Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 63
May 17, 2020
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.
Alyce (NC) is the winner of Forever Music by Hope Toler Dougherty.
Melanie (TX) is the winner of Love Is in the Air by Kathleen Rouser.
Robin (NC) is the winner of The Cowboy Meets His Match by Margaret Brownley.
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.
Alyce (NC) is the winner of Forever Music by Hope Toler Dougherty.
Melanie (TX) is the winner of Love Is in the Air by Kathleen Rouser.
Robin (NC) is the winner of The Cowboy Meets His Match by Margaret Brownley.
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.
May 14, 2020
ONE HUNDRED VALLEYS - Bonnie Leon - One Free Book
Welcome back, Bonnie. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?
A book is never written by only one person. It takes a team, as it did with my book
One Hundred Valleys
, especially because the story takes place in my hometown.
When I came up with the idea for this book, I first visited our local museum. It is well done, especially for a small town. The displays were extremely helpful and the people working in the museum answered my many questions and directed me to some excellent research books on our local history.
I talked to some of the locals who have had families in the area for several generations and they each provided additional pieces of the puzzle that helped bring the story together. And I appreciate the support and prayers of dear friends, including those at church and in Bible study. A writing friend of mine, April McGowan, read the early manuscript and gave me invaluable feedback.
Readers, especially those on my author page on Facebook, were a big help. I was able to keep them up to date on my progress and ask for their opinions while I created the story. They truly felt like partners in the project.
My daughter Kristi worked with me on research, editing, and we had some fun brainstorming sessions.
Part of the enjoyment of creating a book is connecting with others who help along the way.
If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar? As you can guess things are very quiet right now, with so many tied to home and social distancing, but I hope to be stepping out more in the near future. I love to meet with writers and with readers groups. Although we need to be more creative during this difficult time, connecting is possible. Online meetings work quite well.
I had a book signing scheduled for March 21, but because of social distancing guidelines I was forced to cancel. That was a big disappointment, but I hope to have a local event in Roseburg, Oregon, in the fall.
March 12-14 of 2021, I will be joining the women of the Chemult Bible Fellowship and their sister church in Gilchrist for a retreat in Sunriver, Oregon. Friday evening there will be a small gathering of women from both churches, and on Saturday I will be speaking at a Sunriver church. This will be open to anyone who would like to attend. I will have more details in the months to come. To stay up to date, you can visit my website at www.bonnieleon.com.
My event page is always changing, so make sure to check it out from time to time.
I've Skyped with book clubs that chose one of my books to read, and that was before the “Shelter in Place” order. If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?Actually, this is something my husband and I have talked about. At our age, it’s common to think about the “what ifs” of life.
We’ve never come up with a good answer. Sometimes we wish we lived closer to a city with more of the conveniences, but in light of the present crisis we are thankful we never made that move. We often think about how lovely it would be to live on the Oregon coast, but then we remember the weather—too much rain and wind for us.
We always come to the same conclusion. We’re living right where we belong. The foothills of Douglas County are wild enough to satisfy our craving for wilderness living and the weather is just about right, not too hot or too cold. And the forests around us are lush with a multitude of wildlife to add to the beauty.
If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?Write from your heart. Create stories you would like to read and remember that you weren’t meant to write anyone else’s story. You were meant to write yours.
I apologize, but I couldn’t come up with just one thing.
What you said was very pertinent. You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])This would be fun!
I’d have to choose Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, though sadly Kenny Rogers recently passed away. I like both of their personalities and when they sing together their voices are a perfect blend. Dolly Parton is a great talent, so personal yet bigger than life. She almost glows while she’s on stage. Kenny is a quieter performer but has a wonderful softer gravelly voice. The two of them would put on an outstanding show, and the audience could likely sing along with the songs.
If I’m organizing the entertainment it would give me the opportunity to get to know them both a little better. That would be a special bonus.
Tell us about the featured book.I think the back cover says it well. Here it is.
After the death of her mother, Emmalin Hammond discovers she is not the heiress she’d always assumed she’d be. The revelation exposes her fiancé’s true intentions when he withdraws his marriage proposal, leaving Emmalin heartbroken and humiliated. When she discovers the father she believed to be dead is still alive and living in the Oregon Territoryshe decides it is time to meet the man who has been hidden from her all of her life.
Accompanied by her Uncle Jonathon, she sets out for the Oregon Territoryin search of answers and hoping for a renewed relationship with her father. When tragedy strikes, she confronts the terrifying challenge of completing her quest alone. Faced with few options, she entrusts her life to a mountain man named Jacob Landon who agrees to transport her to a small settlement in Southern Oregon called Deer Creek, a place also known as the Land of One Hundred Valleys.
Emmalin is not prepared for the hardships of life in the Oregon wilderness. Each day presents a new challenge. Newfound friends, including the reserved Jacob Landon, who unexpectedly stirs her heart, come alongside to help her adapt. Yet she feels out of place. Should she brave the arduous journey back to Philadelphiafor the life she once knew or remain and hope for something better in the Oregon wilderness?
Sounds like a wonderful story. Please give us the first page of the book.Oregon CityAugust 1855Oregon City was not what Emmalin had expected. She’d been told the Oregon Territory was cool with lush meadows, sprawling farmlands and heavy forests fed by unrestrained white water rivers. Instead, as the wagon train rolled across the eastern territory and over the mountains, she’d been confronted by rocky, unyielding trails sandwiched between cliff sides. The great Columbia Riverwas jammed with steamboats, barges and canoes. And a sawmill encroached on a powerful waterfall near the settlement. The hodgepodge town of OregonCity had overcrowded streets congested with travel-weary settlers who kept the land claims office abuzz. Their wagons and cattle swirled up dust in the streets. The air was hot, and there were no clouds promising rain or cooler temperatures. Sweat pearled on the fair skin of her forehead and at the base of her neck where Emmalin tucked a strand of ginger-colored hair into place. She stepped out of the hotel and onto the boardwalk. The hour was early and already the heat was insufferable. A wagon rattled past, kicking up more dust. A pig, tied to a hitch at the back, trotted along, moving its stout legs in clipped, quick steps in order to keep up. Children’s dirty faces peered over the side rails, eyes wide with curiosity. What had she done? She shouldn’t have come. She didn’t belong here.
Where can we find you on the Internet?I love to hear from readers. Here are a few of places where they can find me.Amazon http://amzn.to/1SqHoqK Website http://www.bonnieleon.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor?fref=tsFacebook https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor/Twitter @Bonnie_Leon
Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book.One Hundred Valleys[image error] - Paperback
One Hundred Valleys - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
A book is never written by only one person. It takes a team, as it did with my book
One Hundred Valleys
, especially because the story takes place in my hometown.When I came up with the idea for this book, I first visited our local museum. It is well done, especially for a small town. The displays were extremely helpful and the people working in the museum answered my many questions and directed me to some excellent research books on our local history.
I talked to some of the locals who have had families in the area for several generations and they each provided additional pieces of the puzzle that helped bring the story together. And I appreciate the support and prayers of dear friends, including those at church and in Bible study. A writing friend of mine, April McGowan, read the early manuscript and gave me invaluable feedback.
Readers, especially those on my author page on Facebook, were a big help. I was able to keep them up to date on my progress and ask for their opinions while I created the story. They truly felt like partners in the project.
My daughter Kristi worked with me on research, editing, and we had some fun brainstorming sessions.
Part of the enjoyment of creating a book is connecting with others who help along the way.
If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar? As you can guess things are very quiet right now, with so many tied to home and social distancing, but I hope to be stepping out more in the near future. I love to meet with writers and with readers groups. Although we need to be more creative during this difficult time, connecting is possible. Online meetings work quite well.
I had a book signing scheduled for March 21, but because of social distancing guidelines I was forced to cancel. That was a big disappointment, but I hope to have a local event in Roseburg, Oregon, in the fall.
March 12-14 of 2021, I will be joining the women of the Chemult Bible Fellowship and their sister church in Gilchrist for a retreat in Sunriver, Oregon. Friday evening there will be a small gathering of women from both churches, and on Saturday I will be speaking at a Sunriver church. This will be open to anyone who would like to attend. I will have more details in the months to come. To stay up to date, you can visit my website at www.bonnieleon.com.
My event page is always changing, so make sure to check it out from time to time.
I've Skyped with book clubs that chose one of my books to read, and that was before the “Shelter in Place” order. If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?Actually, this is something my husband and I have talked about. At our age, it’s common to think about the “what ifs” of life.
We’ve never come up with a good answer. Sometimes we wish we lived closer to a city with more of the conveniences, but in light of the present crisis we are thankful we never made that move. We often think about how lovely it would be to live on the Oregon coast, but then we remember the weather—too much rain and wind for us.
We always come to the same conclusion. We’re living right where we belong. The foothills of Douglas County are wild enough to satisfy our craving for wilderness living and the weather is just about right, not too hot or too cold. And the forests around us are lush with a multitude of wildlife to add to the beauty.
If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?Write from your heart. Create stories you would like to read and remember that you weren’t meant to write anyone else’s story. You were meant to write yours.
