Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 32
March 27, 2022
WINNERS
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.
Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.
Alison (MI) is the winner of Love's Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik.
Cherie (FL) is the winner of To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M White.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble , or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.
Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... 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 or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
March 25, 2022
COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS - Michelle Shocklee - One Free Book
Bio: Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Award finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online at michelleshocklee.com.
Welcome, Michelle. Have you always loved books and reading? Yes! I grew up in a home filled with books of all different genres. Both my parents and all four of my siblings enjoy reading. Mom was an elementary school teacher for nearly thirty years. The day the Scholastic book orders arrived in the mail felt like Christmas. Dad loved books on history, especially World War II. He was a turret gunner on a B-17 bomber in Europeand had a nice collection of books about Flying Fortresses and the war. I now have those fascinating books in my home library since Daddy graduated to heaven several years ago. What about your formative years informed your love for reading and books? I feel very blessed to have had a mom who read to us, even after we learned to read for ourselves. One of my favorite memories is from the summer when she read Little Women to my sister and me. I can still picture the scene: I'm sprawled out on the carpet in our den, my older sister is lounging in the rocking chair, and Mom is on the couch, reading until her voice grew hoarse. I have that beloved book on my own bookshelf these days and it always brings a smile and sweet memories.
How did you become a writer? I was a married mother of two rambunctious boys when the writing bug bit me. I didn’t know anything about writing a novel, but I wanted to give it a try. Personal computers were just becoming popular, so my husband brought one home, and I began writing my first novel. I knew I needed help, so I attended a Christian writers’ conference where I had the privilege of learning about the craft from the amazing Francine Rivers. Lots of life and lots of stories later, my debut novel was published in 2017.
What made you want to write historical fiction? What about that genre do you enjoy? The day Mom brought home a newly released novel called Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke was the day I fell in love with the genre of historical fiction. I can’t tell you how many times I've read that novel since that long-ago day in 1979. Like my dad, I love history. To have a story carry me to a time and place I’ll never experience in real life was amazing. One of the things I love most about writing historical fiction is the research that goes into each book. I learn so many fascinating details about people from the past and places I’ve never been to through research.
I love the research, too. How did you decide to write a time-slip novel set in 1897 and 1961? When I first read about the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897, I knew I’d have to write a book about this one-of-a-kind event someday. I had the same feeling when I learned about the famous Maxwell House Hotel. Although the hotel was built in the late 1850s and was used by both armies during the Civil War, 1961 was an unforgettable year in the life of the Maxwell House. Bringing the two time periods together into one book was great fun.
What inspired you to write this particular story? When my husband and I moved to the Nashvillearea in 2017, I felt like a sponge soaking up all the interesting history of the area. One of the most fascinating places we visited was the Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the real Parthenon in Athens. Discovering that it was built for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 sent my imagination into overdrive, and Priscilla’s story soon immerged.
Please tell us a bit about the setting of your novel. Count the Nights by Stars is set in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1897 and 1961. In both time periods, the Maxwell House Hotel is as much a character in the story as are Priscilla and Audrey. Readers will experience the bygone days of Nashvillewhen people traveled by horse and carriage as well as the early days of the Civil Rights movement. The Tennessee Centennial Exposition is brought to life in Priscilla’s story, and I believe readers will enjoy learning about Tennessee's 100th birthday celebration.
How much research did you have to do on the time period and setting for your novel? Much research went into both time periods. I found a fantastic book about the expo, read official documents, and studied dozens and dozens of black-and-white pictures during the writing process. My hope is readers will feel as if they've truly been to the centennial exposition after reading Priscilla’s story. I also tried to capture the unique vibe of 1961 within the pages of Audrey’s story by including lots of references to music, clothing styles, and important events.
Please tell us about your main characters in Count the Nights by Stars and what kind of challenges they face. Priscilla, the protagonist in the 1897 story, resists being forced into a loveless marriage to a family friend. More than anything, she wants her life to matter. When a young friend goes missing, a calling to help women of ill repute is awakened in Priscilla. She knows, however, if she chooses this path, life as she knows it will never be the same. Audrey, the protagonist in the 1961 story, has recently suffered the loss of her mother and finds herself responsible for the care of her older special-needs brother. When she discovers an old scrapbook belonging to a longtime resident of the Maxwell House Hotel, she's inspired to learn more about the reclusive woman and the surprising path she took into social work. Who was your favorite character to write and why? It’s always difficult to choose a favorite character, because I love each one for different reasons. In this book, I think Priscilla would have to be my favorite. She could have easily chosen a life of luxury and ease, but instead she followed her heart and faced challenges and pain with courage and faith. She’s determined to make an impact on her small part of the world, and I think that’s how most of us feel.
