Shannon Taylor Vannatter's "White Roses"

We're happy to have Shannon Taylor Vannatter with us today talking about her book, White Roses. To learn more about Shannon and her book, read on!



Your title: White Roses
1) How did this story come to you?
My dad always gets me flowers or balloons for Valentines. As he’s gotten older, I’ve wondered what it will be like the first time they don’t come. I turned it around and thought about it if I died first and figured he’d take them to the cemetery. Then it became the story of a grieving husband and the florist who does his wife’s flowers.


2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote the book in 2001. It was the one I could never put away. At the American Christian Fiction Writers’s conference in 2005, Tracy Peterson brainstormed with me and helped me fix the conflict issue, but my craft was still lacking. I kept tweaking, changing, and gave it a new setting, Romance, Arkansas. That’s when the story came alive. At the ACFW conference in 2008, I took Margie Lawson’s editing class, which finally got my craft publishable.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Despite my southern accent, I lived in Illinois as a kid. My husband was my high school sweetheart. We were married for sixteen and a half years before our son was born.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m currently finishing the third book in my series for Heartsong Presents.

5) Parting comments?
I feel very blessed and in awe when I think of people, I don’t know, reading my words.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.shannontaylorvannatter.com/
http://www.inkslingerblog.com/
http://www.inkspirationalmessages.com/
http://www.heartsongpresents.com/
http://www.fictionfinder.com/

Lisa Lickel's "Meander Scar"

We're happy to have Lisa J. Lickel with us today talking about her book, Meander Scar. To learn more about Lisa and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
It was a process – this is one story that noodled in my head, even before I turned into a writer. I always thought an older woman/younger man scenario would make a good story. No one thinks anything of older men and much younger women – why not the reverse? And when I started to think about what happens to all those people who go missing every year, the two ideas gelled.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I had an agent who agreed to toss the idea around to his publisher friends. Only he didn’t just pass the idea around, he sent out a proposal which wasn’t near ready. This turned off a lot of publishers. Then I tossed the subject around with an editor who had seen that ugly proposal at a conference, to no avail. I finished the story anyway, got another agent who also didn’t like the idea or the title. When I was back on my own, I pitched the story to a publisher who liked it, but sat on it for so long that I took it back, then pitched it to Black Lyon who took it as long as I was willing to cut it in half.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love almost anything Star Trek and Star Wars despite the fact that I’m a local historian; I practically throw up when I think about personal promotional appearances yet I love to perform radio theater in front of audiences; I have no sense of direction whatsoever. I can’t even count on being wrong and turning the opposite way ‘cause sometimes I’m right.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just pitched two more novels. One’s about a woman who would rather not go through another round of treatment for her end-stage cancer, but family members and the doctor who wants to save her life think otherwise. What happens when four people pray for different outcomes of the same situation? The other is a romance about a former missionary who’s sidelined at home and a businesswoman who fall in love and try to make marriage work. I also sold a short story to a new start-up magazine, Harpstring, and am waiting to find out more details on its release.

5) Parting comments?
Never give up – never surrender. Be a noticer. I’m facilitating an ACFW on-line course next year about the submission process.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://lisalickel.com/
http://reflectionsinhindsight.wordpress.com/ – coming in June
http://www.shoutlife.com/lisalickel
http://www.facebook.com/lisalickel
http://edgychristianfictionlovers.ning.com/profile/LisaLickel
I’m also an Amazon author and a Goodreads.com author.

Here are purchase links:
Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Meander-Scar-Lisa-J-Lickel/dp/1934912239/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267452628&sr=1-1

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Meander-Scar-ebook/dp/B0037Z6YM8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Meander on BN: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Meander-Scar/Lisa-J-Lickel/e/9781934912232/?itm=1&USRI=Lisa+Lickel

Julie Cave's "Deadly Disclosures"

We're happy to have Julie Cave with us today talking about her book, Deadly Disclosures.To learn more about Julie and her book, read on!

