Julianna Deering's "Rules of Murder"

Title:  Rules of Murder
Publisher:  Bethany House
Cover blurb:
Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this dangerous game.

1) How did this story come to you?
I’ve been a fan of classic mysteries for years and years.  I’ve also been a longtime fan of the movies of the 1930s and ‘40s.  I thought it would be fun to combine the two, so I dreamed up a British hero and an American heroine and gave them both a love for mystery novels and a cheeky sense of humor.  Once I had Drew and Madeline, I decided it would be fun to take Father Knox’s well known 1929 list of what not to do when writing a murder mystery and see if I could break or at least bend all of his rules in my book.  Of course, my characters, being avid mystery readers themselves, are well aware of this list and realize their investigation isn’t following the rules at all.  It was great fun to write.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Goodness, it’s been rather a long trip.  I sent Rules to my agent when I had it all finished, and when ACFW was in Dallas in 2006 we got to meet face to face and talk about it.  She really liked the book and said she was determined to sell it.  But it wasn’t until late in 2011 that her incredible perseverance paid off, and Bethany House told her they were interested in the book.  The catch was, they didn’t want just one book.  They wanted to see at least two before making a decision.  So I scrambled to finish up the sequel, now titled Death by the Book, and sent it off.  When they sent me a contract for the series, I was so happy that the other publishers had turned it down.  I am so blessed to be with Bethany House.  They do everything first class and have been so incredibly nice to work with.  And they have given the book (and me!) an amazing amount of support.  I’m in awe of how God worked this all out . . . in His time.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Okay.  (1)  My favorite sport is ice hockey which people often find unusual for a female who’s a native Texan.  (2)  I’ve had seven books published under my real name, DeAnna Julie Dodson.  (3)  I used to play the oboe and the bassoon.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve been doing a lot of promotional stuff for the release of Rules of Murder, and that has kept me a little busy.  But I’m about to dig into edits on the third book in the series, Murder at the Mikado, a mystery with a Gilbert and Sullivan theme, and that will keep me very busy.  And I need to start figuring out what Drew and Madeline will be up to next.

5) Parting comments?
I love to hear from readers and love hearing what they think of my stories.  They can contact me on Facebook or on my website or write to me at P. O. Box 375, Aubrey, Texas  76227.  (Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope, and I’ll send you an autographed bookplate and/or bookmark.) 

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’m at www.juliannadeering.com  or https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuliannaDeering or www.deannajuliedodson.com or @deannajuldodson on Twitter.  You can also find out more about me and the book on Bethany House’s site here:  http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/rules-of-murder/343331.  They have an author interview, an excerpt from the book and discussion questions.

Elizabeth Camden's "The Rose of Winslow Street"

Title: The Rose of Winslow Street
Publisher: Bethany House

Cover blurb: Libby Sawyer’s quiet, respectable life in Colden, Massachusetts is shattered when a bold stranger from Romania invades her world. Fascinated by this enigmatic man, Libby uncovers layers of mystery surrounding Michael Dobrescu’s amazing past….and his plans for the future in which she plays a startling role.

1) How did this story come to you?
Like a lot of writers, I glean tidbits from real life stories. A few years ago there was a case in my hometown in which a man doing home renovations found $200,000 hidden in the ductwork of his house. He thought he hit the jackpot until the previous owner showed up and wanted it back. A nasty court case ensued, and it is still wending its way through the system. This incident provided the seed of an idea in which a descendant of the previous home-owner shows up at a house claiming ownership, but that is where the resemblance the real-life story ends.