I apologize, but I couldn’t come up with just one thing.
What you said was very pertinent. You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])This would be fun!
I’d have to choose Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, though sadly Kenny Rogers recently passed away. I like both of their personalities and when they sing together their voices are a perfect blend. Dolly Parton is a great talent, so personal yet bigger than life. She almost glows while she’s on stage. Kenny is a quieter performer but has a wonderful softer gravelly voice. The two of them would put on an outstanding show, and the audience could likely sing along with the songs.
If I’m organizing the entertainment it would give me the opportunity to get to know them both a little better. That would be a special bonus.
Tell us about the featured book.I think the back cover says it well. Here it is.
After the death of her mother, Emmalin Hammond discovers she is not the heiress she’d always assumed she’d be. The revelation exposes her fiancé’s true intentions when he withdraws his marriage proposal, leaving Emmalin heartbroken and humiliated. When she discovers the father she believed to be dead is still alive and living in the Oregon Territoryshe decides it is time to meet the man who has been hidden from her all of her life.Accompanied by her Uncle Jonathon, she sets out for the Oregon Territoryin search of answers and hoping for a renewed relationship with her father. When tragedy strikes, she confronts the terrifying challenge of completing her quest alone. Faced with few options, she entrusts her life to a mountain man named Jacob Landon who agrees to transport her to a small settlement in Southern Oregon called Deer Creek, a place also known as the Land of One Hundred Valleys.
Emmalin is not prepared for the hardships of life in the Oregon wilderness. Each day presents a new challenge. Newfound friends, including the reserved Jacob Landon, who unexpectedly stirs her heart, come alongside to help her adapt. Yet she feels out of place. Should she brave the arduous journey back to Philadelphiafor the life she once knew or remain and hope for something better in the Oregon wilderness?
Sounds like a wonderful story. Please give us the first page of the book.Oregon CityAugust 1855Oregon City was not what Emmalin had expected. She’d been told the Oregon Territory was cool with lush meadows, sprawling farmlands and heavy forests fed by unrestrained white water rivers. Instead, as the wagon train rolled across the eastern territory and over the mountains, she’d been confronted by rocky, unyielding trails sandwiched between cliff sides. The great Columbia Riverwas jammed with steamboats, barges and canoes. And a sawmill encroached on a powerful waterfall near the settlement. The hodgepodge town of OregonCity had overcrowded streets congested with travel-weary settlers who kept the land claims office abuzz. Their wagons and cattle swirled up dust in the streets. The air was hot, and there were no clouds promising rain or cooler temperatures. Sweat pearled on the fair skin of her forehead and at the base of her neck where Emmalin tucked a strand of ginger-colored hair into place. She stepped out of the hotel and onto the boardwalk. The hour was early and already the heat was insufferable. A wagon rattled past, kicking up more dust. A pig, tied to a hitch at the back, trotted along, moving its stout legs in clipped, quick steps in order to keep up. Children’s dirty faces peered over the side rails, eyes wide with curiosity. What had she done? She shouldn’t have come. She didn’t belong here.
Where can we find you on the Internet?I love to hear from readers. Here are a few of places where they can find me.Amazon http://amzn.to/1SqHoqK Website http://www.bonnieleon.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor?fref=tsFacebook https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor/Twitter @Bonnie_Leon
Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book.One Hundred Valleys[image error] - Paperback
One Hundred Valleys - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
May 12, 2020
THE MERCHANT'S YIELD - Lorri Dudley - One Free Book
Bio: Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts, with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.
Welcome back, Lorri. Why do you write the kind of books you do? Growing up reading Regency romance novels, I was enamored with the rules of the le bon ton and the chivalry of the era. I think novels should be an escape from everyday life (hence my tropical settings). Also, I believe in writing romance books that allow readers to empathize with a character through their comical mishaps and dramatic misunderstandings. It should depict a fallible human heart, one that can be made whole again by a merciful creator and remind us that we have hope for the same.
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?Hands down, it was the day I married my husband. God has blessed me with a soul mate, who is supportive and very loving. My favorite line of my husbands was when I asked him if it was unhealthy that we don’t argue much and he said, “When you’re in the trenches up against toddlers (or now teenagers), you don’t have time to pick lint off each other.” I love him.
How has being published changed your life?I’m still pretty new to all this since my first book just released in January, but it’s been wonderful. I have an awesome publisher. Misty Beller and Wild Heart Books have been great to work with and have made the process of being published a rewarding experience. I never anticipated how much writing novels would bring me closer to people. I now have friends I’ve never even met face-to-face all over the United States other countries. I’ve been reconnected with friends who’ve moved away and distant family members who’ve become part of my launch team. I feel truly blessed.
What are you reading right now?I usually have five or six books going at a time. For research I’m reading Tales of Tortola and the British Virgin Islands by Florence Lewisohn, A History of the Virgin Islands by Isaac Dookhan, (You can probably guess where my next novel will take place), and The Definitive Book of Body Languagebecause my heroine of book four is very observant.
For spiritual growth, I’m reading Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs because my husband and I mentor young couples. I’m also reading Frequencyby Robert Morris.For fun – I just finished Freedom in the Mountain Wind by Misty Beller a wonderful book about a woman helping to fulfill her father’s dream of walking in the steps of explorers Lewis and Clark. I also have on my nightstand The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli which is a timeslip linking back to the Boston Tea Party.
I’ve read Misty’s book, and Robert Morris is my pastor. What is your current work in progress?The Captain’s Questfeatures Priscilla’s journey (who is the close friend of Lottie from The Merchant’s Yield .) Priscilla boards her brother’s ship only to discover, too late, that her brother has been relieved of command, and the ship has sailed. The new captain will not let an unexpected passenger keep him from fulfilling his critical naval mission. Tobias refuses to put the needs of one person above that of his crew until a sea squall knocks Priscilla overboard.
I can hardly wait for that one. What would be your dream vacation?My dream vacation would be a Caribbeantrip with friends. On my bucket list is to travel to all the islands mentioned in the Beach Boys’ song “Kokomo.” During the day, I’d get to relax and read on the beach and take romantic strolls with my hubby, but then get to enjoy the social comradery of dinner with friends. My husband’s company does this sort of thing as a rewards trip for his top sellers and producers, and it’s always been a great bonding experience. It was on one of these trips that I was introduced to a little island called St. Kitts, which became the setting for The Merchant’s Yield .
James and I have cruised in the western Caribbean twice, and that is the setting for my contemporary novel Never Say Never. How do you choose your settings for each book?I initially chose the Leeward Islands because the Boston area where I live was buried under a record snowfall. We couldn’t even see over the walls of white that we’d shoveled to get down our walkway. I needed an escape, and so I traveled to the Caribbean in my stories. Now, I enjoy researching the various islands and finding one that stirs my creativity.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?My goodness, this question has wracked my brain. Other than my parents who live in the Southwest and I don’t get to see as often as I’d like (besides I couldn’t choose one over the other), I’d love to meet Debbie Murphy. Many people won’t know who she is, but Debbie is one of my devoted readers who’s been with me since I started my blog. She’s had a rough couple of years dealing with loss and family health issues, but even though she had so much going on, she’s been a great encouragement to me. I’d love to meet her in person and tell her face to face what a blessing she is.
I hope you get to meet her sometime. I have a number of fans I’d like to meet face-to-face. Occasionally, it happens. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?Besides writing, I also dabble in painting. For a while, I was an art teacher at Metrowest Christian Academyfor grades 1st through 5th and enjoyed seeing the kids proudly display their art projects. Now I help with my church’s set design for Vacation Bible School and putter around with a paintbrush. I particularly like painting portraits, and my favorite artist is American artist, Mary Cassatt, who often painted mothers and children as her subjects.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Time. I have had to squeeze in writing time wherever and whenever I can. I work for my husband’s business and I have three boys who I still have to cart to sports practices every night (at least up until the pandemic). I’ve been known to sit in the bleachers or on the floor of a wrestling room with my laptop typing away.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Stay the course! The writing industry is tough and competitive, but if you stick with it, honing your writing, learning from critiques, and building a readership, whether it be through a blog or other means, God will use you and your gift.
Tell us about the featured book.It was a marriage of inconvenience, but life has a wicked sense of humor.
Leeward Islands for a dance. But her one courageous act lands her in a compromising position. Forced to wed a stranger, Lottie leaves the only home she’s ever known to reside on the isle of St. Kitts.
Nathaniel Winthrop’s troubles are mounting, and the rumors of him being cursed are spreading. Due to the dwindling sugar crop, he risks everything to start his own shipping company. The last thing he needs is a wife, especially one with a weak constitution. Yellow fever has already claimed the lives of his mother and siblings. He must guard his heart against falling in love with this gentle beauty, knowing island life will be a death sentence.
No longer under her mother’s scrutiny, the newfound freedom of the island rejuvenates Lottie’s spirit. If her days on this earth are limited, then it’s time she lives life to the full. Now it’s up to her to prove that even though Nathan was coerced into marrying her, she’s the one he can’t live without.