What lessons can be learned from your main characters? Both Priscilla and Audrey learn the valuable lesson of truly seeing people. All too often we don’t take time to get to know others and instead make hasty judgments about them. Yet when we really see people and listen to their stories, what we first believed may not be true at all.
What are the key themes in Count the Nights by Stars? “I see you” is the main theme of the book. Each of the main characters has someone in her life who challenges her and her preconceived beliefs, forcing her to reevaluate what she thought she knew and understood about the world. “Love thy neighbor” is also a theme throughout the pages of the story. “Who is my neighbor?” each of the characters must ask themselves. Their answers are, I hope, the same answers you and I would come up with.
What is your hope for Count the Nights by Stars? My hope for Count the Nights by Starsis that it will remind us to truly see one another through a lens of love, acceptance, and grace. We are all unique creations of God, beloved and created with plans and purposes. What a terribly boring world it would be if we were all the same.
Thank you, Michelle, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/03/count-nights-by-stars-michelle-shocklee.html
March 23, 2022
HER DARLING MR. DAY - Grace Hitchcock - One Free Book
Welcome, Grace. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? One of my favorite themes to write about is our identity in Christ. A lot of the time, we might place our identity in what we do, who our parents are, how much we make, if we are in a committed relationship, etc. The freedom of knowing ourselves in Christ is something I want to share with everyone. What other books of yours are coming out soon? My final book in the AMERICAN ROYALTY series, His Delightful Lady Delia, will be releasing in November of 2022. This sweeping romance follows a rising opera star and an enigmatic phantom.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? Janette Oke! She is known as the pioneer of Christian Fiction and is one of my very favorite authors of all time with her stories of sweet romance and perseverance. I’d love to hear about her writing process and journey.
What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why? This is a difficult question as it usually varies on which book I am researching, but if I had to pick only one, it would have to be Nellie Bly. She was a reporter who went undercover in Blackwell’s Island Lunatic Asylum for women, which I wrote about in my novel, The Gray Chamber. I would love to get her perspective of being a woman writer in a time when it was dominated by men and the courage it took to go undercover to give a voice to the stories of the voiceless.
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? When I began sending out one of my first manuscripts, I thought it was pristine, but after about 15 rejections, I put it on the shelf and focused on a new manuscript with fresh eyes and new goals based on some of the industry professionals’ suggestions. Six months after I shelved that first manuscript, I went back and looked over it . . . the professionals were right. It wasn’t ready, and it would require a lot more love (aka bleeding edits) before I attempted to send it out again. Sometimes, time is what you need to get a fresh perspective.
But it is also important to remember that when you get a rejection letter, they are not rejecting you. They are rejecting the work. And as much as you see it as a work of art, the publishers see it as a product. They are there to sell a product and if the product isn’t ready, it won’t sell well, so take heart and “hone your craft” and focus on any feedback you received that has merit. That critique was very hard for me to hear but it helped push me to keep learning, attending writers conferences, and following my dreams. So, keep it up! You can do it!
Tell us about the featured book. Her Darling Mr. Daywas so much fun to write as it is set in New Orleans, in the very district where my husband and I lived when we first got married and where we now take our dates.
This book has one of my favorite tropes, friends-to-lovers, with all the drama that makes historical romance fun—think steamboats, suitors, belles, balls, mayhem, and river pirates. The official summary of the book is below: New Orleans’ most eligible bachelor insists he’s not on the market. . . . He couldn’t be more wrong.
Jilted in front of all New York, Theodore Day decides to lose himself in his family’s luxury riverboat business in New Orleansand compete against his brother to become the next company head. The brother with the most sales by summer’s end will win the position. Thanks to Theodore’s fame as a suitor in Willow Dupré’s outlandish competition to find a husband, he has become very desirable royalty in southern society and thus has an advantage.
It took Flora Wingfield’s best work to convince her family to summer in New Orleans, but with Teddy Day a bachelor once again, she’s leaving nothing to chance. Desperate to stand out from all the clamoring belles, Flora attempts a bold move that goes completely awry, only to find it’s her interior design skills that finally catch his notice. But when Flora learns her father has matchmaking schemes of his own, Teddy will have to decide where his happiness truly lies and what he is willing to sacrifice for it.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Port of New Orleans, Louisiana
June 1883
It had taken some of her best work to convince her parents and four sisters to summer in New Orleansinstead of in their mansion in Newport, but with Teddy Day finally a bachelor once more, Flora Wingfield wasn’t leaving anything to chance. She leaned against the polished rail of the steamboat, gripping her chapeau as she peered down at the muddy Mississippi River, attempting to catch a glimpse of life below the surface, but she doubted that if she stuck her hand in the water, she would even see her own fingers. Instead, all that greeted her was the blurry reflection of her cream hat peeking over the side of the boat.
