Alexis Goring and Free Books!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is like life to the soul. 

Before we address today's featured author, I want to announce that the winner of the signed copy of A Reluctant Melody, by Sandra Ardoin, is:

bjtower@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll email you for your address today and we'll get your book right out to you.

I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.

And now let's visit with novelist Alexis Goring, author of the Inspirational romance collection, Hope in My Heart: A Collection of Heartwarming Stories (WestBow Press, November 2015) *Originally published by Crossbooks in 2013.

Alexis A. Goring is a journalist by profession and a writer at heart. She loves the arts! A dream career for her is one where good books, music, movies, photography, food and fashion all come together in a creative paradise.

But for now, she’s enjoying daily adventures of seeing where God leads. She’s working on her second novella and pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Alexis loves to shop at her favorite stores, write stories and spend time with loved ones. Church and the bookstores are like her second home. She loves to connect with people and teach them about Jesus Christ, which is what she does through her blog, “God is Love.”

Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

-- I’d love to be an award-winning actress.

-- I’d love to be a successful singer.

-- The Goring Hotel in London, England is a five-star place that happens to be spelled exactly like my last name and is where Princess Kate Middleton spent her last night as a single lady (the day before her wedding).

Please share a sentence or two about the plot of each short story in Hope in My Heart.

Three short stories, unrelated to each other, compose my novella.

“Love Unexpected” is the first story, in which the two main characters—Sebastian and Chandra—are brought together by a car crash, but their relationship does not have smooth sailing.

“The Best Gift” is the second story, in which three main characters—Christina, Jordan and Joshua—discover that the “best gift” that they can receive at Christmas may not be what they wanted, but it can be what they need!

“Peace and Love” is the third story, which focuses on Elle (a “starving artist”), Eric (a divorce attorney) and Kristine (an adopted young woman who is hoping to find her birth mom). This story is also set at Christmas time, but is filled with plot twists that lead to a happy ending.

Yes, I’ll admit that all of my stories have a happy ending but not without a bunch of surprises and unexpected detours, trials and life events!

Write one or two sentences about each lead character from each of the stories. Tell us what it is about them that will make readers care.

“Love Unexpected”: Chandra is the career-oriented woman who excels in the workplace but fails at romantic relationships. Sebastian is the classic Tall, Dark and Handsome heartthrob who is used to having a way with women, until he meets Chandra who appears to be 100 percent resistant to his good looks and charisma. I think that most people know a “Chandra” or “Sebastian” type of person in the real world and will relate to Chandra and Sebastian’s character arcs.

“The Best Gift”: Christina is a carb-loving woman on a diet and exercise routine because she wants to be fit and fabulous for her sister’s winter wedding. What woman cannot relate to fighting the “battle of the bulge” and wanting to look nice for a wedding? Jordan is a serial dater who’s under pressure from her Mom to get serious about a man and marry him. Usually it’s the daughter’s biological clock that is ticking, not the Mother’s. So I think my readers will enjoy that twist. Joshua’s dream girl dumped him while he was down on one knee (he proposed, she said “No”). He dreams of reuniting with her and working things out but I think my readers will appreciate the faith journey that Joshua takes to God’s heart (not the heart of his dream girl).

“Peace and Love”: Elle is the classic “starving artist” who wants nothing more than to have job stability and financial blessings from God to shower down on her life. I think that most creative types will understand Elle’s journey. Eric is a divorce attorney who is still reeling from his own parents’ dramatic divorce. He hopes to deal with his issues and move on. I believe anyone who’s dealt with divorce will relate to Eric’s story. Finally, Kristine who was adopted and is newly engaged, hopes to find her birth mom and establish a forever relationship before her wedding day. Just about anyone who was adopted or adopted a child should be able to identify with Kristine’s story.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

Good question! Scarlett Johansson, actress, would do a perfect portrayal of Jordan Mayfield from "The Best Gift".




Joshua Thompson from "The Best Gift"  looks like the actor Zac Efron.






Elle Brighton, the "starving artist" in the story "Peace and Love" is fashioned after Ashley Tisdale (actress).





I see Esmeralda Rodriguez, Chandra's boss in "Love Unexpected," as the actress Salma Hayek.





Channing Tatum would be perfect to play Eric Stewart, a divorce attorney in the story "Peace and Love."





Sebastian Carter from "Love Unexpected" looks just like "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson.






Edy Ganem, actress, resembles Chandra McIntire from "Love Unexpected" .








I'd love for Hillary Duff to play Christina Caballero from "The Best Gift"  if my book is ever made into a movie!


Kristine Amanda Thompson from the story "Peace and Love" looks like Paula Patton who happens to be one of my favorite actresses!





Boris Kodjoe, a famous actor, resembles Kristine's fiance Derek Jensen in "Peace and Love".




Those established actors featured on my book’s storyboard via Pinterest are my first ideas with the actors that I know of now but I’d love to work with the movie industry professionals to host casting calls in case there are other actors out there (new or famous) who would be a better fit for portraying my fictional characters.

In the same vein, if your novel were made into a film, what’s one song you’d love to feature in it?

"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten! Here’s the link to her official music video for that song on YouTube.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

Tender Mercies by Mary Manners was the last novel that I read and would recommend because the author draws the reader in within the first few pages, captivating their imagination and keeping their interest until the very end. I loved how Mary Manners brought the heroine, Lexi Taylor, and the hero, Cooper Jackson, together. Manners knows how to introduce each scene in a way that drops you as the reader into the action and makes you feel like you're walking through the plot with the fictional characters.

What are you working on now?

I am working on my second novella. It’s about characters that want a second chance at life and romance.

Where else can readers find you online?

Readers can find me online by following these links:

Author page on Facebook
“God is Love” (blog)
My book’s Twitter feed

The book can be purchased online via the following buttons:










Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

I’d like to ask your readers this question, “What are your hopes and dreams for this New Year 2016?”

Thanks, Alexis, for visiting with us and telling us about your collection.

Readers, Alexis has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Monday, January 25. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Alexis's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE.