K. Dawn Byrd's Blog, page 29

Elizabeth Maddrey's "Wisdom to Know"

Title: Wisdom to Know (Grant Us Grace Book 1)
Publisher: HopeSprings Books

Cover blurb: Is there sin that love can’t cover?

Lydia Brown has taken just about every wrong turn she could find. When an abortion leaves her overwhelmed by guilt, she turns to drugs to escape her pain. After a single car accident lands her in the hospital facing DUI charges, Lydia is forced to reevaluate her choices.

Kevin McGregor has been biding his time since high school when he heard God tell him that Lydia Brown was the woman he would marry. In the aftermath of Lydia’s accident, Kevin must come to grips with the truth about her secret life.

While Kevin works to convince himself and God that loving Lydia is a mistake, Lydia struggles to accept the feelings she has for Kevin, though she fears her sin may be too much for anyone to forgive.

1) How did this story come to you?
I grew up active in pro-life ministry. My mother ran a Crisis Pregnancy Center for twenty years and over that time, I spent a lot of time helping out, both as a volunteer and on staff. One of the things we did a great deal of at our Center was after-abortion healing. Seeing the women and men who came through the Center – many of whom were strong believers at the time they made their choice – wrestle with forgiveness (feeling they deserved it as well as giving it to others involved) is not something I’ll ever forget. Lydia is an amalgam of many of these women.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The first major hurdle for me was talking myself into actually letting someone other than family look at my manuscript. I was terrified. At the same time, unlike so many of the other novels I’d written (that live on my hard drive, never to see the light of day), I really felt like this one needed to see the light of day. So I spent a good bit of time polishing it, sent it out, never heard back from anyone (which, of course, means they weren’t interested) and went to a writer’s conference. At the conference, I got some good critiques that showed me changes I needed to consider and I met up with the editor I’d worked with on a non-fiction project a while ago. Talking to her, the pieces all kind of just fell into place – they were looking to start a fiction imprint and were interested in my story. I really believe God pulled all the strings to get it to this point.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I did archery all through middle and high school and have marksman medals.
2. I originally intended to write science fiction, not romance. (And I’ve still got story ideas brewing in that genre, so that might happen yet.)
3. My husband and I are semi-serious about retiring to Ireland to run a Bed and Breakfast later in life.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now I’m working on book 3 in the Grant Us Grace series. It’s scheduled to be released in September, so I need to get a bit of a move on with it! I’m also busy with lining up the promotion/marketing for book 2, Courage to Change, which will be released April 8, 2013. As for what’s next, I really hope it’s writing and publishing more books. I’ve got so many story lines in my head; I hope they’re things people will want to read.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for having me, this was fun!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love to have people connect with me! You can visit me at my website: http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com  or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey
I’m also on Twitter @ElizabethMaddrey

Register to win Elizabeth Maddrey's "Wisdom to Know"

We're happy to have Elizabeth Maddrey with us today talking about her book, "Wisdom to Know." To register to win a copy, leave Elizabeth a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Elizabeth and her book, read on!

Title: Wisdom to Know (Grant Us Grace Book 1)
Publisher: HopeSprings Books

Cover blurb: Is there sin that love can’t cover?

Lydia Brown has taken just about every wrong turn she could find. When an abortion leaves her overwhelmed by guilt, she turns to drugs to escape her pain. After a single car accident lands her in the hospital facing DUI charges, Lydia is forced to reevaluate her choices.

Kevin McGregor has been biding his time since high school when he heard God tell him that Lydia Brown was the woman he would marry. In the aftermath of Lydia’s accident, Kevin must come to grips with the truth about her secret life.

While Kevin works to convince himself and God that loving Lydia is a mistake, Lydia struggles to accept the feelings she has for Kevin, though she fears her sin may be too much for anyone to forgive.