At the Belle Memphis’s jarring whistle, she straightened and pulled at her high collar, the thick air leeching upon her skin. The hum of the levee workers greeted her as the boat’s paddle wheel slowly churned into port. As the landing stage swung into position, Flora was jostled against the crowd pressing with the rest of the passengers to disembark at long last. She clutched her beaded reticule to her chest, having been thoroughly warned against pickpockets by Father after losing her pin money on the journey here.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Readers can find me on my website at GraceHitchcock.com, as well as on social media!
Bookbub: @hitchcockgrace https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grace-hitchcock
Instagram: @gracehitchcockbooks
Facebook: @gracehitchcockbooks
Twitter: @grace_hitchcock
If you would like to be the first to see new covers, get the latest book news, and inside scoop, please sign up for my newsletter here: http://gracehitchcockbooks.com/authornewsletter/
Thank you so much for having me on the blog today, Lena! Happy Reading!
Thank you for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/03/her-darling-mr-day-grace-hitchcock-one.html
March 21, 2022
FINDING HER FAMILY'S LOVE - Kayla Kensington - One Free book
Welcome, Kayla. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters? I don’t include a great deal of myself within my characters. I always have the goal of making my characters able to stand up to all the obstacles they face. Other than sharing Kendra’s Christian faith in
Finding her Family’s Love
, I’m not like her character. She is an accomplished athlete and a talented knitter, both of which I am not. I place my characters in small towns because small towns fascinate me. I live in a large suburb of Chicago.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? “Quirky” would not be an adjective anyone would use to describe me. However, for a Girl Scout book discussion I replicated the Arctic within my house by blasting the air conditioner as high as it could go. Everyone shivered and had to don parkas and mittens. I covered the furniture with white sheets making it look like mounds of snow surrounded us. The book included some physical trials for the main character, so I also created obstacle courses and competitions.
When did you first discover that you were a writer? I discovered that I was a writer in spring of third grade in Ms. Eaton’s classroom. We all wrote a story, which I enjoyed doing. Then, our teacher explained that authors write for a living. Although I read voraciously, I never thought of who wrote the books I devoured. I remember everything about that moment, including my teacher’s sleeveless green dress, the way the breeze rattled the window blinds, and how my heart leapt at the idea of crafting my own stories.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I work as a middle school librarian. My goal is to read a book a day, and I read in multiple genres to support my students. In my reading of books for adult, I turn the pages of inspirational romance, romantic suspense, contemporary fiction, mystery, historical, select memoirs, and some nonfiction. I don’t like horror books.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I spend time with my family, and I love to exercise, which includes a brisk walk, a dip in the park district pool, or stationary bike ride when I feel stressed.
How do you choose your characters’ names? I look up names’ meanings. In addition, I consider the sounds of names. For example, I liked how the name “Kendra,” brought to mind for me a strong person. The “Old English meaning: bold power.”
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? I am proud that my husband of thirty-two years and I have raised three happy and kind daughters who all strive to make our world a better place.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? I’d be a dog because canines rank as my favorite animal. Specifically, I would be a Standard poodle, therapy dog so that I would not provoke anyone’s allergies, and I could help others.
What is your favorite food? I love fresh salmon cooked any possible way, and of course a salmon dinner would include chocolate for dessert.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? I used to write a great deal of nonfiction. I had an article assignment while I was on bed rest while pregnant with my second daughter. I wrote the article while lying down and met my deadline. In hindsight, I wished I told the editor my situation.
Tell us about the featured book. Pregnant, widowed, and alone, thirty-year-old Kendra McFarland yearns for family for herself and her unborn baby. She strives to put the pain of her emotionally abusive marriage behind her. With her strong faith and optimism leading her forward, she works to regain her self-confidence and open her heart to love. Kendra visits the small town of Shallow Stream thrilled to meet her late husband’s family for the first time. To her shock, her grieving mother-in-law accuses Kendra of being a gold digger and rejects her. Will Pierce, her late husband’s cousin, offers her the love and family she seeks, or will the relationship create new heartbreak?
Please give us the first page of the book.
Heart thrumming, Kendra McFarland stood outside the farmhouse and waited for the rest of her life to begin.
“We’re here, little one.” She gave her still-flat belly a pat. Kendra
couldn’t wait to tell her mother-in-law the news about the baby. She
imagined the woman’s delight would equal hers. Mrs. McFarland
deserved to be the first one to hear about Kendra’s pregnancy and
warmly welcome her and the baby into the family.