Your title: Deadly Disclosures
1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted to find a way to combine my love for writing with my Christian faith. A friend of mine and I brainstormed one weekend and he said to me, “What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian went missing?” The plot developed from there – I had already developed Dinah Harris as the main character and she was waiting for a story in which to appear!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I knew that New Leaf Press was particular in its publication requirements. I sent the novel over in portions of five chapters so that the editors could see my writing style, how the story was unfolding, and how I was including the gospel message within the book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I never know how a novel will end when I begin working on it – it’s something that comes to me during the process of writing.
2. I am a sports fanatic, and I love to watch Australian sports such as rugby league, rugby union, cricket and Australian football as well as swimming, Formula One car racing, the Olympics and any sporting event that happens to be on!
3. My dog Sage is a Japanese shiba inu descended from champion show dogs and her show name is Rising Sun Spring.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have just finished the sequel to Deadly Disclosures, called The Shadowed Mind. It’ll be out in October. After that, I’ll be starting work on the third book in the Dinah Harris trilogy. In the meantime, I’ll be travelling to the USA for a three week stay.

5) Parting comments?
I hope that those who read it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. My desire for the book is that Christians will take pleasure in the plot and the teaching, and that they will give it to their non-Christian friends. At the moment we are running an exciting competition where two winners will win the chance to name two characters in my next book. To enter, all people need to do is become a fan on Facebook and introduce a friend to the fan page, or subscribe to my blog. The details of the competition can be found at http://www.juliecave.com/. It will be drawn on May 27th at the Creation Museum.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My blog can be found at http://www.juliecave.com/. You can also become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/julieacave and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/julieacave.

Deborah Raney's "Almost Forever"

We're happy to have Deborah Raney with us today talking about her book, Almost Forever. To learn more about Deborah and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
My husband is always clipping stories out of the newspaper that he thinks I’ll find interesting––that he thinks might hold the seed of an idea for a future novel. One day he placed the story of nine heroic firefighters who were killed in a fire in Charleston, SC. That story and the career of my firefighter nephew, got me thinking about the lives of the survivors and how they find the will to go on after such a tragedy. The Hanover Falls novels explore the questions I encountered that day.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Because of the reception the Clayburn novels series had, we decided to do another series with the locale being the thread that tied the three books together. The Hanover Falls novels are a little more closely entwined plot-wise than the Clayburn novels were. Each one stands alone, but the Hanover Falls novels are best read in order: Almost Forever, Forever After, After All. Books 2 will release in January 2011 and Book 3 in September 2011.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. Though I’m usually a very cheerful, upbeat person, I do tend to have a bit of a temper. I have it pretty well under control these days (thank you, Lord!) but I’ve been known to kick a cabinet or two in my younger years.
2. I was a debate champion in high school and I still love to practice the craft on my husband and kids.
3. I play the piano by ear…not very well, but enough that it’s great therapy to bang out a tune or two when my temper flares.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m digging in to write the first draft of After All, Book 3 in the Hanover Falls series. My substantive edit for Forever After will come one of these days and I’ll have to put everything aside to work on that, but for now, I’m happily playing with the characters from this new story. After that I have a stand-alone book contracted, also with Howard/Simon & Schuster, and another two-book contract to announce soon.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog! I’ll try to stop by and visit with your readers soon!
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.deborahraney.com/
http://novelgarden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/authordebraney
http://snipurl.com/facebookreaderspage

Jill Elizabeth Nelson's "Calculated Revenge"

We're happy to have Jill Elizabeth Nelson with us today talking about her book, Calculated Revenge. To learn more about Jill and her book, read on!

