Heather Day Gilbert's Blog, page 14
September 22, 2014
Interview & Giveaway with Sally Bradley, Author of Kept
I’m so pleased to have author Sally Bradley visiting today. This gal is an exceptional writer, a sweet friend, and her novel, Kept, has generated all kinds of buzz over the past few months (and this is before its recent release!). I was blessed to be an early reader on this one, and this was my endorsement:
“Vibrant characters, compelling questions, modern-day issues… Kept is a contemporary Christian classic along the lines of Redeeming Love. Impossible to put down, this story pulls us into the heart of Chicago and shows us how God’s hand can work, even when we repeatedly make the wrong choices. Sally Bradley’s voice is gripping and clear, and her debut is a shining beacon of how very relevant Christian fiction can be.”
Sally has graciously agreed to give away one e-book copy of Kept to a random winner! Will post the Rafflecopter sign-up below!
Author Sally Bradley
Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, she now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they still get back to Chicago once in a while for important things—like good pizza and a White Sox game. Fiction has been her passion since childhood, and she’s thrilled now to be writing books that not only entertain, but point back to Christ. You can find her at sallybradley.com and on her Facebook page, Sally Bradley, Writer. Kept is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
Life has taught Miska Tomlinson that there are no honorable men. Her womanizing brothers, her absentee father, and Mark, the married baseball player who claims to love her—all have proven undependable. But Miska has life under control. She runs her editing business from her luxury condo, stays fit with daily jogs along Chicago’s lakefront, and in her free time blogs anonymously about life as a kept woman.
Enter new neighbor Dillan Foster. Between his unexpected friendship and her father’s sudden reappearance, Miska loses control of her orderly life. Her relationship with Mark deteriorates, and Miska can’t help comparing him to Dillan. His religious views are so foreign, yet the way he treats her is something she’s longed for. But Dillan discovers exactly who she is and what she has done. Too late she finds herself longing for a man who is determined to never look her way again.
When her blog receives unexpected national press, Miska realizes that her anonymity was an illusion. Caught in a scandal about to break across the nation, Miska wonders if the God Dillan talks about would bother with a woman like her—a woman who’s gone too far and done too much.
Interview with Author Sally Bradley
HG: First of all, I need to know: how many contests has your novel Kept placed in/won? Please spill it! Also, do you think those contests have helped you in any way? Would you recommend entering contests?
SB: Kept has done really well in contests, and I’m so thankful for that. It won two RWA chapter contests (Duel on the Delta and Great Expectations), Category 5 (an ACFW chapter contest), and Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad contest (General Fiction). It’s finaled twice in ACFW’s Genesis and didn’t win the first time. Second time is still to be determined! And in all fairness, there was one contest that Kept didn’t final in.
Did the contests help me? Absolutely! If I were to line up my score sheets in order, you’d see that the scores improved with each one because I listened to their feedback, applied it, and submitted to another contest. It also helped me differentiate between what was opinion and what was a real problem. So I’m glad I took a year and submitted so much.
I think if you’re going to do contests, you should do a bunch. That way the odds are better of getting helpful feedback. If you enter one contest, you could get a clueless judge or two. That does happen. But when you enter four or five contests, you’re likely to have more judges who know what they’re talking about.
HG: You have chosen to publish your book independently, even though you’ve worked for two different publishers (in different departments). What kind of factors played into this decision?
SB: From the very beginning I believed in Kept as a story that had a lot of potential to reach hurting women. It kept getting classified as edgy, which I disagree with. Because today’s publishing climate is so risk averse, no one would touch it, even though I got all kinds of compliments on my writing and storytelling skills. Indie publishing had been a real option for a couple years by then, and I’d been praying about which direction should go. Traditional publishing doors closed at the same time that I decided indie publishing was the better option for Kept, anyway. So I ended up indie publishing and being glad about it, not doing it as a second-best option (Click to Tweet).
HG: As you know, I read and loved Kept. Sometimes I get so HUNGRY for a well-written contemporary novel that sweeps me right up into it, and your novel delivered. I felt like I knew more about Chicago from reading it (and now I struggle with a relentless craving for deep-dish pizza!). Please share why you chose this locale for your novel.
SB: Because it was what I knew and loved. I grew up outside Chicago, and for whatever reason, that city just has a hold on me. It’s beautiful, it’s full of life and beauty, it has so much to offer—but there’s so much brokenness too. Just like there is across our country.
When I came up with the idea—a woman who’s kept by a professional athlete—I knew the story called for a luxury setting. And I’d been eying that part of Chicago and the historic high rises right on the edge of Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, and the lakefront. It’s not your usual Chicago setting, which I liked too. So the setting and my love for Chicago and desire to show people the beauty Chicago does have (plus the good food!) combined to make that the perfect place for Kept to unfold.
HG: Kept also doesn’t shy away from heavier issues, like modesty in dress or struggles with promiscuity. Yet you handled everything in a tasteful manner, and pulled us back time and time again to the biblical view on these things. Describe your target reader to me–what does he/she look like and enjoy? (I know I’m one of them!).