Soon, she’d meet her Shallow Stream, Illinois, relatives. Instead of the McFarlands’ vehicles crackling across the gravel driveway, only the chirps of robins greeted Kendra. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. MerylMcFarland, had scheduled the extended family to gather at 3p.m., exactly when Kendra arrived for this first-time meet up. Where was everybody? No cars lined Hickory Road, a remote street that her GPS had difficulty locating.
Her stomach fluttered. Perhaps, the family would stop by later that Sunday afternoon, clutching steaming chicken casseroles and chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven. Her mouth watered. Even more, she craved the idea of sharing a meal. Family. She rolled that delicious word around her tongue.
Strolling along the cobblestone path, crimson rose bushes edged both sides of the curved pathway. Rosebuds leaked their sweet scent, and, overhead, the leaves rustled. A hint of a summer storm sliced through the 90-degree air, but Kendra still shivered. On the freshly painted front porch, a new-looking mat proclaimed, “Welcome.”
She smiled at the simple word.
Before she reached the doorbell, a man in his thirties, clutching a water bottle, flung open the front door. Placing the bottle on the front porch's wicker chair, he bent to tighten his athletic shoe’s laces. Then he looked up and gazed right at her. His gray-blue eyes sparkled under his thick brows. Her heart quickened. His stance reminded her of the way her late husband stood. She bit her lip at the memory of her David, gone from her life only two months ago.
The guy on the wraparound porch stood taller. Wind ruffled his dark, wavy hair, but he didn’t bother to smooth it back. Unlike her late husband, he didn’t shout or scowl.
“Hi, I’m Kendra.” She took a deep breath and held out her shaking hand to accompany her trembling voice. “Uh, David’s wife. I’m happy to be able to meet the whole family today. I...I guess I should’ve said I’m David’s widow.” She’d never get used to that term, especially being widowed at age thirty.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaylaKensington
Instagram: @kayla_kensington/
Web site: https://kaylakensington.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kayla-Kensington-Writes-112240217205129
Thank you, Kayla, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/03/finding-her-familys-love-kayla.html
March 8, 2022
TO TREASURE AN HEIRESS - Roseanna M White - One Free Book
Welcome back, Roseanna. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? Themes of redemption always seem to find their way into my stories. In
To Treasure an Heiress
, my heroine also has to learn to let go of what she deemed “hers” and give it not only to God, but to her family. What other books of yours are coming out soon? In May I have a 1920s-Chicago book coming out, called Shadowed Loyalty. It’s about a Mafia boss’s daughter, who learns the high cost of the life her family has chosen—but also learns to see God’s hand in the midst of the darkest of shadows as she struggles with how to love people who make such terrifying decisions. Then in September, the Secrets of the Isles series will wrap up with book 3, Worthy of Legend.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? I think I’d go with Bob Goff—not only does he write amazing non-fiction books that revolutionized how I view the intersection of my faith in God with my love for my neighbor, but his stories also convinced me that he’d be my favorite sort of company—the kind that combines the hilarious with the profound.
What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why? Admiral Blinker Hall, the Director of the British Intelligence Division for the Admiralty during the First World War. I learned all about him for my Codebreakers series, and he was not only brilliant, but had an astounding knack for reading people, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and then fitting together people with roles that would suit them all. I’d love to pick his brain…and see what he’d see in me!
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? I always give two bits of advice here. The first is totally stolen from a post my best friend, Stephanie Morrill, wrote on Go Teen Writers many years ago: respect the dream. If you love this, crave it, have a passion for it, then you have to be willing to put in the time and effort. No one expects a person to become a doctor or an engineer without both years of education and a lot of practice. Why do we expect then to finish our first manuscript one day and have it published a month later? As with all things worthwhile, this path takes time, focus, and dedication.
The second piece of advice is this: no one else’s path is your path. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to other writers, but it’s hard to claw your way out of that trap once you fall into it! Know that each step on your journey is designed by God to be what YOU need to turn YOU into the writer that HE wants you to be.
Tell us about the featured book. To Treasure an Heiressfollows the adventurous Beth Tremayne on a continued hunt for pirate treasure, though a not-so-savory antiquities hound is after the same claim. Unfortunately, her truest ally turns out to be Lord Sheridan, a man she is quite determined to find obnoxious because he indirectly started this whole antiquities feud with the aforementioned antiquities hound. Sheridan is a quirky, rather hilarious hero who spends the whole book trying to come up with ways to convince Beth to give him a chance…and, of course, unravel the mystery of the pirate prince whose treasure he’d determined to find. Please give us the first page of the book.
