Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 57
September 8, 2020
HEART OF A WARRIOR - Angela Couch - One Free Book
Welcome, Angela. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
Mostly, because they are the stories I really want to read about!
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
That would have to be my wedding day (just over ten years ago). It was honestly perfect (despite snow in May!)
How has being published changed your life?
Being published has been a goal since I was a teen, so the biggest change was the satisfaction that I achieved a long-standing goal.
What are you reading right now?
I am just finishing Mary Connally’s Loving the Texas Negotiator.Since I’ve read all her historical novels, I figured I should check out her contemporary ones, too.
What is your current work in progress?
I am working on a Canadian Mountie series, so it’s fun to be writing a little closer to home.
What would be your dream vacation?
Maybe a cabin in the mountains with a lake and lots of trees. Just time with family enjoying nature.
How do you choose your settings for each book?
Each book is different, but for this new release, Heart of a Warrior, it was while driving through the Rocky Mountainsand wondering how it would feel to be lost down there the valleys so thick with trees and winding like mazes.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Had to think about this one. I think I would enjoy an evening with an intellectual like Thomas Sowell or Jordan Peterson.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I enjoy gardening, teaching martial arts, and schooling my kids.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
Finding the time with four busy kids to keep up with.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?
Take the time and effort to write, rewrite, edit and edit again, while listening openly to the advice and critiques of others.
Tell us about the featured book.
The Man She Fears Is Her Only Chance For Survival . . .
All Christina Astle wants is to reach Oregonbefore her baby is born, but the wagon train is attacked, and her husband killed, stranding her in a mountain labyrinth. Raised in the East, within civilization's embrace, survival is not a skill she's learned. Neither is evading the lone warrior dogging her trail.
Disgusted by the greed and cruelty of men like his white father, Towan has turned to the simpler existence of his mother's tribal people. He is not prepared for the fiery woman who threatens to upturn his entire life ... and his heart.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Autumn 1859
Eyes clamped shut against the subsiding ache in her abdomen, Christina Astle sucked in cool mountain air. Pine saturated the breath and constricted her lungs like the corsets she’d happily given up only months earlier. Her hand stole across her extended stomach. What had she been thinking, agreeing to follow Anthony away from society, safety, and a house with four walls? What if they didn’t make it to Oregonin time? She refused to give birth with nothing but canvas overhead.
The wagon wheel dropped into another rut, and a gasp escaped her, drawing her husband’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I wish I could go slower, but we’re at least a mile behind them.” He glanced at the sun hovering above, then slipped the gold watch from his breast pocket and flipped it open. “It’s after three already.”
“I know…and I am fine.” Christina raised her chin a degree but refused to look at him and his perpetually concern-laden eyes. Anthony did everything within his power to keep her comfortable, stopping often, even when it meant trailing behind the rest of the wagon train. As long as they caught up by nightfall. Still, heat rose in her chest. They should have waited another year, or—better yet—never left Cincinnatiin the first place.
The crack of a discharging rifle pierced the valley and deepened into echo. Then a scream, soft and haunting. More gun fire followed, ricocheting off the high mountain ridges.
The wagon lurched to a halt, and Christina grabbed for the seat. She stared ahead at the empty trail scarred with evidence of those who led the way. Horses. Cattle. Families with children. God, no!
The wagon jerked and rocked off the trail, reins slapping the backs of the mules.
Christina dug her fingertips into the raw wood. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking it away from the trail. I’m not leaving you sitting in plain sight.”
“Leaving me? You can’t. We don’t know what’s going on.” Her head spun. “No, Anthony. Not with these mountains full of savages. Don’t you dare leave me here.”
The wagon tipped slightly then righted, dropped over the slope, and rolled into an aspen grove. White bark glimmered in the bright sun, and young saplings sprang back into place as the wheels passed over.
“There’s only one way to find out what’s happening. If they’re being attacked, they’ll need help.” Anthony lunged to the ground and unharnessed the mules, fastening them farther out of the way. All except the one trained to ride. Anthony left him near the wagon, heaving a saddle over his withers and forcing a heavy bit into his mouth.
Christina remained paralyzed on the seat. “Anthony…no. Don’t go.”
He said nothing as he loaded his revolver and strapped it to his thigh. With the Winchestertucked under his arm, he swung onto the back of the animal and twisted the reins through his fingers. “You’ll be safe here. Most likely it’s nothing.” He looked away, giving the mule an angry kick. The animal balked but lurched to a trot toward the trail.
“Anthony!”
He rotated in the saddle enough to meet her gaze and yanked back on the bit. His brown eyes studied her face, and his chest released a sigh. “Chris, I have to go. You know where the other rifle is, and the shells are under the seat if you have any need of them. I’ll be back soon.”
Christina sagged against the back of the wagon seat. The edge bit her spine. Hooves scraped the loose rock of mountain trail and faded with the distant gun fire.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Thank you, Angela, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. It sounds interesting.
Readers, here are links to the book.
https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_73&products_id=1471
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-a-warrior-angela-k-couch/1136867479?ean=9781522398738
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:
September 7, 2020
THE BLACK MIDNIGHT - Kathleen Y'Barbo - One Free Book
Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee and bestselling author of more than 100 books with over two million copies of her books in print in the USand abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Student and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Novelists Inc., and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the AmericanRepublic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.
Her latest novel The Black Midnight is a historical true crime romantic suspense novel based on the true stories of the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper and the Midnight Assassin, a serial killer who terrorized 1880s Austin, Texas. Neither was brought to justice, and some theorize they are one and the same.
When she’s not spinning modern day tales about her wacky Southern relatives, Kathleen inserts an ancestor or two into her historical, true crime, and cozy mystery novels as well. Recent historical releases include bestselling The Pirate Bride set in 1700s New Orleansand Galveston, its sequel The Alamo Bride set in 1836 Texas, and The Chisholm Trail Bride set in 1880s Texasand Louisiana, which feature a few well-placed folks from history and a family tale of adventure on the high seas and on the coast of Texas. She also writes (mostly) relative-free cozy mystery novels for Guideposts Books.
Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They now make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and a family of very adorable Londoners.
Dear Readers, I have loved every book that Kathleen has written. Each time I read a new one, I think to myself, this is her best one yet. And it is always true. The Black Midnight, true to form, is my favorite right now. It is a historical romantic suspense novel. It hits all the bases for me. Authentic historical details. A romance that can never be. A suspense story that I didn’t figure out until near the end of the book. Her characters are full-blown with both virtue and vices. They really grabbed my heart and attention and kept me reading every minute I had available each day. You don’t want to miss this one.
