Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 180
August 5, 2015
ORPHANED HEARTS - Marion Ueckermann - One Free Ebook
Bio: Marion Ueckermann’s passion for writing was sparked in 2001 when she moved to Irelandwith her husband and two sons. Since then she has published devotional articles and stories in Winners, The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven.Marion loves writing Contemporary Inspirational Romances set in novel places and has three Passport to Romance novellas published and contracted through White Rose Publishing, a Pelican Book Group imprint: her debut novella, Helsinki Sunrise; Oslo Overtures (August 2015); and Glasgow Grace (2016).She lives in Pretoria East, South Africa, in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.
Welcome back, Marion. Why do you write the kind of books you do?I love writing stories set in unusual or foreign locations, hence my tagline “A Novel Placeto Fall in Love.”
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?Probably the day my husband said yes to my picnic invitation—our first date. I can’t remember when I’ve ever screamed that loud. And, if that first date hadn’t happened, would we have ever gone on to say “I do”?
How has being published changed your life?Life has become increasingly busy trying to carve out writing, editing, and marketing time amidst a day job, family, and those adorable grandchildren that are so hard to resist. But perhaps it’s hubby’s life that has changed the most, and he’s done it with grace. Oh how I appreciate him taking over the cooking, cleaning, and washing to give me more time to write. One of these days I will have to dedicate a book to him...I’m just waiting for the right one (and I think it might be around the corner) J
In every dedication I write, no matter who else I dedicate the book to, I always include my husband. What are you reading right now?At the moment, three of my crit partners’ manuscripts, which I’m loving and hope they find publishers soon so that others can enjoy their stories. Last month, however, Orphaned Hearts was published in SPLASH!, a boxed set of nine refreshing summer reads filled with faith done in collaboration with eight other international authors. As we’d all agreed to read and review the book before and after ours in the set, I’ll soon need to have my nose in Narelle Atkins’ His Perfect Catch and Jan Thompson’s Draw You Near. I’m looking forward to that.
What is your current work in progress?I’m working on my Christmas novella, Poles Apart, which will form part of a Christmas boxed set in conjunction with several of the SPLASH!authors. It’s a fun story about a frustrated author suffering from writer’s block and facing a tight Christmas novel deadline, who travels to Lapland from South Africa to find her muse and escape some Christmas unpleasantries at home. She finds more than that, but all I’ll give away is that there is Christmas magic and Santa’s kisses under the mistletoe.
What would be your dream vacation?A tiny, cosy cottage beside a clear blue lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Curled up on the sofa, I’d watch hubby through the window out fishing on the lake while I carve out hours of uninterrupted writing on my laptop beside a crackling fire.
How do you choose your settings for each book?As I said in the first question, I love writing stories set in unusual or foreign locations. My publisher, White Rose Publishing (a Pelican Book Group imprint) has an amazing series titled Passport to Romance. I’ve chosen my settings from the long list of stories they’re looking for, and I have many more up my sleeve. While my first preference has been to choose stories from the various countries I’ve visited, if I haven’t been there then I merely cyber-travel. I’ll be to taking readers to amazing locations in Africa in my Heart of Africa romances, of which Orphaned Hearts is book one.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?Definitely my son, Kyle. He’s a missionary and lives in Budapest (that’s when he’s not in Finland, or Sweden, or who knows where next). Because I only get to see him once a year if I’m lucky, I’d take any given time to spend with him.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?There’s time for hobbies? I used to love cross stitching, and have a myriad of unfinished pieces because I discovered writing.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Carving out uninterrupted writing time. Overcome it? Sit down at the desk in my writing room and close the door. And if that doesn’t work, it’s pretty quiet between midnight and 3 AM.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Do not be in a hurry to get published. Understand that you’ll likely write several books before you will be ready for publication. And most important, take time before you start writing to study the art of writing. Finally, find a handful of good critique partners.
Tell us about the featured book.
Orphaned Hearts
is set on the banks of the mighty Zambezi Riverin Zambia. After losing his wife in childbirth, conservationist Simon Hartley devotes his life to raising his daughter and orphan elephants. Lady Abigail Chadwick puts her aristocratic life and an arranged marriage on hold when she travels to Africa to spend a year teaching orphans. Neither the hero nor heroine is looking for love, but love certainly seeks them out.
And talking about love, there’s plenty for readers to fall in love with—a spectacular location, adorable orphans, and cute baby elephants. Some big ones, too.This story is about finding love, and God, again.
Will his past, or her future, keep their hearts orphaned?
When his wife dies in childbirth, Zambian conservationist Simon Hartley pours his life into raising his daughter and his orphan elephants. He has no time, or desire, to fall in love again. Or so he thinks.
Wanting to escape English society and postpone an arranged marriage, Lady Abigail Chadwick heads to Africafor a year to teach the children of the Good Shepherd Orphanage. Upon her arrival she is left stranded at Livingstone airport…until a reluctant Simon comes to her rescue.Now only fears born of his loss, and secrets of the life she’s tried to leave behind, can stonewall their romance, budding in the heart of Africa.
Please give us the first page of the book.On the banks of the mighty Zambezithat grief-filled morning, Simon Hartley buried not only his wife—he buried his faith, as well.
As Simon’s workers lowered the wooden box into the earth, ululating rose into the surrounding air from the gathered crowd, louder and louder, like the roar of the great waters of Mosi-oa-Tunya—the Smoke that Thunders.
The tiny form cocooned in a soft pink blanket squirmed in his arms, quickly making her distress known. Either the wailing mourners had woken the sleeping babe, or hunger, for she knew nothing of what went on around her, couldn’t feel the pain of loss for the mother who’d given her own life in exchange for that of her unborn child.
Simon eased the covering open and gazed inside. “Shh,” he whispered as he rocked his daughter in his arms, stilling her cries. An ache filled his heart. His daughter. She was so beautiful, so perfect.
Jaw clenched, Simon fixed his eyes on the gaping earth at his feet as the simple coffin sank deeper into the earth. He hugged the fragile bundle closer to his chest. Could the act ease the pain that clawed like a wounded animal trapped inside him? How was it possible to experience opposite emotions at the same time? Joy. Sorrow. Like oil and water, they didn’t mix. But here they were, thrown together by the unexpected turn of events that changed what was to be the happiest day of his life, to the saddest. And yet...
He pulled his gaze away and focused on the waters ahead. In the distance, mist from the falls turned the sky a lighter shade of blue. This was fitting. Chloe had loved this spot. She’d sit here in the shade beneath the giant sycamore fig for hours reading, pausing between pages to listen to the faint roar of the Victoria Falls. Often she’d set her book aside and gaze down the river, marveling at the haze that rose from where the falls plunged to the ravine below. “Heaven on earth,” she’d said.
I can hardly wait until my copy arrives. I loved reading Helsinki Sunrise. How can readers find you on the Internet?I look forward to interacting with readers at any of the following places:WEBSITE http://marionueckermann.com/FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Marion.C.UeckermannAMAZON http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00KBYLU7CGOOGLE+ https://plus.google.com/+MarionUeckermannAuthor/TWITTER https://twitter.com/ueckiePINTEREST https://www.pinterest.com/ueckie/
Thank you, Marion, for sharing this new book with us. I know my blog readers will love it.
Readers, here are purchase links to the books:AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunes iBooksKobo
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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 back, Marion. Why do you write the kind of books you do?I love writing stories set in unusual or foreign locations, hence my tagline “A Novel Placeto Fall in Love.” Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?Probably the day my husband said yes to my picnic invitation—our first date. I can’t remember when I’ve ever screamed that loud. And, if that first date hadn’t happened, would we have ever gone on to say “I do”?
How has being published changed your life?Life has become increasingly busy trying to carve out writing, editing, and marketing time amidst a day job, family, and those adorable grandchildren that are so hard to resist. But perhaps it’s hubby’s life that has changed the most, and he’s done it with grace. Oh how I appreciate him taking over the cooking, cleaning, and washing to give me more time to write. One of these days I will have to dedicate a book to him...I’m just waiting for the right one (and I think it might be around the corner) J
In every dedication I write, no matter who else I dedicate the book to, I always include my husband. What are you reading right now?At the moment, three of my crit partners’ manuscripts, which I’m loving and hope they find publishers soon so that others can enjoy their stories. Last month, however, Orphaned Hearts was published in SPLASH!, a boxed set of nine refreshing summer reads filled with faith done in collaboration with eight other international authors. As we’d all agreed to read and review the book before and after ours in the set, I’ll soon need to have my nose in Narelle Atkins’ His Perfect Catch and Jan Thompson’s Draw You Near. I’m looking forward to that.
What is your current work in progress?I’m working on my Christmas novella, Poles Apart, which will form part of a Christmas boxed set in conjunction with several of the SPLASH!authors. It’s a fun story about a frustrated author suffering from writer’s block and facing a tight Christmas novel deadline, who travels to Lapland from South Africa to find her muse and escape some Christmas unpleasantries at home. She finds more than that, but all I’ll give away is that there is Christmas magic and Santa’s kisses under the mistletoe.