Prologue
7 May 1650
Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Prince . . . or pirate? Rupert felt like neither as he stood on the bluff, the sea
beckoning him, the wind whirling about him, and the most beautiful woman
in all the world pressed against his chest, her cheeks damp with tears. He
hadn’t expected this when he came to the Isles of Scilly after being exiled
from England for his service to the Crown. He’d expected brothers-in-arms.
Compatriots. Soldiers.
“Briallen.” Her name whispered from his lips like a blessing, just as she
had whispered into his life, into his heart. Only an island lass—that’s what
society would say, were it here to say it. And his family . . . He could only
imagine what his family would think of her. His father, German prince
Frederick V. His mother, daughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England.
They would look on his precious primrose and see only a thorny vine trying
to ensnare him.
She was anything but that. She was his wings. She was his soul. She
was his heart. The only person in all his one and thirty years to make him
crave home and hearth above the next battle, the next adventure. The only
person in all his one and thirty years to make him think it mattered not
whether he ever had a palace or an estate or a relative on a throne—that he
would live on this bare rock of an island all his days, no luxuries beyond his
next breath if he could live there with her.
He pressed a kiss to the lips he had memorized with his own. “I love
you.”
“And I you.” Her fingers smoothed back a lock of his hair that the wind
had torn free, her gaze following its path as she tucked it back into the
binding at the nape of his neck. Her lips pressed tight together.
She wouldn’t ask him to stay, he knew she wouldn’t. But she must be
thinking it, even as he was.
His own glance darted to the shore, the water, his ship at the ready there
in deeper waters, a rowboat waiting to take him to it. They must sail, and
soon. Mucknell had already bidden farewell to his own wife, and neither the
tide nor the pirate admiral would wait for any man—even if that man was a
prince. “I could stay. What do the courts of Portugal or the waters of the
Caribbean have that Tresco does not?”
Briallen breathed a laugh and rested her head against his chest. “Wealth
and treasure and enemies of the Crown for you to rout, that’s what.”
How can readers find you on the Internet? I love chatting with readers! I invite everyone to join my weekly newsletter list, where I send out my blog posts, book deals, and sales in my online shop at https://www.roseannamwhite.com/newsletter-signup
Website: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/
My shop, Bookish Things: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/bookish-things
And you can find me on all social media @RoseannaMWhite
Thank you, Roseanna, for sharing this book on my blog. I’m eager to read it. I'd love to feature your new book on my blog that has a reach of 65,000.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
March 6, 2022
WINNERS
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you do n't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY .
Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.
Sharon (SC) is the winner of A Promise for Faith by Stacy T Simmons.
Benda (MS) is the winner of Along the Rio Grande by Tracie Peterson.
Connie (KY) is the winner of The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... 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 or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
March 1, 2022
LOVE'S FORTRESS - Jennifer Uhlarik - One Free Book
Welcome, Jennifer. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. Oh, I think most of my characters have at least a small piece of me in them. Some more than others, but there’s always a bit of Jennifer Uhlarik in each one, even if it’s just an off-hand comment I like to use. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Hmmm. Hard question to answer. “Jennifer” and “quirky” aren’t exactly synonymous. I guess the answer would be that I fell sound asleep in the middle of the 1994 Billy Joel/Elton John “Face to Face” concert. (As my husband likes to say, I’m a gifted sleeper…LOL)
When did you first discover that you were a writer? I think I always knew it, deep down—I have pictures of myself as toddler still in diapers with a pencil and paper firmly in hand. But when did I really know it? I was twelve and in the seventh grade. All my school friends were getting into makeup and boys instead of playing pretend, and I was the odd one who still wanted to create fun stories to act out on the playground during recess. So when a school friend announced to me that she was writing a novel, something clicked. I didn’t have to give up my imagination because I was growing up. I just needed to write down my ideas on paper and say I was writing a book.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. My favorites are historicals, particularly westerns. But I’ll read mysteries, suspense (as long as it’s not scary/horror-like), contemporary romance, dual-timeline. Pretty much, I’m open to anything if the story grabs me.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Hahaha. I was just talking with my husband about this the other day. My husband is retired after 26-years in our local sheriff’s office. For three years, I taught school—the hardest three years of my working life—but then God gifted me with the opportunity to come home and write full-time. My only child at home is now a gainfully employed engineer who is saving to buy his first house. So I’m not in a season of life anymore where I’m running all the time. In fact, on those rare weeks when we actually do have appointments or social events, we both feel like we are “so busy” because we had to leave the house for more than a trip to the grocery store or the random errand. It’s a pretty stress-free life for us, and we love it!
