of Marshington. Of course, she has no intention of ever sending these letters as that would be highly improper, but when her brother’s new valet, Marlow, mistakenly mails one of the letters, her world spins into upheaval.
Shockingly, this leads to a lively correspondence with the duke even as Miranda becomes close to Marlow. Insecurity from her impending spinsterhood soon shifts into confusion as Miranda finds her feelings growing for two men—one she’s never met but whose words touch her heart, and one she has come to depend on but would never fit in her world. When Marlow’s behavior becomes more and more suspicious, Miranda realizes that she’s landed in the middle of state secrets and intrigue, and more than her heart is at risk.
Please give us the first page of the book.(I didn’t know if you wanted the Prologue or Chapter One. I’ve included both first pages.) PrologueHertfordshire, England, 1800It is never a happy day when an eight-year-old girl’s cheesecake lands in the dirt, and she certainly doesn’t take kindly to the laughing little boy who put it there.
Fat tears welled up in Lady Miranda Hawthorne’s eyes as she stared at the cake now resting forlornly on the ground. Her little hands curled into angry fists at her sides.             “You’re a cad, Henry Lampton!” Miranda scooped the cake from the ground and hurled it at the laughing boy, her cheeks wet with tears. There was something satisfying about seeing the creamy dessert smear across his shirt and the smile fall from his face.             Miranda didn’t have long to relish her revenge because her mother appeared to lead her away from the party. Mother didn’t say a word until the door closed behind them, shutting them into her study.
“Miranda, a lady never expresses her disappointment in public.” Mother’s admonition was gentle but firm, as it always was.
Even though she knew her mother meant well, Miranda shuddered every time she heard the words, “Miranda, a lady never…” Occasionally it was “Miranda, a lady always…” but even then it was something like “Miranda, a lady always pays attention to her guests, even when she finds them boring.”
Miranda knew better than to speak as he mother lectured. Every time she tried to defend herself, it only made the torture last longer. So she waited until her mother dismissed her.
Instead of returning to the party, however, she ran to her room and threw herself on the bed, punching the pillow at the unfairness of it all.
Chapter OneHertfordshire, EnglandAutumn 1812Lady Miranda Hawthorne would support her sister tonight, even if it killed her. Judging by the pain already numbing her face, that was a distinct possibility. She massaged her cheeks, hoping to make the forced smile look and feel a little less wooden than the bedroom door in front of her.             With a sharp twist of the brass knob, she wrenched the door open and strode into the corridor. Her stride was firm. Her posture perfect. Nothing would make her abandon the endless lessons in ladylike etiquette from her mother.
Then she walked into a wall.
Oh, very well, it wasn’t a wall precisely. Walls didn’t appear in the middle of passageways, covered in wool.
“I do apologize, my lady.”
Nor did they speak.
Miranda looked up at the obstruction that was in actuality a solidly built man. She retreated a step, putting as much distance between her and the man without retreating into her bedchamber. Up and up her gaze traveled.
The last dredges of sunlight filtered through a large window at the end of the corridor, sending dim squares of gold marching across the floor and up to the man’s broad chest.
He wasn’t family. All of her relations had blond hair, including those so far distant they wouldn’t even claim the connection if her brother wasn’t a duke. The dimly lit passageway prevented her from making out an exact color, but the “barricade” before her had very dark hair pulled back into a short queue at his neck.
With a deep breath, she reminded herself where she stood in life. She was a lady of quality. The daughter, and sister, of a duke. Somewhere in her must lie the aristocratic arrogance she’d seen so many of her friends embody. If this intruder had nefarious purposes, talking was her only defense. Those long arms could haul her to a stop before she went more than two steps.
I’m intrigued, and I’m sure my readers are, too. How can readers find you on the Internet?There’s lots of information , including bonus material for A NOBLE MASQUERADE on my website: KristiAnnHunter.com (http://www.kristiannhunter.com/)
I can also be found on: Facebook - (https://www.facebook.com/KristiAnnHunter) Twitter - @KristiAnnHunter (https://twitter.com/KristiAnnHunterInstagram - @KristiAnnHunter
Pinterest - AuthorKristiAnn (https://www.pinterest.com/authorkristiann/) 
Thank you, Kristi, 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
A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House Book #1) - Kindle.

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