Charlotte Amelia Etheridge has cowered to her mother’s sharp tongue and endless demands for the last time. In a fleeting moment of rebellion, she recklessly asks a foreigner from the
Sounds wonderful. Please give us the first page of the book.London, England, May 1814“Of course, the islander would come.” Charlotte Amelia Etheridge stiffened at Mama’s acidic tone. She followed her mother’s gaze to the entrance of the Middleton’s modest ballroom where guests arrived in hordes of navy and formal black jackets bobbing amid a sea of colorful gowns. They filled the ballroom with boisterous chatter and a bouquet of expensive perfumes and colognes.
Mama flicked her fan in sharp increments. “Even dressed in English finery, he appears barbaric and uncivilized.” Lottie focused on the landing where Nathanial Robert Winthrop bowed to Lord Gibbons and his wife. His large frame and broad shoulders dwarfed Lord Gibbons’s, making the average-height man appear slight in stature. Winthrop’s hand tossed back the coattail of his fitted charcoal jacket and tucked into his right pant pocket. He exuded a relaxed, casual self-assurance that uniquely contrasted with the pretentious lords and ladies of the Quality surrounding him. Their grandiose displays sought approval, a favor they would be hard-pressed to receive from her mother, for Lady Etheredge’s acerbic tongue could elevate or cut down a person with a single remark.
Winthropnodded at something Gibbons said, and his teeth gleamed the same bright white as his cravat and shirt front.
Mama nodded in the direction of the gentlemen. “I will make certain Lord Gibbons reserves a dance for you. His mother owes me a favor.”
A favor. The jab struck its soft target, but Lottie had numbed to most of her mother’s verbal attacks.
“There she is now.” Mama stepped away to speak with Lady Gibbons.
Lottie plucked at the sides of her skirt and searched for Priscilla, her closest friend. The large mirrors reflected shimmering light from the overhead multi-tiered chandeliers and exposed her abandoned position. A retreat to the retiring rooms to freshen up might be in order.
Captain Anthony Middleton eyed her.
Lottie paused mid-step.
He weaved through the cluster of people to her side.
This was it. Her pulse leapt. How long had she fancied Pricilla’s handsome elder brother and dreamed of this moment? “If it isn’t Little Lottie Ethridge.” The deep rich tone of Anthony’s voice sent a wave of tingles up her arm.
Lottie fought to subdue a grin she knew would cross the lines of decorum.
The boyishness in his face had disappeared, and he exuded virile sophistication in his navy captain’s jacket and highly polished boots. “It has been an age.”
She longed to say something witty like how she practiced in front of the mirror while he’d been at sea, but all that came to mind was, “Indeed.”
How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: www.lorridudley.commy weekly blog: https://lorridudley.com/blog/BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lorri-dudleyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lorri-Dudley-106417244214488/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lorridudley14/
Readers, here are links to the book.The Merchant's Yield (The Leeward Island Series)[image error] - Paperback
The Merchant's Yield (The Leeward Island Series Book 2) - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Welcome back, Lorri. Why do you write the kind of books you do? Growing up reading Regency romance novels, I was enamored with the rules of the le bon ton and the chivalry of the era. I think novels should be an escape from everyday life (hence my tropical settings). Also, I believe in writing romance books that allow readers to empathize with a character through their comical mishaps and dramatic misunderstandings. It should depict a fallible human heart, one that can be made whole again by a merciful creator and remind us that we have hope for the same.Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?Hands down, it was the day I married my husband. God has blessed me with a soul mate, who is supportive and very loving. My favorite line of my husbands was when I asked him if it was unhealthy that we don’t argue much and he said, “When you’re in the trenches up against toddlers (or now teenagers), you don’t have time to pick lint off each other.” I love him.
How has being published changed your life?I’m still pretty new to all this since my first book just released in January, but it’s been wonderful. I have an awesome publisher. Misty Beller and Wild Heart Books have been great to work with and have made the process of being published a rewarding experience. I never anticipated how much writing novels would bring me closer to people. I now have friends I’ve never even met face-to-face all over the United States other countries. I’ve been reconnected with friends who’ve moved away and distant family members who’ve become part of my launch team. I feel truly blessed.
What are you reading right now?I usually have five or six books going at a time. For research I’m reading Tales of Tortola and the British Virgin Islands by Florence Lewisohn, A History of the Virgin Islands by Isaac Dookhan, (You can probably guess where my next novel will take place), and The Definitive Book of Body Languagebecause my heroine of book four is very observant.
For spiritual growth, I’m reading Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs because my husband and I mentor young couples. I’m also reading Frequencyby Robert Morris.For fun – I just finished Freedom in the Mountain Wind by Misty Beller a wonderful book about a woman helping to fulfill her father’s dream of walking in the steps of explorers Lewis and Clark. I also have on my nightstand The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli which is a timeslip linking back to the Boston Tea Party.
I’ve read Misty’s book, and Robert Morris is my pastor. What is your current work in progress?The Captain’s Questfeatures Priscilla’s journey (who is the close friend of Lottie from The Merchant’s Yield .) Priscilla boards her brother’s ship only to discover, too late, that her brother has been relieved of command, and the ship has sailed. The new captain will not let an unexpected passenger keep him from fulfilling his critical naval mission. Tobias refuses to put the needs of one person above that of his crew until a sea squall knocks Priscilla overboard.
I can hardly wait for that one. What would be your dream vacation?My dream vacation would be a Caribbeantrip with friends. On my bucket list is to travel to all the islands mentioned in the Beach Boys’ song “Kokomo.” During the day, I’d get to relax and read on the beach and take romantic strolls with my hubby, but then get to enjoy the social comradery of dinner with friends. My husband’s company does this sort of thing as a rewards trip for his top sellers and producers, and it’s always been a great bonding experience. It was on one of these trips that I was introduced to a little island called St. Kitts, which became the setting for The Merchant’s Yield .
James and I have cruised in the western Caribbean twice, and that is the setting for my contemporary novel Never Say Never. How do you choose your settings for each book?I initially chose the Leeward Islands because the Boston area where I live was buried under a record snowfall. We couldn’t even see over the walls of white that we’d shoveled to get down our walkway. I needed an escape, and so I traveled to the Caribbean in my stories. Now, I enjoy researching the various islands and finding one that stirs my creativity.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?My goodness, this question has wracked my brain. Other than my parents who live in the Southwest and I don’t get to see as often as I’d like (besides I couldn’t choose one over the other), I’d love to meet Debbie Murphy. Many people won’t know who she is, but Debbie is one of my devoted readers who’s been with me since I started my blog. She’s had a rough couple of years dealing with loss and family health issues, but even though she had so much going on, she’s been a great encouragement to me. I’d love to meet her in person and tell her face to face what a blessing she is.
I hope you get to meet her sometime. I have a number of fans I’d like to meet face-to-face. Occasionally, it happens. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?Besides writing, I also dabble in painting. For a while, I was an art teacher at Metrowest Christian Academyfor grades 1st through 5th and enjoyed seeing the kids proudly display their art projects. Now I help with my church’s set design for Vacation Bible School and putter around with a paintbrush. I particularly like painting portraits, and my favorite artist is American artist, Mary Cassatt, who often painted mothers and children as her subjects.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Time. I have had to squeeze in writing time wherever and whenever I can. I work for my husband’s business and I have three boys who I still have to cart to sports practices every night (at least up until the pandemic). I’ve been known to sit in the bleachers or on the floor of a wrestling room with my laptop typing away.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?Stay the course! The writing industry is tough and competitive, but if you stick with it, honing your writing, learning from critiques, and building a readership, whether it be through a blog or other means, God will use you and your gift.
Tell us about the featured book.It was a marriage of inconvenience, but life has a wicked sense of humor.
Leeward Islands for a dance. But her one courageous act lands her in a compromising position. Forced to wed a stranger, Lottie leaves the only home she’s ever known to reside on the isle of St. Kitts.
Nathaniel Winthrop’s troubles are mounting, and the rumors of him being cursed are spreading. Due to the dwindling sugar crop, he risks everything to start his own shipping company. The last thing he needs is a wife, especially one with a weak constitution. Yellow fever has already claimed the lives of his mother and siblings. He must guard his heart against falling in love with this gentle beauty, knowing island life will be a death sentence.
No longer under her mother’s scrutiny, the newfound freedom of the island rejuvenates Lottie’s spirit. If her days on this earth are limited, then it’s time she lives life to the full. Now it’s up to her to prove that even though Nathan was coerced into marrying her, she’s the one he can’t live without.
Charlotte Amelia Etheridge has cowered to her mother’s sharp tongue and endless demands for the last time. In a fleeting moment of rebellion, she recklessly asks a foreigner from the Sounds wonderful. Please give us the first page of the book.London, England, May 1814“Of course, the islander would come.” Charlotte Amelia Etheridge stiffened at Mama’s acidic tone. She followed her mother’s gaze to the entrance of the Middleton’s modest ballroom where guests arrived in hordes of navy and formal black jackets bobbing amid a sea of colorful gowns. They filled the ballroom with boisterous chatter and a bouquet of expensive perfumes and colognes.