How do you choose your characters’ names? Oh, goodness. It depends on the character. For the main or important secondary characters, I usually need to research the meanings behind the names, consider other characters’ names so I don’t repeat the same starting letter, and generally think about how the names of hero and heroine will sound together. On some rare occasions, I’ve had names pop to mind at random moments while I’m cleaning house or running errands, and I just write them down for a future story. Usually, when that’s happened, a new opportunity comes up, and I put the name to good use soon after it comes to me.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? I would have to say raising my son, Zack. My ex-husband and I separated before I knew I was expecting our only child. I raised him as a single mom until I married my second husband when Zack was nine. In spite of the broken home, he’s an amazingly well-adjusted, sweet, and godly man—now out of college and working as an electrical engineer. He makes me incredibly proud.
Good for you. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Hmmm. A snuggly cat? A loyal dog? A regal horse? No…as much as I love all of those, I think I’d have to say I would want to be a giraffe. They are such interesting animals! They see above the trees and, from what I understand, have amazingly good distance vision, so they can see predators coming. To me, the giraffe is a symbol of God’s immense creativity. There’s not another animal on the planet like them.
What is your favorite food? Call me simple, but I love when my husband grills hamburgers! Those are the best!!!
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? I’m a slow writer. The words don’t always flow easily. In fact, most times, they don’t. I fight to get them from my brain onto the computer screen, even when I can see the story playing like a movie in my head. I’ve had to learn to just put my backside in the chair every day and set goals to challenge myself. Daily word goals, a monthly goal. And I am accountable to other writer friends for completing those goals. For me, having that accountability is huge.
I’m also a visual author. Tell us about the featured book. Love’s Fortress is my first dual-timeline book, the seventh novel in Barbour’s Doors to the Past series. Both timelines are set in St. Augustine, Florida. The present-day storyline focuses on Dani Sango, who receives word that her long-estranged art forger father has passed away and left her some sort of inheritance. When she arrives in St. Augustine, she’s given keys to his house and told that is part of what he’s left her. However, when she enters the house, she finds all kinds of forged art hanging on the walls, as well as a book of Native American ledger art in his studio. She teams up with an art museum curator to ferret out the truth of whether her father was once again forging art, and where the book of Native American ledger art came from. The historical timeline is set in 1875, following the plight of Broken Bow, a Cheyenne brave who is among seventy-three Plains Indians sent to Fort Marion (aka the Castillo de San Marcos—the old stone fort in St. Augustine) as prisoners of war. Upon his arrival, Broken Bow is bitter and resistant to anything his white captors try to do, including having him draw artwork in a ledger book in order to remember his heritage. Over time, the kindness of “White Chief Pratt” and missionaries Luke Worthing and Sally Jo Harris soften his hard heart, and they form deep and abiding friendships that will forever change all their lives.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Chapter 1
Franklin Sango’s Home, St. Augustine, Florida—Present day—Saturday
“Hardly the best choice of mood music, you idiot.” The evocative first lines of “Sound of Silence” had seemed appropriate when it came up on her playlist, but as Dani Sango pulled into the driveway, a thick blanket of melancholy threatened to smother her. She put her fourteen-year-old Kia Sorento in park, clicked out her phone’s music app, and unplugged the device from the charger. Cutting the power to the engine, she patted the dashboard.
“Thanks, old girl.”
She stared at the tasteless brown ranch-style house, its only distinguishing feature the bright red door flanked by ornate sidelights. The house sat on a pretty tree-dotted lot. Some distance down stood a quaint commercial garage with vintage-style gas pumps and signage. Parked near the road, two restored classic cars straight out of the movie Grease—both in cherry condition—sported primo paint jobs. Between them stood a sign, Joie-Rides Restoration and Custom Detailing. Behind the quaint building stood a much larger structure with numerous garage bays.
Dani sighed. Enough stalling. She dropped her phone in her tiny purse, extracted the key labeled House from the manilla envelope she’d been given, and stepped out of the car into the sweltering June heat. Draping her purse across her body, she pocketed her car keys and walked to the door. Her hand shook as she fumbled and failed to insert the house key.
“Get a hold of yourself, girl.” She blew out a breath and, this time, accomplished the task.