The Rose of Winslow Street is set in 1879 and features a mysterious band of strangers from Europe who come to a peaceful village where they must unravel a century-old mystery that is wrapped up in the house where the heroine lives. In short order, they seize the house and proclaim ownership over it, dispossessing the heroine and her family. In order for the plot to work, I needed both sides to be highly sympathetic, yet set against each other in stark opposition, with no easy solution in sight. Michael and Libby are natural enemies, but they are also both exceptionally smart people who develop a grudging respect for each other. And sometimes the attraction of forbidden fruit is a powerful romantic draw, as Libby soon discovers.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I think all authors probably have manuscripts they struggle with, and others which simply pour out of them in a stream of inspiration. The Rose of Winslow Street was in that second category. I loved every second of writing this book, and amazingly, my publishers agreed and asked for almost no revisions. That doesn’t happen very often!

3) Tell me a couple things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I am a “stealth nerd.” I suffered from almost crippling introversion until high school, when I signed up for Drama class in an attempt to get over my shyness. It worked. Now I’m pretty good at faking poise, even though the introverted geekiness is still with me. Always will be, I suppose. I can fake it for a couple of hours before I have to withdraw into the shell of my office to recharge my batteries in private.

I am generally out of bed by 4:00 in the morning. Because my husband needs to leave for work by 6:00, and we both like to go to the gym for an hour on most days, that 4AM wake-up call is the only way it is going to happen!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next book features a character from my first novel, The Lady of Bolton Hill. It is entirely a stand-alone book, so readers will be able to hop right in, even if they didn’t read the first. Alex Banebridge was a wonderfully fun, whiplash smart character in the first book, even though he was only seventeen years old. In the next book, Alex Banebridge is all grown up and is ready to set the world on fire. Look for it in late 2012.

5) Parting comments?
Just that I am thankful for the chance to be in this business. Reading novels was a huge part of my life, and if I can give back just a fraction of the joy I have had from reading, I will be very grateful indeed. Thank you for the opportunity to help me get the word out!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I blog about the romance genre and what’s going on in the industry at http://elizabethcamden.com/blog

Elizabeth Camden's "The Lady of Bolton Hill"

Title: The Lady of Bolton Hill
Publisher: Bethany House

Cover blurb: Clara Endicott is beginning to make a name for herself as a journalist who is intent on exposing the dark side of industry. In the splendor of gilded age America, she soon finds herself face to face with the childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished steel worker she once knew.
     Daniel Tremain has risen to become a powerful industry giant. He always idolized Clara, but when she writes an exposé about his company, her words trigger a series of events that threaten to destroy them both.

1) How did this story come to you?
When I was in college, I found myself paired with a complete stranger for a roommate. She was a worldly city-girl with a Brooklyn accent so think it was hard to understand her. I was tidy, she was messy. I was quiet, she had a laugh loud enough to be heard in the next county. We had absolutely nothing in common except we both adored an extremely obscure singer from Ireland (The Pogues, in case anyone is interested.) In an instant, all the differences were swept aside and we immediately bonded over a mutual love of a musician no one on this side of the Atlantic had heard of.
I drew upon that unlikely friendship to form the initial flare of attraction between Daniel and Clara. They have wildly divergent temperaments and upbringing, but they both adore the deeply romantic music of Frederic Chopin, and that bond serves as a foundation upon which a magnificent romance ultimately blossoms.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I’m afraid I made one mistake after another on my path to publication. I suppose my biggest problem is that I am an intense introvert, which means I have a real problem dragging myself out of the house to network. I assumed that writing groups were all about trading manuscripts and critiques. I didn’t think I needed support in terms of my writing, and I was probably right on that score. What I didn’t understand was that some decent networking could have shown me the ropes in landing the correct agent, targeting the right market, and avoiding a ton of mistakes on the business side of publication. It took me a while to figure out the process, but once the ball started rolling, things happened very quickly.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
a. My house is so crammed with books, I have a one-book-in, one-book-out policy. Sad, but necessary.
b. I am a spinach fanatic. I’ve made up recipes called Spinach Pie; Spinach Delight; Spinach Extravaganza, and my favorite, Spinach Meatballs.
c. My family calls the spinach recipes I make up “rabbit food” and won’t eat any of it, which leaves more for me!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next book is The Rose of Winslow Street, slated for publication in early 2012. The setting is a small New England town in 1883. Into this peaceful, idyllic village comes a brash warrior from Romania, who storms into town with a wealth of mystery, long-buried secrets, and a heart as wide and deep as the Atlantic Ocean. He is a strong, fearsome man, but pretty quickly he develops a soft-spot for the heroine, which is a huge complication for him. It is hard to say more without delving into spoiler territory, so I’ll leave it at that for now.