1) How did this story come to you?
I grew up active in pro-life ministry. My mother ran a Crisis Pregnancy Center for twenty years and over that time, I spent a lot of time helping out, both as a volunteer and on staff. One of the things we did a great deal of at our Center was after-abortion healing. Seeing the women and men who came through the Center – many of whom were strong believers at the time they made their choice – wrestle with forgiveness (feeling they deserved it as well as giving it to others involved) is not something I’ll ever forget. Lydia is an amalgam of many of these women.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The first major hurdle for me was talking myself into actually letting someone other than family look at my manuscript. I was terrified. At the same time, unlike so many of the other novels I’d written (that live on my hard drive, never to see the light of day), I really felt like this one needed to see the light of day. So I spent a good bit of time polishing it, sent it out, never heard back from anyone (which, of course, means they weren’t interested) and went to a writer’s conference. At the conference, I got some good critiques that showed me changes I needed to consider and I met up with the editor I’d worked with on a non-fiction project a while ago. Talking to her, the pieces all kind of just fell into place – they were looking to start a fiction imprint and were interested in my story. I really believe God pulled all the strings to get it to this point.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I did archery all through middle and high school and have marksman medals.
2. I originally intended to write science fiction, not romance. (And I’ve still got story ideas brewing in that genre, so that might happen yet.)
3. My husband and I are semi-serious about retiring to Ireland to run a Bed and Breakfast later in life.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now I’m working on book 3 in the Grant Us Grace series. It’s scheduled to be released in September, so I need to get a bit of a move on with it! I’m also busy with lining up the promotion/marketing for book 2, Courage to Change, which will be released April 8, 2013. As for what’s next, I really hope it’s writing and publishing more books. I’ve got so many story lines in my head; I hope they’re things people will want to read.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for having me, this was fun!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love to have people connect with me! You can visit me at my website: http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com  or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey
I’m also on Twitter @ElizabethMaddrey

Janet K. Brown's "Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness"

Title: Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness
Publisher: Pen-L Publishing Co.

Cover blurb: I lost ninety-five pounds and have maintained the loss for seventeen years. One tool in my recovery remains the daily reading of inspirational books. I found my library incomplete when I searched for one that combined a twelve-step program with God as the Higher Power. The biggest secret to my success was giving up my will and letting God do it through me. I wrote a book of daily devotions that came from my journals and memories. This is one woman’s road for success. I pray these thoughts help others reach the same healing God gave to me. It’s all about God.

1) How did this story come to you?
About 4 years ago, I awoke in the middle of the night and went to my computer and wrote 14 devotions as fast as I could type. God literally set my fingers to moving. Seeing those 14 caused me to think of all the 365 daily devotion books I had read. At first, I thought it was just to help me with my own eating problems.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
God brought more and more thoughts to the total of 320 and then I started submitting it to publishers. That brought two rejections. The editor at Pen-L Publishing attended Oklahoma Writers Federated Inc. conference in May, 2012. He was looking for self-help, inspirational books, so I pitched it to him and received a contract right away after finishing the other 45 devotions. After signing, we did a fast-track to get it released before Christmas. It came out Dec. 6, 2012.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I love line dancing and zumba for exercise.
2. Several years ago, I lost my weight, opened a Diet Center franchise, but then gained back my weight and was not allowed by the company to sell my franchise and recoup my investment. Boo-hoo.
3. 4RV Publishing released my debut novel in July, 2012. It was an inspirational YA, Victoria and the Ghost, so I have published a YA and a devotion book, but I consider myself more of an inspirational romance writer. Go figure.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to my YA that I hope to sell to 4RV Publishing. I have the full manuscript of my romance out to an editor.

5) Parting comments?
As I read my daily devotions in Divine Dining, I pray for anyone else who’s going through it with me and needs God’s help with compulsive overeating.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.janetkbrown.com
e-mail: Janet.hope@att.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Janet-K-Brown-Author/143915285641707
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janetkbrowntx

Register to win Janet K. Brown's "Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness"

We have three giveaways this week. Leave a comment at the end of this post for your chance to win Janet Brown's "Divine Dining." Then scroll down to the next post and leave a comment for a chance to win 2 books from Molly Noble Bull. Thanks for reading our blog!

We're happy to have Janet K. Brown with us today talking about her book, "Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness." To register to win a copy, leave Janet a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Janet and her book, read on!

Title: Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellness
Publisher: Pen-L Publishing Co.

Cover blurb: I lost ninety-five pounds and have maintained the loss for seventeen years. One tool in my recovery remains the daily reading of inspirational books. I found my library incomplete when I searched for one that combined a twelve-step program with God as the Higher Power. The biggest secret to my success was giving up my will and letting God do it through me. I wrote a book of daily devotions that came from my journals and memories. This is one woman’s road for success. I pray these thoughts help others reach the same healing God gave to me. It’s all about God.