Welcome back, Kathleen. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else?
I’m sure I wanted to be everything from a horse trainer to a ballerina depending on the day when I was little. However, when I was in college, I thought I would go on to law school after I graduated. Instead, marriage and family delayed my entry into the legal field for about twenty years.
How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
Usually it takes about three weeks from start to finish to write a 65,000 word novel. The first two weeks is spent writing the first ½ of the book and the last week, the rest.
How do you come up with themes for your stories?
I rarely know the theme, so that’s a hard question. I start with characters and setting and let them tell me what happens. That sounds simplistic, but that’s really how it works for me most of the time.
Do you have a schedule of when you write?
I work full-time as a paralegal in a law office, so my writing happens on weekends and evenings during the week.
How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
Ha! I’m not, at least with any regularity. But I try! Though I prefer a desktop, I write on a laptop so I can be flexible and spend time with my husband while I’m working on a book.
What elements do you think make a great story line?
For me, characters are what makes a book. So give an interesting character doing something out of his comfort zone, and I’m hooked.
What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Convincing myself that I can actually do justice to the synopsis I gave my editor! I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to second guessing my ideas. At the end of the book, once I’ve written THE END, I’m always happy with the results. But the beginning? Not so much. That’s why the first half takes 2/3 of my writing time.
How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve lost count! It’s more than 100. That’s like asking which is my favorite child! The one I like best right now is my newest, The Black Midnight (historical true crime/romantic suspense). But I also really like The Pirate Bride(historical romance with pirates) and Firefly Summer (contemporary Texas romance). And my Women of the West series (historical Western romance). And the Secret Lives of Will Tucker series (historical steampunk/romance). I also just wrote a contemporary mystery for Guideposts earlier this year that touched my heart. The title was Where There’s a Will but I think it’s going to be renamed by the publisher. Anyway, ask me tomorrow and I’ll name different ones, I’m sure!
Do you have a favorite character?
I have a few favorites. Anna Finch, the heroine of Anna Finch and the Hired Gunranks in my top three. I also love my pirate heroine in Pirate Bride and my feisty heiress turned reluctant nanny in The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper. Oh…then there’s….sigh…there are so many!
Tell us about the story.
Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, a killer struck fear into the hearts of the citizens of Austin, Texas. Some believe one man is responsible for both while others lay the blame at the feet of someone close to the queen herself. With suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin murders case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter. One man is essential to her team, and she doesn’t want to consider taking on this challenge without his expertise. Unfortunately, he’s back in Texas with a bad attitude and a new profession.
The prospect of a second chance at catching the man who terrorized Austinthree years ago just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austinlawyer, even if it does mean working with the Queen’s great-granddaughter again. If his theories are right, they’ll find the The Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the lady detective left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.
Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texasto London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.
Please give us a peek at the first page of the book.
The first chapter of the book is available on preview at Amazon. May I please break from protocol here and give you one of my favorite scenes of the book???? The only things you need to know to understand this scene is that Kellum is a detective from Scotland Yard and Isaiah is the Texan Pinkerton detective hero and he’s been instructed NOT to wear cowboy boots to Buckingham Palace. J
Excerpt from Chapter 22 of The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y’Barbo
A meeting with Queen Victoria’s advisors
Buckingham Palace, London
April 1889
“You may speak freely here,” Annie told him.
“Very well, it concerns your relative, Prince Albert Victor.”
Her attention went to the prime minister who showed no reaction. Then she turned to Kellum.
“I see.” Annie folded her hands in front of her. The man she knew as Uncle Eddy, that the public called Prince Eddy, had a rather interesting reputation, to put it mildly. Still, murder was well beyond anything she would expect of him. “Go on.”
“There have been some rumors...”
He paused, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. Annie wondered if he’d drawn the short straw in the competition to see which of them would be speaking today. Or rather, which would not.
“That is it has been whispered, quietly of course and certainly not intimated in the press or amongst those who might speak publicly...”
Annie shook her head. “If you could just say it, that would be most helpful, sir. I assure you I am not the delicate sort, and I prefer a man who speaks his mind plainly and clearly.”
Kellum gave Simon a helpless look, prompting the police officer to nod. “What Lord Brixton is saying is that there is a theory that the prince could be the killer—this Jack the Ripper--that we are looking for.”
Lord Brixton. Yes, she remembered him now. Papa hadn’t particularly cared for him.
“I-I-I am not advancing that theory,” Mr. Kellum stammered. “However sordid or false, which it likely is, what I am saying is that it is something that has been spoken about, though not publicly. At least not in the newspapers. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it.”
He looked around to the other advisors, and they all nodded. Then he returned his attention to Annie. “If we did not mention it,” he amended. “Our hope is that this investigation might prove that the prince is innocent of any atrocities. Were it to be found otherwise, I do not know how we would manage to tell Her Majesty.”
“So she hasn’t heard these rumors?” Annie asked. “Are you certain? I have found that the Queen is quite intelligent and generally well informed, even about rumors. Nothing gets past her, so do not underestimate her knowledge on this subject.”
“We have heard these rumors.” Granny swept into the blue room with a sea of courtiers following in her wake. “And we are much distressed.” She focused on Annie. “Thank you for the compliment, kitten. However, there must be no preferential treatment for Eddy. I want him properly investigated and I will not abide any editing of the facts.”
“Yes ma’am,” Annie said as she bowed to her grandmother.
She turned to inspect the men in the room. “Prime Minister, we did not expect to see you here.”
Lord Salisbury cleared his throat, his hands clasped behind him. “I am here on an unofficial basis, ma’am. What concerns the nation, concerns me.”
She held his gaze then nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Silence fell. After a moment, her steely gaze landed on Isaiah.
Annie held her breath. The Texan had executed a perfect bow when she entered the room and so far had followed all the rules of protocol he’d only just learned a few minutes earlier.
“Detective Joplin of the Pinkerton Agency,” the queen said.
“I was, Your Majesty,” he told her. “Though I have recently taken up lawyering.”
“An unfortunate turn of events,” she said. “We’ll not need a lawyer here today, thus we hope you have retained some of the knowledge that you once possessed when you actually were a detective.”
Annie detected the slightest hint of a smile beneath Isaiah’s serious expression. “Yes ma’am. I believe that I have.”
