K. Dawn Byrd's Blog, page 63

"Fade to Blue" by Julie Carobini

[image error] Julie Carobini competed in Clash of the Titles' Best Back Cover Blurb category with an endearing novel set in Northern California. She wanted to write a novel using the historic Hearst Castle as its backdrop for quite some time. "So much intrigue and mystery about that real castle on the hill overlooking the sea," Carobini says. "Of course, novels are more than their location, so after writing the first two stand-alone books, Sweet Waters & A Shore Thing, I had an idea. Why not figure out what happens next for big-hearted Suz Mitchell from A Shore Thing? So... Fade to Blue is Suz's story."

Her setting and plot choice was a hit!

About Fade to Blue:
How do you restore a soul? One brush stroke at a time...
Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer, and won't allow her ex-husband's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, Suz moves with her child across the country to California's central coast, and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the sea.

But even dreams have shocking twists. To her surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, works at the castle and jumbles the new aspirations in Suz's heart. While sorting through their past and a palette of spiritual differences, an even bigger brush with yesterday awaits.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

What readers are saying:
"Fade to Blue is an insightful contemporary Christian Otter Bay relationship drama. The cast makes the tale work especially Suz-Q whose belief in the Lord will soon be tested. With a profound underlying message that you can pray for others but like that proverbial horse not make them drink the water of faith. Readers will appreciate this strong drama."

"I loved this book. It was a nice change from the normal everyday plots. Great characters and a wonderful style of writing will keep you enthralled in the pages of this book!"

"Julie has a gift for making characters and settings come alive… Julie offers a delightful summer read, full of more than romance to satisfy your yearning for a good story. Perfect to escape into the fun and the sun."

Grab your copy of Fade to Blue (http://www.amazon.com/Fade-Blue-Otter-Bay-Novel/dp/0805448748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308957647&sr=1-1) now then head on over to Clash of the Titles (http://www.clashofthetitles.com/) to join the fun! And you can find out more about Fade to Blue, Julie Carobini, and her writing at http://www.juliecarobini.com/

Jennifer Slattery (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/) is a novelist, freelance writer, and the marketing representative for the literary website, Clash of the Titles, where authors compete and readers judge.

In 2009 she won first place in the HACWN writing contest in the book category, placed second in the 2010 Dixie Kane, fourth in the 2010 Golden Pen and finaled in the 2010 CWG Operation First Novel Contest.

She has a short piece appearing in Bethany House's Love is a Flame (under a pen name), forwarded by Gary Chapman, another piece in Cathy Messecar's A Still and Quiet Soul, and writes for Christ to the World, Reflections in Hindsight, Samie Sisters, The Christian Pulse, and reviews for Novel Reviews.

She's also written for Granola Bar Devotions, Afictionado, The Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Romantic Times Review, Bloom, and the Breakthrough Intercessor.

Register to win "Fade to Blue" from Julie Carobini & Clash of the Titles

Please leave a comment with your email address at the end of the interview for your chance to win (don't forget to scroll down for more giveaways afterwards including a tee shirt and a poster.) United States entrants only please. In addition, place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to receive weekly email reminders about giveaways. Don't be too concerned if your comments don't show up when you hit send because my system is set up for me to review them before they release. Good luck!


[image error] Julie Carobini competed in Clash of the Titles' Best Back Cover Blurb category with an endearing novel set in Northern California. She wanted to write a novel using the historic Hearst Castle as its backdrop for quite some time. "So much intrigue and mystery about that real castle on the hill overlooking the sea," Carobini says. "Of course, novels are more than their location, so after writing the first two stand-alone books, Sweet Waters & A Shore Thing, I had an idea. Why not figure out what happens next for big-hearted Suz Mitchell from A Shore Thing? So... Fade to Blue is Suz's story."

Her setting and plot choice was a hit!

About Fade to Blue:
How do you restore a soul? One brush stroke at a time...
Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer, and won't allow her ex-husband's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, Suz moves with her child across the country to California's central coast, and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the sea.

But even dreams have shocking twists. To her surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, works at the castle and jumbles the new aspirations in Suz's heart. While sorting through their past and a palette of spiritual differences, an even bigger brush with yesterday awaits.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

What readers are saying:
"Fade to Blue is an insightful contemporary Christian Otter Bay relationship drama. The cast makes the tale work especially Suz-Q whose belief in the Lord will soon be tested. With a profound underlying message that you can pray for others but like that proverbial horse not make them drink the water of faith. Readers will appreciate this strong drama."