What would be your dream vacation?A tiny, cosy cottage beside a clear blue lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Curled up on the sofa, I’d watch hubby through the window out fishing on the lake while I carve out hours of uninterrupted writing on my laptop beside a crackling fire.
How do you choose your settings for each book?As I said in the first question, I love writing stories set in unusual or foreign locations. My publisher, White Rose Publishing (a Pelican Book Group imprint) has an amazing series titled Passport to Romance. I’ve chosen my settings from the long list of stories they’re looking for, and I have many more up my sleeve. While my first preference has been to choose stories from the various countries I’ve visited, if I haven’t been there then I merely cyber-travel. I’ll be to taking readers to amazing locations in Africa in my Heart of Africa romances, of which Orphaned Hearts is book one.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?Definitely my son, Kyle. He’s a missionary and lives in Budapest (that’s when he’s not in Finland, or Sweden, or who knows where next). Because I only get to see him once a year if I’m lucky, I’d take any given time to spend with him.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?There’s time for hobbies? I used to love cross stitching, and have a myriad of unfinished pieces because I discovered writing.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Carving out uninterrupted writing time. Overcome it? Sit down at the desk in my writing room and close the door. And if that doesn’t work, it’s pretty quiet between midnight and 3 AM.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Do not be in a hurry to get published. Understand that you’ll likely write several books before you will be ready for publication. And most important, take time before you start writing to study the art of writing. Finally, find a handful of good critique partners.
Tell us about the featured book.
Orphaned Hearts
is set on the banks of the mighty Zambezi Riverin Zambia. After losing his wife in childbirth, conservationist Simon Hartley devotes his life to raising his daughter and orphan elephants. Lady Abigail Chadwick puts her aristocratic life and an arranged marriage on hold when she travels to Africa to spend a year teaching orphans. Neither the hero nor heroine is looking for love, but love certainly seeks them out.And talking about love, there’s plenty for readers to fall in love with—a spectacular location, adorable orphans, and cute baby elephants. Some big ones, too.This story is about finding love, and God, again.
Will his past, or her future, keep their hearts orphaned?
When his wife dies in childbirth, Zambian conservationist Simon Hartley pours his life into raising his daughter and his orphan elephants. He has no time, or desire, to fall in love again. Or so he thinks.
Wanting to escape English society and postpone an arranged marriage, Lady Abigail Chadwick heads to Africafor a year to teach the children of the Good Shepherd Orphanage. Upon her arrival she is left stranded at Livingstone airport…until a reluctant Simon comes to her rescue.Now only fears born of his loss, and secrets of the life she’s tried to leave behind, can stonewall their romance, budding in the heart of Africa.
Please give us the first page of the book.On the banks of the mighty Zambezithat grief-filled morning, Simon Hartley buried not only his wife—he buried his faith, as well.
As Simon’s workers lowered the wooden box into the earth, ululating rose into the surrounding air from the gathered crowd, louder and louder, like the roar of the great waters of Mosi-oa-Tunya—the Smoke that Thunders.
The tiny form cocooned in a soft pink blanket squirmed in his arms, quickly making her distress known. Either the wailing mourners had woken the sleeping babe, or hunger, for she knew nothing of what went on around her, couldn’t feel the pain of loss for the mother who’d given her own life in exchange for that of her unborn child.
Simon eased the covering open and gazed inside. “Shh,” he whispered as he rocked his daughter in his arms, stilling her cries. An ache filled his heart. His daughter. She was so beautiful, so perfect.
Jaw clenched, Simon fixed his eyes on the gaping earth at his feet as the simple coffin sank deeper into the earth. He hugged the fragile bundle closer to his chest. Could the act ease the pain that clawed like a wounded animal trapped inside him? How was it possible to experience opposite emotions at the same time? Joy. Sorrow. Like oil and water, they didn’t mix. But here they were, thrown together by the unexpected turn of events that changed what was to be the happiest day of his life, to the saddest. And yet...
He pulled his gaze away and focused on the waters ahead. In the distance, mist from the falls turned the sky a lighter shade of blue. This was fitting. Chloe had loved this spot. She’d sit here in the shade beneath the giant sycamore fig for hours reading, pausing between pages to listen to the faint roar of the Victoria Falls. Often she’d set her book aside and gaze down the river, marveling at the haze that rose from where the falls plunged to the ravine below. “Heaven on earth,” she’d said.
I can hardly wait until my copy arrives. I loved reading Helsinki Sunrise. How can readers find you on the Internet?I look forward to interacting with readers at any of the following places:WEBSITE http://marionueckermann.com/FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Marion.C.UeckermannAMAZON http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00KBYLU7CGOOGLE+ https://plus.google.com/+MarionUeckermannAuthor/TWITTER https://twitter.com/ueckiePINTEREST https://www.pinterest.com/ueckie/
Thank you, Marion, for sharing this new book with us. I know my blog readers will love it.
Readers, here are purchase links to the books:AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunes iBooksKobo
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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
August 4, 2015
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - Beth K Vogt - One Free Book
Bio: Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author who said she’d never write fiction, the wife of an Air Force physician who said she’d never marry anyone in the military, and a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “never.” A 2015 RITA® Finalist and a 2015 and 2014 Carol Award finalist, her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, and their youngest daughter.
Dear Readers, I usually prefer historical novels, but there are some authors who write contemporary novels I always read as soon as they release. Beth K. Vogt is one of those novels. From her first published novel, I was hooked on her writing and storytelling. Crazy Little Thing Called Love grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. I loved the characters, the story line, and the setting. It’s the whole package. You won’t want to miss this book.
Welcome back, Beth. Tell us about your salvation experience. I grew up in a religious home, but didn’t understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. I met my future husband, Rob, right after a rough breakup. On our second date, he shared his faith with me. When I told him I believed in God too he said, “I don’t see you doing anything about it.” (Yes, he’s a direct person.) We had a long distance relationship and he continued to share scripture verses with me.
Seven months later, we got engaged during the holidays and decided to have a “crash course” in premarital counseling while he was home for one week for Christmas. Rob was in the U.S. Air Force at the time, so we made a call to the Andrews Air Force Base chapel. –– We were assigned quickly to meet with a Quaker chaplain. During our first meeting, the chaplain pulled out a Campus Crusade Four Spiritual Laws tract and said, “Let’s just make sure we all know where we’re coming from.” He then walked us through the Gospel. At the end of that little booklet, there’s a picture of two circles: one with you on the throne of your life and one with Jesus on the throne of your life. And I stared at that page and knew I was in the wrong circle.
After that, my time was filled with reading the Word, attending a small Bible church once we were married, joining a couple’s Bible study – all of these things helped me grow as a young believer.
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why? Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren. They have mentored me from the beginning of my writing journey, and they are forces to be reckoned with. I love “talking story” with them. Melissa Tagg will also be there because she’s just crazy-talented and loads of fun and we’ve known each other from the beginning of our writing journeys. Cathy West will also join us. She is another phenomenal writer. She’s a pantser, while I’m a plotter. I visited her in Bermuda this summer and wooed her over to my side of the writing process – a little bit. We had so much fun plotting a story together! Who knows? She might provide the location for the retreat.
I would want to be a fly on the wall of that retreat, especially if it is at Cathy’s place. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that. I enjoy speaking to women’s groups and to writers. I was involved with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers International) as a writer, editor, and speaker. I love encouraging young moms. I’ve spoken to local groups and at their national conventions. I also love teaching other writers what I’ve learned along the writing road. I’ve taught local workshops, online courses, and at the ACFW annual conference. For me, an opportunity to speak is an opportunity to encourage.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
Now how do you answer a question like this? I could fudge and say I’m always embarrassed when I can’t remember a person’s name – I am so bad at that! Or I could tell you about the time I was in a high school talent show and sang a song with two other girlfriends, and I missed my cue and came in at the wrong time. Yeah. Totally miffed it. And when you’re a teen that kind of experience scars you forever. Of course, we didn’t win the talent show. How did I handle it? I finished the song – and went off stage and cried. I apologized over and over again, and felt like a failure. I did learn that you survive that kind of experience.
People are always telling me 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? My response varies with the person. Most of the time, I smile and say, “How interesting. What kind of book?” Inside my head, I’m thinking, “Let me know how that works out for you,” because most people do not understand what the writing life demands of you. If a person shows a real interest in writing though – an inkling of passion – then I listen. And if they ask questions, I offer a small amount of advice. Not too much though. They’ll find out when – and if – they start their writing journey.
Tell us about the featured book.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
asks the question: What if you discovered that what you thought was your worst mistake was actually the right choice? Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first novel in my destination wedding series that examines the power of love, and the mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”
Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.Thousands—even millions—of women had routine choose-a-church, select-a-dress, plan-a-reception kinds of weddings.
For some unknown reason, she was not one of those women.
Vanessa scanned the brochures spread out across the scarred top of her mission-style coffee table, her plate of Chinese beef and broccoli shoved to one corner. Photographs of white sandy beaches curving around sparkling oceans presented an enticing mirage for a destination wedding. And then she reread the list of medical workshops her husband-to-be would be attending two days after they exchanged I do’s.