Granny continued to study him. Unlike the other men in the room, Isaiah did not cower under the queen’s icy presence. Rather, he appeared ready to continue their conversation should Her Majesty wish to do so.
“What else have you retained from the time when you were a detective, young man?” Granny glanced down at his footwear and then back up at Isaiah as she waited for his response.
“I have learned that patience is a virtue.” He paused. “And that what is meant to be will be.”
One dark brow lifted. “And what cannot be?”
“Takes a little longer, ma’am,” he said in his Texasdrawl.
Annie wasn’t sure whether to gasp or laugh. She decided it best to do neither.
The room fell into silence. Even the courtiers had stopped their whispering. Every eye was on the queen and the Texan who towered over her.
Finally she spoke. “Have you made the acquaintance of William Cody, Mr. Joplin?”
“Buffalo Bill? Yes ma’am, I have.” He paused. “I understand he performed here for your Jubilee.”
“We were pleased with that performance.” Her gaze slid to the floor and then returned to his eyes. “We were gifted with footwear much like his cowboys wore. Unfortunately, the ornamentation on them has rendered the boots quite decorative and unfit for our stables.” She paused. “We would much prefer a pair like yours.”
“Ma’am, with your permission I could see that you have them,” he said. “It would be my honor.”
The queen never broke her even gaze or showed any indication of her thoughts on the matter. Then, finally she offered a very slight dip of her head. “We shall allow it. However, we must wonder at the advisability of wearing such footwear meant for the stables on our valuable carpets. Do we understand one another?”
Annie held her breath in anticipation of what the detective would say. Knowing Isaiah, it could be anything from a polite response to another of his cheeky comments.
After a moment, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We do.”
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
My website at http://www.kathleenybarbo.com contains all my book news and buy links, a list of all my social media contacts, and much more!
Readers, here are links to the book.
- Amazon PaperbackThe Black Midnight (True Colors Book 7) - Kindle[image error]
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory 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:
September 6, 2020
WINNER
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.
curlyblue918 (DE) is the winner of Kokopelli's Song by Suzanne Bratcher.
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.
September 4, 2020
LOVE AT CHRISTMAS - Anne Greene - One Free Book
My children were in school and I wanted a new profession. I have a degree in Literary Studies and have always wanted to be a writer. So I attended a two-week writer’s conference. I had to submit three chapters of a book in order to be accepted into the conference.
I’d never written anything that wasn’t a college or high school assignment, but I’d heard an interesting story related in Church that past Sunday. I’d never heard of the Cherokee Removal of 1838 and took that as my subject. At the end of the conference I had an appointment with the editor of Moody Press who said they would like to publish my book. When could I have the novel ready? So my book, Trail of Tears, was born … and so was my writing career. Trail of Tears is being reissued and will be released Spring of 2021. Good. I want to feature it on my blog. That event has always interested me. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?I would love to be a Marine Biologist. I’d love to work at the Scripts Institute of Oceanography in LaJolla, California. If not that, I’d enjoy any kind of Scientific research. Geologist comes in second. Archeologist is a third runner. My novel, Shadow of the Dagger, dips into my archeology interests with the mystery centering around two archeologists. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?Lovely question. Since most of my books are set in different historical periods, that’s a hard choice to make. I might choose 1775 America. I’d love to see the founding fathers and live during the exciting time of America’s growing into an independent nation. I’ve not written a book set in that period, but the ideas are churning in my mind. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?Traveling is my hobby. I have visited every State in the US including Hawaii, Alaska, and the American Virgin Islands. I have not yet visited Puerto Rico. So that is high on the list of where I’d like to go explore. How about a foreign country you hope to visit?I’ve been privileged to visit thirty-two foreign countries. And that has been a great privilege. Greece is one country I missed that I would like to visit. My favorites are Turkey, the UK – all four countries, and Viet Nam. Of course, Italycomes close to the top three. What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?Psalm 127:1A Good News TranslationIf the LORD does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; To me, this means if God is not involved in my books, they will not succeed in bringing people to the Lord or in strengthening their spiritual lives. I write to entertain and offer escape from hectic lives, but the subtle message of my books is for God to use as He sees fit in my readers’ lives. Tell us about the featured book.
LOVE AT CHRISTMAS is an anthology containing four of my clean, historical romances.
A CHRISTMAS BELLE Amanda Jeffrey, mail-order bride, arrives in the Wild West expecting to wed a cowboy. Frank Calloway, Sheriff of Angel Vale needs a mother for the baby left on his doorstep. But can the delicate Southern belle with the disappointed expression accept a Southern man, rather than a cowboy, after another Southern groom jilted her at the altar? And is the delicate southern belle strong enough to handle life in the rugged western boom town? A WILLIAMSBURGCHRISTMAS1955 -Trentjilted Holly. Holly’s a widowed mother raising 8-year-old twin boys by working as a waitress in a famous Colonial Williamsburg Inn. Trent disappeared from her life ten years ago. Now he’s back and wants to marry her. Santa’s matchmakers complicate Holly’s decision by introducing new men into her life. AVOIDING THE MISTLETOE 1865 -Olivia Rose Baker abandons her dying hometown in Massachusetts to become a mail-order bride in male-dominated Seattle, Washington. Her abusive husband died in the Civil War and left Olivia wary of marriage, so she hopes to take a teaching position rather than become a bride. But Stark Macaulay, former Confederate soldier and now Sheriff of Seattle, purchased her ticket and insists she fulfill her contract and marry. Stark is smitten with Olivia. But Olivia hates anything to do with the Confederacy. Fighting demons of his own, Sheriff Stark sees a second chance for love. This widower vows to win the widow or die trying…and almost does. THE CHOICEFelicity’s father dies, leaving her stranded at Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, one-third the way to homestead 640 acres in the Oregon Territory. She has money and supplies to continue her journey, but a woman alone cannot claim the free land. So she advertises for a husband. Ben’s got massive debt and Gold Rush fever and heads to California. But in Ft. Laramie he’s robbed of everything he owns, including his horse. His only recourse is to strike a bargain with Felicity. At the fork in the trail, will he trek to Oregonto help her homestead or will she accompany him to dig for gold in California? Can these two stubborn people with very different goals make the right choice for them both? Please give us the first page of the book.A CHRISTMAS BELLEOctober 1877, WyomingWas this really what it took to find a husband?