Your title: Calculated Revenge
1) How did this story come to you?
I’ve always wanted to do a novel about child abduction, but not something typical. The unusual twists in Calculated Revenge are the product of serious time spent extrapolating the logistics of character motivation, behavior and interaction. What would this particular character do next, how does that affect the other characters, and how do I give that logical progression a unique twist that will be believable and intriguing to the reader? It is also my habit always to seek the Lord’s wisdom in any book I write. Even when I paint myself into a corner, He is faithful to show me the way out, and the story is better for His insightful grace!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
A rather uneventful path, actually. My editor at Steeple Hill asked me for a new proposal, they liked what they saw, and awarded a contract for two more books with them. The second one, Legacy of Lies, comes out in October, but is unrelated to Calculated Revenge. The similarity begins and ends in that they are both set in fictitious small towns in rural Minnesota.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Hmmm. Good question.
a. I’m well into middle age, but have few gray hairs. This should be an astonishing fact, considering I raised four children, and at one point, they were all teenagers! I do get my brown hair highlighted, because my husband likes it that way.
b. Armed with trusty laptop, I write seated next to my husband in one of our matching recliners. He’s allowed to have the television on, because I can tune that out. However, he’d better not try to talk to me at a crucial moment in the story. ;-)
c. I’ve been on short term mission trips to Jamaica, Thailand, and New Orleans during Mardi Gras. What an eye-opening experience that was! We’re long-time friends with missionaries who are currently stationed in the Philippines. We hope to be able to go over and help out there with a project sometime soon.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I recently turned in a proposal for my agent to shop around and am working on another proposal for a story that he and I really like. Hopefully, I’ll be offered another two-book contract and can do both stories for one publisher.

5) Parting comments?
Reader feedback is an awesome inspiration to writers. We thoroughly appreciate when readers take time out of their busy lives to let us know how our stories have touched them. In fact, I use such testimonies as part of the program I present at libraries on The Inspirational Fiction Phenomenon. I’m booked solid this spring, which reflects the widespread interest in Christian fiction today.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My web site is http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/. Hop on over. I have a fun little contest page where readers can enter a monthly drawing for my most recent release. My blog features oodles of awesome authors, and I frequently give away their books as well. Signing up for my quarterly newsletter will keep readers abreast of what’s new in my writing world and also make them eligible for exclusive offers I make available to subscribers only.

Darlene Franklin's Gunfight at Grace Gulch

We're happy to have Darlene Franklin with us today talking about her book, Gunfight at Grace Gulch. To learn more about Darlene and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
When I decided to write a mystery in a small town, I had no hesitation about the setting: Oklahoma, in a place settled during one of the land runs. When the people of Grace Gulch reenacts the most famous gunfight in town history, one of the actors falls dead of a real gunshot. A brief newspaper paragraph about a vintage clothing store inspired my heroine, Cici Wilde. She provided the costumes for the actors, her sister handled the prop guns, and her old boyfriend shot it. She had plenty of reasons to want to solve it!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My first book (Romanian Rhapsody) came out in 2005. As proposal after proposal was rejected, I began to fear I would be a one book wonder. When Barbour opened the Heartsong Presents: Mysteries! line, I gained new hope. Susan Downs gave me a lot of guidance as I submitted two rejected manuscripts before Grace Gulch sold.
On a bittersweet note, I received my advance copies the week my daughter died in 2008. A year later, my second mystery (A String of Murders) was released as part of the final shipment of Heartsong Presents: Mysteries! books. The third Grace Gulch novel (Paint Me a Puzzle) is currently scheduled for release in 2011.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m a huge sports fan—I miss my Colorado teams, here in Oklahoma!
My favorite colors are yellow and red.
I was on the Howdy Doody show when I was a kid. (That dates me!)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just finished the rough draft of a manuscript that has been requested on spec. Huge relief. Now I’m starting on my next contracted book, book 3 of the historical Vermont series. Love’s Raid was inspired by the northernmost battle of the Civil War—St. Albans’ Raid. When the bank in Maple Notch is robbed, Constable Daniel Tuttle doesn’t if the work of Confederates—or someone much closer to home.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me on your blog, Dawn! I love a good mystery and was delighted in the opportunity to create my own heroine!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have two blogs: http://www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com/ and http://www.thebookdoctorbd.blogspot.com/. I also have an author page at amazon.com.