5) Parting comments?
Just that I am thankful for the chance to be in this business. Reading novels was a huge part of my life, and if I can give back just a tiny fraction of the joy I have had from reading, I will be very grateful indeed. Thank you for the opportunity to help me get the word out!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I blog at http://elizabethcamden.com/blog

Karen Witemeyer's "To Win Her Heart"

We're happy to have Karen Witemeyer with us today talking about her book To Win Her Heart. To learn more about Karen and her book, read on!

Title: To Win Her Heart
Publisher: Bethany House, May 2011

Cover blurb: A blacksmith with a criminal past. A librarian with pacifist ideals. Do they have a fighting chance at finding love?
Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets. . . .
Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.
Levi’s renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she’s finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?

1) How did this story come to you?
Have you ever wished there was an epilogue to Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son? I have. When I decided to write To Win Her Heart, one question prompted the plot development: What happens after the Father welcomes the prodigal son home? So often we focus on the wonderful homecoming the lost son received, but have you ever asked what life was like for him after the celebration was over? How did he relate to his bitter older brother or the servants and townspeople who were only too aware of his past arrogance and wild living? My story plays on those questions.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This was book 3 of a three-book contract, so the journey was a more direct route than my first book. However, every book takes its own path. I had to do extensive research into the blacksmith trade, 19th century literature and lending libraries, the use of convict labor in Texas, granite and limestone quarries, and the Victorian art of flower pressing. I wrote a synopsis encompassing the major plot points, received approval from my editors, then began the writing journey. Ten months later I had a finished manuscript that, of course, wasn't truly finished until it passed through the substantive and copy edit stages. Now, I'm enjoying the beautiful view toward the end of the road with To Win Her Heart sitting on the bookstore shelves.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I work full-time proctoring tests like the ACT and CLEP at a Christian university. (Exercising the left side of my brain so I can devote the right side to fiction writing.)
• I love old Hollywood musicals.
• I'm one of the few dinosaurs left in the world who doesn't own a cell phone. (Can you believe it? Although, I'm also about to have my first teenager in the house, so the no cell phone thing might be changing soon. But for now I'm living proof, that yes, you can survive and even be a productive member of society without a cell phone.)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I've been blessed to have signed another three-book contract with Bethany House, so you can expect at least three more historical romances from me over the next three years. Hopefully with more to follow after that.
The working title of my current project is Short-Straw Bride. Four brothers draw straws to see who will marry the heroine in this twist on a marriage of convenience story. All Travis Archer cares about is his brothers and his land, but when a good deed goes awry, he's stuck with a bride who endangers both.
One fun tidbit about the brothers in this story – they are all named for heroes from the Alamo. Travis is the main character, the next oldest is Crockett, the kid brother is Neill (for the Alamo's commander who missed being at the fight because of a family illness that called him away), and the third brother's given name is Bowie, but he refuses to answer to anything except Jim. I don't blame him. Poor guy. What we authors do to torture our characters.

7) Parting comments?
Thank you so much for having me here. It's been such fun. Please leave a comment or ask a question for a chance to win an autographed copy of Levi and Eden's story, To Win Her Heart. I'll try to respond to comments throughout the day.

8) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I'd love to have you visit me at my website: www.karenwitemeyer.com. I host a monthly giveaway of historical Christian novels from a variety of well-known authors as well as post interesting tidbits about my characters and the research behind their stories.

You can also find me on Facebook. Send me a message sometime. I'd be honored to chat with you.