TIA’s and Strokes: State of the Art ApproachAdvanced Airway Endoscopy CourseHot Topics in Pediatric Emergencies
Not the typical themes for a honeymoon following a romantic destination wedding.
How can readers find you on the Internet?My website: http://bethvogt.com/My blog: http://www.bethvogt.com/blog/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt?ref=hlTwitter: https://twitter.com/bethvogtPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beth_vogt/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bethkvogt/
Thank you, Beth, for sharing this new book with my blog readers today. I know they'll love it as much as I do.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel
- 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
Dear Readers, I usually prefer historical novels, but there are some authors who write contemporary novels I always read as soon as they release. Beth K. Vogt is one of those novels. From her first published novel, I was hooked on her writing and storytelling. Crazy Little Thing Called Love grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. I loved the characters, the story line, and the setting. It’s the whole package. You won’t want to miss this book.
Welcome back, Beth. Tell us about your salvation experience. I grew up in a religious home, but didn’t understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. I met my future husband, Rob, right after a rough breakup. On our second date, he shared his faith with me. When I told him I believed in God too he said, “I don’t see you doing anything about it.” (Yes, he’s a direct person.) We had a long distance relationship and he continued to share scripture verses with me. Seven months later, we got engaged during the holidays and decided to have a “crash course” in premarital counseling while he was home for one week for Christmas. Rob was in the U.S. Air Force at the time, so we made a call to the Andrews Air Force Base chapel. –– We were assigned quickly to meet with a Quaker chaplain. During our first meeting, the chaplain pulled out a Campus Crusade Four Spiritual Laws tract and said, “Let’s just make sure we all know where we’re coming from.” He then walked us through the Gospel. At the end of that little booklet, there’s a picture of two circles: one with you on the throne of your life and one with Jesus on the throne of your life. And I stared at that page and knew I was in the wrong circle.
After that, my time was filled with reading the Word, attending a small Bible church once we were married, joining a couple’s Bible study – all of these things helped me grow as a young believer.
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why? Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren. They have mentored me from the beginning of my writing journey, and they are forces to be reckoned with. I love “talking story” with them. Melissa Tagg will also be there because she’s just crazy-talented and loads of fun and we’ve known each other from the beginning of our writing journeys. Cathy West will also join us. She is another phenomenal writer. She’s a pantser, while I’m a plotter. I visited her in Bermuda this summer and wooed her over to my side of the writing process – a little bit. We had so much fun plotting a story together! Who knows? She might provide the location for the retreat.
I would want to be a fly on the wall of that retreat, especially if it is at Cathy’s place. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that. I enjoy speaking to women’s groups and to writers. I was involved with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers International) as a writer, editor, and speaker. I love encouraging young moms. I’ve spoken to local groups and at their national conventions. I also love teaching other writers what I’ve learned along the writing road. I’ve taught local workshops, online courses, and at the ACFW annual conference. For me, an opportunity to speak is an opportunity to encourage.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
Now how do you answer a question like this? I could fudge and say I’m always embarrassed when I can’t remember a person’s name – I am so bad at that! Or I could tell you about the time I was in a high school talent show and sang a song with two other girlfriends, and I missed my cue and came in at the wrong time. Yeah. Totally miffed it. And when you’re a teen that kind of experience scars you forever. Of course, we didn’t win the talent show. How did I handle it? I finished the song – and went off stage and cried. I apologized over and over again, and felt like a failure. I did learn that you survive that kind of experience.
People are always telling me 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? My response varies with the person. Most of the time, I smile and say, “How interesting. What kind of book?” Inside my head, I’m thinking, “Let me know how that works out for you,” because most people do not understand what the writing life demands of you. If a person shows a real interest in writing though – an inkling of passion – then I listen. And if they ask questions, I offer a small amount of advice. Not too much though. They’ll find out when – and if – they start their writing journey.
Tell us about the featured book.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
asks the question: What if you discovered that what you thought was your worst mistake was actually the right choice? Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first novel in my destination wedding series that examines the power of love, and the mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.” Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.Thousands—even millions—of women had routine choose-a-church, select-a-dress, plan-a-reception kinds of weddings.
For some unknown reason, she was not one of those women.
Vanessa scanned the brochures spread out across the scarred top of her mission-style coffee table, her plate of Chinese beef and broccoli shoved to one corner. Photographs of white sandy beaches curving around sparkling oceans presented an enticing mirage for a destination wedding. And then she reread the list of medical workshops her husband-to-be would be attending two days after they exchanged I do’s.
TIA’s and Strokes: State of the Art ApproachAdvanced Airway Endoscopy CourseHot Topics in Pediatric Emergencies
Not the typical themes for a honeymoon following a romantic destination wedding.
How can readers find you on the Internet?My website: http://bethvogt.com/My blog: http://www.bethvogt.com/blog/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt?ref=hlTwitter: https://twitter.com/bethvogtPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beth_vogt/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bethkvogt/
Thank you, Beth, for sharing this new book with my blog readers today. I know they'll love it as much as I do.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel
- KindleLeave 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
August 3, 2015
MIDNIGHT ON THE MISSISSIPPI - Mary Ellis - One Free Book
Dear Blog Readers, Midnight on the Mississippi is a departure from the type of books, Mary Ellis has written before. I absolutely loved it. It’s my favorite book by Mary. The setting and feeling of the South, the characters who leapt off the pages, and the wonderful suspense plot that kept me guessing. I know you won’t want to miss this novel.
Welcome back, Mary. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take? I love writing mysteries and romantic suspense set in the South. Since we’ll be living in a warmer climate once my husband retires, at least part of the year, I’m enjoying researching places to live and towns to set my stories in.
What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them? Unfortunately, I won’t be attending any conferences and I will truly miss ACFW’s. This year my husband and I are taking a month-long research trip/vacation, which will consume every penny of our travel budget. Next year I hope to attend ACFW in Nashville and RWA in New Orleans.
ACFW is very near my house, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go because of my knee replacement surgery. I’ll try to go out at least one day if I can. If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why? I would plan a panel of authors who have changed genres or successfully write in several genres at the same time. Since Midnight on the Mississippi represents a change in genres for me, I would be fascinated by their answers.
How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations? Frankly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without writing conferences. I have taken and learned from dozens of wonderful workshops, participated in panel discussions, and networked with other writers, agents, editors, and industry professionals. I attend every one that I can possibly afford. Their value is immeasurable.
Where in the community or your church do you volunteer? I have volunteered at my church with our homeless outreach, Sunday school and VBS, at our local SPCA chapter, the local historical society, and with the women’s auxiliary in our town, which is a community service organization.
Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how? My Lord Jesus Christ, my parents who adopted me when I was six weeks old, my husband of many years, and Pastor Bob Pettuccio, who baptized me for a second time. He taught me to live my faith every day.
If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be? Here lies Mary Ellis who wished she’d discovered writing a little earlier in life!
Tell us about the featured book, Midnight on the Mississippi:
What lies beneath the black water of the bayou? Hunter Galen, a New Orleanssecurities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, of embezzling their clients’ money, but he’s reluctant to jeopardize their friendship. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to confront a problem may have cost James his life. Nicki Price, a newly minted PI, intends to solve the stockbroker’s murder as she establishes herself in the career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen-Nowak Investments, Hunter’s fiancée, Ashley Menard, rubs her the wrong way. Nicki doesn’t trust the ostentatious woman who seems to be hiding something, but is the PI’s growing attraction to Hunter—the police’s only suspect—her true reason for disliking Ashley? As Hunter and Nicki encounter sophisticated shell games, blackmail, and death threats both subtle and overt, danger swirls around them like the mysterious dark water of the bayou. Only their reliance on faith and fearless determination give them hope they will live to see another day.
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.Yacht Queen AntoinetteSomewhere on Lake Pontchartrain“What? I still can’t hear you, James!” Hunter Galen shouted into the mouthpiece. “Call me back in a few minutes. I’m going on deck. Maybe the signal will be stronger.” Ending the call, he headed for the doorway of the grand dining salon. Around him, the birthday party was in full swing. He glanced across a room filled with smiling faces, assured that the party had been a great idea. His mother, still stunning at sixty years old, was dancing with the senior partner of the law firm that had represented Galen business interests for years. Was something going on between them—more than just a slow waltz between old friends? Maybe, but he wouldn’t worry about it tonight. His mother and everyone else were enjoying themselves. In addition to delicious catering and plentiful libations, two bands—zydeco and swing—provided entertainment, with even a DJ between sets to keep the younger generation happy.
From the corner of his eye, Hunter spotted his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée, clinking champagne glasses with his sister, Chloe, and his sister-in-law, Cora. Together the three looked like a blonde, brunette, and flaming redhead hair color advertisement. While he watched, Ashley Menard glanced his way, her face lighting up with a Miss Louisiana smile. That’s what she once had been—or, at least, first runner-up. Tall and reed slim, Ashley’s cool composure stemmed from the belief that everything she touched would turn to gold. And it usually did. She lifted two fingers in a wave before refocusing on her future sisters-in-law.