Sharon Dunn's Dead Ringer

Sharon Dunn's "Dead Ringer"

We're happy to have Sharon Dunn with us today talking about her Love Inspired Suspense novel Dead Ringer. To learn more about Sharon and her book, read on!

Dead Ringer
1) How did this story come to you?

I live in a part of the world where there are a lot of fly fisher men and women. I wanted a female character who was fly fishing guide. Once I saw the opening scene where the main character Lucy foils a would-be thief at her home, the book was off and running.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.

This is my sixth published book, but my first with Steeple Hill. I met one of the editors at a writer’s conference, read some of the books in line and after a few failed attempts, sent in a proposal that sold.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I have three cats---that means I am one cat away from officially being a crazy cat lady
My husband said he married me because I made such great chocolate chip cookies
I grew up in the country in a house that had such a bad water pressure we used to take sponge baths

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?

I am working on a mystery novel that has a woman who crochets as the sleuth. I am also working on my next romantic suspense for Steeple Hill which will be out in December 2010. It’s called Night Prey and features a heroine who rescues birds of prey for a living.

5) Parting comments?

The official release date for Dead Ringer is May 11, I can’t wait to see it on the store shelf.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

http://www.sharondunnbooks.com/ and I will be featured on crafty ladies of suspense

No Other by Shawna Williams

No Other by Shawna Williams!

We're happy to have Shawna Williams with us today talking about her book, No Other. Read on to learn more about Shawna and her book. Be sure to check out the contest she's running on her blog (details are at the bottom of her interview.)

1) How did this story come to you?
It actually came to me in a dream. The dream was a strange experience. It was like scenes from the stages of someone's life, and sometimes I was the person, and sometimes I was watching. But it started with a young couple falling in love, then having small children, then struggling with the demands of career and family. It ended with a really sad old woman sitting in a chair, watching her grown children, who didn't know her because of choices she'd made in a fruitless chase to obtain fulfillment. Depressing, huh! Anyhow, I pondered this dream, trying to fill in gaps for about six months, and it eventually grew to be so complicated that I had to start writing just to keep track.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I started writing about eight years ago. I'd work for awhile, put it away for months, pull it back out, put it away, work on it again and think about trying to get published, chicken out and not look at my manuscript for months. At one point I went a whole year without writing anything. Two years ago I really felt like God was telling me that it was time to get serious. So I pulled out my awful, 167,000 word manuscript, and started picking it apart. This time though I bothered to try and learn how to write. I bought twenty-something books on the craft, and started submitting to critique groups. Lots of them! Kinda smarted, but it was good for me. I began submitting short stories too, and that got me used to rejections. But it wasn't too long before I also got my first acceptance, and that was great. After that I got several more in short order.

During this time I continued to work on my manuscript by taking the first part of my horrible book and making it its own story, and I also began looking at potential places to submit. I knew that the content and set up of my story made it a not so easy sale, so I determined early on that I wanted to focus on smaller presses.

I became aware of Desert Breeze Publishing through Michelle Sutton, who currently has three books published by them. They were only six months old at the time, and only publishing in ebook format, but every DBP author I corresponded with seemed pleased as punch over their experience. Also, Gail Delaney, the CEO and Editor and Chief, was quite clear about future plans of expanding into print.

There was also just something very appealing about getting in on the ground floor. It's always been part of my personality to go that route. Hard to say why, but it's the same thing that motivated me to start a homeschool support group when there wasn't one, move from the large city to a small town ranch, buy a run-down camping park with my husband and turn it around, and insist on salvaging several old homes that had fallen into ruin. I'm always rooting for the small guy or the underdog. I guess I should mention that I take in stray animals too. It's how I got my collie. Best dog ever!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Oops! I think I just did that in the previous question. Okay, other than my love of underdogs, I'm a girly-girl geek, who likes science, history, and making jewelry. Yep, one of these things is not like the other.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Currently I'm working on two books, both under contract. One is the sequel to No Other -- same characters ten years later. Similar Theme as No Other, but from a different perspective at a different stage in life -- also inspired by that life-changing dream. It's called In All Things. Orphaned Hearts is the other. It's an expansion of a novella I'd written that was inspired by my granddad, who was raised in an orphanage in the 1930s. It was accepted under the terms that I lengthen it.