Amanda Geoffrey heaved a deep sigh and brushed dust from her traveling gown. She turned to one of the other mail-order brides jouncing on the buckwagon’s wooden seat beside her. “Yes, from my earliest memories people esteemed me as a mind-reader. I do possess a knack for reading people’s fleeting involuntary expressions.” She smiled. “People immediately erase those swift reactions hoping to mask their true thoughts.”
“Your ability sounds like a gift.” Though they’d been riding in the wagon almost eight hours, Henrietta’s eyes sparkled.
“When I concentrate, I can almost mind-read. But, after some awkward experiences, I’ve learned to keep the knowledge of my gift to myself. I’m trusting you not to tell a soul.”
“You can be certain I’ll keep your secret. I hope we can become friends. Please tell me more about your gift.” Henrietta arched her back and rubbed gloved hands just below where the buckboard’s backrest ended.
“Expressions truly are the window to the soul, and I knew how to peek into that window and discover whatever the owner wants to hide.”
“That is frightening, Amanda. Can you read my thoughts now?” Henrietta turned a pretty face toward her.
“Like me you’re tired, hungry, thirsty, and frightened at what we shall find at the end of our long journey. These are not the fleeting expressions I’m speaking of. What I do is hard to explain. I study the emotions people try to hide. The emotion appears for less than a second and then the expression is hidden.”
“I see.”
But Henrietta didn’t, of course. She, like most people, never glimpsed those swiftly hidden feelings. Amanda so wanted her new friend to understand. “When we reach Angel Vale I’ll concentrate as if my life depends on what I see in my groom-to-be’s face.” Amanda gripped the tapestry purse jiggling in her lap until her knuckles whitened. Because her future did depend on what she identified in his expression.
How can readers find you on the Internet?I love for my readers to visit me. Here are some of my links.https://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.comwww.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor, https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1
Thank you, Anne, for sharing your book with my blog readers and me. We all love to read Christmas stories.
Readers, here are links to the book.https://amzn.to/3bvDola - Printhttps://amzn.to/3h5iMkV - 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
September 3, 2020
HOPE FOR TOMORROW - Michelle De Bruin - One Free Print or Ebook
Her first book, Hope for Tomorrow , released in 2018. The sequel, Promise for Tomorrow, released November 2019. The third book in the series, Dreaming of Tomorrow, releases November 2020.
Welcome, Michelle. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
I don’t intend to write myself into my characters. Instead, I try to create characters that I can identify with. If they were real people in my neighborhood or church family, they would be people that I would have much in common with. If readers who know me happen to detect my personal characteristics shining through a character in my books, then it is coincidence instead of intentional.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?Nothing came to mind when I first read this question, so I asked my family. They couldn’t think of anything either. I guess that means I’m not very quirky unless you count the one time I let someone talk me in to going on the Tower of Terrorride at Disneyland. This is the building with the elevator that free-falls down through many stories, and it goes fast, picking up speed the closer it gets to the ground level. After this ride, I was so dazed that I had to take a break from exploring the amusement park with the rest of the group and lay down on the sidewalk in order to restore my equilibrium. This was the first time, and most likely the last that I will venture into the realm of quirkiness.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?I first discovered I was a writer in grade school when I would be one of the students chosen to attend writer’s workshops and other local events that helped to develop writing skills in children.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I’m very selective in what I read. Books must help grow my faith or teach me new insights about the Lord and His ways or working in a human life. Books must also have a thread of humor or light-heartedness running through them. This narrows the range, I’m afraid, to Christian fiction and also to non-fiction consistent with credible interpretations of Scripture.
At least there a lot of Christian novels available now. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?The first thing that I don’t do is run. I gave up long ago trying to keep up with the pace at which the world thinks we need to be living. The best I can, I let the Holy Spirit set my pace. For me, this starts with observing a Sabbath day of rest in my schedule. Beyond the physical ordering of my schedule, I rely on the writings of teachers like Ruth Haley Barton, James Bryan Smith, and Adele Ahlberg Calhoun to maintain the disciplines of soul care.
How do you choose your characters’ names?Characters’ names are chosen based on what the common names were of the time period, as well as what is authentic according to the cultural context in which the story is set.
For example, the hero in this story is of Dutch descent, so he, his family, and his best friend required surnames that reflect this heritage. That is why the farm family featured in this story has the name De Witt, and the hero’s best friend has the name Betten.
For first names, I tried to choose names that were consistent with how immigrants would name their children born in America, and also was easy to spell and understand for a reader. Children were given a family name, a popular first name, or a Bible name.
For example, the best friend and his wife have the names Peter and Anna, both Bible names. Peter” also has the Dutch spelling Pieter, but I Americanized the spelling for simplicity in reading.
The name Logan is popular today, and was also used in Dutch communities as a name for boys. The mother, Cassandra, and the sister, Matilda, have names that were common for women in that era.
The heroine, Karen, has a name that wasn’t so familiar in the early 20th century, but I wanted to use it anyway because of its meaning, which is: pure.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?The accomplishment I am most proud of would have to be completing my bachelor’s degree in religion at our local liberal arts college while my children were grade-school age. I was able to schedule my classes during the day while they were in school and ended up getting my degree completed in two years.
Good for you. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I would probably be a rabbit. They are curious, fast, and go into hiding whenever danger is near. They also stay as cute fully grown as they do when they are young. I would like to think this is true of me, but you’ll have to confer with my husband and the people who have to live with me to get the real story on that.
What is your favorite food?My favorite food is pie. Strawberry pie and lemon meringue pie in the summer. Pumpkin or apple in the winter.
My favorite pie is Pecan. When I was growing up, it was called Karo Nut Pie, because of the corn syrup used in the filling. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?The problem is the marketing and getting my name out as someone who has quality books that I know many people will enjoy. I’m not sure that I have overcome it yet. That is why I am so grateful for opportunities to appear on blogs like this one. Thank you for hosting me, Lena.
ell us about the featured book.The featured book, Hope for Tomorrow , is my debut novel. It is inspirational, historical fiction set in an Iowafarming community in the year 1910.
Here is the description from the back cover:
A young man leaves his career to care for his family and agrees to board the school teacher who offers him a priceless gift. When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm. During his stay, he discovers his mother’s struggle with finances and his younger sister’s struggle with grief. Concern for his family presses Logan to make the difficult decision to leave his career as a pastor and stay on the farm. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.
Karen Millerson arrives from Chicagoready to teach high school but her position is eliminated so she accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen begins a new career to replace the trust she lost in her own father who had been in ministry when she was a child.