Mama flicked her fan in sharp increments. “Even dressed in English finery, he appears barbaric and uncivilized.” Lottie focused on the landing where Nathanial Robert Winthrop bowed to Lord Gibbons and his wife. His large frame and broad shoulders dwarfed Lord Gibbons’s, making the average-height man appear slight in stature. Winthrop’s hand tossed back the coattail of his fitted charcoal jacket and tucked into his right pant pocket. He exuded a relaxed, casual self-assurance that uniquely contrasted with the pretentious lords and ladies of the Quality surrounding him. Their grandiose displays sought approval, a favor they would be hard-pressed to receive from her mother, for Lady Etheredge’s acerbic tongue could elevate or cut down a person with a single remark.
Winthropnodded at something Gibbons said, and his teeth gleamed the same bright white as his cravat and shirt front.
Mama nodded in the direction of the gentlemen. “I will make certain Lord Gibbons reserves a dance for you. His mother owes me a favor.”
A favor. The jab struck its soft target, but Lottie had numbed to most of her mother’s verbal attacks.
“There she is now.” Mama stepped away to speak with Lady Gibbons.
Lottie plucked at the sides of her skirt and searched for Priscilla, her closest friend. The large mirrors reflected shimmering light from the overhead multi-tiered chandeliers and exposed her abandoned position. A retreat to the retiring rooms to freshen up might be in order.
Captain Anthony Middleton eyed her.
Lottie paused mid-step.
He weaved through the cluster of people to her side.
This was it. Her pulse leapt. How long had she fancied Pricilla’s handsome elder brother and dreamed of this moment? “If it isn’t Little Lottie Ethridge.” The deep rich tone of Anthony’s voice sent a wave of tingles up her arm.
Lottie fought to subdue a grin she knew would cross the lines of decorum.
The boyishness in his face had disappeared, and he exuded virile sophistication in his navy captain’s jacket and highly polished boots. “It has been an age.”
She longed to say something witty like how she practiced in front of the mirror while he’d been at sea, but all that came to mind was, “Indeed.”
How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: www.lorridudley.commy weekly blog: https://lorridudley.com/blog/BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lorri-dudleyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lorri-Dudley-106417244214488/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lorridudley14/
Readers, here are links to the book.The Merchant's Yield (The Leeward Island Series)[image error] - Paperback
The Merchant's Yield (The Leeward Island Series Book 2) - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
May 11, 2020
RELUCTANT TO WED - Anneliese Dalaba - One Free Book
Welcome, Anneliese. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
I don’t purposely write much of myself into my books. However, when I wrote
Reluctant to Wed
and gave it to my husband to read, he said that Emma sounded a lot like me. I suppose every author’s thoughts and emotions come through in their own writing somehow.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? A few years back, my husband and I decided we wanted to see as many Michiganlighthouses as we could on our vacation. We have lived in south central, Michigan and had not seen most of the lighthouses. This was our first vacation without the kids since they were born, so we chose to be spontaneous. We picked up a book of lighthouses, packed our bags, and headed west, then north along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan. We stopped and took pictures of lighthouses along the way. When it was close to supper time, we searched out a hotel. That’s not an easy fete in Michigan in the summertime and very expensive, but we managed. We continued our trip into the Upper Peninsula and stayed at an unimpressive but clean roadside motel for the night. The next day we reached stunning Lake Superior. We ended up getting pictures of 20 Michigan lighthouses. My husband and I still say that was one of our favorite vacations.
How fun. When did you first discover that you were a writer?When I was twelve, I tried writing my first book. That fizzled out fast and I certainly didn’t see that desire as an indication that I would become a writer. But I always enjoyed essay questions over multiple choice or true and false in school. That should have told me something, I suppose. It really wasn’t until I was married and had my first child, and we were preparing for the mission field, that I realized my longing to be a writer. We had to write an autobiography of our life for the World Missions Department of our fellowship. It was supposed to be about 25 pages long. The man who interviewed us loved my autobiography and said, “You should be writing.” But I didn’t write my first book until years later.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.My favorite books are historical romances—all types except WWI and WWII—and they must be Christian or clean romances. I enjoy reading Christian nonfiction books that encourage me in my faith. I will sometimes read contemporary romances, but not often. I like books that are not dark and filled with grief. I love it when an author can make me laugh. But I also enjoy some drama, suspense, or mystery in a romance.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?I begin my days with the Word of God and prayer. That helps to lay a firm foundation for my day. I don’t see myself as very organized. I actually get more accomplished when I’ve procrastinated and now feel the pressure to get everything done. I don’t really know how I manage it, but somehow, I do.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I found an online site that lists the popular names during the time period I’m writing in. I choose from that list the name I think best fits the character of the story.
I often do that, especially when writing people from a specific nationality. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?My happy and successful marriage to my husband of almost 33 years. He is also my best friend. It doesn’t have to be hard to have a good relationship with your spouse, but it definitely takes effort. You have to believe for the best in each other, stay committed to each other, pray for one another, and do your best to keep from hurting your spouse with unkind words and actions. It helps to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and apply it to your marriage over and over again.
Very good advice. We’ve been married almost 56 years. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I can honestly say that I’ve never asked myself that questions before. LOL! I would say a yellow lab. Family is important to me and I love mine dearly. I enjoy long walks. I don’t mind being lazy sometimes and sitting for hours reading a good book. I’m protective of my home. I love a massage. And I love cuddling next to someone I love—husband, children, grandchildren, sister, mom.
What is your favorite food?I don’t have a favorite food. It would be easier to tell you what my least favorite food is. I don’t like any type of seafood. Aside from that, I love food from all ethnicities. I’ve recently learned how to cook two new Persian dishes. Yum! But my greatest weakness is my sweet tooth. I love cakes, ice creams, frozen drinks, puddings, crepes, chocolates, and cookies. I’m afraid I’m addicted to sugar and have to work hard at maintaining self-control.
I understand that. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Disciplining myself to sit and write. I love writing and I hate writing, but I can’t give it up. I will choose distasteful chores over writing sometimes. I don’t know why, but I think it’s because writing takes such concentration and perseverance, and it’s hard work! Procrastination is my greatest enemy. The only way to succeed in writing is to sit down and start writing. Then the ideas begin to flow and the pages fill up with beautiful words and thoughts and scenery, and characters come alive.
Tell us about the featured book.
Reluctant to Wed
is about a young lady who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her mother, stepfather, and two brothers. Her deceased father was the second son of an English baron. Emma doesn’t know the baron, her grandfather, but he writes that he wishes to arrange a marriage for her with an English earl, Lord Devonport. The financial difficulties her parents are facing would be paid for by the baron if she would agree to his request. Of course, Emma loves her family and she cannot deny them this monetary blessing. So she embarks on a ship that takes her across the vast ocean to a land her father had turned his back on. Emma looks forward to meeting her grandfather. She’s convinced this is God’s plan for her life and she has great hopes that this will turn into a love match.
Lord Devonport is duty bound to agree to the marriage because the baron and his deceased father had signed a contract years ago that he would marry one of the baron’s granddaughters. Since the first granddaughter was already married, that left him with no choice but to marry an American. He hated the thought of it but decided he would have to make the best of it. His intention is to marry Emma, consummate the marriage, and then leave her in the country while he returned to Londonto be with his friends. However, Lord Devonport has never met anyone like Emma before.
Unfortunately, the good intentions of a friend and the machinations of a woman intent on becoming the next Lady Devonport cause a rift between the newly married couple. In the midst of trials, Emma’s faith remains strong. She learns to place her trust in God even if it means letting go of her own dreams. What will it take for Lord Devonport and Emma find their happy ever after?
Please give us the first page of the book.England, 1817Sitting in her grandfather’s traveling coach, Emma felt the impact of her decision. She watched the unfamiliar scenery through drops of rain slowly trickling down the window like the tears on her mother’s cheeks as she waved good-bye. Was it only a little over a week ago? It seemed much longer. Emma’s heart squeezed at the memory and she grieved the distance that was placed between herself and all that was familiar to her.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the consequences of her choice before embarking on this journey, but once the decision was made, she’d been swept up in a whirlwind of preparations that gave her little time for contemplation. The voyage had been exciting at first. Emma had met several people and was fascinated by their stories. Her Uncle Gus, who was her mother’s only brother, had traveled from Englandto accompany her on the voyage back to his homeland. He shared many stories of her mother’s childhood, things Emma had never heard before.
They encountered a storm one night, which made for a turbulent few hours and caused her to miss the safety of her home. But the sun broke through the clouds at dawn and took with it the vestige of loneliness, soon replacing it with apprehension at seeing another ship off in the distance. Everyone speculated as to who might be aboard, from pirates to prisoners to soldiers to slaves. Fortunately, the ship never came near. They finally docked in London, and Emma’s eyes darted here and there trying to take in everything there was to see. Another ship must have docked before them as Emma observed people joyfully greeting each other. She saw rough-looking sailors unloading cargo off the ship. Over all the many voices, she heard the crashing of waves and seagulls flying overhead squawking and searching for food.