“Don’t even think of getting down on one knee until you ask Daddy,” Ashley had warned him. Daddy. Twenty-six years old and owner of a chain of hair salons, yet she still referred to her father with a juvenile moniker. Well, this still was the old South, after all.
When the vibration of his phone jarred his attention from the party, he saw on the screen that it was James again. Sighing, he headed up the stairs for better reception. On the promenade deck above, Hunter sucked in a lungful of humid air and leaned over the polished teak railing. “Hello, James,” he spoke into the mouthpiece.
“Hunter, we have to talk. This is important. I know you’re tied up right now, but I had drinks tonight with old man Morrison at the bank. He wants to talk to us about the credit advance I requested. He refuses to extend the corporate credit line until we both come to his office. That tight-fisted—”
His colorful description of their banker became garbled as James’s voice rose with agitation.
Where can my readers find you on the Internet? I hope readers will find me here: http://http://www.maryellis.net/or at:http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236
Thank you, Mary, for sharing this new book with us. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Midnight on the Mississippi (Secrets of the South Mysteries) - 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
Welcome back, Mary. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take? I love writing mysteries and romantic suspense set in the South. Since we’ll be living in a warmer climate once my husband retires, at least part of the year, I’m enjoying researching places to live and towns to set my stories in.What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them? Unfortunately, I won’t be attending any conferences and I will truly miss ACFW’s. This year my husband and I are taking a month-long research trip/vacation, which will consume every penny of our travel budget. Next year I hope to attend ACFW in Nashville and RWA in New Orleans.
ACFW is very near my house, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go because of my knee replacement surgery. I’ll try to go out at least one day if I can. If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why? I would plan a panel of authors who have changed genres or successfully write in several genres at the same time. Since Midnight on the Mississippi represents a change in genres for me, I would be fascinated by their answers.
How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations? Frankly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without writing conferences. I have taken and learned from dozens of wonderful workshops, participated in panel discussions, and networked with other writers, agents, editors, and industry professionals. I attend every one that I can possibly afford. Their value is immeasurable.
Where in the community or your church do you volunteer? I have volunteered at my church with our homeless outreach, Sunday school and VBS, at our local SPCA chapter, the local historical society, and with the women’s auxiliary in our town, which is a community service organization.
Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how? My Lord Jesus Christ, my parents who adopted me when I was six weeks old, my husband of many years, and Pastor Bob Pettuccio, who baptized me for a second time. He taught me to live my faith every day.
If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be? Here lies Mary Ellis who wished she’d discovered writing a little earlier in life!
Tell us about the featured book, Midnight on the Mississippi:
What lies beneath the black water of the bayou? Hunter Galen, a New Orleanssecurities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, of embezzling their clients’ money, but he’s reluctant to jeopardize their friendship. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to confront a problem may have cost James his life. Nicki Price, a newly minted PI, intends to solve the stockbroker’s murder as she establishes herself in the career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen-Nowak Investments, Hunter’s fiancée, Ashley Menard, rubs her the wrong way. Nicki doesn’t trust the ostentatious woman who seems to be hiding something, but is the PI’s growing attraction to Hunter—the police’s only suspect—her true reason for disliking Ashley? As Hunter and Nicki encounter sophisticated shell games, blackmail, and death threats both subtle and overt, danger swirls around them like the mysterious dark water of the bayou. Only their reliance on faith and fearless determination give them hope they will live to see another day.Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.Yacht Queen AntoinetteSomewhere on Lake Pontchartrain“What? I still can’t hear you, James!” Hunter Galen shouted into the mouthpiece. “Call me back in a few minutes. I’m going on deck. Maybe the signal will be stronger.” Ending the call, he headed for the doorway of the grand dining salon. Around him, the birthday party was in full swing. He glanced across a room filled with smiling faces, assured that the party had been a great idea. His mother, still stunning at sixty years old, was dancing with the senior partner of the law firm that had represented Galen business interests for years. Was something going on between them—more than just a slow waltz between old friends? Maybe, but he wouldn’t worry about it tonight. His mother and everyone else were enjoying themselves. In addition to delicious catering and plentiful libations, two bands—zydeco and swing—provided entertainment, with even a DJ between sets to keep the younger generation happy.
From the corner of his eye, Hunter spotted his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée, clinking champagne glasses with his sister, Chloe, and his sister-in-law, Cora. Together the three looked like a blonde, brunette, and flaming redhead hair color advertisement. While he watched, Ashley Menard glanced his way, her face lighting up with a Miss Louisiana smile. That’s what she once had been—or, at least, first runner-up. Tall and reed slim, Ashley’s cool composure stemmed from the belief that everything she touched would turn to gold. And it usually did. She lifted two fingers in a wave before refocusing on her future sisters-in-law.
“Don’t even think of getting down on one knee until you ask Daddy,” Ashley had warned him. Daddy. Twenty-six years old and owner of a chain of hair salons, yet she still referred to her father with a juvenile moniker. Well, this still was the old South, after all.
When the vibration of his phone jarred his attention from the party, he saw on the screen that it was James again. Sighing, he headed up the stairs for better reception. On the promenade deck above, Hunter sucked in a lungful of humid air and leaned over the polished teak railing. “Hello, James,” he spoke into the mouthpiece.
“Hunter, we have to talk. This is important. I know you’re tied up right now, but I had drinks tonight with old man Morrison at the bank. He wants to talk to us about the credit advance I requested. He refuses to extend the corporate credit line until we both come to his office. That tight-fisted—”
His colorful description of their banker became garbled as James’s voice rose with agitation.
Where can my readers find you on the Internet? I hope readers will find me here: http://http://www.maryellis.net/or at:http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236
Thank you, Mary, for sharing this new book with us. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
Midnight on the Mississippi (Secrets of the South Mysteries) - 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
August 2, 2015
WINNERS!!!!!!
Sydnie (NV) is the winner of
Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
by Melanie Dobson.
Connie (KY) is the winner of A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears.
Winners of Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy
Love, and Elizabeth Musser are:
Melanie (TX)
Jeanie (AZ)
Abigail (NC)
Brenda (VA) is the winner of The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E Ladd.
Merry (MN) is the winner of Mr.What's-His-Name by Janice Olson.
If you won a book and you like it, 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 of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Connie (KY) is the winner of A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears.
Winners of Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy
Love, and Elizabeth Musser are:
Melanie (TX)
Jeanie (AZ)
Abigail (NC)
Brenda (VA) is the winner of The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E Ladd.
Merry (MN) is the winner of Mr.What's-His-Name by Janice Olson.
If you won a book and you like it, 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 of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
July 31, 2015
RAINDROPS FROM HEAVEN - Twila Belk - One Free Book
Welcome, Twila. Why did you write the featured book?It’s a God thing. I was talking to the publisher about another issue, and during our conversation I mentioned the significance of rain to me and how God speaks to me through the rain. From that conversation
Raindrops from Heaven
was born. Here’s a bit of backstory: Years ago, while in the midst of bleak circumstances, I stared out the window and noticed the parched landscape due to a long-lasting drought. In my spirit I sensed God telling me, “Twila, the rain is coming. The rain is coming, and it’s for you. Revel in the rain. Splash in the puddles. Delight in the deluge.” God gives me that message often. It’s one He wants to soak deep within my soul.
I’ve come to realize that rain has many meanings in the spiritual sense. It’s something I can’t really explain, but it’s something my spirit understands. Rain has become symbolic to me of God’s goodness and greatness. He speaks to me through the rain and reassures me of His love. I’m reminded of His power, presence, and purpose.
This verse ties into the book really well: “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3).
What do you want the reader to take away from the book?My hope is that the book will help readers get their thoughts on God. I’ve learned that whatever we focus on becomes magnified. If we spend too much time thinking about our circumstances, they become overwhelming to us and take over our lives. But if we turn our thoughts to God, He becomes magnified to us and we realize that He’s big enough for whatever we need. All that to say, I want the reader takeaway to be trust in a loving God who is powerful, purposeful, and present.Is there anything you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book? Raindrops from Heaven is my heart in written form.
Where on the Internet can the readers find you?My website is www.gottatellsomebody.com. I’m also on Facebook at Twila Belk or on my author/speaker page, Twila Belk—The Gotta Tell Somebody Gal. You can find me on Pinterest as well.
Thank you, Twila, for sharing this new book with us. I'm eager to receive my copy of the book, so I can dive into it. (Pun intended.)
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
- Amazon
Raindrops From Heaven: Gentle Reminders of God's Power, Presence, and Purpose - 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
July 30, 2015
NEVER BROKEN - Kathleen Fuller - One Free Ebook
Welcome back, Kathleen. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?Forgiveness and fear are two prominent themes in my books. Usually I’m grappling with one or the other and writing about them in my stories is cathartic.What other books of yours are coming out soon?A Reluctant Bride(September, 2015)A Pioneer Christmas anthology (rerelease, October, 2015)An Amish Market anthology (February, 2016)
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?Tim Hawkins, because he’s hilarious.
Yes, he is. We’ve had him at our church for Laugh Night more than once. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?Harry Truman. He overcame a lot of adversity to become one of our greatest presidents. He was also well-known for his perseverance and optimism.