SB: I imagine my audience to be women between college years and mid-forties. I know I already have readers in their fifties and beyond, so clearly it’s just a guess on age. I think what probably matters most is that they’re women who want a read that’s deep and gripping. The city, to them, isn’t a disgusting, dirty thing but something that can hold beauty and good times—and I don’t mean that in a bad way. They’ve probably spent some time of their life outside a big city or in a city. I think they’d be women who are highly relational and would enjoy really chewing things over with other female friends.
I could be totally wrong there! I’d love to hear what you think, but that’s my best guess.
HG: I think our audience does find us, and sometimes it’s not who we plan on! But there does seem to be a majority reader demographic we’re shooting for when writing…and I find it often looks a lot like me, since I write what I want to read! Soo…d o you have plans for a series? How long does it take for you to complete a book, have it edited/formatted and get your cover art?
SB: I do have the very beginnings of an sequel to Kept, but it’s just a seedling right now. I haven’t started it. I hope to be faster in the future, but I do work as a freelance fiction editor and homeschool in the mornings. So I don’t have the option of working fulltime on fiction like I’d like to.
Getting Kept out there has really whet my appetite to write more and share more stories with people. So I’d like to think that this next book will go faster, but somehow I doubt it. If I could have another book out by next summer, I’d be thrilled.
Editing is what takes me the longest. I would guess I did ten passes through Kept, and sometimes there’s a line or paragraph or scene that you just wrestle with for an entire day. Or days. Thankfully that’s not the norm, but editing is so crucial, and little changes in words can make a huge difference. Sometimes I worry that I’m being a perfectionist and unrealistic, but when I hear that a specific scene has moved someone how I wanted it to, I’m okay with the time spent.
HG: I hear ya on the homeschooling thing. Hard to concentrate on writing sometimes! Also, speaking of cover art, I love the cover of Kept. Tell us what elements you knew you wanted in it.
SB: It is so beautiful, isn’t it? I came up with the concept, but I certainly could never have executed it!
My original concept was to show the back of a woman at a window, looking down at Buckingham Fountain. My designer changed that to a side profile, and I think he was completely right with that choice. No face would have been weaker.
I’d also wanted to show the hero on the cover in some way and asked if he could show a bit of a man’s reflection in the window, to give the idea that there was a man behind her. But he left that out—and again I think he was right. It would have been too much. I love, though, how he found a woman who really does look like Miska and how he captured a pensive, longing look. And Buckingham Fountain is an important element to the story, so I wanted it there with the water spraying high into the air.
HG: Thanks again for visiting, Sally, and looking forward to your next one!
SB: Thank you for having me, Heather. I really enjoyed your questions.
****Enter the RAFFLECOPTER Giveaway at the link below for a chance to win an e-book copy of KEPT! Winner announced 9/29/14. (Click to Tweet!)****
September 9, 2014
National Suicide Awareness Week Guest Post by Julie Cantrell
My author friend, Julie Cantrell, is sharing this week about an event that changed her life forever. I will share her post below. I am sure we all know someone who has ended their life early…and those memories never fade. Hoping and praying this post will encourage some today. Thank you for opening your heart, Julie. And readers, please share with someone who needs to read it today.
The Survivor’s Side of Suicide
by: Julie Cantrell
Posted on September 8, 2014
Julie’s brother, Jeff Perkins
Suicide is one ugly word. It’s the kind of word that swings heavy from lips. The kind that is whispered, and stilted, never sung.
As an author, I build my life around words. Every word has worth. Even those words we are not supposed to say.
But suicide is the one word I do not like. I wish there was no need for such a word in our world. Especially since 1997, when my teen brother ended his own life two months before his high school graduation.
It is one thing to be on the other side of suicide, where you may offer prayer or casseroles or even a hug. It is another thing entirely to be on the side of the survivor, after a loved one puts a gun to the head or a rope to the neck or a blade to the vein.
That dark depth of despair is no easy channel to navigate because unlike every other form of death, this one was intentional. This one could have been prevented. This one carries immeasurable sting.
The what-ifs and but whys and I wonders never cease. They haunt all hours, whether moonlit or shine.
And the stares don’t stop either, the constant conversation that hangs silently between friends — at the grocery store, or in the church pews, or at the birthday party. No one says it, but they are thinking… That poor mother, how does she stand it? Or – That poor child, knowing his father took his own life.
What people on that side of suicide don’t understand is that we, the survivors left in the wake, are barely keeping our heads above water. We don’t want pity, or sympathy, or stares. We don’t want whispers, or questions, or help. We want one thing only. We want our loved ones back.
And there’s one simple way you can give this to us.
Talk about the people we loved and lost. Don’t dance around us as if their ghost is in the way. Acknowledge the lives they lived. Recognize the light they once shined. Laugh about the fun you once had together.