Dani swallowed and pushed her way into the nondescript living room. A broken-down couch with a mismatched coffee table and end table sat on one side of the room. On the other, a small entertainment center of no particular style held a flat-screen television. A worn leather chair and a floor lamp finished off the sparse furnishings. Yet the walls were filled with pieces of artwork in varying styles and sizes—all framed canvases.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.subscribepage.com/Jen's_Newsletter
Website: www.jenniferuhlarik.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferUhlarikAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferUhlarik
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenuhlarik/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferuhlarik/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-uhlarik
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. My copy arrived yesterday, and I’m eager to read it. I love dual timeline novels.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
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February 27, 2022
WINNERS
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February 24, 2022
THE LADY'S MINE - Francine Rivers - One Free Book
Bio: New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over thirty different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband, Rick, enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Welcome back, Francine. You refer to The Lady’s Mineas your “COVID story.” Can you please explain? What does a writer do when she is sheltering in place? Write. And write. And write some more! Sometimes it is so much more fun to live in a created world than the real one, and during the first and numerous succeeding shutdowns, that was what I did. Other than work in the vineyard and garden, I immersed myself in a fictional world. By the time I finished the manuscript, it was 194,000 words! It needed major cutting. But as I was still sheltering in place out here in California, the job of cutting turned out to be almost as much fun as the writing process. What motivated you to return to the California frontier? What about this setting intrigues you? I’m a native Californian, and I’ve always loved our state history, especially the gold and silver rush periods. Redeeming Lovetakes place from 1849 to 1851. The Lady’s Mine jumps forward to the 1870s silver rush. Men from around the world and all walks of life poured into the state, hoping to strike it rich. A few women came—some by wagon train, some by ship, some willing, and some not. It was a time of high drama, boom, and bust. I think that’s what appeals to me most—the dreams that brought people, the grueling hard work that awaited them, the myriad stories of success and failure.
I love Redeeming Love. I’ve read it several times, and my husband, my older daughter, and I saw the movie when it came out. I had wondered how a movie could be made that would have the same impact as the book. We loved the movie. It was achingly beautiful, and it had enough of the terrible parts of life at that time to show just how much God loves and how He saves people.
You have said that your stories often start with a question. What question prompted this story? There were several questions. How does a person cope with being cast out of a family? Do we determine the course of our lives, or is there a plan already in place? Can one person change the character of a town? How can we offer a hand up rather than a handout to those in desperate need?
What themes in this story, set in the 1870s, have particular relevance today? One of the themes is the oft-unfair treatment of workers. During the silver rush, it was common to have a mine owner rolling in wealth while holding workers in debt bondage. This is a common practice these days in human trafficking. We have laws now to protect workers, but without naming anyone, news stories abound of how one man at the top can rake in billions while paying workers minimum wage with few benefits. The nice side of fiction is to suggest other possibilities in how to conduct a business.
Your novels look deeply into characters’ motivations and emotions. What do you hope readers will learn from delving into the inner thoughts of the characters in The Lady’s Mine? Don’t let the unfairness of life embitter you. Strive to do good no matter what others around you are doing. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Stand up and find practical ways to help the less fortunate. A handout is good for a day. A hand up can change a life forever. Speak truth no matter the cost. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh. Enjoy life. Don’t hold too tightly to your own opinion. Listen and learn from others. And above all, live to please the Lord. In talking about this book, you reference the apostle James, who said, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” What is one practical way we can work toward not letting the world corrupt us? This will sound like a simple answer, but the best place to find out what and how to do something is through reading the Bible. It’s also the best place to learn what not to do. Lately, I’ve been writing out a few verses a day from a book of the Bible. Romans. It will take weeks to do it, but it is already helping me concentrate and think about what God is saying, the instructions He is giving. This isn’t something I’ve always done, but now find invaluable. Writing longhand slows me down and helps me concentrate on each word, phrase, and sentence. When we’re focused on the Lord, He shows us practical ways to live in this fallen world without becoming part of it.
What character in this story did you most enjoy crafting? Why? Kathryn Walsh! She has strong faith, seeks the Lord, and does what she believes is right. She isn’t a quiet little lady in the pew. She’s fiery, opinionated, earnest, and determined to make the town she lives in better (whether men agree or not). When she realizes she’s wrong about something, she changes her mind. When she’s right, she plows ahead no matter the cost. She looks for ways to help people rise from poverty. Though she has few resources herself, she shares what she does have. She doesn’t judge anyone (except Matthias Beck!), though she is frequently judged by others (Beck being one). And she has a sense of humor. Frankly, I enjoyed getting to know her during the COVID shelter in place orders. And, of course, Matthias Beck also had his fascinating character traits.
Did this story develop in any surprising ways? Kathryn’s business management scheme came as something of a surprise. So did the next venture that leads to the real change in Calvada. But I can’t explain all that without giving the story away.