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?EVERY writer gets rejection, not only before publication, but after. The faster you learn to accept rejection the easier it will be to write.
Tell us about the featured book. Never Broken is the first book in the Everlasting Faith series. It’s an Irish/Scottish historical family saga and features the Cahill sisters, Shannon and Ainslee, who are forced to emigrate from Ireland during the Great Famine. Never Broken was originally published in 2006. It’s been revised for this re-release.
Please give us the first page of the book.Limerick, IrelandDecember 1834Margaret O’Leary sat down at the splintered wood table, tugging her threadbare shawl against her body. She glanced at the mound of ashes in the hearth, the peat fire having gone out long ago. Cold, damp air now filled the tiny, one-room hovel, piercing through her taut skin and penetrating deep into her bones.Dim light flickered from a lone candle on the table, casting heavy shadows throughout the room. Two small, thin children lay on the floor under one tattered blanket in front of the dead hearth. She watched the soft rise and fall of her sons’ chests as they slept.
Another coughing spell consumed her, pain knifing through her chest. She didn’t have much time left. The spasms were more frequent, the pain more acute.
She focused on the small pile of coins in front of her. Already they were down to crusts of bread. She’d made so many mistakes in her life, all in the pursuit of pleasure, of adventure, of selfish gain. Now Rory and Colm, her two shining lights in a dark world, were suffering with her.She couldn’t let them suffer anymore.
A stub of charcoal lay next to a single sheet of paper. She should have done this long ago. Earlier that evening, she’d gathered the courage to tell Rory about her plan. As she’d expected, he reacted stoically, agreeing to follow her wishes. Barely twelve years old, he’d been forced to leave childhood behind. After Finn O’Leary’s abandonment two years ago, Rory had become the family backbone she’d needed him to be.
Picking up the charcoal, she held it poised over the paper. How could she find the words to write her regrets, to voice her apologies? At one time, she’d thought Jane a stuffy prude who chose money and security over excitement and passion. Tomorrow morning she would give the letter, the money, and the last bits of food to Rory. There were enough coins for her sons to travel to County Cork, then to the Gormley estate. She had to trust that Jane would have compassion for her nephews and wouldn’t turn them away.
A frigid draft sliced through the room, causing Colm to stir and snuggle closer to his older brother. Margaret hadn’t told her youngest of her plans. An eight-year-old wouldn’t understand. Perhaps one day he would. Perhaps he could even forgive her.
God knew she couldn’t forgive herself.
Taking a ragged breath, she applied the stub to the paper. My dearest sister Jane, she began, tears blurring her eyes. I’m so sorry…
How can readers find you on the Internet?www.kathleenfuller.com
Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing this book with us today. I can hardly wait for my copy to arrive, so I can finish reading it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Never Broken (Everlasting Faith Book 1)
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
July 29, 2015
THE CONVENIENT BRIDE COLLECTION - Andrea Boeshaar - One Free Book
Dear Readers, Andrea is a long-time writing friend. We started our writing careers at the same publisher. I’m extremely pleased to introduce her to you with this new novella collection.
Welcome back, Andrea. Why did you become an author?When my three sons were young, I began gobbling up secular romances. I read one or two novels a week. I always enjoyed writing. In fact, I wrote my first “novel” when I was in 3rd grade; it was called Little Miss Mouse. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at penning a romance, and began learning all the various innuendos involved with novel writing. I even took a couple of creative writing classes at the local university. Then in 1991, I was spiritually reborn. The desire to write books that honored Jesus Christ and offered my readers hope burned deep within my soul. That’s when I began writing for the Christian market. My first book was published in 1994 by Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents book club.
If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?I would be an adjunct professor, teaching literature, creative writing, and history classes – in fact, I’m back in school, earning my bachelors degree and then possibly going on for a masters.
Way to go! I have most of my work done for a masters, and when I was in graduate school, I was one of the older students there. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?I’d bounce back and forth in my time machine between the American Revolutionary War Era (approximately 1770-1800) and the Civil War times (1850-1870) Note: Those aren’t the dates in which the wars were fought, but there were years leading up to the wars and then, of course, there were the years of adjustment and adventure afterwards. Not that I enjoy war at all—in fact, I’m the mom who wouldn’t allow her sons to play with guns! What I like most about those times in history (and, granted, I look upon them more romantically then realistically, perhaps) was the love of country, the honor and valor, the bravery and daring of both men and women alike. Of course, it would be difficult to give up my microwave oven and indoor plumbing. J
I was glad I had daughters, because I wouldn’t have let boys play with guns either. What place in the United Stateshave you not visited that you would like to?New Mexico. I would love to attend the Hot Air Balloon Festival there some year. Also, a church I attended years ago supported missionaries to the Navajo and Native American people have always been near and dear to my heart for a great many reasons. I would also enjoy visiting New York City so I could tour the 9-11 Museum.
How about a foreign country you hope to visit?I would like to visit England, both the rural areas and then London.
What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?The Lord is teaching me that often the words I speak, the actions I do, don’t always accomplish God’s will no matter how well intended they are. Sometimes I need to be still and know that God is God. He is sovereign—I am not.
God is also teaching me about overcoming pain and becoming more self-disciplined. What’s a-whole-nother blog post.
Tell us about the featured book.The Convenient Bride Collection features 10 authors and 9 stories, all centered around marriages of convenience. The novella I wrote, One Way to the Altar, was a collaborative effort with debut author Christina Linstrot Miller.
Please give us the first page of the book.Montana, 1902A bath. A refreshingly cool bath. That would lift her wilted spirits after this horrid journey. Please, Lord. . .
Leah Hermaning whispered the prayer. Six days on the train in a hot, stuffy passenger car, three hours in a rickety stagecoach that bounced her like a child’s rubber ball—and now she was finally here.
In the middle of nowhere. The stage pulled to a bone-jarring halt, and Leah climbed out unassisted. The driver and his helper tossed down her trunk as if it didn’t contain everything precious left to her. “Here ya go, lady.”
Such rudeness! Uncle Robert would have had something to say about that. She glanced around. Now. . .where was he?
She searched the dusty street for a sign of him or Aunt Estelle. Horses tethered to hitching rails in front of water troughs, wagons clattering by on the dirt road—she was in another world, far from the comforts of Newport, Rhode Island. But somehow she’d adapt. . .
Wouldn’t she?
Now where could her aunt and uncle be?
Amid laughter and loud voices, a half dozen men burst out of the freight office and headed toward her on the boardwalk, their clothing and faces as dirty as the language spewing from their mouths.
No, Leah was certainly not in her refined Newport neighborhood anymore.
She pressed herself up against the unfinished outer wall just in time to dodge the men. No doubt she’d blend into the background as usual, despite her lavender dress and leaf-green vest. God had given her brains, not beauty, and nothing could enhance her drab-brown hair and the plainness of her face. And those men, who looked right through her as they passed, gave testimony to that fact.
Of course, she’d expected nothing more. Twenty-six years was time enough for Leah to accept her less-than-lovely looks along with the fact that she would always be a spinster. But she was in a new place now, with a new teaching position waiting, and she’d make the best of her God-given days.
And she’d do that if Uncle Robert and Aunt Estelle showed up. . . Love that opening. How can readers find you on the Internet?Log onto my website: www.andreaboeshaar.comFacebook: Andrea Boeshaar Author (send a friend request)Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar
Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait to read it. The long novel I just finished is a marriage-of-convenience story, too.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
The Convenient Bride Collection: 9 Romances Grow from Marriage Partnerships Formed Out of Necessity
- 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
Welcome back, Andrea. Why did you become an author?When my three sons were young, I began gobbling up secular romances. I read one or two novels a week. I always enjoyed writing. In fact, I wrote my first “novel” when I was in 3rd grade; it was called Little Miss Mouse. Anyway, I decided to try my hand at penning a romance, and began learning all the various innuendos involved with novel writing. I even took a couple of creative writing classes at the local university. Then in 1991, I was spiritually reborn. The desire to write books that honored Jesus Christ and offered my readers hope burned deep within my soul. That’s when I began writing for the Christian market. My first book was published in 1994 by Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents book club.If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?I would be an adjunct professor, teaching literature, creative writing, and history classes – in fact, I’m back in school, earning my bachelors degree and then possibly going on for a masters.
Way to go! I have most of my work done for a masters, and when I was in graduate school, I was one of the older students there. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?I’d bounce back and forth in my time machine between the American Revolutionary War Era (approximately 1770-1800) and the Civil War times (1850-1870) Note: Those aren’t the dates in which the wars were fought, but there were years leading up to the wars and then, of course, there were the years of adjustment and adventure afterwards. Not that I enjoy war at all—in fact, I’m the mom who wouldn’t allow her sons to play with guns! What I like most about those times in history (and, granted, I look upon them more romantically then realistically, perhaps) was the love of country, the honor and valor, the bravery and daring of both men and women alike. Of course, it would be difficult to give up my microwave oven and indoor plumbing. J
I was glad I had daughters, because I wouldn’t have let boys play with guns either. What place in the United Stateshave you not visited that you would like to?New Mexico. I would love to attend the Hot Air Balloon Festival there some year. Also, a church I attended years ago supported missionaries to the Navajo and Native American people have always been near and dear to my heart for a great many reasons. I would also enjoy visiting New York City so I could tour the 9-11 Museum.