There’s nothing you can tell us — no detail too small, no memory too harsh — that will hurt us. We crave it all. We are hungry for any piece of time travel you offer. Bring us back, to that space, when the one we loved was in the here and now.
Suicide is something most of us struggle to understand. It is difficult to rationalize the selfish part of such an act. How could someone not care about the pain they would throw on their loved ones? How could someone not be strong enough to stay alive?
But here’s the truth: suicide was not the cause of my brother’s death. Depression was the cause of his death. And depression is a beast unlike any other. It is an illness we still struggle to cure, despite all the therapeutic and pharmaceutical intervention available today.
Sometimes, even with all the help in the world, a person cannot see through the pain. They cannot imagine a better day ahead. They see only more hurt. And when I say hurt, I mean suffering. Blood-zapping, brain-numbing, soul-bursting agony.
Imagine this: you wake every day as a prisoner. You are trapped in a cell with no freedom in your future. You are tortured — physically, emotionally, psychologically. The anguish never stops. Just when you think you cannot survive another blow, it comes again. More pain.
You try to ignore the ache. You cannot. You try to numb the hurt. You cannot. You try to rise above the pain. You cannot. The brutality persists. And you see no end to it.
If you knew you had to endure only one more round of abuse, or one more month, or even a year, or longer — If there was an end in view, you could be strong enough to handle it. You could take whatever is thrown at you because you want, more than anything else, to live.
You are a sensitive soul and you have so much left in you to give. You want only to love and be loved. But the cell has you trapped. You have tried everything. There is no end to the insufferable situation.
A person with depression becomes suicidal when they finally give up all hope. When they accept that nothing they do, no matter how long they survive, no matter how many medications or prayers or therapists they turn to, the pain will never end.
Can you imagine the pain you would have to be in to take your own life? Can you imagine the fear of a suicidal person (regardless of faith), daring to face the unknown because even the possibility of eternal hellfire or permanent purgatory or absolute absence seems less scary than another day in this world?
When Robin Williams passed away, the world was abuzz weighing the controversial issues of mental illness, depression, and suicide.
While some people were unable to extend kindness or understanding, proving we have a long way to go in our culture’s recognition of chemical imbalances, the international conversation gave me hope. It proved that people are finally willing to say the word SUICIDE out loud, without the hushed whispers and back corner gossip.
Putting this word on equal footing with all the other words in our vernacular is important. It lessens the sting.
I consider this progress, and I am optimistic the forward momentum will continue.
It is time.
I write this blog today for several reasons:
One, I am proud to have been the sister to an amazingly bright spirit who left this world too soon and whose memory I want to keep alive.
Two, I want to increase understanding and support for the millions of people struggling with chemical imbalances.
Three, I want to offer support and empathy to all who have lost a loved one to suicide and encourage you to speak out loud to honor their spirit and to educate those on the other side.
Four, and most importantly, I have a very important message for anyone struggling with depression.
One week after my brother died, we received notice that he had landed the career opportunity he wanted with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. That job may have been enough to offer him the key to that cell, the something to cling to, the reason for reason. Maybe, if he could have stuck it out one more week, he would still be alive today. Seven days, and he may have had hope again.
Today, when I see someone struggling for hope, looking for a signal, a reason, proof that their life matters and that the pain will indeed end, I think of my brother and that phone call that came one week too late.
If you are struggling with depression, please remember... you are in this world for a reason. You have a very important journey you must complete. You were born to accomplish something, something only you know. You will suffer, you will hurt, you will feel hopeless and alone at times. But you are not in that space forever. Keep walking, keep moving forward, and you will find your way through in time.
When you hit bottom, please remember this: You are loved. You are never alone. You were born with everything you need to survive this journey. You matter.
And once you are on the other side, as you will soon be, then, you will look back with wiser eyes, the eyes of a survivor. You will know your soul survived the stretching season. And you will move through the world with greater empathy and understanding, a gift like none other. For you, sensitive one, are the blessed. And we need you here. In this life.
Be brave. Wage war. Hold fast to the light inside of you.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
This post will be shared across multiple platforms for National Suicide Prevention Week. Learn more about suicide prevention by visiting: http://www.suicidology.org/
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Julie Cantrell is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Into the Free and When Mountains Move. She works to promote suicide awareness and prevention in memory of her brother, Jeff Perkins. Learn more: www.juliecantrell.com
September 6, 2014
Jupiter Winds Winner and a Video Interview with Alton Gansky
Just chose the winner of Jupiter Winds and it was Alyssa Washburn! Congrats, Alyssa! And thank you all for entering and a big thanks to CJ Darlington for visiting my blog!
I know most of you follow my Facebook author page here, but if not, here’s a Writers’ Talk interview I enjoyed doing with Alton Gansky. Alton is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers’ Conference, and he’s been in the writing biz a while. Please ignore those first seconds of this vlog when I looked like I was sleepy–no clue what was going on! It was my first filmed Skype conversation and I wasn’t quite sure where I needed to look and talk. But hopefully you will take something away from it…I had SO much I wanted to share about being an indie author, and I’m not sure I got any of that across…but you might enjoy seeing why I chose to self-publish God’s Daughter and Miranda Warning.
