K. Dawn Byrd's Blog, page 48

Register to win Margaret Daley's "His Holiday Family"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! In addition, there are two more giveaways on the sister blog at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com.


We're happy to have Margaret Daley with us today talking about her book, "His Holiday Family." To register to win a copy, leave Margaret 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 Margaret and her book, read on!

Title: His Holiday Family
Publisher: Love Inspired

Cover blurb: When Hurricane Naomi tears through a small Mississippi town, a daring rescue unites two heroes. Nurse Kathleen Hart is a single mom racked by guilt over her husband's death. Firefighter Gideon O'Brien—orphaned as a young boy—has lost too many people he cared for. To rise above the storm's devastation, Gideon helps Kathleen and her sons rebuild their home. As Christmas approaches, they discover that even the strongest of storms can't destroy a romance built on the foundation of faith.

1) How did this story come to you?
I used to live on Mississippi Gulf Coast and wanted to honor the people who rebuild after a disaster like a hurricane. They do an amazing job. They are heroes.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My publisher asked me to do a Love Inspired series, and this is what I came up with. His Holiday Family is the first in A Town Called Hope Series. The second one is in April, 2012 called A Love Rekindled and the third one is out in September, 2012 called A Mom's Fresh Start.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I love to read and haven't read a book in four months for pleasure.
2) I don't want any present for Christmas.
3) I can't think of a third thing that would surprise my readers--I'm an open book.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on my third in the Men of the Texas Rangers Series for Abingdon Press. These books are a romantic suspense (contemporary). This third book called Scorned Justice should be out in August 2013 and is about revenge. The first book in the series will be out in March 2012 and it is called Saving Hope, followed by the second one, Shattered Silence in August 2012.

5) Parting comments?
I love hearing from my readers. You can email me from my website. There is a contact form.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.margaretdaley.com/

Register to win Melanie Dickerson's "The Merchant's Daughter"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! In addition, there are two more giveaways on the sister blog at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com.

We're happy to have  with us today Melanie Dickerson, talking about her book, "The Merchant's Daughter." To register to win a copy, leave Melanie 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 Melanie and her book, read on!

Title: The Merchant's Daughter
Publisher: Zondervan

Cover blurb: An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice.
Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

1) How did this story come to you?
Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairy tale, and when I decided to do another fairy tale retelling, I knew I wanted to do a Beauty and the Beast story. I knew I wanted to set it in England and for it have a little bit of a Gothic feel. Then the story just gradually evolved. I don't really remember too much about the process. I wrote it about four years ago.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I was still trying to get The Healer's Apprentice published when I entered The Merchant's Daughter in its first contest, and it won first place and The Healer's Apprentice took fourth. But I didn't really try very hard to get it published. Once Zondervan decided to publish The Healer's Apprentice, my agent submitted The Merchant's Daughter to my editor. A few months later, she asked for some changes. I did the changes, and finally, about a year after we submitted it, they said yes.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) My books are published as YA's but I rarely read a YA.
2) I am watching the TV show Once Upon a Time, which is not surprising, but it is the first TV show I've followed in over twenty years.
3) I hate bananas.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have a Snow White story and a Cinderella story that are both sequels to The Healer's Apprentice and am hoping Zondervan will publish them in about a year. Right now I'm working on a Regency for an adult Christian audience.

5) Parting comments?
I should probably say something profound like "World peace is so important and we should all do our part," but instead I'll say, "Please go buy my book. It's really good."

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love interacting with readers, so please friend me on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/people/Melanie-Dickerson/100000220838349

And please check out the awesome trailers for The Merchant's Daughter and The Healer's Apprentice on my website, http://www.melaniedickerson.com/

Register to win Beth Trissel's "Somewhere the Bells Ring"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! In addition, there are two more giveaways on the sister blog at http://www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com/.


We're happy to have Beth Trissel with us today talking about her book, "Somewhere the Bells Ring." To register to win a copy, leave Beth 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 Beth and her book, read on!