5) Parting comments?
Hmm...I have no clue what to say here, so I'll just tell you a little about my book. In an answer to a previous question I mentioned that I looked into small presses because I felt that the content in No Other made it hard to place. In the story there are some major failings on the part of the main characters, but mostly I'd say Jakob, since he is a Christian and Meri isn't. But my reason for writing No Other was that I wanted to tell an inspirational story about getting up after you fall. About how Christians don't just struggle, sometimes we blow it, but God doesn't abandon us. Even when our efforts to right things fail, He's still in control. Him, and No Other.

And if you read the book, and notice a couple of things left a little uncertain at the end, including a promise Jakob makes that might seem somewhat misguided, well, that's what the sequel is for.
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://shawnakwilliams.com/
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/shawnakwilliams
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245?ref=ts


I'm running a contest for the month of May. Here's the link.
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/p/no-other-prize-drawing-details.html
It can also be found by going to my blog and clicking on No Other Prize Details in the top left corner. As part of the contest, I need to post this question at the end of my interview.

What does this German phrase "Eine Verletzung kann nicht heilen, wenn man dauernd daran kratz," mean? (Answer can be found in the first chapter, viewable at http://noother-shawnawilliams.blogspot.com/ )

Morning for Dove by Martha Rogers

Morning for Dove

We're happy to have Martha Rogers with us today talking about her book, Morning for Dove. Read on to learn more about Martha and her book.

1) How did this story come to you?
When my son lived in Tulsa, we went to visit quite often and always stopped at a tourist information system for coffee and restroom break at Thackerville. I became interested in the history of the state and decided to combine it with my interest in Boston.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote the book in 2004 and 2005 and sent it to my agent. It stayed with one editor who took it to committee, but it was rejected. It was with them for over six months. We changed the title and began submitting it elsewhere. After more revision, Tamela sent it out again to several new editors and Debbie Marrie at Strang picked it up.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Hmm, I’m a pretty open book, but they may be surprised to learn I was a nursing student when I started out in college in 1953. Readers might be surprised to learn I am a breast cancer survivor. 10 ½ years since my second surgery. I love to sew and use to make all my own clothes.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on book three in the series and a Christmas novella for Barbour

5) Parting comments?
Never give up on your dream, and never believe you are too old to get published.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.marthawrogers.com/

Stephanie Burkhart's "The Hungarian"

The Hungarian by Stephanie Burkhart

We're happy to have Stephanie Burkhart with us today talking about her book, The Hungarian. Read on to learn more about Stephanie and her book.

1) How did this story come to you?
I'm a Moderator on Writing.com and it was inspired by a simple contest prompt. Write a story about a werewolf that falls in love. Called "The Wolf's Kiss," Count Matthias hires a British nanny, Katherine, for his daughter and they fall in love. It was well received. I entered the story into the Writer's Digest Pop Fiction Contest and out of 3,000 entries it received an honorable mention in the romance category. Spurred on by it's success, I wrote the novel, "The Hungarian."

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
If you consider I wrote the prompt story in 2006, it's been 4 years. My first draft was best kept in the closet. *smiles* The first draft allowed me to get to know the characters, but plotwise, it wasn't as strong as it could be. I wrote a second draft in the 1st person from Katherine's POV, and showed it to Gail Delaney, Editor-in-Chief at Desert Breeze. She said, "I like it, but can you do 3rd person?" I spent about six months changing the POV. If anything, I would say I would say I earned a healthy appreciation for patience.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
A – I was married in Denmark in 1991. My marriage certificate is in 5 different languages.
B – I have a big comic book collection. I collected from 1981-2000. I have over 3,000. My favorites – X-Men, Teen Titans, and the Legion of Superheroes.
C – I spent 7 years in Germany while in the military. I was an MP.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm doing my final edits on "The Hungarian's" sequel, "The Count's Lair." I'm also writing a sci-fi, speculative short story, "Shadows and Light," for Desert Breeze's Borealis Anthology.