Her grandfather’s traveling coach sat waiting for them at the dock, along with a horse for her uncle since he preferred riding even in drizzly rain to sitting for hours in an enclosed carriage. Emma sat alone, and she found herself facing the questions she’d pushed out of her mind for the past few days: What had she gotten herself into? Had she made the right decision? Would her grandfather be a kind man or a curmudgeon? She didn’t even want to think about her soon-to-be husband. It was just too much to take in all at once.
Even the coach she traveled in gave clear evidence to the changes her decision had wrought. Emma hadn’t known such luxury in all of her eighteen years. This was the life her father had turned his back on when he left all that was familiar to him in England and set sail for America more than twenty years ago. Forsaking his life of luxury, he chose to live in a cabin on a farm in Somerset, Pennsylvania. And now Emma, who’d been raised on that same farm, had chosen to live at Wooten House, in Fenbridge, England, the home of Baron Houlton, her grandfather, and the home where her father had grown up. Having finally completed her voyage over the Atlantic, she arrived in Englandthat morning and, as she sat in her grandfather’s coach, she knew she would now be privileged to enjoy the wealthy lifestyle her father had left behind. Would she come to regret the choice she made?
Her father had left England as a young man after marrying the local vicar’s daughter, Mary, Emma’s mother. Unfortunately, he died, leaving behind his wife and daughter to manage on their own. That was why her mother chose to marry again soon after losing her first husband. What had started as a marriage of convenience soon became a second chance to love and be loved. This gave Emma hope for the path she had now chosen for herself.
Her mother had made certain Emma clearly understood what had precipitated her father’s departure from England. She didn’t want her daughter having unrealistic expectations of what her reunion with her grandfather might entail. Emma’s mother recalled the baron having a pleasing demeanor, but warned her he was a proud and unbending man who would not listen to reason if it was contrary to his plans. Emma understood her grandfather had clear plans laid out for her, but since she had agreed to do his bidding, she imagined he would welcome her with open arms in order to see his plans set in motion.
Now that she had convinced herself of her grandfather’s warm, if not effusive, welcome, she lay her head on the cushion of the seat. The gentle rocking of the well-sprung carriage lulled her into slumber.
Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: https://anneliesedalaba.comFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/anneliesedalabaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/adalaba2017/Twitter: https://twitter.com/adalaba2017Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnneDalaba/Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anneliese-Dalaba/e/B073HJXLB8/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Thank you, Anneliese, for sharing this award-winning book with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here are links to the book.Reluctant To Wed (Arranged Marriage Series)[image error] - Paperback
Reluctant to Wed: Arranged Marriage Series, Book 1 - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
I don’t purposely write much of myself into my books. However, when I wrote
Reluctant to Wed
and gave it to my husband to read, he said that Emma sounded a lot like me. I suppose every author’s thoughts and emotions come through in their own writing somehow. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? A few years back, my husband and I decided we wanted to see as many Michiganlighthouses as we could on our vacation. We have lived in south central, Michigan and had not seen most of the lighthouses. This was our first vacation without the kids since they were born, so we chose to be spontaneous. We picked up a book of lighthouses, packed our bags, and headed west, then north along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan. We stopped and took pictures of lighthouses along the way. When it was close to supper time, we searched out a hotel. That’s not an easy fete in Michigan in the summertime and very expensive, but we managed. We continued our trip into the Upper Peninsula and stayed at an unimpressive but clean roadside motel for the night. The next day we reached stunning Lake Superior. We ended up getting pictures of 20 Michigan lighthouses. My husband and I still say that was one of our favorite vacations.
How fun. When did you first discover that you were a writer?When I was twelve, I tried writing my first book. That fizzled out fast and I certainly didn’t see that desire as an indication that I would become a writer. But I always enjoyed essay questions over multiple choice or true and false in school. That should have told me something, I suppose. It really wasn’t until I was married and had my first child, and we were preparing for the mission field, that I realized my longing to be a writer. We had to write an autobiography of our life for the World Missions Department of our fellowship. It was supposed to be about 25 pages long. The man who interviewed us loved my autobiography and said, “You should be writing.” But I didn’t write my first book until years later.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.My favorite books are historical romances—all types except WWI and WWII—and they must be Christian or clean romances. I enjoy reading Christian nonfiction books that encourage me in my faith. I will sometimes read contemporary romances, but not often. I like books that are not dark and filled with grief. I love it when an author can make me laugh. But I also enjoy some drama, suspense, or mystery in a romance.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?I begin my days with the Word of God and prayer. That helps to lay a firm foundation for my day. I don’t see myself as very organized. I actually get more accomplished when I’ve procrastinated and now feel the pressure to get everything done. I don’t really know how I manage it, but somehow, I do.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I found an online site that lists the popular names during the time period I’m writing in. I choose from that list the name I think best fits the character of the story.
I often do that, especially when writing people from a specific nationality. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?My happy and successful marriage to my husband of almost 33 years. He is also my best friend. It doesn’t have to be hard to have a good relationship with your spouse, but it definitely takes effort. You have to believe for the best in each other, stay committed to each other, pray for one another, and do your best to keep from hurting your spouse with unkind words and actions. It helps to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and apply it to your marriage over and over again.
Very good advice. We’ve been married almost 56 years. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?I can honestly say that I’ve never asked myself that questions before. LOL! I would say a yellow lab. Family is important to me and I love mine dearly. I enjoy long walks. I don’t mind being lazy sometimes and sitting for hours reading a good book. I’m protective of my home. I love a massage. And I love cuddling next to someone I love—husband, children, grandchildren, sister, mom.
What is your favorite food?I don’t have a favorite food. It would be easier to tell you what my least favorite food is. I don’t like any type of seafood. Aside from that, I love food from all ethnicities. I’ve recently learned how to cook two new Persian dishes. Yum! But my greatest weakness is my sweet tooth. I love cakes, ice creams, frozen drinks, puddings, crepes, chocolates, and cookies. I’m afraid I’m addicted to sugar and have to work hard at maintaining self-control.
I understand that. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Disciplining myself to sit and write. I love writing and I hate writing, but I can’t give it up. I will choose distasteful chores over writing sometimes. I don’t know why, but I think it’s because writing takes such concentration and perseverance, and it’s hard work! Procrastination is my greatest enemy. The only way to succeed in writing is to sit down and start writing. Then the ideas begin to flow and the pages fill up with beautiful words and thoughts and scenery, and characters come alive.
Tell us about the featured book.
Reluctant to Wed
is about a young lady who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her mother, stepfather, and two brothers. Her deceased father was the second son of an English baron. Emma doesn’t know the baron, her grandfather, but he writes that he wishes to arrange a marriage for her with an English earl, Lord Devonport. The financial difficulties her parents are facing would be paid for by the baron if she would agree to his request. Of course, Emma loves her family and she cannot deny them this monetary blessing. So she embarks on a ship that takes her across the vast ocean to a land her father had turned his back on. Emma looks forward to meeting her grandfather. She’s convinced this is God’s plan for her life and she has great hopes that this will turn into a love match. Lord Devonport is duty bound to agree to the marriage because the baron and his deceased father had signed a contract years ago that he would marry one of the baron’s granddaughters. Since the first granddaughter was already married, that left him with no choice but to marry an American. He hated the thought of it but decided he would have to make the best of it. His intention is to marry Emma, consummate the marriage, and then leave her in the country while he returned to Londonto be with his friends. However, Lord Devonport has never met anyone like Emma before.
Unfortunately, the good intentions of a friend and the machinations of a woman intent on becoming the next Lady Devonport cause a rift between the newly married couple. In the midst of trials, Emma’s faith remains strong. She learns to place her trust in God even if it means letting go of her own dreams. What will it take for Lord Devonport and Emma find their happy ever after?
Please give us the first page of the book.England, 1817Sitting in her grandfather’s traveling coach, Emma felt the impact of her decision. She watched the unfamiliar scenery through drops of rain slowly trickling down the window like the tears on her mother’s cheeks as she waved good-bye. Was it only a little over a week ago? It seemed much longer. Emma’s heart squeezed at the memory and she grieved the distance that was placed between herself and all that was familiar to her.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the consequences of her choice before embarking on this journey, but once the decision was made, she’d been swept up in a whirlwind of preparations that gave her little time for contemplation. The voyage had been exciting at first. Emma had met several people and was fascinated by their stories. Her Uncle Gus, who was her mother’s only brother, had traveled from Englandto accompany her on the voyage back to his homeland. He shared many stories of her mother’s childhood, things Emma had never heard before.
They encountered a storm one night, which made for a turbulent few hours and caused her to miss the safety of her home. But the sun broke through the clouds at dawn and took with it the vestige of loneliness, soon replacing it with apprehension at seeing another ship off in the distance. Everyone speculated as to who might be aboard, from pirates to prisoners to soldiers to slaves. Fortunately, the ship never came near. They finally docked in London, and Emma’s eyes darted here and there trying to take in everything there was to see. Another ship must have docked before them as Emma observed people joyfully greeting each other. She saw rough-looking sailors unloading cargo off the ship. Over all the many voices, she heard the crashing of waves and seagulls flying overhead squawking and searching for food.