"I loved this book. It was a nice change from the normal everyday plots. Great characters and a wonderful style of writing will keep you enthralled in the pages of this book!"

"Julie has a gift for making characters and settings come alive… Julie offers a delightful summer read, full of more than romance to satisfy your yearning for a good story. Perfect to escape into the fun and the sun."

Grab your copy of Fade to Blue (http://www.amazon.com/Fade-Blue-Otter-Bay-Novel/dp/0805448748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308957647&sr=1-1) now then head on over to Clash of the Titles (http://www.clashofthetitles.com/) to join the fun! And you can find out more about Fade to Blue, Julie Carobini, and her writing at http://www.juliecarobini.com/

Jennifer Slattery (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/) is a novelist, freelance writer, and the marketing representative for the literary website, Clash of the Titles, where authors compete and readers judge.

In 2009 she won first place in the HACWN writing contest in the book category, placed second in the 2010 Dixie Kane, fourth in the 2010 Golden Pen and finaled in the 2010 CWG Operation First Novel Contest.

She has a short piece appearing in Bethany House's Love is a Flame (under a pen name), forwarded by Gary Chapman, another piece in Cathy Messecar's A Still and Quiet Soul, and writes for Christ to the World, Reflections in Hindsight, Samie Sisters, The Christian Pulse, and reviews for Novel Reviews.

She's also written for Granola Bar Devotions, Afictionado, The Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Romantic Times Review, Bloom, and the Breakthrough Intercessor.

Interview with Pamela Thibodeaux

[image error] Award winning author Pamela Thibodeaux competed in our best protagonist category with her novel, Tempered Hearts. When crafting her protagonists, she creates characters that are identifiable by the reader, have good qualities to balance out the not-so-nice ones, and of course are open and willing to allow their best qualities show/develop by the end of the story.


Who's her favorite protagonist as a reader? "Boy that's a tough one!" Thibodeaux says. "I absolutely love the protagonists in Nora Roberts and Julie Lessman novels - guess if I HAD to pick a favorite it would be Gray in Nora's Born in Ice (book 2 in the Born In trilogy)."

A bit about her book:
Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet. Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as gold fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.

Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love. Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them. The first book in the Tempered Series is here! Tempered Hearts.

What readers are saying:
"Pamela wrote a wonderful, fast paced book with strong characters and a strong plot."

"Tempered Hearts was written in a strong voice that spoke volumes to 'Christian' fiction. It was realistic and romantic, but without overwhelming us with too much 'morality checking'."

"I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good book, with faith and a lot of zip. I would especially recommend Tempered Hearts to those teen readers on the verge of becoming adults. This is a perfect book to show love, without the physical act."

"Tempered Hearts is a very inspirational and exciting book. A book you cannot put down when you start reading it. A JOB WELL DONE!!!!."

Order a copy of Tempered Hearts (http://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Hearts-Pamela-S-Thibodeaux/dp/0976996022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308958217&sr=1-1) now! Then hop on over to Clash of the Titles to join the fun!

You can find out more about Tempered Hearts, Pam Thibodeaux and her writing at http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com/,  http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com/

Jennifer Slattery (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/) is a novelist, freelance writer, and the marketing representative for the literary website, Clash of the Titles, where authors compete and readers judge.

In 2009 she won first place in the HACWN writing contest in the book category, placed second in the 2010 Dixie Kane, fourth in the 2010 Golden Pen and finaled in the 2010 CWG Operation First Novel Contest.

She has a short piece appearing in Bethany House's Love is a Flame (under a pen name), forwarded by Gary Chapman, another piece in Cathy Messecar's A Still and Quiet Soul, and writes for Reflections in Hindsight, Christ to the World, Samie Sisters, The Christian Pulse, and reviews for Novel Reviews.

She's also written for Granola Bar Devotions, Afictionado, The Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Romantic Times Review, Bloom, and the Breakthrough Intercessor.

Register to win a pdf book from Pamela Thibodeaux & Clash of the Titles

This is a mystery giveaway. Pamela Thibodeaux will be giving away a pdf version of a surprise book! Please leave a comment with your email address at the end of the interview for your chance to win (don't forget to scroll down for more giveaways including a tee shirt and poster.) United States entrants only please. In addition, place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to receive weekly email reminders about giveaways. Don't be too concerned if your comments don't show up when you hit send because my system is set up for me to review them before they release. Good luck!