Jupiter Winds Winner and a Video Interview
Just chose the winner of Jupiter Winds and it was Alyssa Washburn! Congrats, Alyssa! And thank you all for entering and a big thanks to CJ Darlington for visiting my blog!
I know most of you follow my Facebook author page here, but if not, here’s a Writers’ Talk interview I enjoyed doing with Alton Gansky. Alton is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers’ Conference, and he’s been in the writing biz a while. Please ignore those first seconds of this vlog when I looked like I was sleepy–no clue what was going on! It was my first filmed Skype conversation and I wasn’t quite sure where I needed to look and talk. But hopefully you will take something away from it…I had SO much I wanted to share about being an indie author, and I’m not sure I got any of that across…but you might enjoy seeing why I chose to self-publish God’s Daughter and Miranda Warning.
August 28, 2014
Interview with CJ Darlington & Giveaway of her YA Sci-Fi Novel, Jupiter Winds
Jupiter Winds, YA SciFi by CJ Darlington
Today, I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to one of my new favorite YA authors, CJ Darlington. I have been mentioning her YA sci-fi novel, Jupiter Winds, just about everywhere, and today she’s going to tell us more about it, as well as offer an e-book OR softcover copy (winner’s choice!) to one lucky reader. Check out the Rafflecopter below and be sure to SHARE for a chance to win! The winner will be selected Saturday, Sept. 6th.
As a homeschooling mom, I HIGHLY recommend this book for your YA reader. Very clean, no romance thread…just a good ol’ sci-fi read!
And now, let’s chat with CJ!
CJ Darlington, Author
HG: CJ, very rarely do I read a book I feel I want to gush on and on about, but your Jupiter Winds was one of my gushers! I love sci-fi when written from that character-driven angle. Tell me more about how you decided to write sci-fi.
CJ: You make me blush, Heather. Thank you so much for the kind words. They are much appreciated! After writing three contemporary novels, I wanted to try something different, something that would excite the inner geek in me. I felt strongly that I needed to write a novel for ME. That sounds selfish at first glance, but for most authors, if they don’t write a book they’d enjoy reading themselves, then they are sunk. I prayed about it and started asking myself What If questions. The first idea that popped into my mind was to write about a girl who travels to another planet. Definite speculative!
I’ve been a fan of science fiction stories for awhile now, especially in TV and movie form. And I have really enjoyed some of the YA dystopian novels I’ve read like The Hunger Games. But what I often find in mainstream entertainment is that there’s little hope. I was excited to write something that would hopefully (no pun intended!) give readers all the goodies we love in our science fiction and dystopian stories (fantastical lands, strong heroines and heroes, etc.) but instill something a little more too. More light.
It was a natural fit for me to write science fiction, but I was a bit apprehensive about it too. I had no idea if I was truly doing the genre justice as I played around with a lot of it. It’s definitely not hard science fiction as any hard science fiction author would probably strongly object to my terraforming Jupiter which scientifically we know is made of gas. But what if it wasn’t?
HG: I think the fun of scifi is the speculation! YA is a very trendy genre these days. What motivated you to write for this age group, versus adult (which you had written for the in past)? What I love about your YA is that it is clean and something I don’t worry about sharing with my tween/teens. Did you make a conscious decision to veer away from the romance angle in this novel?
CJ: You know, I tried to write what I would enjoy reading. I am not a huge romance fan, especially not in my YA reading. That’s just a personal preference. Nothing wrong with those who enjoy it one iota, but I wanted to focus on so many other elements. And it’s almost cliché now how much romance is in a lot of YA out there. Kids already have to grow up too fast, why make them do it in their fiction?
But that isn’t to say that I don’t want to write about love. I totally do. But I choose to write about familial love, and the love between good friends, which I feel has been neglected in much of today’s fiction.
Why did I choose to write YA? In the back of my mind I did realize it’s a popular genre, so there was an element of noticing it’s current. But even in my adult books I was finding myself often writing about younger characters and really enjoying it. In fact, the main character in my book Bound by Guilt is a sixteen-year-old girl, and while that book is not classified as YA, it could easily be read by teens. That’s something I really strive for with all my books. I want both adults and teens to be able to read them, which is why I’m careful about how far I push the envelope in some of my more gritty scenarios.
HG: Along the lines of the character-driven angle, do you have a sister? It seemed to me you really captured that sisterly relationship between Grey and Orinda, and that mother/father/child relationship (loved the family dynamics in this book, folks!). Do you think the family angle will be in all your YA books?