Logan and Karen both sense a call from the Lord to serve him, but neither of them expected that one day they would do it together.
Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Loganlay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?
Please give us the first page of the book.Oswell City, IowaAugust, 1910“The Lord bless you and keep you.” A tremor shook Reverend Logan De Witt’s outstretched hand as Walter Brinks entered the church.
The teenage son of the family who managed the hotel carried a white slip of paper and paced the back of the sanctuary. The Oswell City Hotel was the only place in town with a telephone. Someone in Logan’s care was about to receive bad news.
He swallowed and attempted to finish the blessing. “The Lord make his face to shine upon you—” A drop of water from above splattered his sermon notes. He wrestled with the longing to move them out of harm’s way, but a full sanctuary waited on him to finish the benediction. “—and be gracious to you.”
A second fat drop fell, headed not for all those well-chosen words from hours of study, but for his nose. It rolled off the tip and spilled onto his Bible.
His chest tightened at the audacity of these shameless drips. A little water damage to his sermon he could deal with, but spoiling his Bible was another matter entirely. He lifted his gaze to the vaulted ceiling above just in time to watch a third drop plummet from the heights. More followed. Splat. Splat. Splat. All over the eighth chapter of Romans.
Pews creaked. Someone in the front row coughed. The time had come to wrap up the service, but Walt chose that moment to stride down the aisle and join him at the pulpit. Two more drops splashed his nose. He snatched up his Bible.
Walt nudged him. “Pastor Logan, I’ve got a message for ya.”
Bad news had no place in the benediction.
“This is for you.” Walt laid his slip of paper on the pulpit and ran out as quickly as he’d appeared. A sour taste filled Logan’s mouth, making speech even more difficult. “The Lord lift his countenance upon you . . . and . . . and give you p . . . peace.” He’d come so close to getting through the service without a stutter. He fled the pulpit to read the note while everyone sang the Doxology.
Reverend De Witt,A man named Vern Patterson called here. He says your mother wants you to come home as soon as possible. Your sister found your father on the floor of the barn at milking time this morning. The doctor said he suffered a heart attack. I’m sorry you have to find out about your father’s death like this. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.George
A heavy weight sank in his stomach. His tall, strong father was dead. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes while the truth pierced his heart.
How can readers find you in the Internet?They are welcome to visit my website where I post devotional writings and book reviews to my blog. On my website is more information about all of my books, a place to subscribe to my newsletter, and a place to join Michelle’s Boek Vrienden, which is my street team. In English, it translates to Michelle’s Book Friends.Website: https://michelledebruin.com/Readers are also welcome to follow me on social media. These links are below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDeBruinsAuthorPage/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MichelleDB40/boards/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18522892.Michelle_DeBruinTwitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleDAuthorBook Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michelle-de-bruinThanks again, Lena, for hosting me today. It has been such a good time!
It was my great pleasure to introduce you to my blog readers. I know they will be as eager to read your book as I am.
Readers, here are links to the book.https://amzn.to/32TIeF7 - Paperbackhttps://amzn.to/3gQjGBW - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. If the winner is in the US, it will be a print book. If the winner is foreign, the book will be an ebook. 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
September 1, 2020
Donbridge, Books 1-3 - RD Vincent - 3 Free Books
Welcome, RD. When did you become interested in writing? I have been writing for most of my life, but I think the most pivotal moment in my young adult life was writing about the loss of my grandfather when I was in high school. That was a hard task for me to do and frankly it was the most uplifting. It was a tragedy in my life that happened to me when I was 7 years old, but the impact was so great that it shaped my very soul beyond any other experience. From that point on, I felt that having heart, emotion, and a story to tell created the foundation for reaching others who would read my work. I lost my mother when I was 7 years old, and it has affected the rest of my life, so I understand. Tell my readers a little about yourself, so they can get to know you. I am an American farm boy raised in the last foothold of Rural New York. There I was raised by parents, but influenced heavily by my grandparents who lived through the other side of the woods in the great forest that centered our neighborhood. There my grandmother told tales of once living legends whose stories spanned my family over 7 generations. While she toiled away in her country kitchen, she wove tales around family history all while baking and cooking while she spoke. She was the greatest woman I have ever met in my time on this planet and for some reason the Lord matched us together and with that, one of the longest friendships of my life took place. Along with her sister, my Great Aunt Dorothy, the three of us would garage sale on the weekends, share stories, and seek advice from one another all mastering the great river of this chaotic world.
What kind of books do your like to read? I personally enjoy fantasy books especially the works of L. Frank Baum who wrote the Oz series. Such a fantastic imagination that I believe set the stage for other authors works. I relate to Baum as he too was a traveling salesman, a broke businessman, and faced much tragedy in his life. His humble way about him and his never-ending drive to never fail was an inspiration to me. Aside from fantasy, I am huge reader of science journals and business magazines. I enjoy reading success stories, but also enjoy reading why a business failed. I believe life lessons are something that you research, not something that is easily handed to you. Your books don’t fit into a regular genre. Please tell us what they are and why you wrote them. It’s a funny thing when people look at my books the first thing they say is “So it’s stories from your grandmother and recipes? Weird, I will take two sets.” I always laugh at that line because I have had it happen to me a number of times while traveling across the country with the series. The genre closely relates to folktales and more importantly American Folktales. I say that as in American Culture, we have so few folktales of our own for our society is a “Throw it out” society. We hold nothing for long, take buildings down and throw a plaque up if something historic happened there. Our stories are handled the same way, most of us half listen to our older generations and because of that, stories are lost and taken with them to the grave. Donbridge, my series, has an inspirational message of American preservation which traverses generations and brings everyone back into their own grandmother’s kitchen and gives the feeling of home which is lost to many. The stories and characters are heartwarming and yet enduring. People relate to the stories and because of that they have been a popular addition to most readers’ libraries. A funny little fact that the youngest reader of the Donbridge Series was 9 years old and eldest reader was 96.
Please share a page or two with my readers. Taken from Donbridge: The Ring of Lazarus, Book 1 in the Donbridge Series. Grandmother stood at the gold-flecked Formica countertop, chopping onions and then scraping them across the old cutting board, adding the pieces to the contents of a giant cast-iron pot. The pot had been bubbling a long time, probably since before her daughter had dropped the three grandchildren off on the way to the diner. In their world, overnight snowfall meant the joy of closed school, but for her it simply meant a longer drive to her job as a waitress with a detour to stash the children at grandparents’ house for the day.“I don’t like chili!” Jasper hissed behind Grandmamma’s back. “She makes us eat it every time!”