Title: Somewhere the Bells Ring
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Cover blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative's ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn't so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope--until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe--in Bailey and the ghost--before the Christmas bells ring?

1) How did this story come to you?
In a vivid dream that took place in the beautiful old Virginia home place where my father grew up and I visited during the holidays about a young woman, a guest in the house at Christmas, and the mysterious gentleman she met. That dream nagged at me until I wrote the story. I'm also very nostalgic about the late 1960's, thus the time period the story is set in, and an even earlier era 1918 and the end of WW1--that accounts for the flashbacks.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Writing it. My Faery Rose (light paranormal) editor loved the story, so the journey was all in the creation.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I'm a wee bit psychic. Stories and characters often come to me in dreams, also events I'd rather not know about sometimes. I pray a lot.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
The next story in my 'Somewhere' series, the sequel to Scottish time travel romance Somewhere My Lass, while I wait to hear back from my historical editor about a manuscript I turned in, the third in my colonial frontier trilogy and the sequel to Through the Fire. I write for two different lines at the Wild Rose Press.

5) Parting comments?
If you enjoy an intriguing mystery with Gothic overtones and heart-tugging romance set in vintage America then Somewhere the Bells Ring is for you. And did I mention the ghost?

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My blog is the happening place and has links to everything else: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/

Liz Tolsma's "Under His Wings in A Log Cabin Christmas"

Title: Under His Wings in A Log Cabin Christmas
Publisher: Barbour

Cover blurb: Adie O'Connell, orphaned and alone in a dangerous logging camp, seeks the stability she once knew when both her parents lived. Despite the compassion and friendship offered by Noah "Preacher Man" Mitchell, she refuses to consider marriage to a man always drifting from one job to another for God.

1) How did this story come to you?
I was visiting the Camp Five logging museum in Laona, Wisconsin and thought it would be a great place to set a story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote the first two chapters of the book several years ago, but wasn't able to find a publisher for it. It sat lonely on my hard drive for that entire time. Then in August 2010, Barbour put out a call for a Christmas story with a log cabin in it. How perfect! I wrote the third chapter, polished everything, and submitted it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Wow, this is hard for me. I'm pretty much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person.
1. I'm disorganized. O.K., very disorganized. I like to pretend I have it all together, but I don't.
2. I haven't read the other stories in the collection. I'm afraid they're way better than mine.
3. I don't like talking on the telephone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My agent has submitted my WWII story to several publishers. Still waiting… I'm working on a prairie romance now and will soon embark on another series set in South Dakota.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you so much for hosting me. I appreciate it and I appreciate all the readers who have bought the book and sent me such kind comments.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
They can find me at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com, http://www.liztolsma.com/, on Facebook as Liz Tolsma and on Twitter @LizTolsma. I'm also a regular contributor to The Barn Door, http://www.thebarndoor.net/

Register to win Liz Tolsma's "Under His Wings in A Log Cabin Christmas"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! In addition, there are two more giveaways on the sister blog at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com .


We're happy to have Liz Tolsma with us today talking about "Under His Wings in A Log Cabin Christmas." To register to win a copy, leave Liz 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 Liz and her book, read on!

Title: Under His Wings in A Log Cabin Christmas
Publisher: Barbour

Cover blurb: Adie O'Connell, orphaned and alone in a dangerous logging camp, seeks the stability she once knew when both her parents lived. Despite the compassion and friendship offered by Noah "Preacher Man" Mitchell, she refuses to consider marriage to a man always drifting from one job to another for God.