CJ: I’m so glad you noticed the family dynamics as that was something I really enjoyed writing. When I was reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, one aspect I enjoyed was the relationship Tris has with her family. I so wanted that aspect to be embellished, but it was not. With Jupiter Winds I got my chance. It was definitely a conscious decision. Whether it will always be a strong element in my YA stories is something that will depend on each story, really. Orphans can be fun to write about too! LOL
And yes, I do have a sister—an identical twin! J
HG: Let’s also talk worldbuilding. Did you sketch where the sisters lived on Earth? Or the compound on Jupiter? Or the spaceships? I’d love to know! Also, do you pin a lot of ideas or are you on Pinterest?
CJ: One of the problems I had in early drafts of Jupiter Winds was not describing things well enough. Something that was suggested to me (by my mom!) was to draw a few things so I could really picture them in my head.
CJ’s Sketch
I didn’t sketch everything, but a few things like the uniforms and emblems made into my notebook.
Later, I created a Pinterest board for the book, which can be viewed here: http://www.pinterest.com/cjdarlington/jupiter-winds/ – I should’ve created it before I started!
HG: The cover is so eye-catching…from that, I read the blurb, and knew I really wanted to read Jupiter Winds. Tell me more about how you developed it–color scheme, formatting, etc. This book is published with your publishing house, correct? I’ve already raved to you about the clean edits on this one!
CJ: Yes, our publishing house Mountainview Books, LLC published Jupiter Winds. The cover took some work to envision. I think we had at least twelve, maybe more, cover mockups. Some were good, a few okay, and others really awful. None of them were exactly what we were looking for, and honestly I was starting to get frustrated with how long it was taking to find the right cover for the book. So we just scrapped everything and started over. Simple is better. We found the image of the girl and worked from there. I’m a fan of the grungier fonts, so that was an easy choice. Plus it reminded me of the Saving Mars series by Cydney Swanson (a clean mainstream YA series I enjoyed). I’m sure the Lord was guiding us! I prayed many times to find just the right cover.
HG: Finally…the question I’ve been dying to ask…WHEN is the next YA novel coming out, and will it follow the sisters? Or do you think you’ll veer into a different story? I thought your ending left it open either way. Regardless, congrats on writing what I would call a modern classic in YA sci-fi, CJ! Thanks again for visiting my blog!
CJ: Thank YOU, Heather. It’s my pleasure. I have the first chapter written in a second Jupiter book. I would like to write another, and I think Grey and Rin will definitely play big roles, if not the main roles like in Jupiter Winds. I must say I am intrigued with what happens to Dana though… we shall see. I have a contemporary book to finish first, but if all goes well you just might see a second Jupiter book next year! I’ll keep you posted.
HG: Whoo-hoo! Will be on the lookout for that one! Thanks again, CJ!
In 2160, a teenager becomes the bait to capture her missing revolutionary parents she thinks are long dead.
When her worst fear comes true, Grey questions everything she thought she knew about life, her missing parents, and God. Could another planet, whose sky swirls with oran ge vapors and where extinct-on-Earth creatures roam free, hold the key to reuniting her family?
***Readers, please sign up for chances to win your choice of softcover or e-book version of Jupiter Winds at this Rafflecopter link!***
August 18, 2014
Interview with Debut Novelist, Dawn Crandall, & E-Book Giveaway of her Novel, The Hesitant Heiress
So glad to introduce you to a fellow first-person point-of-view historical author, Dawn Crandall–you don’t run into that every day! Dawn let me read an early copy of her historical romance novel, The Hesitant Heiress, and you can find my review here on Goodreads.
After the interview, please comment below for a chance to win an e-copy of The Hesitant Heiress! I will draw a winner for next Monday’s post.
Now, our interview with Dawn!
Dawn Crandall, Author
A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit working in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.
Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.
The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.
CONNECT WITH DAWN
Facebook: facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst
Book Review Blog: APassionforPages.blogspot.com
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/dawn_crandall
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst
Email: dawncrandallwritesfirst@gmail.com
Twitter: @dawnwritesfirst
HG: Welcome, Dawn! Tell us a little more about your journey to publication. (How many years have you been writing, how long did it take to prepare your books for publication, etc.)
DC: I’d wanted to “someday” write a book for as long as I could remember, but I never thought it was anything that would go beyond having a pile of papers and words for me alone. Long story short, my husband found out about it and encouraged me to write it. So I read every Christian fiction book I could get my hands on, studying how they were constructed. After planning out most of my plot, I finally started writing The Hesitant Heiress in January 2010. However, about a year later I was stuck trying to figure out exactly how to get to the end. I realized I needed to find a critique partner and join some kind of writing organization. So I joined ACFW, met my beloved friend/crit-partner Susan Tuttle, figured out my ending and went to the 2011 conference (upon my husband’s urging). I met with two agents there, had two partial proposal requests… and then a month later, had two agent contracts in my email box! Pretty crazy for not even knowing what a proposal was until after they’d been requested. After I chose my wonderful agent, Joyce Hart, I still had to finish revising the ending of my book! So my one and only proposal went out into the hands of editors during the summer of 2012… and then I waited, and waited and waited. Basically two years to the day that I’d been offered my agent contract, I received official word that Whitaker House wanted to publish my series (which I’d been working on finishing while waiting), first as eBooks, and then later, hopefully as paperbacks.
