Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 47
March 21, 2021
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.
Elly (IN) is the winner of a choice of a list of 3 of my books since the winner on Linda Ford's book is in the US.
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 4 weeks to claim your book.
March 15, 2021
CALIFORNIA TRAIL DISCOVERED - Marie Sontag - One Free Book
Welcome, Marie. What has drawn you to writing for children? I taught middle school for thirteen years, and I love this age group. For one thing, they laugh at my jokes! I love making history come alive for them. I know what you mean. I love making history come alive for adults through my historical novels. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Trying to open the door and jump into my car as it rolled out of my driveway because I didn’t set the parking brake. (I failed).
When did you first discover that you were a writer? I first discovered (considered myself) I was a writer at about age 11 when my mom gave me an old typewriter to help me write down stories I’d been scribbling on paper. I’ve been typing stories ever since.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I mostly prefer historical fiction, which is also what I love to write. I occasionally enjoy a good mystery, and I also enjoy nonfiction books about improving my spiritual and mental health, but I usually don’t stray much from historical fiction.
What other books have you written, whether published or not? I’ve written a book about recovery from childhood abuse titled When Love Is Not Perfect, published by Aglow Publications. I have a middle grade historical fiction trilogy about Ancient Mesopotamia. That series is called Ancient Elements. I also have a young adult historical fiction novel about the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Polandfighting alongside the Underground during WWII.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I start my day focusing on who God is in my life and submitting my plans and desires to Him. That usually involves prayer and reading Scripture. I also enjoy making puns which helps me laugh and not take life or myself too seriously!
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of, besides family? Before I started first grade, I asked my mom what came after grade 8. She told me about high school. I asked what came after grade 12. She told me about college. I asked what came after college. She told me about degrees such as a masters or doctorate. I told her, “That’s what I want to do. I want to go as far as I can.” I recalled that conversation when, in 2007 I was conferred with the degree of a Ph.D. in education.
That is really cool. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? An eagle so I could fly and have a larger perspective of the world.
What is your favorite food? My favorite sweets are donuts, but I don’t know if you can really classify those as food! My favorite food would have to be steak.
Sweets are food, too. Is it hard to break into the children’s market? Not if you love kids, are willing to work hard, and constantly improve your craft. A good place to break into the children’s market is to write for kids’ magazines.
What advice would you give to an author wanting to do that? Work with kids – teach school, volunteer at schools, volunteer to work with a church youth group, or teach Sunday School. Read a lot of children’s books and magazines. Watch movies made for the age group for which you’d like to write. Learn all you can about the writing process, take classes, join writing groups, and find a good critique group.
All very good advice. What would you like to tell us about the featured book? In
California Trail Discovered
, readers join orphaned thirteen-year-old Daniel and his younger stepsister (fictional characters) as they travel to Oregon and Californiawith their guardian, Jim Savage (a historical figure). All Daniel wants to do is get back to Illinoisto find out who murdered his parents. He doesn’t want to travel the Oregon Trail with his guardian, Jim. He doesn't want twelve-year-old Virginia Reed, a member of the Donner Party, as a friend. And he certainly doesn't want anything bad to happen to his little sister. But, when confronted by both good and bad Indians, good and bad whites, he fears he won’t be able to protect Hannah on the long trek, much less return to Illinois and solve the mystery behind his parents’ mysterious deaths. Both the reader and Daniel wonder if he’ll ever find a real family again. Written for middle-grade students, the book also includes S.T.E.A.M. lesson plans and activities teachers or home-schoolers can use to help readers make science, technology, engineering, arts, and math connections with the historical fiction content. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Readers can find me on my:
Webpage: http://www.mariesontag.com
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarieSontag/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mesontagauthor/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-sontag-27195b9/
Thank you, Marie, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here are links to the book.
https://amzn.to/3bPkKa3 - Paperback
https://amzn.to/3s3c5Gk - Kindle
Hardback also available
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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
March 14, 2021
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.
Pearl (NM) is the winner of The Spirit Woman of Lockleer Mountain by Elaine Faber.
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 4 weeks to claim your book.
March 11, 2021
RESCUED LOVE - Linda Ford - One Free Book (See details below)
Welcome back, Linda. Why do you write the kind of books you do? There are a number of reasons. I think many of us believe life was different in a kinder way back then and I like to explore that idea. Also, my dad was keenly interested in history, taking us to visit museums and telling us stories that made history come alive. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? Goodness, that’s a hard one. I could say when I got married. Or when my first child was born. Or when we were successful in adopting a child. Or even when I sold my first book. The truth is, I enjoy life, and most days are marked by some happy thing. Like today, seeing the snow melt, seeing two geese returning from their winter grounds, enjoying a sweet orange…okay, I’m sounding like I enjoy simple things and I do.