“That’s because it’s cold out, silly,” Michael shot back, defending his saintly grandmother.
“Then why is it called ‘chilly?’ Huh? If it’s so cold, we should be eating ‘warmy!’” Jasper stuck out his tongue and it took all Michael’s strength not to knock him backwards in his chair.
Grandmamma already had to break up a fight between the boys over who got to pour the cereal, and she’d spent half an hour getting chewing gum out of little Mary’s hair. Mary had howled like she was being ripped bald-headed. Michael didn’t think Grandmamma could take much more.
“You’ll eat it if you know what’s good for you,” Michael whispered, shoving his balled up fist against his palm.“But Michael! She puts weird stuff in it!” Jasper whimpered, looking towards the stove. Michael made a face at him and took a menacing step in his direction, but Jasper countered by protesting, “I saw her! She put some brown stuff in it!”
“That’s the peanut butter,” Grandmamma said without turning around. Both boys jumped. “I’ve always put peanut butter in my chili.”
“Really?” Michael asked, struggling to remember if he’d ever tasted it in all the years she’d been warming them up with her special snow day chili. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, it’s all we had for a while when I was a girl back in Donbridge. It came in tins stamped ‘non-perishable’ on the side. It kept us alive and strong when meat was scarce, especially during the war.”
“Where’s Donbridge?” Jasper asked quietly. Grandmamma lay her wooden spoon on the stove and walked to the dinette table, wiping her hands on her apron. She smiled and looked out the window to where the snow was still falling in giant puffs.“I’ll tell you all about it while you work,” she said. She produced a bowl of potatoes and two rattly metal peelers from the counter. She sat, pulled up a bowl of carrots and a knife for herself and began to peel as she talked.
Tell us where my readers can obtain copies of your books. You can head to www.Donbridgeseries.comand there you can learn more about the Donbridge series, purchase our products as well as our books.
Are there other places you can be found on the Internet? Donbridge books are available on Amazon, however, Donbridgeseries.com has the books for a cheaper price, signed and free shipping.
Thank you, RD, for sharing these books with my blog readers and me.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the first 3 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
August 31, 2020
CAROLINA HOMECOMING - Heather Blanton - One Free Book
I guess because, in truth, I am Daddy’s little girl. I used to watch Westerns with my daddy before he passed. He taught me to shoot. For fun, he and the deputies in our county used to quick draw on each other using wax bullets. Yeah, he was about the closest person I’ve ever met to the real John Wayne. I guess he’s a little part of everything I write.Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? Oh, wow, there have been so many. Besides my boys being born healthy and strong, I’d have to say the vacation in Deadwood with my sister Dawn. It was a girl’s trip, and it was awesome! It was special, specifically, because I went on a trip out West with my sister Suzy years ago, and it was the only one we did together. She got breast cancer shortly after. Dawn was always sad she missed that trip, but at least we finally got to do one together.
How has being published changed your life? To me the best change caused by my career is I get to work from home. No more commuting, traffic, wasted time in a car. And while I like people, I don’t mind being alone. In fact, I like it. Which is one thing about this quarantine mess I DON’T like. My kids are here. All. The. Time. LOL.
What are you reading right now? Actually, I am reading one of mine! I am working on the final book in my Defiance series, and I had to read A Destiny in Defiance to check on some ideas, evaluate some possible plot lines, consider some spin-offs, etc.
What is your current work in progress? As I mentioned, I am working on the final book in the Defianceseries. I’m also outlining book 5 for my Brides of Evergreen series, and I’m hammering out the first 10 pages of a script for an idea my agent wants to see.
What would be your dream vacation? I am blessed to say I’ve had it. One summer my husband and I went camping in Colorado. We drove all over the state exploring ghost towns, horseback riding, and camping in various places. It was spectacular.
How do you choose your settings for each book? Until I was nine years old, I lived in Florida. Then we moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina, and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. But there was still this yearning in me to go West. I’ve been blessed enough to explore several states out there (as I still live in NC), and I just love everything west of the Mississippi. So choosing a setting is determined simply by my love of the mountains and the wide-open spaces, or a particular place that I’ve seen and thought to myself, “I need to set a story here!”
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Anybody who spends five minutes with me will learn two things PDQ: I follow Jesus, and I believe I am entitled to my opinion because this is still America. I am unapologetically pro-God, pro-gun, pro-life and pro-Trump. I would love to sit down and talk to the President about everything he’s done, learned, and seen in his time in office.
I’d like to join you. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like, but I enjoy kayaking and hiking. I am gonna be hiking when I’m 90!
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Organizing my time on social media. I am very interactive with my groups and other authors on Facebook and keeping all that time spent on there to a controllable figure is maddening.
What advice would you give to a beginning author? Write the best book you can and surround yourself with honest readers and editors. And decide early on if you’re doing this for the money like a job, or for the passion of it. Waffling on this question will cause you to write things you’ll regret.
Tell us about the featured book.
Carolina Homecoming
is a retelling of the Book of Ruth. It is set during the Civil War in one of my favorite places on the planet: the Upstate of South Carolina. I’ve always wanted to delve into the story of the loyalty between Ruth and Naomi, explore Naomi’s bitterness toward God, and find out who this handsome, older gentleman farmer was that won Ruth’s heart. And it turned out,
Carolina Homecoming
was one of those stories that practically write themselves. The characters leaped off the page at me. Please give us the first page of the book.
Ruth wondered how she would face another day, strangled as she was by grief and guilt.
The spring breeze through her window chilled the tears in her eyes and she dabbed at them angrily. “This is no time to be a whimpering sot, girl,” she chided, her Irish backbone attempting to buoy her spirits. “Oh, James,” she whispered and sat down again on her bed. “Why did you have to go off and die?”
From the parlor she heard Noemie sniffle, and Ruth winced at the reminder. Her mother-in-law was suffering, too. The war had taken James and left two women struggling with the loss. For Ruth, her husband’s death stung, yes, but it wasn’t debilitating. He had been a good man, a good provider, even a good friend, but not much of a husband. For Noemie, though, he was the son she’d borne from her own womb. Ruth couldn’t imagine the woman’s pain and she ached for her.