HG: You were signed with Whitaker House for a 3-book series, the first of which is The Hesitant Heiress. Did you have the entire series written before submitting to publishers? I know you already have finalized cover art for all three books. Did you have a lot of say in the cover art (which is lovely!)?
DC: Although I didn’t quite have THH finished when I signed with my agent, I did have the second book in the series already started. I’d been writing for fun, after all—and I’d wanted to be certain that I could write another heroine who didn’t sound just like the first. And by the time Whitaker House had offered the contract, I had most of the third book done as well, which is why they are being released three months apart instead of nine months. My agent had allowed me to do this because she was that confident that it would sell.
And the cover art… aren’t they simply gorgeous?? I just adore them! I’m still amazed at how perfectly they came out, and how well they tie into the stories inside! Basically, I emailed the graphic designer at Whitaker House about what my characters looked like, described the setting and atmosphere and accompanied all this with photos I’d saved up over the years (many of which are part of the book’s Pinterest board here).
HG: You write in first-person. I’m finding it interesting how many classics are also written in first, such as Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca or Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (which your novel reminded me of more than once!). How did you decide first was the point-of-view you wanted to use with this series? Do you have any favorite books that use this POV?
DC: Actually, those two you mentioned are two of my absolute favorite books ever! When I first looked into how to write a book, I’d heard it was difficult to write first person well–and that kept me from doing it, although it was always how the words seemed to come to mind. Finally, I decided I just needed to do it–and because I was ultimately writing it for myself more than anyone else—I just dove into writing it from first person, because that was how it needed to be told. I wanted to write a novel reminiscent of old classical romantic suspense novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca—but I also wanted to tie in a very relevant spiritual thread.
HG: Your book is flawlessly edited. Tell us how many steps you had to go through to get this polished finished product—beta readers, etc.
DC: Like I said, I wasn’t technically finished revising the ending when I signed with my agent. Why did she sign me then!?! Ha–I guess she liked those first three chapters A LOT. I’d also included a chapter by chapter overview in my partial proposal–that helped as well. A few months before signing with her, I’d joined ACFW and submitted a lot of my “Amaryllis Brigham” manuscript to the Scribes critique email-loop {July 2011}. With the help of some valuable writer-friends through that group, I rewrote, revised, and rearranged things as I better understood how the story needed to be. I never did send the last fourth of the novel through though–I didn’t have time to only send 5,000 words a week while also critting 10,000 words… I wanted to get the ms to my agent ASAP! When I sent it {January 2012}, she pretty much loved it as it was and sent the proposals out that spring. And then when I signed with Whitaker House {December 2013}, it was sent through content edits with no revisions needed, and then line edits.
HG: If all 3 books are about different main characters, do you have a favorite, and if so, why?
DC: It seems whatever book I’m working on the most at a given time is my favorite. Because they’re written in first person POV, I get to know the heroine so very well, it’s almost like I am her, only I know the whole story from start to finish, while she does not. That probably sounds weird, but it’s really easy for me to “get” where she’s coming from in each stage of the novel because it’s how I feel in her place. Wow, maybe I should stop describing the way my silly ADD brain works, huh? You’re all going to think I’m crazy.
HG: Doesn’t sound weird at all to me! What drew you to writing in this time period (The Gilded Age)?
DC: I’ve been in love with history for as long as I can remember. When I decided to choose The Gilded Age, it had a lot to do the dresses of the time period, the neighborhood of Back Bay in Boston, and the way the elitists of the time would flock to the coastal towns of New England for the summers.
Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Dawn, and all the best on The Everstone Chronicles!
After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.
Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn’t who she thought at all.
***Readers, please comment below with a question or observation for Dawn for a chance to win an e-book copy of her novel, The Hesitant Heiress!***
August 10, 2014
Jupiter Winds Review by My Daughter
I wasn’t the only one impressed with CJ Darlington’s YA Sci-Fi novel, Jupiter Winds. CJ will be visiting my blog in a couple weeks, but in the meantime here’s my 12-year-old daughter’s review of her novel:
Jupiter Winds by CJ Darlington
Jupiter Winds Review by “Midna”
To start, wow–I have a lot to cover.
Jupiter Winds is so amazing on so many levels it’s excruciatingly hard to describe. From the start the book pulls you into the vast world of Grey Alexander and her sister Orinda as they struggle to survive together under the radar of the brutal Mazdaar forces. It seems that all is going alright when Grey finds out that her neighbor, Mrs. March, whom she has know ever since she was a child, has a lot more secrets than it appears. Before she can understand more, she is taken prisoner by an evil woman named General Evangeline Yurkutz of the Mazdaar military. Meanwhile, Orinda, otherwise known as Rin, is still trying to understand what is going on. Amidst her grief of Grey’s uncertain future, Rin is unexpectedly visited by Mrs. March, who tells her many things she’s not sure whether to believe or question.