[image error] Award winning author Pamela Thibodeaux competed in our best protagonist category with her novel, Tempered Hearts. When crafting her protagonists, she creates characters that are identifiable by the reader, have good qualities to balance out the not-so-nice ones, and of course are open and willing to allow their best qualities show/develop by the end of the story.


Who's her favorite protagonist as a reader? "Boy that's a tough one!" Thibodeaux says. "I absolutely love the protagonists in Nora Roberts and Julie Lessman novels - guess if I HAD to pick a favorite it would be Gray in Nora's Born in Ice (book 2 in the Born In trilogy)."

A bit about her book:
Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet. Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as gold fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.

Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love. Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them. The first book in the Tempered Series is here! Tempered Hearts.

What readers are saying:
"Pamela wrote a wonderful, fast paced book with strong characters and a strong plot."

"Tempered Hearts was written in a strong voice that spoke volumes to 'Christian' fiction. It was realistic and romantic, but without overwhelming us with too much 'morality checking'."

"I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good book, with faith and a lot of zip. I would especially recommend Tempered Hearts to those teen readers on the verge of becoming adults. This is a perfect book to show love, without the physical act."

"Tempered Hearts is a very inspirational and exciting book. A book you cannot put down when you start reading it. A JOB WELL DONE!!!!."

Order a copy of Tempered Hearts (http://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Hearts-Pamela-S-Thibodeaux/dp/0976996022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308958217&sr=1-1) now! Then hop on over to Clash of the Titles to join the fun!

You can find out more about Tempered Hearts, Pam Thibodeaux and her writing at http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com/,  http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com/

Jennifer Slattery (http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/) is a novelist, freelance writer, and the marketing representative for the literary website, Clash of the Titles, where authors compete and readers judge.

In 2009 she won first place in the HACWN writing contest in the book category, placed second in the 2010 Dixie Kane, fourth in the 2010 Golden Pen and finaled in the 2010 CWG Operation First Novel Contest.

She has a short piece appearing in Bethany House's Love is a Flame (under a pen name), forwarded by Gary Chapman, another piece in Cathy Messecar's A Still and Quiet Soul, and writes for Reflections in Hindsight, Christ to the World, Samie Sisters, The Christian Pulse, and reviews for Novel Reviews.

She's also written for Granola Bar Devotions, Afictionado, The Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Romantic Times Review, Bloom, and the Breakthrough Intercessor.

Register to win a Mistaken Identity t-shirt & poster

[image error] Hello!
I'm really excited about my latest review for Mistaken Identity and in honor of it, we're giving away a Mistaken Identity t-shirt and a signed poster of the cover with a matching magnet. If I don't have your size in the t-shirt, we'll do a free download.) This would make a great going back to school gift (I just know there's a teen out there somewhere with a blank space on her locker door just waiting for the poster.) Don't forget to check out my book trailer at the bottom.

For your chance to win:
(1) if you're not a follower, please add your email address to the feedburner box to the right;
(2) sign up to follow my new blog that's all about Zoe Mack, my heroine in my mystery/romance series that debuts in January. You can place your email address in the feedburner box at http://www.zoe-mack.blogspot.com/ to follow it.
(4) Leave me a comment here letting me know you've done that and you'll be registered. Please tell every young adult you know about the Zoe's Mack's blog. I plan to do some fun things with it.

And, for those of you who want to read my review, it's from Michelle Sutton, who has read all my books and I know how hard it is to yank five stars from her. She's reviewed my other two books and this is the first she gave five stars on Amazon AND it made her 2011 favorites list! I just had to share her touching words.

Wow! I loved this story because it brought me back to my high school years and all of the dating drama that went with it. Sometimes I really miss those days. Not! Seriously, this story appealed to me so much that I read it straight through. I couldn't put it down, and because of that it'a making my favorites list for 2011.

Mistaken Identity has the heart-warming feel of an inspirational novel, but with a heap of delicious YA drama from real life situations stacked on top. The romantic elements in the story were a real draw for me. I totally loved the tension between the characters. I was falling in love with the hero right along with her. That's great writing.

I really liked Eden and wanted to see her happy because her heart was so good. She wasn't fake at all, but a genuine person, which is why I think Channing was so intrigued by her. She was a good Christian girl and so typical of the teen girls I know from my church and other places. I loved her family, too. And that two-faced friend of hers, Lexi, was just like my "best" friend that I had in high school. She was always seeing my boyfriends behind my back, too. Grrr... And lying about it to my face. But that's an aside.