1) How did this story come to you?
I was visiting the Camp Five logging museum in Laona, Wisconsin and thought it would be a great place to set a story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote the first two chapters of the book several years ago, but wasn't able to find a publisher for it. It sat lonely on my hard drive for that entire time. Then in August 2010, Barbour put out a call for a Christmas story with a log cabin in it. How perfect! I wrote the third chapter, polished everything, and submitted it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Wow, this is hard for me. I'm pretty much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person.
1. I'm disorganized. O.K., very disorganized. I like to pretend I have it all together, but I don't.
2. I haven't read the other stories in the collection. I'm afraid they're way better than mine.
3. I don't like talking on the telephone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My agent has submitted my WWII story to several publishers. Still waiting… I'm working on a prairie romance now and will soon embark on another series set in South Dakota.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you so much for hosting me. I appreciate it and I appreciate all the readers who have bought the book and sent me such kind comments.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
They can find me at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com, http://www.liztolsma.com/, on Facebook as Liz Tolsma and on Twitter @LizTolsma. I'm also a regular contributor to The Barn Door, http://www.thebarndoor.net/

Register to win Precarious Yates' new book on human trafficking at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com

We're happy to have Precarious Yates with us talking about her new book "The Elite of the Weak." She's on our sister blog at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com. Please leave a comment there with your email address for your chance to win. Thanks!

Tell me about The Elite of the Weak

The Elite of the Weak is set in the near future, when Babylon is rebuilt over the ancient ruins, odd political alliances are forged and strong earthquakes occur in strange places.

Trained to do covert missions from a young age, Hadassah enjoys few things more than thrills, whether it's jumping out of an airplane, a high speed chase after a Somali pirate or crawling through the air ducts in a mafia-owned warehouse. But nothing is more thrilling than rescuing kids from human trafficking. The only thing is, she might do better on a team than on her own.

Enter Revelation Special Ops and their unique short-term mission trips. This elite group of people, R.S.O., is trained to rescue kids from the darkest forms of human trafficking. And they may just be willing to take seventeen year old Hadassah on board.

Why did you write about human trafficking?
In the summer of 2010 I knew I needed to start writing again, but I didn't want to write about just anything. I had spent almost two years in intense study of the book of Revelation, so I knew my book would have an End Times theme. Also, by that time I had spent ten years raising awareness about the horrors of human trafficking throughout the world, and this theme snuck into everything I wrote anyway. But I took three days where I asked God what He wanted me to write about. That's when the idea came to me for Revelation Special Ops.

We all agree that kids should not be trafficked. It's just plain wrong on so many levels. But I prayfully wondered: will there be people trying to rescue these kids when the world as we know it starts to fall apart? It was from that question that I started writing the first book of Revelation Special Ops, The Elite of the Weak, during the 2010 NaNoWriMo. I was so inspired by the character of Hadassah that I wrote over 62,000 words in a month—by hand. I hope she inspires others too.

What inspired you to become an abolitionist?
Eleven years ago, I took a summer job working for a company that did electronic funds transfers for non-profit organizations. You'd think a job like this would be mundane, but my boss, a former Navy Seal, was anything but mundane. He'd spent four months in early 2000 filming a documentary about forced prostitution in Eastern Europe. So my job title went from passive receptionist to an active abolitionist. I was asked to help put the presentation together, pooling articles about human trafficking from a dozen or more news sources. I learned later that my boss took this presentation to the Vatican when he had an audience with the Pope and other Vatican staff.

Once I learned about what happened to girls and women around the globe, I couldn't be silent about it any more.

Does human trafficking only happen overseas?
There are over 100,000 kids caught in human trafficking in the USA. As many as 95% of those trafficked have been in foster care.