Closing her eyes, she whispered a silent prayer for more understanding and compassion and rose to take on the day. Her swishing, black, hoop skirt announced her entrance as she stepped into the parlor. Noemie didn’t react. She was standing at the window, a handkerchief pressed to her mouth. Her face, still fetching for a woman of fifty, was a mask of pain. Furrowed brow, clenched jaw, and red-rimmed eyes.
Surprisingly, she hadn’t dressed yet. Her hair was not twisted up over her head in the crown of braids she preferred. Instead, thick blonde and gray strands cascaded down her back in an unbrushed torrent. And she was still in her nightgown and robe, not her black dress of mourning with its voluminous hoop, like Ruth’s. She looked older this morning; her years amplified by the soul-tearing grief.
From outside came the well-timed, almost melodic steps of two hundred feet marching down the brick avenue. The sound was somber, like a funeral dirge.
More good boys headed off to this vile war. “Noemie, are you all right?” A foolish question, but it seemed the only one to ask.
The woman blinked, but still took several seconds to answer. “I’ve come to a decision.” She turned faded green eyes to Ruth. “I’m done with Maryland. I’m going home.”
“Home? I don’t understand. I thought Marylandwas your home. I mean, I understand you’re not from here, but ye’ve lived here—”
“Ten years. Almost ten years here with Jeremiah. He was my second husband. A good man. I loved him, but Marylandwas his home place. I’ve got more years and more roots back in South Carolina.” She paused briefly, as if reliving a flood of memories from those days. “James’ daddy, Luke, and I were both born in Oconee County. We did a lot of living there before he widowed me.” She turned away from the window to face Ruth. “And then Jeremiah went and died on me. I only stayed here after his passing because I hoped you and James might start a family. And then he left you to go fight in this blasted war.” She raised her chin and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve held on to the place in Oconee County. It’s time for me to go home.”
Ruth reeled from the news. She opened her mouth to speak, but only squeaks came out. The babbling seemed to spark more alertness in Noemie. She smiled tenderly at Ruth. “I want you to go on back to Ireland. Go back to your home. Bid this horrible war and its losses good-bye.”
“I don’t want to.” Ruth crossed the room and took the older woman’s hands. “Please, don’t send me away, Noemie. I love ye like me own mother. I’ve no one else left in County Corkthat matters to me.”
“And I love you like a daughter, but I want what’s best for you.”
“And that would be staying here.”
Noemie pulled a hand free and motioned to the room. “Then you can stay here in this house, if you’re of a mind to.” She patted her fingers reassuringly. “You’re still young and pretty. I’ll see you’re taken care of till you marry again.”
“No, I want to go with ye. Ye need me.”
Noemie’s brow shot up. “I need you?”
“Aye, to take care of ye.”
“I’m fifty, girl, not eighty, and ‘bout as fit as you are.”
“But I can’t let ye be alone.”
Noemie took a step back, shook her head. “In fifteen months, I’ve lost my husband and my son. I reckon God’s turned His hand against me, Ruth. Best you not be around me.”
“Ye wouldn’t want me to break a promise to your son, would ye?”
Noemie’s emerald eyes widened and glittered with shock. “What promise?”
“I promised him I’d take care of ye. I gave him my word.”
“He had no right to ask you for such a vow.”
“I made it. And I made it gladly. I’ll not leave ye, Noemie. Where ye go, I will go. Your people will be my people…”
“And my God, your God.” Noemie smiled, but there seemed to be little joy behind it. “All right. Then let us put our hand to the plow and not look back.”
So wonderful so far. How can readers find you on the Internet? I like keeping this simple. You contact me through my website: http://www.authorheatherblanton.com
Thank you for having me visit, Lena!
It’s my great pleasure, Heather. I’m eager to read this book. And I know my blog readers will be, too.
Readers, here are links to the book.Carolina Homecoming: A Romance Inspired by the Book of Ruth (Thanksgiving Books and Blessings)[image error] - Paperback
Carolina Homecoming: A Romance Inspired by the Book of Ruth (Thanksgiving Books and Blessings 1)[image error] - 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
August 30, 2020
WINNERS!!
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.
Sarah (OH) is the winner of Jane Doe by Lillian Duncan.
Dana (AZ) is the winner of Dangerous Deception by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry, plus 7 other authors.
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.
August 25, 2020
KOKOPELLI'S SONG - Suzanne Bratcher - One Free Book
I’ve been a passionate reader since first grade. I read all sorts of books, but I write adventures with a thread of mystery because those are the books I re-read, often more than once. My stories all have strong settings because places stick in my head. I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, in my late twenties and stayed for thirty years, so the Southwest is the part of the country I know best. I write from a Christian worldview because that’s the way I think about the world. I didn’t find my fiction voice until I discovered inspirational/clean fiction.Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? The day my daughter was born. I wanted children from the time I was old enough to babysit, but I was thirty-three before I had a child. Jorie is my only child, so her birth was a unique day in my life. I am blessed that my adult daughter is now a wonderful friend.
How has being published changed your life? Perhaps the most important change is working with professional editors. I was a decent writer when Mantle Rock Publishing offered me a contract for The Copper Box. But I had gone as far as I could by reading craft books, attending workshops, and working with critique partners. I needed a professional editor to help me continue to grow. I learn more with each book, thanks to excellent editors. Being published has also added stress in the form of deadlines! I spent three years writing The Copper Box. I had a year to write my second book, The Silver Lode. Though I had a complete draft of Kokopelli’s Song long before I got the chance to have it published, I had less than three months to get it into shape. The third big change has been the way I look at writing. This craft has a business side I didn’t know anything about. That learning curve continues to be a challenge.
What are you reading right now? I usually have two or three books going at the same time. At the moment I’m reading The God Who Seesby Karen Gonzalez, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott, and Silenced (Book 5 in the Alaskan Courage series) by Dani Pettrey.
What is your current work in progress? I’m drafting The Gold Doubloons, the third book in my Jerome Mysteries series. I’m also doing background research for the next book in my Four Corners Folklore Fantasies series (Colorado).
What would be your dream vacation? I would love to spend a month on the “big island” of Hawaii. About ten years ago, I spent a long weekend there, just enough time to give me a taste of the variety of that island. I’d like to have enough time to explore it at a leisurely pace.