Seriously, this novel was swoon-worthy, top-notch fiction. In fact, it's the best YA Inspirational Romance I've read in the past few years, hands down...and I've read a good number of them. If you read the story you'll see what I mean. Your heart will flutter from the tender romance and you'll enjoy every minute. I was so lost in this novel that I felt like I was living the character's life. I forgot about everything else going on around me. What a great escape for the weekend! Now I want to go find a romantic chick flick to watch to keep the yummy mood going. Sigh. Great read. Very inspiring. Perfect beach novel. Great message for teens. All-around fantastic book. Can you tell I loved it?

Starsongs Magazine

[image error] Title: Starsongs Magazine
Publisher: Written World Communications

Cover blurb: Although Written World Communications is a Christian publisher, Starsongs Magazine is a general market quarterly magazine for kids by kids ages 9-19. Starsongs accepts original short stories, poetry, essays, articles, photography and art work by young people in the above mentioned age group. Each issue of Starsongs contains a mentoring article about writing or photography by an adult writer. We also feature an interview with an extraordinary young person. These interviews to date include author Kayla Woodhouse, Olympic skater Rachael Flatt, manager and first violinist for the New World String Quartet Rebecca Phillips, and mulit-published teen author Riley Carney.

1) How did the idea for this magazine come to you? This magazine came into existence to inspire young people to express their creative talent through original writing, photography, and artwork. Our tag line is "voices of the future" and our goal is to inspire youth.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting the magazine in circulation.
The first issue of Starsongs became available in September of 2010. Starsongs staff is proud to have published over thirty young writers and photographers, many for the first time. Our publication is available in downloadable and print format. We will be celebrating our one year anniversary with our next issue, due to release in late August, so watch for some neat contests!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I have a son and daughter-in-law who live in the United Kingdom
2) I have an awesome granddaughter who was nominated for the softball all-star team
3) Even though I live in Colorado, I was born and raised in New York (not New York City!)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Lots! Starsongs will be launching a book imprint, general market YA books, for which we are currently soliciting manuscripts. As Vice President of Written World Communications, I also supervise our other two children's publications, each of which have their own book imprints, which we plan to launch within the next few months. Untapped is a Christian YA magazine and book imprint. Patchwork is a Christian children's magazine and book imprint.

5) Parting comments?
If you are or know a young person who likes to write, please get in touch with me. I am always looking for submissions and I love to work with and mentor young writers. Always be open to God's plan for your writing life. My original goal was to write westerns! Even though that dream still lingers in the back of my mind, publishing young people brings me much more satisfaction than seeing my own book in print (if that ever happens) probably would.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Starsongs is available at www.magcloud.com/browse/magazine/113497. Our Written World Communications web site is under construction but we can be reached at http://www.written-world.com/. Send Starsongs submissions to Patti Shene at starsongs.mag@gmail.com.

Register to win a year's subscription to Starsongs Magazine

[image error] We're happy to have Patti Shene, exective editor of Starsongs Magazine, with us today. Please leave a comment with your email address at the end of the interview for your chance to win a year's subscription to Starsongs Magazine (don't forget to scroll down for more giveaways afterwards.) United States entrants only please. In addition, place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to receive weekly email reminders about giveaways. Don't be too concerned if your comments don't show up when you hit send because my system is set up for me to review them before they release. Good luck!

Title: Starsongs Magazine
Publisher: Written World Communications

Cover blurb: Although Written World Communications is a Christian publisher, Starsongs Magazine is a general market quarterly magazine for kids by kids ages 9-19. Starsongs accepts original short stories, poetry, essays, articles, photography and art work by young people in the above mentioned age group. Each issue of Starsongs contains a mentoring article about writing or photography by an adult writer. We also feature an interview with an extraordinary young person. These interviews to date include author Kayla Woodhouse, Olympic skater Rachael Flatt, manager and first violinist for the New World String Quartet Rebecca Phillips, and mulit-published teen author Riley Carney.