Her grandfather’s traveling coach sat waiting for them at the dock, along with a horse for her uncle since he preferred riding even in drizzly rain to sitting for hours in an enclosed carriage. Emma sat alone, and she found herself facing the questions she’d pushed out of her mind for the past few days: What had she gotten herself into? Had she made the right decision? Would her grandfather be a kind man or a curmudgeon? She didn’t even want to think about her soon-to-be husband. It was just too much to take in all at once.
Even the coach she traveled in gave clear evidence to the changes her decision had wrought. Emma hadn’t known such luxury in all of her eighteen years. This was the life her father had turned his back on when he left all that was familiar to him in England and set sail for America more than twenty years ago. Forsaking his life of luxury, he chose to live in a cabin on a farm in Somerset, Pennsylvania. And now Emma, who’d been raised on that same farm, had chosen to live at Wooten House, in Fenbridge, England, the home of Baron Houlton, her grandfather, and the home where her father had grown up. Having finally completed her voyage over the Atlantic, she arrived in Englandthat morning and, as she sat in her grandfather’s coach, she knew she would now be privileged to enjoy the wealthy lifestyle her father had left behind. Would she come to regret the choice she made?
Her father had left England as a young man after marrying the local vicar’s daughter, Mary, Emma’s mother. Unfortunately, he died, leaving behind his wife and daughter to manage on their own. That was why her mother chose to marry again soon after losing her first husband. What had started as a marriage of convenience soon became a second chance to love and be loved. This gave Emma hope for the path she had now chosen for herself.
Her mother had made certain Emma clearly understood what had precipitated her father’s departure from England. She didn’t want her daughter having unrealistic expectations of what her reunion with her grandfather might entail. Emma’s mother recalled the baron having a pleasing demeanor, but warned her he was a proud and unbending man who would not listen to reason if it was contrary to his plans. Emma understood her grandfather had clear plans laid out for her, but since she had agreed to do his bidding, she imagined he would welcome her with open arms in order to see his plans set in motion.
Now that she had convinced herself of her grandfather’s warm, if not effusive, welcome, she lay her head on the cushion of the seat. The gentle rocking of the well-sprung carriage lulled her into slumber.
Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: https://anneliesedalaba.comFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/anneliesedalabaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/adalaba2017/Twitter: https://twitter.com/adalaba2017Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AnneDalaba/Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anneliese-Dalaba/e/B073HJXLB8/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Thank you, Anneliese, for sharing this award-winning book with my blog readers and me.
Readers, here are links to the book.Reluctant To Wed (Arranged Marriage Series)[image error] - Paperback
Reluctant to Wed: Arranged Marriage Series, Book 1 - 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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
May 10, 2020
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.
Connie (KY) is the winner of Four Seasons of Love by Lena Nelson Dooley.
Patty (SC) is the winner of Rocky Mountain Redemption by Lisa J Flinkinger.
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.
Connie (KY) is the winner of Four Seasons of Love by Lena Nelson Dooley.
Patty (SC) is the winner of Rocky Mountain Redemption by Lisa J Flinkinger.
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.
May 7, 2020
THE OUTLAW'S DAUGHTER - Margaret Brownley - One Free book - THE COWBOY MEETS HIS MATCH
Welcome back, Margaret. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?
I write historical romance for two reasons. Every theme known to mankind can be explored through two people falling in love. That gives writers a lot of leeway. I set my novels in the Old West because everything that is happening now, happened back then (even pandemics). How people handled the problems in the past and, yes, even thrived, is encouraging and can give us hope. If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?I’ve been lucky to live in many parts of the country and, though every state has its merits, I love living in California, mainly because of the weather. I also love the extremes. My family has found memories of traipsing through the snow to cut down a Christmas tree and stopping at a warm, sunny beach on the way home—all within an hour’s drive.
What foreign country would you like to visit and why?I’ve traveled extensively, but never made it to Italy. That’s still on my bucket list.
Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.My husband and I vacationed in Paris. One moonlit night, we were taking a romantic cruise along the Seine. Then the most unromantic thing happened. A group of hooligans dumped a barrel of oil on our boat as we came from underneath a bridge, and we were drenched. No more boat rides for me.
That’s terrible. Tell us about The Outlaw’s Daughter. Ellie-May has fought all her life to prove that she’s not like her outlaw father. Not until her husband dies a hero, does she finally earn the town’s respect. This changes when Texas Ranger Matt Taggert rides into town and accuses her late husband of robbing a stage. Now she must fight to save her children from the stigma of an outlaw father.
Please give us the first page of the bookHaywire, Texas1887“Hold it right there, mister!”
Matt Taggert froze in place. The woman’s voice sounded serious, as did the metallic click announcing she was armed.
Not wanting to alarm her, he held his hands out where they could be seen and turned to face her, taking it nice and easy like.The owner of the voice stood at the entrance of the barn, the sun behind her back. The woman was small in stature but nonetheless looked like she meant business. Least her shotgun sure enough did.
Loosely braided hair the color of silken corn fell from beneath a floppy felt hat. Keen blue eyes looked him up and down, stopping momentarily to study the Colt hanging from his side and the badge on his leather vest. Apparently, nothing she saw relieved her mind as her weapon remained pointed at his chest.
“You can put your shotgun down, ma’am,” he said. “I mean you no harm.”
Matt’s assurances won him no favor, and the shotgun didn’t budge. “What are you doing, snooping ’round my property?” she demanded.
“Name’s Taggert. Matt Taggert, Texas Ranger,” he said. When even his name and profession didn’t convince her to lower her weapon, he added, “I’m looking for Neal Blackwell. I knocked on the door of the house, but there was no answer. Thought maybe I’d find him here in the barn.”
“Well, you thought wrong, mister.”
He studied the woman with narrowed eyes. “If you don’t mind my asking, ma’am, who am I speaking to?”
“I’m Mrs. Blackwell.”
“Mrs.—” That was a surprise. If her husband did indeed rob a stage, he sure in blazes hadn’t spent any of the stolen loot on his wife. Her sinewy body looked like it had been shaped by hard work and even harder times. If that wasn’t bad enough, her dress had enough patches to shingle a roof. The scuffed leather boots showing beneath the frayed hem of her skirt fared no better.
Nor did the animals in the barn, which included one skinny milk cow and a swaybacked mare.
Nevertheless, the woman earned his begrudging respect. Despite her shabby attire, she held herself with a quiet dignity that seemed at odds with her circumstances. He sensed that her squared shoulders stemmed from hard-earned inner strength.
“I need to talk to your husband,” he said.
Some emotion he couldn’t decipher flickered across her face. “Well, you won’t find him here.”
“If you’ll kindly tell me where I can find him, I’ll be on my way.”
Suspicion clouded her eyes, and he could almost see the cogwheels turning in her head. “What business does a Texas Ranger have with Neal?”
Before he could answer, a boy no older than five or six appeared by her side and tugged on her apron. “Mama?”
Dressed in knee pants and a checkered red shirt, the child peered at Matt from beneath a black slouch hat. A handsome lad, he had his mother’s blond hair and big blue eyes. He also matched his mother’s determined demeanor.
Matt grimaced. He hadn’t counted on Blackwell being a family man. Nothing worse than having to arrest a man in front of his children. It was bad enough cuffing one in the presence of his wife. But if Blackwell couldn’t answer Matt’s questions, arresting him was a real possibility.
The woman’s stance didn’t waver, but her voice softened as she addressed her son. “Go back to the house, Lionel. Mama’s busy right now.”
Before leaving, the boy looked Matt up and down, curiosity written on his little round face. “Is he a bad man, Mama?”
“Let’s hope for his sake he’s not,” his mama replied. “Now, go.”
Lionel’s face grew more solemn as his probing eyes met Matt’s. Matt winked in hopes of relieving the boy’s mind, but the stoic look remained. Never had Matt seen a child so young look so serious.
“Go,” his mother repeated, and this time Lionel left without further ado.
Mrs. Blackwell gave her shotgun a shake as if to remind Matt she meant business. “You still haven’t told me what you want with Neal.”
Matt couldn’t think of a tactful way to explain his business, so he came right out with it. “I need to talk to him about a stage robbery that took place last year.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Why?”
Partly because of the shotgun and partly because something about the woman brought out his protective instincts, Matt chose his next words with care. “I have reason to believe your husband has…certain information that would be helpful in my investigation.”
She discounted his explanation with a toss of her head. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am. Least not till I talk to your husband.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “If you think Neal had anything to do with that robbery, then you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“That may be true,” he said slowly. “But I still need to talk to him. It’s the only way I can wrap up my business and—”
“You’ll wrap up your business a whole lot quicker if you just leave now.”
I love what I’ve read so far. How can readers find you on the Internet?www.margaret-brownley.comFacebookAmazonB&N
Thank you, Margaret, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read the rest of the story.
Readers, here are links to the book.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of
A Cowboy Meets His Match
. 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
May 5, 2020
LOVE IS IN THE AIR - Kathleen Rouser - One Free Book
Bio: Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, and a multi-published author of historical Christian romance. She is a longtime member in good standing of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She’s in the grip of God’s grace and is a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate.