How about a foreign country you hope to visit?I would like to visit England, both the rural areas and then London.
What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?The Lord is teaching me that often the words I speak, the actions I do, don’t always accomplish God’s will no matter how well intended they are. Sometimes I need to be still and know that God is God. He is sovereign—I am not.
God is also teaching me about overcoming pain and becoming more self-disciplined. What’s a-whole-nother blog post.
Tell us about the featured book.The Convenient Bride Collection features 10 authors and 9 stories, all centered around marriages of convenience. The novella I wrote, One Way to the Altar, was a collaborative effort with debut author Christina Linstrot Miller. Please give us the first page of the book.Montana, 1902A bath. A refreshingly cool bath. That would lift her wilted spirits after this horrid journey. Please, Lord. . .
Leah Hermaning whispered the prayer. Six days on the train in a hot, stuffy passenger car, three hours in a rickety stagecoach that bounced her like a child’s rubber ball—and now she was finally here.
In the middle of nowhere. The stage pulled to a bone-jarring halt, and Leah climbed out unassisted. The driver and his helper tossed down her trunk as if it didn’t contain everything precious left to her. “Here ya go, lady.”
Such rudeness! Uncle Robert would have had something to say about that. She glanced around. Now. . .where was he?
She searched the dusty street for a sign of him or Aunt Estelle. Horses tethered to hitching rails in front of water troughs, wagons clattering by on the dirt road—she was in another world, far from the comforts of Newport, Rhode Island. But somehow she’d adapt. . .
Wouldn’t she?
Now where could her aunt and uncle be?
Amid laughter and loud voices, a half dozen men burst out of the freight office and headed toward her on the boardwalk, their clothing and faces as dirty as the language spewing from their mouths.
No, Leah was certainly not in her refined Newport neighborhood anymore.
She pressed herself up against the unfinished outer wall just in time to dodge the men. No doubt she’d blend into the background as usual, despite her lavender dress and leaf-green vest. God had given her brains, not beauty, and nothing could enhance her drab-brown hair and the plainness of her face. And those men, who looked right through her as they passed, gave testimony to that fact.
Of course, she’d expected nothing more. Twenty-six years was time enough for Leah to accept her less-than-lovely looks along with the fact that she would always be a spinster. But she was in a new place now, with a new teaching position waiting, and she’d make the best of her God-given days.
And she’d do that if Uncle Robert and Aunt Estelle showed up. . . Love that opening. How can readers find you on the Internet?Log onto my website: www.andreaboeshaar.comFacebook: Andrea Boeshaar Author (send a friend request)Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar
Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait to read it. The long novel I just finished is a marriage-of-convenience story, too.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog. - Amazon
The Convenient Bride Collection: 9 Romances Grow from Marriage Partnerships Formed Out of Necessity
- KindleLeave 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
July 28, 2015
LOVE'S ENDURING FLAME - Ruth Axtell - One Free Ebook
Welcome back, Ruth. Tell us about your salvation experience.I was twenty-three and searching. After four years of college and some dead-end jobs, I had a sense of hopelessness in me. I had seen both my grandmother and great-aunt decline and eventually pass on. It showed me the futility of life if, after all the striving, we had to let go of everything and face death. What was the purpose of it all? Thankfully, both my mother and older brother had recently accepted Jesus, and they witnessed to me. At first I wanted to have nothing to do with this, but eventually, I did respond. I had a dramatic encounter with Jesus at the altar. For a detailed testimony, you can visit my website at http://ruthaxtell.comunder “About Ruth,” then “My Christian Testimony.”You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?Laura Frantz and Sarah Sundin are two Christian of my favorite Christian authors. I think we might connect because their writing speaks to me. Also, Julie Lessman and Melanie Dickerson, because I also really love their stories, and we have met and connected!
Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.I have spoken in the past in churches, but I haven’t recently, so I wouldn’t say I have a speaking ministry per se.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?When I was about sixteen, I “cold-called” a boy. We were in a church youth group together. I was very shy, and we had barely exchanged two words together. He must have wondered why I had called him out of the blue. When I saw him next, I acted as if nothing had happened, but I was mortified!
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?I would tell them how much work it is and how difficult it is to make a living writing these days, since the Internet has so dramatically changed publishing. But if they still want to do it, then to do it for the love of it.
Tell us about the featured book.
Love’s Enduring Flame
is the first novel I ever wrote. It never found a home, because of its more “exotic” setting and time period (Warsaw, Poland in 1830). I loved War and Peace, so I found the idea of an uprising for independence in this Eastern European nation an intriguing setting for a love story. It is a very dramatic love story, which I originally wrote for a secular market. When I reread and edited it, I toned down a lot of the romance that might seem too sensual for a Christian audience, but some readers might find it too descriptive, although there is nothing graphic in it. If you like Julie Lessman’s writing, you will like
Love’s EnduringFlame
. There are a lot of sparks between the hero and heroine, because as one reader told me, they have great chemistry yet have lots of reason for conflict.Please give us the first page of the book.Countryside south of LublinEastern PolandAugust 1830There is was again! That flash of blue through the trees.
Captain Casimir Zalenski stood at the edge of the forest, his eyes straining to see through the crowded stands of birch, beech, and oak trees in the waning light.
Ignoring the commotion in the road behind him, he kept his focus on the blue blur in the distance.
Someone was making a clean getaway.
Restless after a full day of monotonous travel, Casimir longed to mount back up on his gray stallion and give chase, but he kept his arms at his sides and his expression neutral as he returned his attention to the scene in the road.
The Russian prince, Orlovsky, had descended from his ornate carriage and was pacing before the crude road block while the coachmen worked to calm the anxious team of horses.
“Who is responsible for this?” Orlovsky slashed a pale hand toward the obstacle in the road, his words as sharp as shrapnel.
A freshly felled tree lay across the narrow dirt road in that forested stretch. Hidden within the tree’s branches, a length of rope stretched taut from one side of the road to the other, exactly at horses’ shoulder height.
“I don’t know, my lord.” Casimir resisted the urge to glance back into the woods for another glimpse of blue. Better the Russian not know what he’d seen. “Whoever it was is far from here by now.”
Orlovsky turned to the groom and coach driver. “See that this impediment is removed at once.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As the men left the nervous horses to settle themselves and went to work to dismantle the barricade, Orlovsky stepped toward Casimir. “What do you think? Highwaymen? Or subversives?”
Casimir rubbed his jaw. “It’s hard to say.”
But he could guess. Highwaymen would have come forth by now to rob them. Whoever did this clearly had harassment in mind for this Russian nobleman. The “Congress Kingdom” it might be called, but this was Poland, and the proud locals could not have been happy under present circumstances.
A Polish nobleman and his entire family had been exiled to Siberia. Count Orlovsky was taking over the estate. Casimir had been ordered to escort the man to his new castle. A distasteful business. The sooner done with, the better.
To escape the count’s scrutiny, lest his disdain for this assignment show upon his face, Casimir paced to where the groom had severed the rope from the tree, and looked it over, running his fingers across the rough fibers.
He scanned the woods again but everything was still. He turned back to the road, unwilling to risk letting the Russian know he’d seen anything—anyone. If Casimir wanted to discover who’d laid the road block, it was to satisfy his own curiosity.
Interesting. I can’t wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?On my website: http://ruthaxtell.comor by Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.axtell1
Thank you, Ruth, for sharing this book with us. I know my blog readers will be interested in it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Love's Enduring Flame
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
July 27, 2015
OUT OF THE ASHES - Sandi Rog - One Free Book
Dear Readers, Sandi and I share the same agent, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to her newest book.
Lena, thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s an honor to be here, and I look forward to giving a signed copy to one of your wonderful readers.
Welcome back, Sandi. Why do you write the kind of books you do?I love historical novels and escaping into the past. I also love going anywhere I want to go (in time and place), be anything I want to be, and doing anything I want to do through my characters and from the pages of my novels. But more importantly, God has to be in my books. I couldn’t write one without Him in it. He’s my Joy, my Helper, and my Friend. So, most of my books are about overcoming life’s trials with God’s help.
OUT OF THE ASHESis a “light historical romance.” My previous books are very “deep.” Not that this one isn’t, but it’s shorter, won’t make you cry in the middle of the story, and has a happy-ending. I needed to write something “light” because I just came out of a major battle with cancer, nearly losing my life twice, and I just needed to write something that was fun and would make me (and others) smile. Cancer was a rough ride, but there were many blessings in disguise that God showered upon us in my recovery, not just physical healing, but healing in my marriage and for our entire family in unimaginable ways.
So ... I’m grateful to God for allowing me to write OUT OF THE ASHES. I honestly feel like I just stepped out of the ashes of cancer, into a life raining down blessings. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to write again because of chemo-brain. It’s a side-affect of chemo/radiation, a foggy forgetfulness that seems to take over and makes it difficult to concentrate, and it can last years after the treatments. It’s all because of God and His tender mercies that I’m still here and able to write. If any of you happened to be one of the thousands who prayed me through cancer, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Really, there are no words to express my gratitude.