How has being published changed your life? It’s made me more of an observer of life and how people reveal their reactions. It’s also given me an interest in researching historical places and events. Plus I’ve gotten to meet and enjoy talking to so many other authors.
What are you reading right now? An older book Whispers on the Prairie by Vickie McDonough. I’m enjoying it again. J
I love Vickie’s books, too, and that one is a favorite. What is your current work in progress? I am working on a six-book series based on six cowboys on the Circle A Ranch. The stories are in various stages of editing. I’ve really enjoyed this series. All of these men need wives but they live in the west where the only woman is the owner of the ranch where they live and work. She’s decided to find them wives but it turns out, her plans were for naught. Those books will be released later this year. Besides that series, I am doing a joint-project with Lacy Williams. Two novellas that go hand in hand. Mine is called Rodeo and Juliet. Hers is titled Much Ado About Josie. I like that we both made a play on a Shakespeare title. (It was deliberate.) Both those books are available for preorder.
I want to feature that one on my blog I love Lacy’s writing, too. What would be your dream vacation? Hawaii. I’ve been a few times and can’t get enough of the sun and sand. I love being on a lounge chair by the ocean with a book or notebook nearby. I love going to different coffee shops early in the morning. I love touring, seeing museums…what’s not to like?
James and I would like to go there. How do you choose your settings for each book? I’d have to say that often, the setting chooses me. For instance, in my Romancing the West series, I wrote it because on visits to the Porcupine Hills in SW Alberta my heart was drawn to the rolling hills with the Rockiesas a back drop. I envisioned cowboys on horseback, herds of cows filling the draws.
Other times, I am doing random research and some little things pops out to me—a long-ago gold mine, the history of a ranching family who traveled to SW Alberta by covered wagon. The latter is an idea I am currently considering.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? It might be silly of me to say this but I’d like to visit with my daughter. She lives in Coloradoand because of COVID I haven’t been able to see her in over a year during which she has undergone some serious challenges including breast cancer and double mastectomy. It’s been very difficult not being able to go.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? In the summer, I garden. I grow enough vegetables to keep our family fed throughout the winter. (I am currently feeding four adults.) I also like to travel especially for research but that has been limited this year.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? If I’m starting a book, I would say the hardest part is starting. If I’m midway through, I would say it’s the middle. If I’m editing, I would say editing but the truly hardest part is simply getting started every morning. It’s hard. Sometimes I set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and force myself to write until the bell rings. Usually—hopefully—by then I am over the hurdle.
What advice would you give to a beginning author? Perseverance is your very best tool. Keep learning. Keep trying. Never ever give up.
Tell us about the featured book. Rescued Love is the story of Colleen, a disillusioned young woman heading west on a wagon train. She has been left behind by her wagon train because of a secret in her past. But how is she to survive and take care of her wee daughter on her own in such a perilous environment? Eli rescues her but neither of them are the least interested in love and marriage. Will the trials and joys of the journey make them change their minds? Please give us the first page of the book.
“I’m going to get to Californiaif I have to walk.” Colleen Doyle Pringle shifted the little girl higher on her back and tightened the shawl holding her in place. “Sheela, you hang on there. I know you don’t like being tied like this, but I can’t have you getting underfoot whilst I deal with these lumbering big beasts.”
She had spent far too much of the morning finding the oxen and bringing them back to the wagon.
Four days on her own, she’d been. And so little progress she’d made.
“Seems the good Lord could have seen fit to give me an extra pair of hands if He allowed my…” She wouldn’t call them friends. Nor hardly relatives though they were her dead husband’s brother and sister-in-law. “Allowed them to drive me from the wagon train.”
She urged the pair of oxen toward the wagon. Letting them graze, seeing they got water, rounding them up in the predawn morning, getting the yoke on them…well, she hadn’t expected it to be easy.
“Nor did I expect to be doing it alone with a bairn on me back either.”
Sheela grew restless and squirmed. She kicked the placid ox and startled him. He jerked, almost knocking Colleen off her feet.
“Whoa there, Bully. Calm we is today. Calm.” She righted herself and stepped away until she was sure the big animals weren’t about to bolt.
Always aware that danger lurked in every direction, especially for a woman traveling alone except for two brawny beasts and an almost two-year-old girl, Colleen scanned the horizon. Nothing to see except for the wonderful mingling of colors in the grassy plains—shades of yellow and green dotted with colorful wildflowers. Oh, that she had time to bury her nose in some of them, perhaps pick a bouquet.