1) How did this story come to you?
About 4 years ago, I awoke in the middle of the night and went to my computer and wrote 14 devotions as fast as I could type. God literally set my fingers to moving. Seeing those 14 caused me to think of all the 365 daily devotion books I had read. At first, I thought it was just to help me with my own eating problems.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
God brought more and more thoughts to the total of 320 and then I started submitting it to publishers. That brought two rejections. The editor at Pen-L Publishing attended Oklahoma Writers Federated Inc. conference in May, 2012. He was looking for self-help, inspirational books, so I pitched it to him and received a contract right away after finishing the other 45 devotions. After signing, we did a fast-track to get it released before Christmas. It came out Dec. 6, 2012.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I love line dancing and zumba for exercise.
2. Several years ago, I lost my weight, opened a Diet Center franchise, but then gained back my weight and was not allowed by the company to sell my franchise and recoup my investment. Boo-hoo.
3. 4RV Publishing released my debut novel in July, 2012. It was an inspirational YA, Victoria and the Ghost, so I have published a YA and a devotion book, but I consider myself more of an inspirational romance writer. Go figure.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the sequel to my YA that I hope to sell to 4RV Publishing. I have the full manuscript of my romance out to an editor.

5) Parting comments?
As I read my daily devotions in Divine Dining, I pray for anyone else who’s going through it with me and needs God’s help with compulsive overeating.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.janetkbrown.com
e-mail: Janet.hope@att.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Janet-K-Brown-Author/143915285641707
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janetkbrowntx

Molly Noble Bull's Cinderella Texas

Cinderella Texas, My Newest Novel
by Molly Noble Bull

www.mollynoblebull.com

My new novel, Cinderella Texas, is the retelling of a famous fairy tale complete with a shoe problem for the heroine, Alyson Spencer. A prince-like cowboy is the hero of this modern western, Robert Lee Greene IV—called Quatro. Quatro is a rancher, an oil baron and one of the richest men in Texas, and he is also a widower with two school age children. How could Alyson have guessed that when she couldn’t find a teaching job in Dallas, she would accept a position home schooling Quatro’s children and be paid a tremendous salary for doing it?

City girl, Alyson, expects life on the huge Greene Ranch in South Texas to be idyllic. She will be living in Quatro’s home along with his children, his parents and his grandfather, and she visualizes a majestic mansion surrounded by well-tended gardens—a swimming pool and servants at her beckon call.

What she finds causes her to want to fly back to Dallas. Quatro and his family believe that modern technology corrupts. The rundown two-hundred-year old dog-run house on the cover of Cinderella Texas is the Greene home. The house is without electricity and all necessities of normal American life.

Alyson tries to get out of her teaching contract, but it is unbreakable. How is she expected to teach modern children without a computer and a working telephone? And why is Quatro so handsome and yet so pig-headed?

Cinderella Texas is available as an e-book and will be published in paperback later. To find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Kobe, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot. Cinderella Texas is a lighthearted romance that will make you smile. Maybe it will even make you laugh.

Register to win two books from Molly Noble Bull

Molly is giving away a free copy of Cinderella Texas (as an e-book from Amazon) to readers that leave a comment and include their email address. The same rules apply to those wanting a free copy of Bedtime Stories for Believers, also written by Molly Noble Bull. Bedtime Stories for Believers is also an e-book, consisting of eight short stories for Christian adults. Anyone promising to post a review of either of those books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobe will be put at the top of the list—even if you don’t like the book and say so in the review.


Cinderella Texas, My Newest Novel
by Molly Noble Bull

www.mollynoblebull.comb

My new novel, Cinderella Texas, is the retelling of a famous fairy tale complete with a shoe problem for the heroine, Alyson Spencer. A prince-like cowboy is the hero of this modern western, Robert Lee Greene IV—called Quatro. Quatro is a rancher, an oil baron and one of the richest men in Texas, and he is also a widower with two school age children. How could Alyson have guessed that when she couldn’t find a teaching job in Dallas, she would accept a position home schooling Quatro’s children and be paid a tremendous salary for doing it?