Sandi, and my readers, my older daughter is fighting the same fight right now. I’d love to have y’all praying for Marilyn. She won’t have to do chemo, but she’s going to have radiation. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?My wedding day! My husband is my hero. He helped me beat cancer is ways unimaginable. You can read more about that story here: www.beatcancerwithb17.blogspot.com.
How has being published changed your life?That’s hard to say as my first book THE MASTER’S WALL was released the very day they told me I had cancer. I never got to experience all the joys of having a book published: book signings, talks, etc. Marketing my book was an impossible task. I wasn’t allowed to go out in public, plus, I was too sick, too weak to do so.
So ... what changed my life really was experiencing friends swoop in to carry me and my book through the battlefield. Numerous writer friends, and people I didn’t even know, announced my book on their blogs and websites. Family friends who aren’t Christians even took my books to a book signing I’d scheduled before my diagnosis, at Mardel’s (I signed all my books on a sticker and they used those “signed” books at my “book signing”). This changed my life in that I realized what was truly important. Not publishing a book, but love, prayers, and that there are people in this world who will bend over backwards, upside down, and inside out to help someone in need. I’d realized during that time that writing had become my idol. Yes, this was another blessing that God revealed from cancer.
Since then, I’m learning to find balance. Put God first, my husband and children second, and my writing third.
What are you reading right now?My Bible. I don’t read it enough, and I feel like Satan has been distracting me from God’s word with a lack of focus and motivation. So, after a lot of prayer, I’ve started reading my Bible more. Starting my day with the Lord gives me strength and the correct focus. Satan will get me even in the middle of my reading. I’ll read a passage, and suddenly, I find my mind elsewhere. I then have to pray that God will get my mind back on His word. It works!
What is your current work in progress?The sequel to OUT OF THE ASHES titled INTO THE FIRE. It’s the story of Nathaniel’s brother, Michael. He’s a brooding, hot-tempered character who falls head-over-heals in love with the feisty, God-loving heroine, Nicolette.
What would be your dream vacation?Pompeii. I’ve been to Rome, Italy, doing research for THE MASTER’S WALL, and I’ve always been sorry I didn’t get a chance to go to Pompeiito see the ancient city.
How do you choose your settings for each book?I chose Chicagofor OUT OF THE ASHES because I thought the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 would make great fodder for a story.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?My husband. He’s my best friend, my confidant, and understands me better than anyone in the world.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?I don’t think I would call this a “hobby” but it takes up most of my day: homeschooling my children. When we first moved to the States from Holland, I got sick. I’ve been sick pretty much the entire time we’ve been here. Now that I’m better, I’m making up for lost time, time I didn’t get to spend with my children. Plus, they weren’t doing well in school, and this has been a huge boost for their education. A teacher in a room full of 20-30 children has a hard time finding one-on-one time with struggling students (I greatly admire teachers and the work they do that receives so little appreciation). Now my kids get that one-on-one time, and they’re blossoming in ways that never would have been possible.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Right now, it’s focus. Like I said, since chemo, it’s been very difficult to get my mind focused on writing. I’m too easily distracted. I used to be able to write amongst chaos, but ever since beating cancer, I need quiet. I simply can’t focus without it. And with kids in the house, that makes it difficult. So, if I need to get some serious writing done, it’s after they go to bed, or I go to the local library, coffee house, or bookstore (where I’m at right now, LOL). Once, while writing, I nearly witnessed a brawl in Barnes and Noble. A man was using foul language (around children and everyone), and another man called him out on it. Boy, the man who was getting “in trouble” became aggressive. I was surprised that the other man who had called him out, remained calm and seated. Had he stood, I’d hate to think what would have happened. I went to the library after that, LOL.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Write what you know (which also means do your research); and write how you’d talk, or how your characters would talk (this is in regards to the complicated subject of “voice”). And most importantly, have fun! Write what you’re passionate about. Write what gets you excited. If you’re not excited about what you write, it’s going to come out in your work and your readers will sense your lack of passion.
If you’d like to learn more about the craft of fiction, I suggest you read books such as SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by King and Browne. Also books by Noah Lukeman AS THE PLOT THICKENS and THE FIRST FIVE PAGES.
Tell us about the featured book.Here’s the book jacket description for OUT OF THE ASHES:A stranger. A kiss. A shotgun wedding.
NATHANIEL WARD, wealthy entrepreneur, needs a wife. But he’s not interested in the preening, high-society women who are offered to him on a silver platter. He wants one woman, and one woman alone: the girl who gave him all the money in her reticule years ago when the Great Chicago Fire left him destitute. He sets out to find this woman and discovers she’s unattached. There’s only one problem, a shotgun wedding may be able to bind them, but will he ever be able to win her heart?
AMELIA E. TAYLOR blows a kiss to a street rat. Little did she know, years later that kiss would follow her to Green Pines, Colorado. When a handsome stranger arrives in her hometown, she guards her heart from the stirrings this man ignites. Despite society’s disapproval of spinsterhood, she is determined not to marry, having witnessed first-hand the lack of love and horrors that accompany marriage. But will a shotgun wedding reveal blessings that arise out of the ashes?
OUT OF THE ASHEScan be found on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Out-Ashes-Chicago-Fire-Book-ebook/dp/B00Z23J312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434236842&sr=8-1&keywords=out+of+the+ashes+by+sandi+rog
And Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-ashes-sandi-rog/1122082598?ean=2940151392174
Please give us the first page of the book.Green Pines, Colorado, 1882Gun smoke burned Amelia’s eyes and her ears still rang. She blinked the tears from her lashes.
“Do you, Nathaniel Ward,” the preacher scowled, “take Amelia Taylor to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Amelia’s father cocked his rifle and aimed it at the reluctant groom.
“I do,” Nathaniel said, his voice firm and unwavering. Despite her father’s threats, Nathaniel’s very presence exuded power, his raised chin, broad shoulders and wide chest unflinching against the barrel of the rifle.
Amelia didn’t dare look up at him. What must he be thinking? How many women had hoped to get him this far, and now, here she stood where most women dreamed of standing—shotgun wedding, or not. If only she could melt into the parlor’s wooden floor like the candle burning in the nearby lamp. Or disappear like the smoke. Disappear into nothingness, with no remnant left of her existence.
“Do you, Amelia Taylor, take Nathaniel Ward to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The preacher’s words rushed over Amelia like a gush of foul air.
She stood paralyzed, unable to speak. She’d vowed never to marry. How would she bear this cross? She’d seen enough loveless marriages in her life to know it wasn’t worth the heartache, despite the shame of spinsterhood. And now, to be forced on a man? What miseries awaited her? Abuse? Neglect? Slavery? Any man in his right mind would despise her for the rest of his days. It would be impossible—unthinkable—to procure his affection … his love.
The minister, still in his nightclothes, cleared his throat. His wife, holding up the lantern, glowered from behind him.
Amelia swallowed, darting a glance at her terrifying father. With a snarl, he narrowed his eyes at Nathaniel and pressed closer with his rifle. Would he put another hole in the preacher’s wall? Or Nathaniel’s chest?
“Amelia, girl.” Her father’s voice sent a shudder down her spine as it echoed through the quiet house. “You know, I always keep my word.” He’d threatened to kill Nathaniel if she refused to be his wife.
“I do,” she said, her voice small and trembling, quite the opposite of the man next to her. The horror, the shame. How did her life come to this?
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The minister slammed his Bible shut and pointed it at her father. “Now get out!”
Shadows clouded Amelia’s vision, and her legs wobbled like those of a newborn calf. Her knees buckled, but rather than landing on the hard floor, she found herself caught in Nathaniel’s strong arms.
Now her husband.
How can readers find you on the Internet?I can be found at my website and my many blogs:www.sandirog.comhttp://sandirog.blogspot.comhttp://thelordslady2.blogspot.comhttp://beatcancerwithb17.blogspot.com
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
Lena, thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s an honor to be here, and I look forward to giving a signed copy to one of your wonderful readers.
Welcome back, Sandi. Why do you write the kind of books you do?I love historical novels and escaping into the past. I also love going anywhere I want to go (in time and place), be anything I want to be, and doing anything I want to do through my characters and from the pages of my novels. But more importantly, God has to be in my books. I couldn’t write one without Him in it. He’s my Joy, my Helper, and my Friend. So, most of my books are about overcoming life’s trials with God’s help. OUT OF THE ASHESis a “light historical romance.” My previous books are very “deep.” Not that this one isn’t, but it’s shorter, won’t make you cry in the middle of the story, and has a happy-ending. I needed to write something “light” because I just came out of a major battle with cancer, nearly losing my life twice, and I just needed to write something that was fun and would make me (and others) smile. Cancer was a rough ride, but there were many blessings in disguise that God showered upon us in my recovery, not just physical healing, but healing in my marriage and for our entire family in unimaginable ways.