5) Parting comments?
For writers, have patience. Learn your craft. Learn how to take constructive criticism without being overly critical.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://sgcardin.tripod.com/
Blog: http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1357922219&ref=profile
You Tube Channel (Botrina) http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina

Seasons in the Mist by Deborah Kinnard

Deborah Kinnard's Seasons in the Mist

We're happy to have Deborah Kinnard with us today talking about her book, Seasons in the Mist. Read on to learn more about Deborah and her book.

1) How did this story come to you?

It came the year I vacationed in England, walking around Cornwall and just letting my imagination run wild. There was a ruined building near my hotel, that had once sheltered a well. I got the “holy well” idea from that.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.

I first wrote it in 1982 on an Apple //C, on software that doesn’t exist anymore. When I got the idea to rewrite it, I couldn’t, so I had to rewrite from scratch. It’s a far different (and better) story now.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

(1) I write characters who are surprised by God in some way;

(2) I’m the only woman in America who cannot make Jello;

(3) I’m a singer by nature but do not ask me to dance. It ain’t pretty.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?

Working on a sequel to SEASONS IN THE MIST, working title SEASONS OF RECKONING. I’m thinking to finish this story before the ACFW conference this September.

5) Parting comments? I hope readers will want to journey back to the 14th century with me. It was a fascinating time.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

http://www.debkinnard.com/ or http://www.justtellthestory.blogspot.com/

Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico

Lena Nelson Dooley's "Love Finds you in Golden, New Mexico"

We're happy to have Lena Nelson Dooley with us today talking about her new book, Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico. To learn more about Lena and her book, read on!


1) How did this story come to you?
Actually, two other authors and I first proposed a mail-order bride proposal for a three book series. The proposal was rejected. So two of us took our stories and reworked them to propose to different publishing houses.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
When my agent Joyce Hart sent it to Summerside Press, the editor liked it right away. The company asked if I would be willing to wait for the contract. Since I really wanted to sell to Summerside, Joyce and I decided it was worth waiting for. The rest, as they say, is history.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
* I was a runner-up in a beauty contest when I was a senior in high school.
* I was painfully shy until I was a senior in high school.
* I grew up on fish farms.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on a contemporary women’s fiction titled Beyond Redemption. It hasn’t been contracted, but a major house is considering it right now. I also have proposals for two separate 3-book series at publishers right now. I’m waiting for something to sell. In the meantime, I’m scheduled to speak several places this year. Readers can find out where on the Newsletter page of my blog: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

5) Parting comments?
The print edition of Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico releases May 1, but the Kindle edition is already available from Amazon.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/ - Author interviews/Free books
http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/ - Regular Blogger
www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley
www.twitter.com/lenandooley
www.shoutlife.com/lenanelsondooley

Jill Williamson's "To Darkness Fled"

Jill Williamson's "To Darkness Fled"

We're happy to have Jill Williamson with us today talking about her new book, To Darkness Fled. To learn more about Jill and To Darkness Fled read on!

Your title: By Darkness Hid and To Darkness Fled (Blood of Kings books 1 and 2)

1) How did this story come to you?

Two things happened close together that inspired this story. First, I was walking with my son one day in Burbank , California , and we came upon a burned-down house. I stopped to look at it and noticed a tree in the front yard. The part of the tree that hung over the fence and above the street was leafy green, rocking and rustling in the wind. But the branches of the tree near the house were charred and stiff.

I stared at that tree for a long time, then took off for home, pushing that stroller at top speed. I went straight to the computer, opened Adobe Photoshop, and made the image of the tree that is the header on my author website. I couldn’t wait to write a story about this tree!