Her roving gaze jerked to a halt. Did she detect a movement? Might it be a deer or an antelope? If so, she meant to have some fresh meat. She reached under the wagon seat and retrieved her rifle.
The movement had halted, and across the shimmering prairie she made out the shape better. A man. “Well, that’s a concern,” she murmured. Could she hope he hadn’t spied the wagon? Eh, and with its great, white, flapping canvas it was hard to miss on the rolling prairie with nary a tree or stump to hide behind.
Sure enough. The rider galloped her direction.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
My website: www.lindaford.org
My author facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LindaFordauthor
BookBub followers: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-ford
My newsletter: sign up on my website (top left-hand side) and receive a free book.
Thank you for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book.
https://amzn.to/3euuSXt - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of a book. If the winner is from Canada, you’ll receive a copy of Linda’s book. If the winner is from anywhere in the US, you’ll receive a copy of one of my books. 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
March 8, 2021
CHRISTMAS ON OCRACOKE - Christina Sinisi - One Free print book in US or one free Ebook outside US
Welcome, Christina. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. First, thank you so much for hosting me on your blog! Then, I don’t know that there’s a great deal of myself in my characters, but there is a little bit of this person I know and a little bit of that one and then some mixing and finally a whole lot of imagination.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Wow—this demanded I consult a dictionary. Not that I didn’t know what the word meant, but I needed to narrow it down. Once you reach a certain, ahem, age, the number of quirky events and actions accumulate. Here’s one—I don’t need an alarm clock. I tell myself to take a thirty-minute nap and I wake up exactly thirty minutes later. I even turn the clock in the other direction to make sure I’m not cheating.
That’s a wonderful thing to have. When did you first discover that you were a writer? I grew up on a farm and attended a rural school system. There was no kindergarten and no testing to determine if you were ready, your parents just put you on the bus. I learned my alphabet and how to read in first grade. By third grade, I started writing poems and wrote a play in fifth grade. So, I discovered I was a writer as early as I possibly could.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I have read everything from science fiction to fantasy to classical literature to a couple of horror to theology to romance. As I’ve grown older, I’ve narrowed down to mostly romance with some occasional fantasy. I’m also finding that I truly only want to read literature with faith embedded—I recently read a secular book and all I could feel was frustrated. Don’t the characters know that God wants to love them and help them?
I’m with you. I rarely read a secular novel. I so miss the spiritual thread in stories. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I have two porches and a cat, Chessie Mae. Chessie and I love to take turns rocking on the porches. I am also blessed with a husband of 34 years, two wonderful, grown children, and friends and a church community. Oh, and a loving Savior with whom I talk quite often, sometimes out loud when I’m driving.
I often talk to Him out loud. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Raising two believing children. My degrees, being a tenured professor, and a published author all are temporary, amazing blessings, but temporary.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Hmmm, when I was a child, I was horse crazy so I might have said that at one point in my life. I’ve always wanted to fly so I feel an affinity with the beautiful red-tailed hawk perched on top of my mailbox. But, in the end, I’ll have to say a cat. Stretching out in the sun and napping are among my favorite past times.
What is your favorite food? I love to cook new dishes and try new recipes—so the next new thing might be the true answer. If you prefer a more specific response, I’d have to say shrimp and grits. Charlestonrestaurants offer them so many ways and I love them, each and every one.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? Getting published. Before I got that affirmation, I’d write maybe one manuscript a year or every other year. I found it so difficult to persevere and had almost given up. Now, I’m writing two a year and articles and short stories and blog posts.
Tell us about the featured book. Christmas on Ocracoke: Reeling from the upheaval of a failed marriage, Annie Hanahan is desperate for a new start—and when she inherits a cottage on Ocracoke Island, she may finally get it. Without a second thought, she packs up and leaves everything behind: her first name, her job, and her ex-husband. But when she arrives in the Outer Banks, she finds the island—and her promised refuge—ravaged by Hurricane Dorian. As a contractor who has given so much of his time to helping Ocracoke recover, it surprises no one when Trey Kingsley offers to help the beautiful newcomer, but something is holding her back. Life keeps throwing them together though, or perhaps God’s hand is giving them a nudge. Will a little bit of divine intervention be enough for a Merry Christmas on Ocracoke? Please give us the first page of the book.
What a way to make a fresh start.
Annie Hanahan glanced back via the rearview mirror and said a quick prayer of gratitude that her baby boy was too young to know what was going on right now. She’d die in shame, or eternal pre-teenaged mockery if he was, say, a decade older. Instead, her two and half year old son waved his hands in the air and grabbed a toy Brontosaurus from the diaper bag that was propped open next to his car seat.