How do you choose your settings for each book? I have to turn that question around because my settings find me. When I become fascinated with a place I’ve visited, I do research and then choose conflicts and characters that fit the setting. Because I’ve had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Southwest, my settings (so far) are all in that part of the country. Jerome, Arizona—the setting for my first series—is a little town I’ve visited twenty or thirty times. Each of the books in my new Four Corners Folklore Fantasies series are set in places in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah that I’ve visited multiple times. With Kokopelli’s Song , for example, Chaco Canyon grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. After I did lots of research (which I love doing), I discovered there’s an archaeological mystery around why the ancestors of present-day pueblo peoples abandoned their vast ceremonial center the way they did. At that point I knew I needed a main character who was half Hopi and half Anglo. The conflict between what happened a thousand years ago in Chaco and our present-day had to be fantasy. Hopi folklore gave me the ideas I needed to keep going.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? I’d love to have an evening with Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, Dean of the Duke University Chapel. I watch the services at Duke Chapel on YouTube practically every week, and his sermons never fail to challenge or teach. I keep a simple prayer he taught incoming students last fall next to my computer to remind me how to pray when I don’t know what to say. “Dear God, I can’t. You must. I’m Yours. Show me the way. Amen.” Anyone who can capture the essence of prayer in those few words is someone I’d like to talk to in depth.
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? Bird watching is my favorite hobby. I live in central Arkansas in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. We have an amazing number of species who live here year-round and many others that migrate through. I’ve created a sort of open-air aviary on my back deck. First, I fenced off the stairs with chicken wire and put in a screen door at the bottom to keep any stray cats away. Next I hung feeders containing suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and sugar water to attract as many different species as I could. This morning I saw chickadees, titmice, Carolina wrens, three different species of woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals, and hummingbirds at my feeders. I love watching the birds splash in the birdbath and a recirculating fountain in the afternoons when the temperatures are in the nineties. At the moment, I’m learning the songs and calls of the birds that come to my feeders. That way I’ll be able to recognize them even when I don’t see them. I also love to piece colorful quilts, but that’s a hobby I primarily work on in the winter.
I was born and reared in Arkansas, and I went to Ouachita Baptist College back in the ’60s. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Multiple Sclerosis is by far my most daunting obstacle. I’m in the Secondary Progressive stage of the disease, so I live with unexpected bouts of crippling fatigue. Setting a standard word goal for every day simply doesn’t work for me. I’ve learned that I can’t overcome my MS. I must negotiate with it. If I’m facing a deadline, I can’t do much of anything else. I’m blessed with a dear friend who has moved in with me to help me with cooking and housekeeping chores. I couldn’t write without Rhonda’s help. Like so many other writers, I feel called to write the stories I have to tell, so I depend on God to show me the way. God is faithful.
Yes, He is. What advice would you give to a beginning author? Just keep writing. Even if you’re not getting published, God can use your writing to work in your own soul. Don’t set a goal date to be published by. I was sixty-eight when my first book was published and seventy when the second one came out. My third book has just come out, and I’m seventy-one. I don’t know how many books I’ll be able to write, but I don’t think writing is a numbers game. I think writing is about connecting first with yourself and God and next about connecting with other people. I’ve seen a friend who’s read drafts of my unpublished work for years become more open to the gospel. If you feel led to write, trust God with the results.
It is all about His timing. Tell us about the featured book.
Kokopelli’s Song
is the first book in a new series called the Four Corners Folklore Fantasies. Each of the books is set in one of the states of the Four Corners region of the U.S.: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. The stories are a mixture of folklore, history, and contemporary conflicts sprinkled with a bit of magic and life-threatening danger. Kokopelli’s Song is the story of a young woman’s search for her identity.
When Amy Adams discovers she’s half Native American instead of half Japanese as her grandmother raised her to believe, she travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Finding her father’s family and a lost twin brother on the Hopi Reservation catapults her into a struggle between shamans and witches that spans a thousand years. After her twin is attacked and a Conquistador’s journal stolen, Amy and her new friend Diego set out on a dangerous quest to find and perform the ceremony that can stop ancient evil from entering our world.
But Amy and Diego are not alone as they race against time measured by a waxing moon. Kokopelli’s song, the haunting notes of a red cedar flute, guides them along the migration route sacred to pueblo peoples: West to Old Oraibi, South to El Morro, East to Cochiti Pueblo, North to Chimney Rock, and last to the Center—and the final confrontation—in Chaco Canyon.
Please give us the first page of the book.In her tiny room above the Delgado Gallery, Amy Adams punched her pillow for the third time. She flipped to her side and stared at the digital clock. Green numbers blinked three a.m. She needed sleep, but her mind trudged around the endless loop again. Grandmother Adams lied. Mahu was her twin brother. Taáta was her Hopi father. Grandmother Adams lied. Mahu was her twin brother. Taáta—
Pottery smashed on the ceramic tile downstairs. Not a small pot, one of the decorative water jars that reached her shoulder. Amy lay still, held her breath, waited for the next sound. Mahu was down there, asleep, or maybe awake, on the long leather couch reserved for customers who wanted to consider an outrageously expensive purchase.
Amy listened for the next sound. Silence.
Heart pounding, she threw off the scratchy wool blanket and sat up. Fear like glacial runoff pumped through her veins. Not because she believed Mahu had broken a pot, but because she knew her twin was in danger. She felt it as surely as if the two of them had never been separated to grow up in different worlds.
Just like she knew Mahu was in danger, she knew whoever was with him meant evil. Her bare feet hit the cold floor. She ran out of the room, down the dim hallway. She shivered in the sleep shirt that came to her knees, but she didn’t have time to care. In that moment, Amy was Kaya again, the older sister, the firstborn twin. The need to protect snapped at her heels, urging her to go faster, faster.
The narrow staircase cut straight down into inky darkness. Kaya Amy didn’t pause to grope for the light. Instead, she threw herself down the steps, racing to get to Mahu before someone hurt him. Before she reached the bottom, she knew she was too late.
Wow! How can readers find you on the Internet? Readers can find me on my website: https://suzannebratcher.comOn Facebook: https://facebook.com/authorsuzannebratcherOn Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorbratcherOn Instagram: https://intagram.com/suzanne.bratcher.5
Thank you, Suzanne, for sharing this book with us. I loved The Copper Box, and I’m eager to read Kokopelli’s Song. The book was on Amazon Best Seller List in Christian fantasy paperbacks on release day (8/18)! It stayed there for several days.
Readers, here are links to the book.Kokopelli's Song (Four Corners Fantasy Folklore)[image error] - Paperback
Kokopelli's Song (Four Corners Fantasy Folklore Book 1) - Kindle[image error]
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August 23, 2020
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