The mother of three, who is a former homeschool instructor, mild-mannered dental assistant, and current Community Bible Study kids’ teacher, lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of thirty-some years, and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.
Welcome, Kathleen. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.Sometimes they are the deeper things, such as learning how to trust God in the difficult places and other times there are the quirks. For example, my heroine in
Flying into Love
, Talia Sampson, refers to having a “grim reaper thumb and killing houseplants for miles around.” I’m rubbish with growing things inside other than an occasional succulent plant like the Christmas cactus on my windowsill. I also have a black thumb instead of a green thumb. James always took care of the house plants, because I killed them. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?Good question. Not sure how quirky this is, but I am a very slow coffee drinker. I can reheat the same cup several times and make it last all day. Usually I wind up throwing it out at some point and make a second one in the afternoon. So I actually drink two half cups in a day. I like to sip and enjoy my coffee.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?My mother read stories to me every day when I was a little girl and I wanted to write books before I could even read—when I was four years old. Then I had a teacher in third grade who told me I was a good writer and my brother, John, who was old enough to be my dad, always encouraged me to write. It was something I wanted to be most of my life but didn’t get serious about until my kids got older. Then I finally felt like a writer.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.I enjoy so many kinds of books, from Regency to YA, to speculative and Amish. I enjoy historical and contemporary romance too.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?Holding onto to my Savior, Jesus. I belong to Community Bible Study which I attend locally. This helps keep me grounded in God’s word. I also receive prayer and support from the other ladies I serve with there. And knowing I can talk to Him in prayer anytime is reassuring.
I’ve also been trying to genuinely rest and refuel on Saturday or Sunday.
It is such a comfort and blessing to know He is right beside us and we can talk to Him anytime we want to. How do you choose your characters’ names?It depends. If I’m writing an historical, I will look up the most popular names of the time. I will find one I like and look up the meaning to see if it fits. For a more contemporary story, I will often take a name that I like and check the meaning of that to see if it fits. Occasionally, I will name a character after someone. Dr. Moore in my Stone Creek books is named after my friend, Barb Moore, as she has been a wise mentor and friend. Little six-year-old Lily in The Last Memoryis named after my first cat, Lilybits. A nice memorial since we had to put Lilybits down last May.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?Raising and homeschooling three sons.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?A cat—in a loving home, that is. My cats are so spoiled and live quite the life of leisure and fun. It seems like they can rest anywhere. And they are beautiful animals. The grace, regal bearing, and hunting instincts of big cats like lions, tigers, and pumas, are wrapped nicely into the sweet little package of domestic cats. Just watch them walk and stalk with that rolling shoulder gait. And somehow, they have us trained to take care of them!
What is your favorite food?It’s a tie between spaghetti with my mom’s meat sauce recipe and good dark chocolate.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Again and again it’s fear of not writing well enough, which is silly in itself, because you can’t get better at it if you don’t write. I’m finding that reminding myself of truth in scripture is a good way to overcome the fear when it creeps in. For example, when I feel it welling up, I tell myself Joshua 1:9 - This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (NLT) Then I find it’s easier to face the blank computer screen.
Tell us about the featured book.
Flying Into Love
by Kathleen Rouser:Unable to say no when others need her, Talia Sampson took on her deceased aunt’s advice column and the care of her special needs niece. Then new veteran, Ben Tanner, shows up unexpected on her doorstep. Hurt many times, he wonders where home is. Talia isn’t happy finding a hot-air balloon with him, but she treasures the old journal with it. Ben hopes restoring her family’s antique will please her, until he discovers a secret that shatters his trust. And Talia hates flying. Will she trust God—and Ben—enough to go airborne?
That is the blurb, but Flying Into Love also has a split time subplot which takes place around the time of World War I. Talia learns in a journal she finds that her great-grandmother, Dottie Washington, was swept away in a hot-air balloon with a handsome friend, Earl Sampson, the brother of the man she loves, quite by accident. What happens to them changes the course of both their lives. ( Flying Into Love will be released on May 10 as part of the boxed set, Love is in the Air , which contains five brand-new contemporary Christian romances. Other authors in this collection include Candee Fick, Tanya Eavenson, Laura V. Hilton, and Kathleen Friessen)
Please give us the first page of the book.How had she gotten herself into this? Talia Sampson shut the laptop amid the piles on her desk, closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples. When she’d come to take care of Aunt Violet a little over eight months ago Talia didn’t expect to inherit her aunt’s Victorian mansion or take over an advice column nearly seven months later. She should have practiced saying the word no before her aunt asked her.
She opened her eyes and picked up the gilt-framed photo of her adventurous aunt, with her ash-blond pixie haircut, wearing a parka and standing on a mountain somewhere. “I miss you, Aunt Vi. You left us far too soon. This should still be your column.” She rested her chin in her hand. Dust danced on the light coming through the window next to her. She pushed her finger through a layer of it on the antique mahogany desk. The back door slammed. “I’m here!”
Ten o’clock already? Greeting Janine, the housekeeper she inherited along with the house, gave her a perfect excuse to take a break.
Talia stood and smoothed her favorite mint green tunic over her hips and sidestepped boxes of Aunt Vi’s papers. She did her best to ignore dusty overflowing bookcases, andpadded downstairs over the worn carpeting in her fuzzy pink bedroom slippers to find Janine in the bright kitchen. “Hi! Glad you’re here to keep house. If you weren’t so indispensable, I’d be better off doing the housework than staring at a computer screen.”
Janine Fellow’s left hand was on her hip, and her right hand already held a dust cloth. “Nonsense. Besides, your plants would die if I didn’t come to water them.” She winked. Lines gently etched her face and crinkled around her eyes as she smiled.
“Ah, yes, we can’t forget my Grim Reaper thumb.” Talia held up the left one. “It’s known to kill houseplants for miles around.”
How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: http://kathleenrouser.comFacebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathleenRouserPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kerouser/BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-rouserGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7427871.Kathleen_Rouser
Buy link for Flying Into Love :https://books2read.com/u/3LDxaD?fbclid=IwAR1yIyEtlq9uvkMQaCBBxL0u5Eaz18XvDtmFSGMrDgOsFjpaeTCkLlvwUikMy Amazon page with links to all my books: https://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Rouser/e/B00P3BR662?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1587786152&sr=8-1
Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing your book and the collection it’s in with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to find out what happens to Talia.
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
May 4, 2020
FOREVER MUSIC - Hope Toler Dougherty - One Free Book
Welcome back, Hope. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
I hope I see more books in my future. I love the process of having an idea float into my mind, developing the idea, polishing it, and then sharing it with others.
Tell us a little about your family.My husband and I live in North Carolina and have four grown children. Our oldest daughter lives in NYC and worked in fashion until Covid-19 hit. Now she’s sewing masks and looking for another job. Our second daughter taught elementary school, but now she’s set to study law in the fall. She wants to affect change in education policy. Our twin sons are First Lieutenants in the Army. One is stationed at Ft. Hood, and the other serves at the Texas/Mexico Border through October.
Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?I read more romance now than I ever have, and I try to read with a discerning/questioning eye. (How did she do that? Why did she use that scene?) I’m reading to learn instead of for entertainment only.
What are you working on right now?Josie Daniels’ from Forever Music has three brothers. I have a few chapters written about one of them, but the words have stopped. I’m hoping to get back to the story this summer.
What outside interests do you have?I love traveling, listening to live music, crocheting, cooking, playing the piano, and reading, and I serve on several church and community groups.
How do you choose your settings for each book?For me, the setting comes from the plot. The characters usually come first, then the plot, then the setting. My last two books have been set in Charlotte, North Carolina, where my husband and I met. I suppose I get a lot of material from thinking about that time and place when we were young and dating.
If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?I would love to spend an evening with Corrie Ten Boom. What an inspiring person! She endured incredible hardships in the concentration camps during WWII, but she overcame all bitterness, anger, disappointment, and grief and was able to forgive the people who imprisoned her. Even in the midst of hard-to-imagine cruelty, she looked to God to strengthen her and grow her faith. She’d be fascinating.
I’ve also been fascinated by her. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?I wish I had known about the marketing and promotion involved and the business side to writing. I wish I would have paid more attention then and created a business plan.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?He’s teaching me He is sovereign.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?Write every day. Read in your genre, in other genres, and writing craft books. Attend writing conferences for classes and to meet other writers. Bonus: PRAY.
Tell us about the featured book.
Forever Music
highlights the current topic of emotional affairs. With the prevalence of social media, finding lost loves is sometimes a matter of clicking through a few websites. Hello emails can lead to flirty emails which can escalate to relationships.
The Josie Daniels and Ches Windham story uses quirky family support and humor to contrast a topic that can sometimes result in dark consequences even for Christians who seek God’s guidance but may not employ it.