What are some practical steps a teen abolitionist can take?
(1) First of, get close to God. He is the great Emancipator and the great Abolitionist. A friend of mine said recently, "In Exodus 2, Moses was an activist and a revolutionary. But in Exodus 3 he became a prophet and a deliverer. That's what... an encounter with God will do to you."
(2) Allow the Lord to soften your heart toward those who are oppressed. It's easy to feel compassion when they are far away, not so much sometimes when they are up close.
(3) Prayerfully, and with your parents' full knowledge and support, befriend someone who may be on the brink. Many kids in terrible circumstances will be more likely to tell a friend they were propositioned by a pimp. Love, advice and help from peers can lead kids on the brink toward positive choices. But tell your parents and direct this friend toward the guidance counselors at school or your youth pastor. Remember that you are powerful in this person's life (even when they mock you), but you also can't and shouldn't do this on your own.
(4) Get involved with organizations that work to end trafficking. Here's a link http://precariousyates.wordpress.com/links to a list of them .
(5) Start a prayer meeting, or bring it up as a topic in your next prayer meeting.
(6) Tell friends about the issue, or tell them about books, news articles, organizations, etc.
(7) Hope in the Lord always. With God all things are possible, including a world without slavery.

Register to win a signed paperback by leaving a comment at www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com.

Jude Urbanski's "Joy Restored"

Title: Joy Restored
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Cover blurb: Oh, this wasn't easy to finalize! I wanted to tell everything. But here's what I eventually settled on: Kate Davidson feels God has played a cruel joke with the accidental death of her husband, a troubled Vietnam vet. She is so angry at God she almost misses the incredible love offered by rich widower Seth Orbin, no stranger to loss and grief.

1) How did this story come to you?
In writing women's fiction, I seem to be drawn to themes of spinning tragedy into triumph and Kate and Seth both do this, each in their own way. My own life includes tragedies I've turned into triumph with the help of God. So I easily identify with my characters. The setting, which is on the cover, is where I was born, but left early in my life. The memory never left me though and I returned to it for the book.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
That was amazing. I had nearly relegated my first novel to my computer for 'my eyes only' when I learned of Desert Breeze. Someone wanted novels with a touch of the Vietnam era and the Depression Era! My novel links to the Vietnam era and the free accompanying download with my book is my mother's short love story set in the Depression Era. We both share the same setting. Bonanza!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I confess to a popcorn addiction; I collect rocks from sites I visit; and when in Honduras, rode in a military Hummer full of soldiers and no, I wasn't arrested. I was on a mission trip and 'looked after' by the government.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm doing a sequel to Joy Restored and it is called Nurtured in Purple. I have a completed women's fiction manuscript set in Jamaica.

5) Parting comments?
For those who dream, there is no such word as impossible. Thank you for having me, K. Dawn!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.judeurbanski.com/
Blog: judeurbanski.blogspot.com
Email: urbanski4u@aol.com

Register to win a PDF copy Jude Urbanski's "Joy Restored"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! We're happy to have Jude Urbanski with us today talking about her book, "Joy Restored." To register to win a PDF copy, leave Jude 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 Jude and her book, read on!

Title: Joy Restored
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Cover blurb: Oh, this wasn't easy to finalize! I wanted to tell everything. But here's what I eventually settled on: Kate Davidson feels God has played a cruel joke with the accidental death of her husband, a troubled Vietnam vet. She is so angry at God she almost misses the incredible love offered by rich widower Seth Orbin, no stranger to loss and grief.

1) How did this story come to you?
In writing women's fiction, I seem to be drawn to themes of spinning tragedy into triumph and Kate and Seth both do this, each in their own way. My own life includes tragedies I've turned into triumph with the help of God. So I easily identify with my characters. The setting, which is on the cover, is where I was born, but left early in my life. The memory never left me though and I returned to it for the book.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
That was amazing. I had nearly relegated my first novel to my computer for 'my eyes only' when I learned of Desert Breeze. Someone wanted novels with a touch of the Vietnam era and the Depression Era! My novel links to the Vietnam era and the free accompanying download with my book is my mother's short love story set in the Depression Era. We both share the same setting. Bonanza!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I confess to a popcorn addiction; I collect rocks from sites I visit; and when in Honduras, rode in a military Hummer full of soldiers and no, I wasn't arrested. I was on a mission trip and 'looked after' by the government.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm doing a sequel to Joy Restored and it is called Nurtured in Purple. I have a completed women's fiction manuscript set in Jamaica.