With characters so lovable you’ll be swept off your feet, C. J. Darlington crafts a classic tale full of action and adventure. Journey through space and prepare to be amazed because you are most assuredly going to be surprised by what wonders you find hidden in the pages of one book. You’ll be awed and astonished by how much work it took to produce such a wonderful book–I know I was!
Through demonstrations of love, faith, and the wonders of our eternal Creator, Jupiter Winds takes you well…to Jupiter and back! All in all, this book gets a one-hundred-twenty satisfactory percent, so be sure to invest your time in a book well worth it.
July 29, 2014
Books I’m Reading This Summer
Just wanted to take time out from my regular posting schedule to share books I’m reading this summer. I’d love to know what you’re reading!
As an indie author, I know how key it is to get the word out on great indie books. Not all the titles on my list are indie, but the majority are. And they’re on my list because I trust these authors who are putting out quality, well-edited, well-thought books. This is by no means an extensive list of the indies I’m reading, it’s just the ones I’ve started and will hopefully finish on my break.
I also have one book I’m reading and I can’t tell you what it is yet, but I am totally sucked into this one and cannot put it down. Trust me, when it is published, I’ll be reviewing everywhere and will do so on this blog, too.
I’m also throwing in one I’ve already read and cannot recommend highly enough for YA readers. I’ll go with that one first:
CJ will be visiting my blog in the not-so-distant future, but if you are looking for a book that’s interesting for adults, yet non-graphic/age-appropriate/clean for your YA reader, this is it. I’ll share my review with our later post, but you can find it here on Goodreads.
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On to books I am in the process of reading or will read! Please click the books to read the blurbs on Amazon.
Chasing the Lion by Nancy Kimball
38 5-stars on 40 reviews? This indie author is CLEANING.UP. Also, she’s sweet and passionate about this time period (ROME!). And the writing is gripping.
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Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Just-released Appalachian historical romance set in WEST VIRGINIA. Loving the soft, gentle voice in this one.
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Jane Austen Upside Down by Jan Thompson
This is quite a short book, but all the easier for me to read quickly as a summer read! Jan is meticulous in everything she does, so I know this will be a winner. Also, she designed that smashing cover herself!!!
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The Flower Girls by Wendy Paine Miller
I LOVED Wendy’s first book, The Disappearing Key. I love how imaginative her storylines are. This one is about twins! Also–23 5 stars out of 24 reviews. I am in awe!
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At the Edge of a Dark Forest by Connie Almony
I always love visiting Connie’s blog and I know this book is close to her heart. A modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast–with a character struggling with PTSD.
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Sand Knob through the Eyes of a Child by Jenny Lee Ellison
This is my great-aunt’s book on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains. I love her voice–always have. It is so full of life and authentic, just like I’m sitting next to her, listening to her stories. Honestly, this reminds me of a Little House on the Prairie of mountain life. I look forward to settling in and learning more about my heritage.
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So, that’s it for summer reading! I have many more books on my TBR list–if you want to see more, here it is on Goodreads. I wish I had more time for reading!
****So, how about you? Discovered any favorite new authors lately? Any you’d strongly recommend?****
July 14, 2014
Book Excerpt & Softcover #Giveaway~The Word Changers by Ashlee Willis
Today I’m excited to introduce you to a new author! Ashlee Willis’ YA fantasy novel, The Word Changers, has recently released and we’re privileged to read an excerpt of it today! Not only that, but Ashlee is giving away a softcover of The Word Changers to one lucky Rafflecopter entrant below!
More on Ashlee below:
ASHLEE WILLIS has a passion for three things: God, family, and books, and is happiest when all three can be enjoyed together. Ashlee graduated from Central Christian College of the Bible with a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education. She divides her time chiefly between homeschooling her young son, reading about fantasy worlds she wishes she could visit, and dreaming up fantasy worlds of her own to write about. She loves taking walks in the woods, drinking tea with friends, and spending time with the ones she loves most. Ashlee lives in the heart of Missouri with her husband, son, and cat, where she is busily at work on her next book, also a fantasy for young adults.MEDIA LINKS
Blog: http://ashleewillisauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleeWillisAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookishAshlee
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7849640.Ashlee_Willis
And now, on to our excerpt! Don’t forget to check out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a softcover!
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EXCERPT from The Word Changers
By: Ashlee Willis
Posy had no idea how to respond to this large man as he towered over her, appraising her with intense charcoal eyes. Her heart beat faster as she bowed her head slightly and lowered herself into what she hoped was a proper curtsy.
“Your Majesty,” she murmured, barely daring to look back up into his face. She didn’t know whether she was in awe or whether she wanted to burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
“Oh, yes, quite proper!” he beamed on her. “How well you have recovered, my Evanthe.”
“Evanthe?” began Posy.
“We will have to begin the Plot again now. This time a bit more carefully, wouldn’t you say? We don’t want anymore riding accidents, anymore straying from the lines. What would the Kingdom come to, eh?”