The police officer drew even, and she lowered the driver’s side window. Up till now, she’d gone her whole life without a ticket.
“Good morning, ma’am. I’d ask if you knew how fast you were driving, but I’m guessing you figured that out by now.”
Annie concentrated on her breathing and not crying. “Yes, sir. I was going 80 in a 65.” So was every good ole’ boy along this stretch of the road, but if she’d been the low hanging fruit, so be it. “I’m sorry.”
The state trooper started to smile but must have remembered who he was and squashed any close-to-human expression from his face. “Well, ma’am, sorry is a good thing. Can I see your license and registration?
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website/Blog: https://www.christinasinisi.com/
Twitter: @ChristinaSinisi
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Christina-Sinisi-Author-105861987440664/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Instagram: @csinisi123
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/csinisi/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101218889-christina-sinisi
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christina-sinisi
Thank you, Christina, for sharing this novella with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here are links 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
March 7, 2021
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.
Roxanne C (NH) is the winner of Sing in the Sunlight by Kathleen Denly.
Crystal (PA) is the winner of Gifts of Grace by Kathy McKinsey. 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 4 weeks to claim your book.
March 4, 2021
UNTIL JUNE - Barbara M Britton - One Free Book
Welcome, Barbara. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. Most of my characters have some aspect of my personality, maybe twenty-five percent. Stories have to have conflict to drive the plot, so my characters will face more challenges in a short period of time than I have in my lifetime. I draw on my own feelings and reactions to make my characters seem relatable. When my characters have to be brave, they reach into their life experiences and stay strong. I like to think they get that trait from me, but my strength comes from God and family. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? I love doing kid’s ministry, so I have done some crazy things. Sometimes I teach with a puppet “Rusty.” Adults look at me like I’m nuts, but the kids love when Rusty comes and “talks” to me. He’s more popular than I am.
When did you first discover that you were a writer? I taught elementary school chapel for six years. Finding curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade is a challenge. I had to modify curriculum and write drama scripts to go along with the material. One spring I was feeling worn out and I prayed for God to “Hit me with some creativity.” God gave me ideas for my lessons, but I also felt a prompting to write a story. Four stories later, my first book was published, and it was a plot similar to a Bible story. I should have begun earlier writing what I taught each week.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I became a Christian in the third grade, so I have a soft spot for children’s books that are spiritually based or are sweet stories. I’m always on the lookout for good resources for children. All my books have a romantic thread because I like a good love story, too. I enjoy reading Biblical Fiction, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and sweet Young Adult books.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Setting boundaries is key to staying sane. I make God and my family my top priorities. I have turned down book contracts when my family needed more of my attention. Some might say I was crazy, but God blessed me in unexpected ways.
Philippians 4:4-7 are my go-to verses to reduce stress and anxiety.
How do you choose your characters’ names? When writing about historical characters, I am stuck with their names. If my characters are fictional, I choose names that sound different and do not start with the same letter so as not to confuse a reader. Imagine my concern when I wrote about the daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. I worked really hard to keep the characters distinct because their names are similar.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Personally, it’s raising children that love the Lord. Professionally, it would be getting a second book published. With a debut novel, readers do not have any expectations. Expectations are high with a sophomore story.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? I would be a butterfly who hangs out on pretty flowers and makes people wonder at God’s Creation.
What is your favorite food? Dark chocolate. If chocolate’s not a food, then I would say tacos.
Of course, chocolate is a food. I love dark chocolate, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? My greatest roadblock, to this day, is self-doubt. I pray that God will help me write to the best of my ability. I pray before I write for the Spirit to help me craft the best story possible. I also never stop learning about the craft of writing.
Tell us about the featured book. Until June was the second manuscript I wrote—and that was many years ago. At the time, I was told that Historical Young Adult books would never sell. I worked on the book over the years because it was dear to my heart. On an Alaskan cruise excursion, I heard the tale of how a WWI veteran and his caregiver had lived at a lodge in Alaska and were cut off from society during winter. I had always had a passion to help veterans returning from war. I molded the lodge story and my compassion for veterans into a manuscript. Fast forward a decade later when my son texted me that someone had stolen my story. He had seen a movie trailer for Me Before You. My story is a caregiver trope too, but it has a happy ending. I dusted off my manuscript and submitted
Until June
to my publisher. Pelican Book Group accepted the story. The book is a departure from my Biblical Fiction. Here's the official book blurb:
When seventeen-year-old seamstress, Josephine Nimetz, agrees to take care of a WWI amputee in a remote Alaskan lodge to escape the influenza of 1918, there’s enough friction to melt the Mendenhall Glacier. Her position is only until June, and it pays well enough to overlook the hardship of managing a rustic home and a shell-shocked veteran, Geoff Chambers.