Please give us the first page of the book.Anticipation for the evening revved Josie Daniels’ heart rate as much as discovering original sales tags on a thrift store find. She surveyed the ballroom glittering with lights and flowers and people in sparkly dresses and suits. Three musicians played James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind” on a piano, guitar, and cello. Nice. In a couple of hours, the wait would be over, and she’d have a promise, if not a check, for thousands of dollars in her hand.
How many thousand remained a mystery.
Instead of a little black dress, she wore a little navy dress with a boat neck and a scoop back. Her ears featured dangly diamond earrings borrowed from her mom’s jewelry box, a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary gift from her dad.
A tennis bracelet, graduate school graduation present from her grandmother, encircled her wrist. The ends of her hair curled exactly the way it did on a good hair day thanks to a quick shower after teaching her last class, so she left it down, framing her face.
Yep. She felt confident. She could hold her own in this room full of downtown Charlottelawyers and bankers and business people. So, what if she found her dress on the clearance rack?
How can readers find you on the Internet?I would love for readers to connect with me! I’m easy to find on social media through the links on my website www.hopetolerdougherty.com.
Thank you, Hope, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait to read it. I haven’t read one on that topic.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. It's on pre-order right now and will release on May 19.Forever Music[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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
I hope I see more books in my future. I love the process of having an idea float into my mind, developing the idea, polishing it, and then sharing it with others.Tell us a little about your family.My husband and I live in North Carolina and have four grown children. Our oldest daughter lives in NYC and worked in fashion until Covid-19 hit. Now she’s sewing masks and looking for another job. Our second daughter taught elementary school, but now she’s set to study law in the fall. She wants to affect change in education policy. Our twin sons are First Lieutenants in the Army. One is stationed at Ft. Hood, and the other serves at the Texas/Mexico Border through October.
Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?I read more romance now than I ever have, and I try to read with a discerning/questioning eye. (How did she do that? Why did she use that scene?) I’m reading to learn instead of for entertainment only.
What are you working on right now?Josie Daniels’ from Forever Music has three brothers. I have a few chapters written about one of them, but the words have stopped. I’m hoping to get back to the story this summer.
What outside interests do you have?I love traveling, listening to live music, crocheting, cooking, playing the piano, and reading, and I serve on several church and community groups.
How do you choose your settings for each book?For me, the setting comes from the plot. The characters usually come first, then the plot, then the setting. My last two books have been set in Charlotte, North Carolina, where my husband and I met. I suppose I get a lot of material from thinking about that time and place when we were young and dating.
If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?I would love to spend an evening with Corrie Ten Boom. What an inspiring person! She endured incredible hardships in the concentration camps during WWII, but she overcame all bitterness, anger, disappointment, and grief and was able to forgive the people who imprisoned her. Even in the midst of hard-to-imagine cruelty, she looked to God to strengthen her and grow her faith. She’d be fascinating.
I’ve also been fascinated by her. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?I wish I had known about the marketing and promotion involved and the business side to writing. I wish I would have paid more attention then and created a business plan.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?He’s teaching me He is sovereign.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?Write every day. Read in your genre, in other genres, and writing craft books. Attend writing conferences for classes and to meet other writers. Bonus: PRAY.
Tell us about the featured book.
Forever Music
highlights the current topic of emotional affairs. With the prevalence of social media, finding lost loves is sometimes a matter of clicking through a few websites. Hello emails can lead to flirty emails which can escalate to relationships.The Josie Daniels and Ches Windham story uses quirky family support and humor to contrast a topic that can sometimes result in dark consequences even for Christians who seek God’s guidance but may not employ it.
Please give us the first page of the book.Anticipation for the evening revved Josie Daniels’ heart rate as much as discovering original sales tags on a thrift store find. She surveyed the ballroom glittering with lights and flowers and people in sparkly dresses and suits. Three musicians played James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind” on a piano, guitar, and cello. Nice. In a couple of hours, the wait would be over, and she’d have a promise, if not a check, for thousands of dollars in her hand.
How many thousand remained a mystery.
Instead of a little black dress, she wore a little navy dress with a boat neck and a scoop back. Her ears featured dangly diamond earrings borrowed from her mom’s jewelry box, a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary gift from her dad.
A tennis bracelet, graduate school graduation present from her grandmother, encircled her wrist. The ends of her hair curled exactly the way it did on a good hair day thanks to a quick shower after teaching her last class, so she left it down, framing her face.
Yep. She felt confident. She could hold her own in this room full of downtown Charlottelawyers and bankers and business people. So, what if she found her dress on the clearance rack?
How can readers find you on the Internet?I would love for readers to connect with me! I’m easy to find on social media through the links on my website www.hopetolerdougherty.com.
Thank you, Hope, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait to read it. I haven’t read one on that topic.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. It's on pre-order right now and will release on May 19.Forever Music[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:Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
May 3, 2020
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.
Lucy (WV) is the winner of Tarbox Station by Rhonda Eudaly.
Marie Sontag (TX) is the winner of Romanian Runaway by Kelley Rene.
Elly (IN) is the winner of The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch.
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.
Lucy (WV) is the winner of Tarbox Station by Rhonda Eudaly.
Marie Sontag (TX) is the winner of Romanian Runaway by Kelley Rene.
Elly (IN) is the winner of The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch.
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.
April 30, 2020
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REDEMPTION - Lisa J Flickinger - One Free Book
Bio: Lisa J. Flickinger lives and writes from the cliff of a river along the majestic Rocky Mountains. When not writing or reading, you will find her scouring antique shops or sipping a maple latte with friends and family. To learn more about her other books, visit www.lisajflickinger.com.
Welcome, Lisa. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.I suppose a little of myself shows up in every character I write. Most of my heroines tend to be stubborn and impulsive. According to my husband, I haven’t learned to overcome the traits in my own life.What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?Hmmm, I suppose traveling through Thailand with four other women and not knowing a whole lot about what we were doing or where we were going was quirky.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?I’ve always been a reader, and I’ve always wanted to write. I didn’t actually believe I’d earned the title of writer until I sold my first manuscript at the age of forty-nine.
My first book sale was in my forties, too. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.If I were stranded on an island, my first choice of reading material would be Victorian crime novels. I also read a lot of literary fiction and historical fiction.
I love reading historicals, and I write a lot of historicals. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?I walk outdoors. There’s a trail along the river behind our home where you can see the peaks of the Rockies. The view helps to keep me focused on what’s really important.
How do you choose your characters’ names?I scour census records, passenger lists, baby names, etc., from the year I’m writing until one strikes me. I have also featured my grandchildren’s names for several characters.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?I’m so proud my husband and I have three children who have become beautiful kind adults.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?Here’s hoping I never become an animal.
What is your favorite meal? My favorite meal is a delicious honey ham with scalloped potatoes and a crisp Caesar salad. A serving of Crème Brulee would make for a delicious finish to the meal.
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?Until now, managing my time was my greatest roadblock. I overcame it by setting daily goals on paper and putting them next to my computer. Lately, I have discovered pandemics are a HUGE roadblock, as to overcoming one…
Tell us about the featured book.
A Rocky Mountain logging camp may be just the place to find herself. To escape the devastation caused by the breaking of her wedding engagement, Isabelle Franklin joins her aunt in the Rocky Mountains to feed a camp of lumberjacks cutting on the slopes of Cougar Ridge. If only she could outrun the lingering nightmares.Charles Bailey, camp foreman and Stony Creek's itinerant pastor, develops a reputation to match his new nickname—Preach. However, an inner battle ensues when the details of his rough history threaten to overcome the beliefs of his young faith.
Amid the hazards of camp life, the unlikely friendship growing between the two surprises Isabelle. She's drawn to Preach's brute strength and gentle nature as he leads the ragtag crew toiling for Pollitt's Lumber. But when the ghosts from her past return to haunt her, the choices she will make change the course of her life forever—and that of the man she's come to love.
Please give us the first page of the book.1898THE ROCKY MOUNTAINSIsabelle slid the moist length of potato peel between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and stretched her arms apart as it unfurled. One handbreadth longer than yesterday’s best. Six months ago, she couldn’t have imagined being hidden away in a lumber camp and performing such tedious work. Thanks be, the trembling in her fingers remained minimal. Doctor Bradley, a frequent visitor to Isabelle’s second-story bedroom before she’d been dropped at the camp, had advised her parents the tremors would subside as she regained her health. It appeared he’d been correct. Isabelle tossed the peel on the mound atop the long table serving as a work counter in the center of the kitchen and wiped her hands on the white muslin apron at her waist. The potatoes were a treat usually reserved for the weekends, a welcome break from the enormous iron pots of beans. The logging camp’s twenty-one men tucked away an astounding volume of food Aunt Lou and Isabelle prepared and served every morning and every night. Why had Father thought such tedious work would cure what ailed her?
How can readers find you on the Internet?Website: www.lisajflickinger.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaJFlickingerauthor/BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-j-flickingerBook buy links:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082MRWVCVhttps://books.apple.com/us/book/id1491192001https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rocky-mountain-redemption-3https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rocky-mountain-redemption-lisa-j-flickinger/1135492977?ean=2940163582839
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing Rocky Mountain Redemption with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it and they will be, too.
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