“Riding accidents?” Posy asked. “But I thought I was supposed to have had a fever …”
“Ah.” The king gave her a conspiratorial grin. “Yes, yes, a fever, of course.”
How could he have forgotten what happened to his own daughter in such a short time? But then, Posy reasoned, I’m not his daughter, am I? Was it possible she looked so familiar to the princess Evanthe that she was truly being mistaken for her?
“But my name is Posy,” she finally said cautiously. “Thank you for helping me recover – I’m still not quite sure what has happened, it’s all so confusing. But I am sure I’m not who you seem to think I am … Your Majesty,” she added as an afterthought.
The king looked down on her for several moments which seemed to stretch on, then finally he took a step toward her. He took her arm gently in one of his large bejeweled hands and leaned toward her, closer and closer until his mouth was almost against her ear.
“Now, we can’t have that sort of talk, my dear.” His smooth voice was deadly as a knife wrapped in satin. Posy’s heart began to pound as his grip tightened, his voice hissing just above a whisper. “People will begin to think your injury did you a lasting harm. We follow the Plot here, my daughter, and if you stray from it, you will greatly regret it. You are my daughter, Princess Evanthe. I am your father, King Melanthius. Your mother is Queen Valanor. You would do well to remember everything I tell you … sweeting.” The king’s voice brightened abruptly on the last word as he released her arm from his grip.
Posy took one stumbling step backward. The king reached to brush back a strand of her hair in a fatherly gesture, making a tsking noise. “Such a shame, your memory loss! It seems you have forgotten a great deal indeed.” He turned on his heeled shoes and walked away down the corridor without another word.
Posy released a shaky sigh, realizing she had not been breathing. Had the king just threatened her? He, and indeed the entire Kingdom, saw her as the princess Evanthe. She wondered how she could have let the farce go on so long. This was her second day in the book. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have done it.
Then she remembered the king’s voice, his breath on her face and his steely hand on her arm, and she knew it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Coldness seeped into her fingers and toes as she realized she was trapped.
This was becoming more of a nightmare than the pleasant dream she had believed it to be.
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Her parents’ marriage is falling apart. Fifteen-year-old Posy feels her life is falling apart with it. Retreating to an old library down the street, she selects a mysterious book in a secluded corner and is magically drawn into its story… Posy finds herself in a kingdom ruled by a cruel and manipulative king and queen who have attempted to usurp the role that belongs only to the Author of their story. The princess has fled and the kingdom is teetering toward rebellion. Posy is joined by the Prince Kyran as they fight with the characters of the story against their slavery to the Plot.
Posy and the prince search beyond the borders of the story for the runaway princess. They visit mysterious places, face horrifying monsters, and fight fierce battles. They make both friends and enemies as their journey leads them into many dangers. But some of the worst dangers, Posy soon finds, lie deep within her own heart.
Now Posy must find the courage and forgiveness needed to save the story and, most important, heal the heartache she knew in her own world.
Click links below to find The Word Changers:
***CLICK THROUGH the Rafflecopter link below to enter for a chance to win a softcover of The Word Changers:
****a Rafflecopter giveaway****
Reminder: Today is the last day Miranda Warning is FREE for Kindle! You can find it here and you can find MANY free ebooks here at Digital Book Day (note–some erotica book covers are shown at this site but you can also find Christian/clean indie novels there).
July 12, 2014
Miranda Warning Going FREE for Kindle–3 Days Only!
MIRANDA WARNING Free for Kindle 7/12-7/14/2014
I recently heard of #digitalbookday, an event in which authors the world over are offering their books for free, and on a total whim, I decided to participate! The actual event day is 7/14/2014.
This means Miranda Warning will be FREE for Kindle today (Saturday, July 12) through Monday, July 14th. The link for Miranda Warning is here. The link to all the books at #digitalbookday is here (please note, there are some erotica covers on this page), and it’s not live until Monday, 7/14/14.
What an opportunity for authors to share their books with readers! Yes, it’s a calculated risk…many will load our books who really don’t prefer our genre/writing style. And YET. Many readers will find new authors to love, and that’s what I count on. I’m ready for some bad reviews this time around, but I’m also very hopeful new readers will discover Tess Spencer and be eager to read the second book in the Murder in the Mountains series when it releases.
I’d love it if you’d share this freebie with any and everyone you think would enjoy it, and if you haven’t loaded it up, please do! Here are a couple tweets for you to share:
#Free for Kindle thru 7/14 only: #MirandaWarning #Appalachian #Mystery! http://amzn.to/1izVC1M
#FREE Kindle #Mystery: Miranda Warning–now thru 7/14 only! http://amzn.to/1izVC1M #psychological
The price will return to $3.99 after the freebie. I hope you all enjoy and I’d love it if you’d leave an Amazon review if you like this mystery! I assure you authors take much encouragement from thoughtful reviews!
–Heather