Geoff makes it clear that he isn’t too fond of the “runt” sent to take care of his needs, nor of her painful mistakes. Dealing with a depressed and addicted amputee, pushes Josephine to the brink of leaving, if not for the money her salary brings.
But Josephine is a perfectionist, determined to get Geoff back on his feet—figuratively. Though, sending a rich, handsome veteran back into society may cost Josephine the man she has grown to love.
This sounds interesting. Please give us the first page of the book.
Juneau , Alaska , September 1918
Josephine Nimetz slipped into a perfect replica of a wool coat, one she had drawn, designed, and patterned on old newspaper. She tucked a rectangular box under her arm and tiptoed across the living room toward her mother who slept in an oversized chair. Laying a gentle hand on her mother’s swollen knuckles, she whispered, “I’m off to the Chambers Estate.”
Her mother’s eyes fluttered open. “I thought you delivered Mrs. Chambers’s gown yesterday?”
“Yes, but Ann forgot to put the gloves and embroidered handkerchief in the box. I don’t want any complaints from our best customer.”
“Your sister can’t seem to think about anything these days. Anything, that is, except men.”
Josephine stepped toward the door. At seventeen, the last thing she wanted to discuss was her sister’s courtships. There had been too many stories of lonely miners with gold rush dreams. Her mother coughed and leaned forward. Josephine halted. “Do you need your medicine?”
“At night dear. Only at night.”
How can readers find you on the Internet? I have a website where you can find out about my books and sign up for my monthly newsletter, http://www.barbarambritton.com/books.html. I am also active on Twitter, Facebook, BookBub, and Goodreads.
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I love reading stories set in Alaska.
Readers, here is 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
March 3, 2021
THE ORCHARD HOUSE - Heidi Chiavaroli - One Free Print Book No matter Where the Winner Lives
Welcome back, Heidi. Why do you write the kind of books you do? I write dual timeline (or time-slip) women’s fiction. I love a good contemporary story, but I love a good historical story as well. I get the best of both worlds in writing time-slip! My stories often deal with heavier themes and topics and are always based on a real piece of history. My goal as a writer is to shine light and hope into the darkness. I’m a firm believer in not shying away from the hard, but facing it head-on, trusting God to be enough to conquer the heavy. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? Definitely the day I married my husband. He was the least likely person I ever thought I’d marry, and yet the most perfect for me. Celebrating our marriage with family and friends will always be one of the happiest days of my life.
How has being published changed your life? I’d been pursuing publishing for more than a decade when I received my first contract. Being published changed how I viewed my writing. I was actually accountable to someone now. My publisher was depending on me to meet deadlines and write an entertaining story (yikes!). Another change has come over the last year, when I’ve been able to work less at my outside job as a pharmacy technician at Walmart and more at home writing. That has been an incredible blessing, especially during the pandemic and with having my teen boys home so much!
It took me 8 years to receive my first contract.What are you reading right now? Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds. So good! Up next is Susan Meissner’s The Nature of Fragile Things, ’Til I Want No More by Robin W. Pearson, and Carrie Turansky’s No Journey Too Far.
What is your current work in progress? I’m working on editing my first book in my first series! I found myself pretty sad to think of leaving the world of Louisa May Alcott, so I found a way I didn’t have to. This series will be Little Women meets contemporary coastal Mainewith a few surprising twists and turns. While this will be a bit of a departure from my time slip stories, I’m already falling in love with these characters and I hope readers will too. I’ll be releasing the first book this April, 2021.
What would be your dream vacation? Tuscany…or anywhere in Italy! I’ve always wanted to go. I’d love to see the villages, and hike that beautiful seaside, and eat all the food. (With a last name like Chiavaroli, it’s a must, don’t you think?)
Of course, it is. How do you choose your settings for each book? I love exploring places in Massachusetts and New Englandthat whisper of historical secrets. Whether it’s the Freedom Trail in Boston or Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, these places compel me to research and find out about the real life people behind them. When I visit, my imagination comes alive. That’s where my stories are born.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Oh, this is a tough one! Just one, huh? I think I’d have to pick Francine Rivers. She’s just my all-time favorite author. I’d love to pick her brain, get to know her, and maybe glean some wisdom from her. There’s not many people who would make me star struck, but she’s definitely one!