5) Parting comments?
For those who dream, there is no such word as impossible. Thank you for having me, K. Dawn!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.judeurbanski.com/
Blog: judeurbanski.blogspot.com
Email: urbanski4u@aol.com

Rhonda Gibson's "A Biltmore Christmas"

Title: A Biltmore Christmas
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Cover blurb:Explore the luxuries of America's largest home through the eyes of the fiction Bradford sisters. Having been orphaned, they each secure work and lodging at the Biltmore estate. Charity, a laundress; Peggy, an assistant cook, Selma, a chambermaid; and Melissa, a stable "boy" each experience adventures in employment and romance that culminate at Christmastime when the Vanderbilts' hospitality is at its grandest level.

1) How did this story come to you?
Sylvia Barnes approached me about joining this collection. Peggy is the oldest sister and I just knew she'd be a wonderful cook but I also knew she'd be allergic to bees. The Biltmore house fascinated me from the beginning and Peggy's story simply unfolded as I researched this wonderful piece of history.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published. I am very lucky to have a support group called The Bards Of Faith. We like to brainstorm and help each other get published. This book started with the Bards and has been a wonderful adventure. One of our members pitched the story at the ACFW conference to Rebecca Germany. She liked the idea and from there we researched and wrote our stories.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers. 1. The older I get the more recluse I become. 2. I love to read fantasy fiction 3. I have moved out of my writing cottage and into an office, if you've been following me for long, you know I LOVED my writing cottage.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you? Right now I'm working on a mail order bride historical romance. My next release will be in May and is a Love Inspired Historical titled, The Marshal's Promise. I'm thrilled to be a part of the LIH family!
5) Parting comments?
I love writing and would enjoy hearing from readers. Feel free to email me at rgib2001@yahoo.com Thank you for having me. This has been fun!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.rhondagibson.com or visit my blog at http://rhondagibson.blogspot.com 

Register to win Rhonda Gibson's "A Biltmore Christmas"

There are four giveaways this week. Be sure to scroll down and check them all out! We're happy to have Rhonda Gibson with us today talking about her book, "A Biltmore Christmas." To register to win a copy, leave Rhonda 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 Rhonda and her book, read on!

Title: A Biltmore Christmas
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Cover blurb:Explore the luxuries of America's largest home through the eyes of the fiction Bradford sisters. Having been orphaned, they each secure work and lodging at the Biltmore estate. Charity, a laundress; Peggy, an assistant cook, Selma, a chambermaid; and Melissa, a stable "boy" each experience adventures in employment and romance that culminate at Christmastime when the Vanderbilts' hospitality is at its grandest level.

1) How did this story come to you?
Sylvia Barnes approached me about joining this collection. Peggy is the oldest sister and I just knew she'd be a wonderful cook but I also knew she'd be allergic to bees. The Biltmore house fascinated me from the beginning and Peggy's story simply unfolded as I researched this wonderful piece of history.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published. I am very lucky to have a support group called The Bards Of Faith. We like to brainstorm and help each other get published. This book started with the Bards and has been a wonderful adventure. One of our members pitched the story at the ACFW conference to Rebecca Germany. She liked the idea and from there we researched and wrote our stories.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers. 1. The older I get the more recluse I become. 2. I love to read fantasy fiction 3. I have moved out of my writing cottage and into an office, if you've been following me for long, you know I LOVED my writing cottage.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you? Right now I'm working on a mail order bride historical romance. My next release will be in May and is a Love Inspired Historical titled, The Marshal's Promise. I'm thrilled to be a part of the LIH family!
5) Parting comments?
I love writing and would enjoy hearing from readers. Feel free to email me at rgib2001@yahoo.com Thank you for having me. This has been fun!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.rhondagibson.com or visit my blog at http://rhondagibson.blogspot.com