Working on this story during the COVID lockdown, you said that one of your goals was to address serious issues with humor and grace. You commented, “Life had become too somber to add heaviness to it. We all need to laugh, even when days are dark—maybe even more so during those times. And we all want changes for the better and a happy ending.” How did this project accomplish these goals? Writing as much as I did helped me pass the time while sheltering in place. In some ways, my life didn’t change. As a writer, I spend most of my life at home working. I was able to get through the frustration of the ever-changing rules and opinions by creating characters, scenes, and dialogue. There are so many situations in life that challenge us to trust God. It is so true there is nothing new under the sun. The “new normal” isn’t all that different from trials we’ve faced before. We all have a choice. Grumble and growl over the way things are. Or look for the good and the humorous aspects of life. I choose the latter.
What do you hope your readers come to know about God through this story? Broken relationships don’t have to mean broken lives. Let (agape) love be the motivation for what you do and how you live. God can mold the most unlikely people into wise and gifted leaders. One person can change the course of a community. The Lord can make beauty from ashes.
Thank you, Francine, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
February 23, 2022
ALONG THE RIO GRANDE - Tracie Peterson - One Free Book
Welcome back, Tracie. Please provide a brief summary of your new book, Along the Rio Grande. In 1899, widow Susanna Jenkins arrives in San Marcial, New Mexico, to help her family run a hotel financed by her uncle Harrison. Her parents, Herbert and Gladys Ragsdale, along with her eighteen-year-old brother, Gary, are used to a life of luxury. Having lost the family fortune in a scheme, Herbert is at his brother’s mercy. Gladys Ragsdale is not happy with their change in fortune and social standing. Being knocked down the social ladder creates hardship on them and difficulty for Susanna, who’s trying to help Uncle Harrison in teach them a lesson. Owen Turner works as a boilermaker supervisor for the Santa Fe shops in San Marcial. As a man of faith, he has been confident that God would send him a wife, but so far, the women he’s met are either taken or too much on the wild side of life. Owen and Susanna meet at church when children playing jump rope entangle them by accident. Neither mind the introduction.
When Garyapplies to work for the Santa Fe, Owen becomes his boss, but problems abound.
Susanna is grateful to have Owen in her life and feels confident she can keep the promise she made to her late husband—to remarry. But Owen must deal with letting go of his past mistakes before he can move forward into a future of love.
Along the Rio Grande is the first book in your Love on the Santa Fe series. How many books will be part of your new series? There will be three completely independent books in this series.
What is the connecting element for all of the books in this series? While the books are independent of each other, they’re all connected by the setting of New Mexicoand the Santa Fe Railroad. The main characters will all find romance—and face things that help their spiritual growth.
Along the Rio Grande is set in San Marcial, New Mexico. Why did you choose this setting? I participated in the Bethany House novella collection Serving Up Love. I set that story in San Marcial, and there were just too many interesting things about this town that no longer exists. I thought it made a fun and interesting setting.
One of the underlying themes in Along the Rio Grande is learning how to face one’s past. How this theme comes into play in the life of your male protagonist, Owen Turner? Owen made some big mistakes in his past, including allowing his brother to get away with poor work on the railroad. He knew that it could cost someone their life . . . and it does. Owen finds himself having to learn to let go of his past and the mistakes he made, and give them over to God. This is one of the themes I’m known for because so many readers have told me that seeing this lesson in the lives of others has helped them overcome their own guilt. What other lessons do you hope readers gain from reading your new novel? That God is always faithful and that His love for us will never fail. Sometimes we tend to assign God with human qualities and think He’ll give up on us, but He never does.
You are well known for your detailed research. What type of research was required for this series? I like to visit the areas where I set my stories. Fortunately, I had tons of research on this area from prior visits. I also had some great resource books and connections with the Santa Fe Railroad.
You have written more than 100 novels in both the contemporary and historical genres. Do you have a preferred genre? My love of writing encompasses a lot of genres, including nonfiction, but historical is my favorite. I love pulling out the details of the past and seeing they aren’t any different from a lot of things we’re going through today.
What do you love most about writing historical romance novels?Because the Bible is God’s ultimate love story, I enjoy writing stories with hope and happily-ever-after endings. God’s love for us is so fulfilling and eternal, bringing us confidence, joy, passion, and hope. I like to create stories that mimic that love in the lives of my characters and give them a happily-ever-after, because in Christ we will have a happily-ever-after.
How can readers connect with you?
I love to hear from my readers, and they can connect with me at my website: www.traciepetersonbooks.comor at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TraciePetersonAuthor
Thank you, Tracie, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. Since I love all of your books that I've read, I really look forward to reading this one.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