City girl, Alyson, expects life on the huge Greene Ranch in South Texas to be idyllic. She will be living in Quatro’s home along with his children, his parents and his grandfather, and she visualizes a majestic mansion surrounded by well-tended gardens—a swimming pool and servants at her beckon call.

What she finds causes her to want to fly back to Dallas. Quatro and his family believe that modern technology corrupts. The rundown two-hundred-year old dog-run house on the cover of Cinderella Texas is the Greene home. The house is without electricity and all necessities of normal American life.

Alyson tries to get out of her teaching contract, but it is unbreakable. How is she expected to teach modern children without a computer and a working telephone? And why is Quatro so handsome and yet so pig-headed?

Cinderella Texas is available as an e-book and will be published in paperback later. To find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Kobe, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot. Cinderella Texas is a lighthearted romance that will make you smile. Maybe it will even make you laugh.


Molly is giving away a free copy of Cinderella Texas (as an e-book from Amazon) to readers that leave a comment and include their email address. The same rules apply to those wanting a free copy of Bedtime Stories for Believers, also written by Molly Noble Bull. Bedtime Stories for Believers is also an e-book, consisting of eight short stories for Christian adults. Anyone promising to post a review of either of those books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobe will be put at the top of the list—even if you don’t like the book and say so in the review.

Ada Brownell's "Joe the Dreamer"

Title: Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult. (A teen novel.)

Cover blurb: Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Witness what committed teens can do. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is dedicated to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Welcome to Joe’s dream world. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit, which is terrifying. Will he escape? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?

1) How did this story come to you?
I started it right after I retired when I created an after-school and summers program for upper elementary students as an extension of the daycare at my church. The program was intense Bible memorization, teaching youth how to do puppet ministry (the children’s pastor taught that), doctrine education, combined with fun and field trips. But many students were unchurched (many gave their lives to Christ) and I wanted to create a mystery and allow students to feel the suspense and the miracles of Bible stories to whet their appetites for reading the Word themselves. During the summer, I read a little bit of my story after lunch every day. It was several years before I got back to it.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I tried marketing to three agents and a few traditional publishers, but it seemed to me they were looking for younger authors. One agent even told me she likes working with younger authors. I have another CreateSpace book, Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, written from my personal life, bible teaching; and job experience as a medical journalist that I published with Amazon (I wanted it to be sure to be available online). I’ve been pleased with that book, so thought I’d go ahead with a novel. My first book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, was published by the Assemblies of God and it sold 7,000 copies with almost no marketing before it went out of print. It’s now available for Kindle. I still sell it and there has been renewed interest in it. My husband bought most of the unsold paperbacks when it went out of print. But CreateSpace is a great place to publish, in my estimation. I used their editors and cover designers.3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
(1) I got married on my 16th birthday. He was 20 and working for the railroad and for some reason chose a spitfire redhead for his wife. He was fortunate the Lord was a huge part of my life, and the Lord worked on my temper.
(2) I started writing ideas for youth services (I was youth president at my church) at age 15, and expanded to articles for Christian publications. My first article was published and made into a tract.
(3) I probably had 50 published articles and had worked three years as a newspaper reporter in a city of 100,000 before I ever took a journalism course and completed my college degree. I completed
 my degree after staying home 15 years with our children and free lancing, and was rehired. I worked 17 years as a reporter, mostly at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have a teen self-help book ready to go: Imagine the Future You. I also have a historical romance almost ready for publication, The Lady Fugitive. I still write articles for Christian magazines and occasional op-ed pieces for newspapers5) Parting comments?
Thanks for inviting me to be your guest.6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Blog: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com  You can find my books on Amazon under my name. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult  should be listed there be soon. The link to Swallowed by LIFE is http://amzn.to/Jnc1rW  and also is available on BarnesandNoble.com at http://bit.ly/JnbKVL, booksamillion.com at http://ow.ly/cJmx8 , and Good Reads http://ow.ly/cJmMe. Confessions of a Pentecostal link is  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088OP460Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistriesTwitter: @adellerella

Register to win a Ada Brownell's "Joe the Dreamer"

We're happy to have Ada Brownell with us today talking about her book, "Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult." To register to win a copy, leave Ada a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Ada and her book, read on!

Title: Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult. (A teen novel.)

Cover blurb: Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Witness what committed teens can do. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is dedicated to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Welcome to Joe’s dream world. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit, which is terrifying. Will he escape? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?