I’ve met her and spent some time with her at a conference. I’m like you. But she is a very modest person and easy to talk to. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I love to hike wherever I can. In the summer, you can find me anywhere near the water. I just love soaking up all of God’s beautiful nature! Going on out-to-eat dates with hubby is pretty fun, too.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? The days when I am just not feeling it or I don’t feel inspired to write that next scene. I suppose it sounds kind of simple, but I overcome it by just doing it. I set a certain number of words that need to be completed by the end of the day, and I do it. One time, my kitchen was a disaster area (I’m a little OCD about a decently clean house) and I did not let myself clean until all my words were done. That was pretty good motivation for me, although ice cream might work better for some. ;)
What advice would you give to a beginning author? If you really want this writing thing, decide you want it and persevere. Know it’s not easy and is actually a lot more work than you’re probably thinking it’s going to be (and you probably won’t get a contract after writing that first manuscript), but it is so worth it. Writing can be learned, and we can all improve! So do the work and decide your dream is worth the effort.
Tell us about the featured book. The Orchard House is about two estranged sisters who are wading through a decades-old betrayal. They discover a book of poems on the property of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, and discover the woman behind them, as well as the friendship she shared with Louisa, born during Louisa’s time as a nurse in The Civil War. Through the centuries-old story the sisters unearth, they begin to find forgiveness and a place to belong. Please give us the first page of the book.
I used to imagine my mind a room in confusion, and I was to put it in order. ~ LMA Taylor
CONCORD , MASSACHUSETTS
July, 1995
Thirteen isn’t quite grown-up, but it’s old enough for a girl to realize that hope can be a dangerous thing.
The first time I realized this I was no more than four. My mother had dropped me off with Uncle Rob. This wasn’t unusual, but this time, she was gone more than two sleeps. Longer than she had ever been gone.
When I asked my uncle when she’d be back, he only shrugged and said, “You better hope soon, kid.”
Hope.
I did that a lot back then. Each morning when I woke, throwing my threadbare blanket off my shoulders and rolling off the couch to search the small rooms of Uncle Rob’s apartment, but finding the woman in his bed was not my mom. Each night, when I fell asleep, thinking if I only hoped hard enough, and maybe held my breath real tight while I did it, that my mother would appear by morning.
But time and time again, hope failed. And still, it seemed, I didn’t learn. Not after I found my mom’s obituary on Uncle Rob’s fold-up kitchen table where I’d left my precious copy of Little Women when I was eight, not after the police came and hauled him off to jail when I was eleven, and not when I found myself in the vicious grip of the foster care system a short time later.
And then, a year ago, the Bennetts took me in. And I found hope again. Only this time it was a fragile, frayed thing—a lot like the toothbrush I had growing up that Uncle Rob never remembered to replace.
Victoria Bennett had been my best friend since we were seven years old, and now, she was my sister. Her parents gave me new toothbrushes and Nike sneakers and love as much as they were able. They gave me a chance to go to Jo March Writing Camp at Orchard House, a place Victoria and I had become obsessed with. All those years of immersing myself in the world of Jo March, imagining what it would be like to have a family, to have even just one sister….to belong.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website: www.heidichiavarol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeidiChiavaroli.Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidichiavaroli/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-chiavaroli
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16080793.Heidi_Chiavaroli
Thank you so much, Lena!
It’s my pleasure to feature you and your book on my blog. I’m eager to read my copy.
Readers, here are links to the book.
https://amzn.to/2OeUPz4 - Paperback
https://amzn.to/3uQCnO5 - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
February 25, 2021
GIFTS OF GRACE - Kathy McKinsey - One Free Ebook
Welcome back, Kathy. Why do you write the kind of books you do? I want to offer to other Christians the kind of grace God has shown me. That he walks beside us every day, picking us up every time we fall down, showing us new hope no matter our age or circumstances. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? When our first child was laid in my arms. I cried so much, my doctor was touched by the picture of our meeting and sent me flowers.
How has being published changed your life? Publishing a book was a dream that took nearly 50 years to come true. I’m still trying to learn how to handle this wonderful gift with the kind of good work it deserves to make it grow.
What are you reading right now? I am loving going through the Kit Shannon books by James Scott Bell and Tracie Peterson.
What is your current work in progress? I’ve had a hard time starting a new writing project. I’m working on a fast draft through February, making myself write something down every day and trying not to edit as I go along. I love stories about siblings, and this one has a brother and two sisters, all adults, sharing a house and supporting each other through their struggles.
That sounds interesting. What would be your dream vacation? A few years ago, I got together with my two grown daughters, and we visited my mother in Missouri. I am hoping to do that again soon.
How do you choose your settings for each book? In one of the novellas in my most recent book, I decided to place my story on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and I wanted to try to share the richness of that.