1) How did the idea for this magazine come to you? This magazine came into existence to inspire young people to express their creative talent through original writing, photography, and artwork. Our tag line is "voices of the future" and our goal is to inspire youth.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting the magazine in circulation.
The first issue of Starsongs became available in September of 2010. Starsongs staff is proud to have published over thirty young writers and photographers, many for the first time. Our publication is available in downloadable and print format. We will be celebrating our one year anniversary with our next issue, due to release in late August, so watch for some neat contests!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I have a son and daughter-in-law who live in the United Kingdom
2) I have an awesome granddaughter who was nominated for the softball all-star team
3) Even though I live in Colorado, I was born and raised in New York (not New York City!)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Lots! Starsongs will be launching a book imprint, general market YA books, for which we are currently soliciting manuscripts. As Vice President of Written World Communications, I also supervise our other two children's publications, each of which have their own book imprints, which we plan to launch within the next few months. Untapped is a Christian YA magazine and book imprint. Patchwork is a Christian children's magazine and book imprint.

5) Parting comments?
If you are or know a young person who likes to write, please get in touch with me. I am always looking for submissions and I love to work with and mentor young writers. Always be open to God's plan for your writing life. My original goal was to write westerns! Even though that dream still lingers in the back of my mind, publishing young people brings me much more satisfaction than seeing my own book in print (if that ever happens) probably would.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Starsongs is available at www.magcloud.com/browse/magazine/113497. Our Written World Communications web site is under construction but we can be reached at http://www.written-world.com/. Send Starsongs submissions to Patti Shene at starsongs.mag@gmail.com.

Kim Watters' "Home Sweet Home"

[image error] Title: Home Sweet Home
Publisher: Harlequin's Love Inspired

Cover blurb: Somewhere to belong....
Finally ready to settle down, Abby Bancroft has just inherited a place to put down roots. But her hopes for a successful bed-and breakfast are placed on hold when she learns that her grandparents' run-down inn is in serious need of TLC. So is Cole Preston, the handsome contractor who offers to help make her dream a reality. His past mistakes won't let him consider settling in the close knit town. Yet as he and Abby work together to repair the house, they also begin to mend each other's hearts. And they just may find that consulting their hearts is what creating a home is all about.

1) How did this story come to you?
After I finished my first Love Inspired On Wings of Love, I wanted to write a story that was a little lighter and had nothing to do with a medical profession. I've always been intrigued by old Victorian houses and the idea of running a bed & breakfast. Since those are very remote possibilities, I lived it vicariously through my characters.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My editor passed on another proposal so I sat back down at the proverbial drawing board and hashed out a few ideas with my critique group. Voila. Home Sweet Home was born.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I've lived in two foreign countries; South Africa and France . I work at a golf course during the day but don't play golf. I'm claustrophobic so don't be standing next to me in a crowded elevator.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next Love Inspired tentatively called A Father's Love, which ironically visits the medical community again.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your community for the day. I hope everyone enjoys reading Home Sweet Home as much as I enjoyed writing it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.kimwatters.com www.facebook.com/kimwatters
www.myspace.com/kimwatters
www.twitter.com/kimwattersaz
http://www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

Register to win Kim Watters' "Home Sweet Home"

[image error] Please leave a comment with your email address at the end of the interview for your chance to win (don't forget to scroll down for more giveaways afterwards.) United States entrants only please. In addition, place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to receive weekly email reminders about giveaways. Don't be too concerned if your comments don't show up when you hit send because my system is set up for me to review them before they release. Good luck!

Title: Home Sweet Home
Publisher: Harlequin's Love Inspired

Cover blurb: Somewhere to belong....
Finally ready to settle down, Abby Bancroft has just inherited a place to put down roots. But her hopes for a successful bed-and breakfast are placed on hold when she learns that her grandparents' run-down inn is in serious need of TLC. So is Cole Preston, the handsome contractor who offers to help make her dream a reality. His past mistakes won't let him consider settling in the close knit town. Yet as he and Abby work together to repair the house, they also begin to mend each other's hearts. And they just may find that consulting their hearts is what creating a home is all about.

1) How did this story come to you?
After I finished my first Love Inspired On Wings of Love, I wanted to write a story that was a little lighter and had nothing to do with a medical profession. I've always been intrigued by old Victorian houses and the idea of running a bed & breakfast. Since those are very remote possibilities, I lived it vicariously through my characters.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My editor passed on another proposal so I sat back down at the proverbial drawing board and hashed out a few ideas with my critique group. Voila. Home Sweet Home was born.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I've lived in two foreign countries; South Africa and France . I work at a golf course during the day but don't play golf. I'm claustrophobic so don't be standing next to me in a crowded elevator.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next Love Inspired tentatively called A Father's Love, which ironically visits the medical community again.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your community for the day. I hope everyone enjoys reading Home Sweet Home as much as I enjoyed writing it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.kimwatters.com www.facebook.com/kimwatters
www.myspace.com/kimwatters
www.twitter.com/kimwattersaz
http://www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

Linda Rohrbough's "The Prophetess One: At Risk"

[image error]
Title: The Prophetess One: At Risk
Publisher: High Hill Inspiration, a division of High Hill Press, St Charles, Missouri.