1) How did this story come to you?
I started it right after I retired when I created an after-school and summers program for upper elementary students as an extension of the daycare at my church. The program was intense Bible memorization, teaching youth how to do puppet ministry (the children’s pastor taught that), doctrine education, combined with fun and field trips. But many students were unchurched (many gave their lives to Christ) and I wanted to create a mystery and allow students to feel the suspense and the miracles of Bible stories to whet their appetites for reading the Word themselves. During the summer, I read a little bit of my story after lunch every day. It was several years before I got back to it.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I tried marketing to three agents and a few traditional publishers, but it seemed to me they were looking for younger authors. One agent even told me she likes working with younger authors. I have another CreateSpace book, Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, written from my personal life, bible teaching; and job experience as a medical journalist that I published with Amazon (I wanted it to be sure to be available online). I’ve been pleased with that book, so thought I’d go ahead with a novel. My first book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, was published by the Assemblies of God and it sold 7,000 copies with almost no marketing before it went out of print. It’s now available for Kindle. I still sell it and there has been renewed interest in it. My husband bought most of the unsold paperbacks when it went out of print. But CreateSpace is a great place to publish, in my estimation. I used their editors and cover designers.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
(1) I got married on my 16th birthday. He was 20 and working for the railroad and for some reason chose a spitfire redhead for his wife. He was fortunate the Lord was a huge part of my life, and the Lord worked on my temper.
(2) I started writing ideas for youth services (I was youth president at my church) at age 15, and expanded to articles for Christian publications. My first article was published and made into a tract.
(3) I probably had 50 published articles and had worked three years as a newspaper reporter in a city of 100,000 before I ever took a journalism course and completed my college degree. I completed
 my degree after staying home 15 years with our children and free lancing, and was rehired. I worked 17 years as a reporter, mostly at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have a teen self-help book ready to go: Imagine the Future You. I also have a historical romance almost ready for publication, The Lady Fugitive. I still write articles for Christian magazines and occasional op-ed pieces for newspapers
5) Parting comments?
Thanks for inviting me to be your guest.
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Blog: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com  You can find my books on Amazon under my name. Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult  should be listed there be soon. The link to Swallowed by LIFE is http://amzn.to/Jnc1rW  and also is available on BarnesandNoble.com at http://bit.ly/JnbKVL, booksamillion.com at http://ow.ly/cJmx8 , and Good Reads http://ow.ly/cJmMe. Confessions of a Pentecostal link is  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088OP460Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistriesTwitter: @adellerella

Anita Higman's "A Merry Little Christmas"

What inspired you to incorporate Jim Crow laws and segregation into your book?
Even though A Merry Little Christmas is really a love story, I felt it needed some additional conflict, and some of the racial struggles of the 60s seemed to be the right choice for this particular plot. I grew up in the 60s, and I was always interested in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In some ways I feel I’ve waited my whole life to write this book. It came easily to me in that it’s been percolating in my imagination for a long time, but it was also hard to write because I had to consider more deeply the injustices of that era. Even though it sounds like a cliché, A Merry Little Christmas truly was the book of my heart.

The farm scenes seem pretty realistic. Did you grow up in the country?
I did. While the small towns in the book are totally fictitious I did grow up on a wheat, cattle, pig, and chicken farm in Western Oklahoma, and it was pretty much identical to the one in the novel. If the farm scenes seem realistic it’s because I got to know farm life quite well before I moved off to college at eighteen.

Franny and Charlie come from very different backgrounds, but are both looking for something very different from the way they've grown up. Do you think as humans, we all just have a "grass is always greener on the other side" mentality?
Yes, that is a human frailty that is easy to succumb to, and I’ve been guilty of it as well. But God is good about reminding me that he’s placed me on my own unique life-road, and it may have little to do with anyone else’s journey. Besides, in many cases when we get a closer look at someone else’s “lush green grass” it usually turns out to be turf.

Do you think that sometimes we don't pray for what we want because we are afraid of getting what we pray for?
Perhaps that’s true, which would explain why Franny is equally nervous and excited about the sudden answer to her prayers.