I’ve lived in cities for more than 40 years, so I’m most comfortable placing stories in cities. However, I don’t name them, either real city names or fictional ones. I like the freedom of simply having a general city atmosphere.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? The author Dee Henderson. She has been such an inspiration to me as a writer. I continue to read her O’Malley series again and again. It’s like spending the afternoon with a close family member.
I love her books, too. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I love knitting and crocheting gifts for family and friends.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Periodically I go through a time when I lose the motivation to write. Once I start again, I enjoy making stories so much. I am grateful that to this point, I’ve always been able to get myself back to this job.
What advice would you give to a beginning author? I wrote very little for over 30 years, using work and raising my family as an excuse. I know it can be hard to find time in a busy schedule to write, but try to write even for a few minutes most days, in a journal, about people you see during the day, conversations you overhear, ideas that flit through your mind.
Tell us about the featured book. GIFTS OF GRACE
Three novellas. Three women search with hungry hearts, and God shows them surprising answers. Tammy needs a new goal to fill her empty nest, and she needs to find forgiveness for her heart.
Mourning the loss of her baby, Judy flees to the home she abandoned twelve years ago. The family farm. Is something new waiting for her at this old home?
Iola, who is blind, struggles to prove herself as a professional and to be the mother her sixteen-year-old daughter needs during a rough time.
Watch as God opens doors these women would never expect.
Please give us the first page of the book.
“Grandma, you are so lucky.” C.T. looked up at me, his face crumpled, ready to sleep. “You live in a house with four men.” His eyes closed then opened again. “And a big dog. We’ll always make sure you’re safe.”
My heart warmed as I bent to kiss him. “You’re right. Who would dare to mess with me?”
He curled into a ball then buried his face in his arms. “Love you, Grandma. Have a good sleep.”
“I love you too, baby.” After tucking the covers around my seven-year-old little man, I tiptoed out of his room.
Safety was not my concern with these four men, but I did have concerns. Lord God, help us. Especially with this new man in our home.
At the top of the stairs, I stopped to listen. All I could hear was the television, with loud cars screeching, coming from Al’s room. I sighed. Al was hard of hearing, so he kept the volume loud. How would my husband and son handle that?
Not that a loud TV was my biggest worry.
My son Roland had his class tonight, but what was Karl thinking?
How can readers find you on the Internet?
https://www.facebook.com/kathy.brinkmann.mckinsey
https://twitter.com/kathymckinsey
https://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Grace-Kathy-McKinsey-ebook/dp/B08T7ZHLMZ
https://www.amazon.com/Millies-Christmas-Kathy-McKinsey-ebook/dp/B07YTF53KT
https://www.amazon.com/All-My-Tears-Kathy-McKinsey-ebook/dp/B07P92QZPJ
Thank you for having your book on my blog. I know my readers will be as interested in it as I am.
Readers, 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
February 23, 2021
FOREVER UNDER BLUE SKIES - Valerie Massey Goree - One Free Book (Give away: print or e-book to any USA address; e-book overseas.
Welcome back, Valerie. Why do you write the kind of books you do? I write romantic suspense novels because that’s the genre I prefer to read. Adding unexpected twists and turns help the plot move forward, and I think, help keep the reader engaged. I love reading romantic suspense. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? The day I married Glenn, because that event allowed so many other happy days. Serving as missionaries. Holding our daughter and son when they were born, and then holding our granddaughter and grandson when they were born.
How has being published changed your life? I don’t think my life has changed that much. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still love to hold one of my novels and think to myself, “With God’s help, I wrote this. Created the characters and plot. And people buy it to read.” That is a grand feeling. When I mention I’m a published author and someone says, “Really! I’ve never met an author before.” Those accolades last a long time.
Yes, they do. What are you reading right now? Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins.
What is your current work in progress? My next novel is with Winged Publications for their new My Mother’s Secret collection. My heroine’s mother was involved in genetic research. Tentative title Shadows of Time.
What would be your dream vacation? My husband and I spent a month in the UK several years ago, but we didn’t do all the usual touristy things. Glenn has a deep interest in the Roman occupation of the British Isles. We visited many such sites, from an underground coliseum in Londonto Hadrian’s wall. I had researched where my ancestors grew up and was able to visit their places of birth—the street where my paternal great-grandmother lived before sailing to South Africa where she met my great-grandfather, and the actual house where my maternal great-great-grandparents lived before sailing to Australia. (I used part of their story and family tree in my new novel.) My agenda also included Port Isaac, the site of filming the Doc Martin TV series, and Highclere Castle, the setting for the Downton Abbey TV series. We also visited several old friends from my days of living in Rhodesia. We rented a car and crisscrossed Englandand Scotland, driving over 1,000 miles and ended up in Edinburgh. We drove through lovely countryside but didn’t take the time to stop and savor the scenery and atmosphere. We were too intent on getting to our next destination without getting lost. PS: Don’t try to drive without a great sat-nav system! My dream vacation would be to go back to the UK, but this time without an itinerary. I want to stop in any little village that takes my fancy. Spend a night or two. Visit with the locals and ramble through the lanes. Drink tea in every cafe I find, and eat fish and chips that remind me of growing up in the former British Colony of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwein Central Africa.
