Roger Bruner's "Lost in Dreams"

Title: Lost in Dreams
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Cover blurb: Grace, hope, and healing intersect in the California mountains.
From the moment eighteen-year-old Kim Hartlinger steps off the plane from a mission trip to a remote Mexican village, her journey takes a turn for the worse. As she collides with the biggest challenge of her young life—and faith—Kim struggles with haunting questions and recurring nightmares. . .all the while trying to hide a deep, dark secret.
Will Kim find the hope and healing she needs? . . . Or is her broken spirit beyond repair?

1) How did this story come to you?
When I was writing the first book in this series, Found in Translation, I arrived at a good stopping point long before I'd finished the story I'd meant to write. So I could easily refer to Lost in Dreams as Found in Translation, Part Two. I had entitled it Prancing on Pebbles to signify the way God can lead us to a joyous victory through a series of terrible events. (My publisher didn't think that title would resonate well with teens.) The Altered Hearts series has a mission theme. Since I'd done some prison ministry years ago, that gave me the needed mission idea. Kim's fatigue problem came from my daughter's similar problem during middle school, although hers had nothing to do with what caused Kim's.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
That journey actually begins with Kimberly Shumate, who worked at Harvest House at the time and loved my writing, even though it didn't fit into Harvest House needs. When she read Found in Translation, she knew it needed to be published. So she obtained Mr. Terry Burns for me as an agent.

In spite of his strong belief in Found, Terry needed about a year to sell it to Barbour. My acquisitions editor there wanted my ideas for other books in a series. Because I had one chapter of Lost in Dreams written and a clear idea of where it was going, Barbour contracted it at the same time.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I started my novel writing career with adult fiction and have three or four unsold manuscripts that fall into such varied genres as contemporary women's fiction and speculative.
• I've been playing guitar since 1963 and have written several hundred Christian songs (you can listen to some of them at RogerBruner.com/ReadListen.shtml). I've shared them on mission trips to Wales, Romania, England, and Australia; in prisons, migrant camps, and nursing homes; and anywhere else I could get people to listen.
• I have quite a collection of Beanie Babies (the corner cabinet in the living room is full of them) going back to the time they were so popular. I prefer the cat ones since we have two cats.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on book three in the Altered Hearts series in the hopes Barbour will contract it. But I'm also working on a YA novel I hope will appeal to teen guys. Misfits is about a couple of misfit preacher's kids who start such a rocking nonconformist movement that the in crowd is begging to join. Since I'm a preacher's kid, that's a fun one to work on.

5) Parting comments?
The fact that writers are largely responsible for their own marketing is an unfortunate reality of today's publishing world, and making oneself known is a daunting task for the newly published author. I really appreciate this opportunity to greet the readers of your blog and to thank them for their interest. I hope you'll come visit me at my website.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.rogerbruner.com/; Facebook.com/roger.bruner