Was there a reason you added the themes of Christmas and music to the story?
My editor asked me to add those elements, and it was a blessing, since Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I love music. Also, female readers in general love novels that are set during the holidays, and I’m hoping the music adds a cozy feel to the overall Christmas theme.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
“The Holly and the Ivy.” The song has a melancholy feel to it, but it’s also beautifully sweet. I love the “Currier and Ives” style pictures my imagination conjures up when I’m listening to it.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
I love to have my gal friends over for brunch around Christmastime. I have been collecting tea dishes for many years, and so when I do a brunch, I go all out. Women are usually in a service mode most of their lives so when they come to my house I want them to feel wonderfully pampered. And by the time they leave, I hope their hearts are a little merrier and they feel we’ve celebrated Christmas well!

Is Franny's character based on any "real life" person?
Franny is like me in some ways, but she has a lot more courage than I have and more laughter in her heart. So, really, I want to be Franny when I grow up.

Does the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" have a special significance to you?
The song makes me swoon it’s so romantic and lovely. It makes me think of being snowed-in with the man I love. Of course, that scene also needs a mountain cabin with a crackling fire and two mugs of wassail.

You have written everything from romance to suspense/thrillers to nonfiction. What is your favorite genre to write?
I love inspirational romance. There’s just nothing else like it for writing and reading. It naturally makes you want to curl up on an overstuffed couch and read the day away.

Register to win Anita Higman's "A Merry Little Christmas"

We're happy to have Anita Higman with us today talking about her book, "A Merry Little Christmas." To register to win a copy, leave Anita a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Anita and her book, read on!


What inspired you to incorporate Jim Crow laws and segregation into your book?
Even though A Merry Little Christmas is really a love story, I felt it needed some additional conflict, and some of the racial struggles of the 60s seemed to be the right choice for this particular plot. I grew up in the 60s, and I was always interested in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In some ways I feel I’ve waited my whole life to write this book. It came easily to me in that it’s been percolating in my imagination for a long time, but it was also hard to write because I had to consider more deeply the injustices of that era. Even though it sounds like a cliché, A Merry Little Christmas truly was the book of my heart.

The farm scenes seem pretty realistic. Did you grow up in the country?
I did. While the small towns in the book are totally fictitious I did grow up on a wheat, cattle, pig, and chicken farm in Western Oklahoma, and it was pretty much identical to the one in the novel. If the farm scenes seem realistic it’s because I got to know farm life quite well before I moved off to college at eighteen.

Franny and Charlie come from very different backgrounds, but are both looking for something very different from the way they've grown up. Do you think as humans, we all just have a "grass is always greener on the other side" mentality?
Yes, that is a human frailty that is easy to succumb to, and I’ve been guilty of it as well. But God is good about reminding me that he’s placed me on my own unique life-road, and it may have little to do with anyone else’s journey. Besides, in many cases when we get a closer look at someone else’s “lush green grass” it usually turns out to be turf.

Do you think that sometimes we don't pray for what we want because we are afraid of getting what we pray for?
Perhaps that’s true, which would explain why Franny is equally nervous and excited about the sudden answer to her prayers.

Was there a reason you added the themes of Christmas and music to the story?
My editor asked me to add those elements, and it was a blessing, since Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I love music. Also, female readers in general love novels that are set during the holidays, and I’m hoping the music adds a cozy feel to the overall Christmas theme.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
“The Holly and the Ivy.” The song has a melancholy feel to it, but it’s also beautifully sweet. I love the “Currier and Ives” style pictures my imagination conjures up when I’m listening to it.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
I love to have my gal friends over for brunch around Christmastime. I have been collecting tea dishes for many years, and so when I do a brunch, I go all out. Women are usually in a service mode most of their lives so when they come to my house I want them to feel wonderfully pampered. And by the time they leave, I hope their hearts are a little merrier and they feel we’ve celebrated Christmas well!

Is Franny's character based on any "real life" person?
Franny is like me in some ways, but she has a lot more courage than I have and more laughter in her heart. So, really, I want to be Franny when I grow up.

Does the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" have a special significance to you?
The song makes me swoon it’s so romantic and lovely. It makes me think of being snowed-in with the man I love. Of course, that scene also needs a mountain cabin with a crackling fire and two mugs of wassail.

You have written everything from romance to suspense/thrillers to nonfiction. What is your favorite genre to write?
I love inspirational romance. There’s just nothing else like it for writing and reading. It naturally makes you want to curl up on an overstuffed couch and read the day away.