Cover blurb:
Front cover: A nation in peril. Only one woman can save it.
Back cover: "This is fast-paced, thrilling, edge-of-the-seat reading. The Prophetess One: At Risk had me flipping the pages and holding my breath." - Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestseller

It's a very different kind of war.
Why would God choose a pregnant computer programmer to fight it?
All Anna McClintock wants is a peaceful stretch of beach she can walk to with her new husband, Jack, and her soon-to-be-born child. Jack is finishing his engineering degree this semester and the two plan to leave his Kansas home to build their new lives together.
But when Anna finds herself in jail for the murder of a preschool child she tried to save, she realizes she is alone, except for God. She has to rely on new-found spiritual gifts as well as her wits and skills in order to save herself, her unborn son, and her marriage.
And she has another decision to make. This one affects the entire nation.

1) How did this story come to you?
For me, real events formed the background for The Prophetess One: At Risk.
It all started after an extreme tragedy. My husband's nephew, Daniel Rohrbough, was a casualty in the Columbine shooting. The entire family was in shock, but even so I started noticing strange events. For example, as family at the Columbine memorial service, I was down front far enough to see General Colin Powell on the platform in full military dress between musicians Amy Grant and Phil Driscoll. But he was never mentioned or introduced, and he never spoke. It didn't take much research on my part to discover Powell is the military's go to guy when it comes to problems with the Middle East.
As I followed the Columbine shooting, I discovered the shooters bragged theirs would be the first of many such events. And they were right. Plus the officials investigating Columbine looked unsuccessfully for months for third-party involvement in the year-long planning of the shooting.
I started researching other school shootings as they occurred. There were numerous reports of school shooters, including the Columbine shooters, doing a low-level format of the hard disk drives of their computers. This is an extreme measure that takes hours to perform, as it meticulously zeros out the hard disk drive. I only did a low-level format when a computer was so virus-ridden, there was no other way to salvage it. Since most of the shooters, including those at Columbine, posted their plans on the Internet, I wondered what they didn't want found.
In two cases, the low-level format was stopped before it was complete. Once in a school shooting in Paris and once when a kid in Florida flew his Dad's plane into a building. In both cases, the authorities found emails they traced back to Al Qaeda operatives.
As I investigated other shootings, I uncovered much more information that led me to believe this sort of thing could be prevented on a grass roots level. This led me to the theme of the book - men are important in the lives of children.
I wrote in more detail about the events and my process on my website on my Books page.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It took me twelve years. Most of that time I spent figuring out how to write fiction, which is very different than doing nonfiction. Every time I thought I should give up on this book, and write something else, someone I respected would read it and encourage me to keep trying. I got my fiction agent about three years ago and he's been a great advocate for the book. And my publisher, a small press in St. Charles, Missouri, loved the book, thought it was important, and wanted to see it out there. So now we're on that journey.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
As a child, I wanted to be an entomologist (someone who studies insects). I don't know if readers will be surprised by this, but I am still surprised I won a national award for a short story I wrote in 7th grade. But readers might be surprised to know I have also produced an iPhone App of a workshop I do to help writers learn to talk about their books to an editor or agent called "Pitch Your Book." It's available for the iPhone, iTouch, or iPad at the iTunes store.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on The Prophetess Two. And I'm doing a new App for writers. Plus my fiction agent is shopping my women-in-technology suspense series - five books each with a strong, smart gal trained in a technical field who sees evidence of God as creator in the everyday science she works with. Plus she has a sticky problem that's got her in trouble. The first one is about a foreign object debris (FOD) expert at Denver International Airport. (A FOD expert is someone whose job it is to help prevent objects from getting sucked into jet engines, including animals, like those geese that forced a commercial airliner into the Hudson River a couple of years back.) The other books feature an astronomer, a chemist, an astronaut, and a physicist.

5) Parting comments?
I'm grateful to be here. Thanks for joining me.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a website where I keep readers posted at http://www.lindarohrbough.com/. And I'm on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LindaRohrboughAuthor.