How do you choose your settings for each book? I usually choose a place I’ve visited or have lived in. I like to include the local history if relevant, and add a flavor of the places and people. I wrote the first draft of Forever Under Blue Skies many years before I visited Australia. However, I found that most of my research—from library books—proved to be accurate.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? I would love to spend an evening with my childhood friend, Valda. We met when we were seven and were inseparable until I left Rhodesiato attend university in America. I returned home after six years, and Val and I reconnected, but we lived in different parts of the country and seldom saw each other in person. That was way before technology allowed instant communication. My husband and I came to America a few years later, and I haven’t seen Val for 35 years. We do keep in touch through social media, but a face-to-face meeting would be wonderful. I’d love to play one of our favorite games again. When we’d meet someone for the first time and were asked our names, I’d say, “My name’s Val.” And she would say, “My name’s Val.” And the person would stare wide-eyed and say, “No, you much be joking.” No joke. Val and Val, pals for life.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I love to travel and have been blessed with many opportunities. I have lived in three countries and four states, and visited countries on five continents. However, my husband’s health issues have put an end to overseas travel right now.
I understand that. My husband is experiencing health issues, and they take so much of your time. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? My biggest obstacle is making time to write each day. Unless I have a couple of hours of uninterrupted time, I have a difficult time concentrating. I also have a hard time keeping personal or family issues from intruding. As I answer these questions, my husband is undergoing chemo infusion treatments. After tending to him and taking him to his numerous medical appointments, I usual don’t have any emotional energy left to write. In other words, I haven’t overcome my obstacle.
What advice would you give to a beginning author? Read the craft books, attend workshops and conferences, pay attention to the ‘rules,’ but then write what’s on your heart. Yes, grammar, plot, and structure matter, but don’t let all the formality get in the way of telling your story.
Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book. Forever Under Blue Skies is very close to my heart. It is based on the first novel I ever wrote a long time ago. The back cover burb:
“Travel to Australiato solve a family mystery? Sure, Marlow could do that. But she didn’t take into consideration the vast Outback, nor the owner of the sheep station. Widower, Jake Barclay, is everything her late husband was not—honorable, considerate, a pure gentleman. She came prepared with sunscreen, but hadn’t built a high enough screen around her heart. Jake was dubious about Marlow’s reason for visiting his station and thwarts her plan at every turn. Until he sees how she interacts with his vulnerable, young daughter.
If they solve the coded message, can Marlow return to Texas, or will Jake offer her a forever home in the outback?”
The story is set in 1983. The Australian Government changed their immigration laws in 1985. My story as written, couldn’t take place after those laws were enacted. Now, my family didn’t live on a sheep station, but that’s were the fiction part comes in.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Queensland , Australia,
November, 1983
Driving nearly eight hundred kilometers from Brisbane to Cunnamulla in Queensland’s interior might not qualify as the most foolhardy action of her life, but it came close.
Marlow Barclay adjusted her sunglasses and stared at the narrow, tarred road shimmering ahead that sliced through the paprika-colored earth like an arrow aimed toward a target on the horizon. The beauty of the Australian heartland had long ago morphed into monotony. No houses. No people. Just scrubby trees, clumps of blond spinifex grass, and acre upon acre of flat land, if possible, flatter than west Texas. Despite aching shoulders, nothing could suppress the excitement bubbling inside her which energized her every more. Another day in this fascinating country, another adventure. And she was eight hundred kilometers closer to her destiny.
She glanced at the odometer. Eight hundred and one.
A gold star for knowing the kilometer-to-mile conversion rate by heart. Five hundred miles. To fulfill Steven’s dying wish, she’d drive five hundred more.
Before the accident, Marlow and Steven had made plans to visit Australiato celebrate their fifteenth anniversary and to honor Great-grandfather Graham Barclay’s wishes.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
https://www.facebook.com/ValerieMasseyGoree/
Thank you, Valerie, for allowing me to feature this book on my blog. I fell in love with Australia long before it became so popular in the US. I’ve read well over 100 books set in Australia, and I’m eager to read this one.
Readers, here are links 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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