So ... I’m grateful to God for allowing me to write OUT OF THE ASHES. I honestly feel like I just stepped out of the ashes of cancer, into a life raining down blessings. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to write again because of chemo-brain. It’s a side-affect of chemo/radiation, a foggy forgetfulness that seems to take over and makes it difficult to concentrate, and it can last years after the treatments. It’s all because of God and His tender mercies that I’m still here and able to write. If any of you happened to be one of the thousands who prayed me through cancer, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Really, there are no words to express my gratitude.
Sandi, and my readers, my older daughter is fighting the same fight right now. I’d love to have y’all praying for Marilyn. She won’t have to do chemo, but she’s going to have radiation. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?My wedding day! My husband is my hero. He helped me beat cancer is ways unimaginable. You can read more about that story here: www.beatcancerwithb17.blogspot.com.
How has being published changed your life?That’s hard to say as my first book THE MASTER’S WALL was released the very day they told me I had cancer. I never got to experience all the joys of having a book published: book signings, talks, etc. Marketing my book was an impossible task. I wasn’t allowed to go out in public, plus, I was too sick, too weak to do so.
So ... what changed my life really was experiencing friends swoop in to carry me and my book through the battlefield. Numerous writer friends, and people I didn’t even know, announced my book on their blogs and websites. Family friends who aren’t Christians even took my books to a book signing I’d scheduled before my diagnosis, at Mardel’s (I signed all my books on a sticker and they used those “signed” books at my “book signing”). This changed my life in that I realized what was truly important. Not publishing a book, but love, prayers, and that there are people in this world who will bend over backwards, upside down, and inside out to help someone in need. I’d realized during that time that writing had become my idol. Yes, this was another blessing that God revealed from cancer.
Since then, I’m learning to find balance. Put God first, my husband and children second, and my writing third.
What are you reading right now?My Bible. I don’t read it enough, and I feel like Satan has been distracting me from God’s word with a lack of focus and motivation. So, after a lot of prayer, I’ve started reading my Bible more. Starting my day with the Lord gives me strength and the correct focus. Satan will get me even in the middle of my reading. I’ll read a passage, and suddenly, I find my mind elsewhere. I then have to pray that God will get my mind back on His word. It works!
What is your current work in progress?The sequel to OUT OF THE ASHES titled INTO THE FIRE. It’s the story of Nathaniel’s brother, Michael. He’s a brooding, hot-tempered character who falls head-over-heals in love with the feisty, God-loving heroine, Nicolette.
What would be your dream vacation?Pompeii. I’ve been to Rome, Italy, doing research for THE MASTER’S WALL, and I’ve always been sorry I didn’t get a chance to go to Pompeiito see the ancient city.
How do you choose your settings for each book?I chose Chicagofor OUT OF THE ASHES because I thought the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 would make great fodder for a story.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?My husband. He’s my best friend, my confidant, and understands me better than anyone in the world.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?I don’t think I would call this a “hobby” but it takes up most of my day: homeschooling my children. When we first moved to the States from Holland, I got sick. I’ve been sick pretty much the entire time we’ve been here. Now that I’m better, I’m making up for lost time, time I didn’t get to spend with my children. Plus, they weren’t doing well in school, and this has been a huge boost for their education. A teacher in a room full of 20-30 children has a hard time finding one-on-one time with struggling students (I greatly admire teachers and the work they do that receives so little appreciation). Now my kids get that one-on-one time, and they’re blossoming in ways that never would have been possible.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Right now, it’s focus. Like I said, since chemo, it’s been very difficult to get my mind focused on writing. I’m too easily distracted. I used to be able to write amongst chaos, but ever since beating cancer, I need quiet. I simply can’t focus without it. And with kids in the house, that makes it difficult. So, if I need to get some serious writing done, it’s after they go to bed, or I go to the local library, coffee house, or bookstore (where I’m at right now, LOL). Once, while writing, I nearly witnessed a brawl in Barnes and Noble. A man was using foul language (around children and everyone), and another man called him out on it. Boy, the man who was getting “in trouble” became aggressive. I was surprised that the other man who had called him out, remained calm and seated. Had he stood, I’d hate to think what would have happened. I went to the library after that, LOL.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Write what you know (which also means do your research); and write how you’d talk, or how your characters would talk (this is in regards to the complicated subject of “voice”). And most importantly, have fun! Write what you’re passionate about. Write what gets you excited. If you’re not excited about what you write, it’s going to come out in your work and your readers will sense your lack of passion.
If you’d like to learn more about the craft of fiction, I suggest you read books such as SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by King and Browne. Also books by Noah Lukeman AS THE PLOT THICKENS and THE FIRST FIVE PAGES.
Tell us about the featured book.Here’s the book jacket description for OUT OF THE ASHES:A stranger. A kiss. A shotgun wedding.NATHANIEL WARD, wealthy entrepreneur, needs a wife. But he’s not interested in the preening, high-society women who are offered to him on a silver platter. He wants one woman, and one woman alone: the girl who gave him all the money in her reticule years ago when the Great Chicago Fire left him destitute. He sets out to find this woman and discovers she’s unattached. There’s only one problem, a shotgun wedding may be able to bind them, but will he ever be able to win her heart?
AMELIA E. TAYLOR blows a kiss to a street rat. Little did she know, years later that kiss would follow her to Green Pines, Colorado. When a handsome stranger arrives in her hometown, she guards her heart from the stirrings this man ignites. Despite society’s disapproval of spinsterhood, she is determined not to marry, having witnessed first-hand the lack of love and horrors that accompany marriage. But will a shotgun wedding reveal blessings that arise out of the ashes?
OUT OF THE ASHEScan be found on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Out-Ashes-Chicago-Fire-Book-ebook/dp/B00Z23J312/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434236842&sr=8-1&keywords=out+of+the+ashes+by+sandi+rog
And Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-ashes-sandi-rog/1122082598?ean=2940151392174
Please give us the first page of the book.Green Pines, Colorado, 1882Gun smoke burned Amelia’s eyes and her ears still rang. She blinked the tears from her lashes.
“Do you, Nathaniel Ward,” the preacher scowled, “take Amelia Taylor to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Amelia’s father cocked his rifle and aimed it at the reluctant groom.
“I do,” Nathaniel said, his voice firm and unwavering. Despite her father’s threats, Nathaniel’s very presence exuded power, his raised chin, broad shoulders and wide chest unflinching against the barrel of the rifle.
Amelia didn’t dare look up at him. What must he be thinking? How many women had hoped to get him this far, and now, here she stood where most women dreamed of standing—shotgun wedding, or not. If only she could melt into the parlor’s wooden floor like the candle burning in the nearby lamp. Or disappear like the smoke. Disappear into nothingness, with no remnant left of her existence.
“Do you, Amelia Taylor, take Nathaniel Ward to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The preacher’s words rushed over Amelia like a gush of foul air.
She stood paralyzed, unable to speak. She’d vowed never to marry. How would she bear this cross? She’d seen enough loveless marriages in her life to know it wasn’t worth the heartache, despite the shame of spinsterhood. And now, to be forced on a man? What miseries awaited her? Abuse? Neglect? Slavery? Any man in his right mind would despise her for the rest of his days. It would be impossible—unthinkable—to procure his affection … his love.
The minister, still in his nightclothes, cleared his throat. His wife, holding up the lantern, glowered from behind him.
Amelia swallowed, darting a glance at her terrifying father. With a snarl, he narrowed his eyes at Nathaniel and pressed closer with his rifle. Would he put another hole in the preacher’s wall? Or Nathaniel’s chest?
“Amelia, girl.” Her father’s voice sent a shudder down her spine as it echoed through the quiet house. “You know, I always keep my word.” He’d threatened to kill Nathaniel if she refused to be his wife.
“I do,” she said, her voice small and trembling, quite the opposite of the man next to her. The horror, the shame. How did her life come to this?
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The minister slammed his Bible shut and pointed it at her father. “Now get out!”
Shadows clouded Amelia’s vision, and her legs wobbled like those of a newborn calf. Her knees buckled, but rather than landing on the hard floor, she found herself caught in Nathaniel’s strong arms.
Now her husband.
How can readers find you on the Internet?I can be found at my website and my many blogs:www.sandirog.comhttp://sandirog.blogspot.comhttp://thelordslady2.blogspot.comhttp://beatcancerwithb17.blogspot.com
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July 26, 2015
WINNERS!!!!!
Brenda (NY) is the winner of
The Reckoning
by MaryLu Tyndall.
Maxie (TX) is the winner of To Soar on Eagle's Wings by Renee Blare.
Tammy (AL) is the winner of To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DiMarino.
Vickie (OK) is the winner of Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason.
Melissa (TN) is the winner of Letters From My Father's Murderer by Laurie A Coombs.
If you won a book and you like it, 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 of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Maxie (TX) is the winner of To Soar on Eagle's Wings by Renee Blare.
Tammy (AL) is the winner of To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DiMarino.
Vickie (OK) is the winner of Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason.
Melissa (TN) is the winner of Letters From My Father's Murderer by Laurie A Coombs.
If you won a book and you like it, 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 of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