Around that same time, I had a weird dream where a guy had amnesia. Little did everyone know that he was someone very important. When I woke up, I liked the idea of this lost character, so I put him together with my ideas for the half-living, half-dead tree and I was off and running.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I didn’t intend to pitch this story to Jeff Gerke and Marcher Lord Press. I was attending the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Coaching Conference and there was only one editor interested in looking at young adult novels that year. I had met Jeff at a previous conference, so I put the first chapter of my fantasy story in to him to see what he thought. I was surprised when he wanted to talk. “Why does it have to be YA?” he said.
I was even more surprised when he wanted to publish it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I’m from Alaska . I grew up in a home with no electricity and an outhouse.
2. I once started my own wedding gown business called Lugano. My first dream in life was to be a fashion designer. Once I became fed up working in the industry, and before I started writing, I designed a line of nine better wedding gowns and went to the Chicago Bridal Market as a vendor. It was a tremendous amount of work, especially considering I hate to sew.
3. I speak a little Japanese. I went to Okinawa on an exchange program back in high school. Konnichiwa! Genki desu ka? (Hello! How are you?)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am working on From Darkness Won (Blood of Kings, book 3). I’m hoping to sell one of my other young adult novels. I plan to visit more middle and high schools as an author and encourage teens who love to read and write.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for having me here! I appreciate getting to know you all. If you’re not sure if my books are for you, visit my website and read the first chapters. That’s a good way to find out if you like the story.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’m everywhere! My website is www.jillwilliamson.com. I’m also on Facebook, MySpace, Shoutlife, Shelfari, GoodReads, Twitter, Amazon…

On top of that, I run two blogs. The first is Novel Teen Book Reviews at http://www.novelteen.com/. It’s a website that reviews clean teen fiction. This is a great resource to see what books are available in the Christian market for teens. The other blog is for teen authors, though adult authors may find some useful tips too. http://www.teenageauthor.com/.

"Yesterday's Promise" by Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller's "Yesterday's Promise"

We're happy to have Vanessa Miller with us today talking about her new book, Yesterday's Promise. To learn more about Vanessa and Yesterday's Promise read on!


1) How did this story come to you?
I was doing a book signing at an expo and the lady next to my table was signing copies of her book that talked about the struggle for women to preach. Since the bishop of my church is a woman and we have women preach at my church all the time, I had never thought anything about any struggle that women faced when it came to preaching. But then a man walked into the room where we were signing our books. He took one look at Pastor Notoshia Howard’s book and started screaming at her. He told her that she had no business trying to preach to men and that women were not allowed to preach. That’s when the idea of Yesterday’s Promise was dropped in my spirit. I wanted to write a book that details the struggles women who have been called by God have to deal with in order to preach the gospel.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting published.
I was about nine years old when I realized I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t have the first clue as to how I would accomplish this goal, but I knew that I loved the written word. As a teenager, I wrote poems and short stories. However, in my early twenties I attempted my first novel. I got halfway through and couldn’t finish it. The same thing occurred with the next three novels I attempted. The first novel I completed was Former Rain and it took seven years from the start of that book until it was published.

I was so excited about finally completing a novel that I didn’t want to wait on a publisher to agree to publish my novel. So I self-published it in 2003. By 2006 I signed a contract with a mainstream publisher. That deal provided me with better distribution. Now, in 2010, I have 4 new books releasing by three different publishers. The one thing I’ve learned through this journey is that God is faithful. He will never fail us, if we put our trust in Him.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I have a two year old granddaughter
A one year old grandson
And I drive to most of my tour locations because I hate to fly.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now I working on edits for the sequel to Yesterday’s Promise. That book is titled, A Love for Tomorrow. I have four books releasing this year, so a lot of touring, promoting and drinking Mountain Dew is what’s next for me.

5) Parting comments?
My hope is that everyone will check out my new book, Yesterday’s Promise. So, I guess my parting words would be… come on, give my book a try, please.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My web address is: http://www.vanessamiller.com/ I also have a fan page on Facebook. Just search for Vanessa miller. Thank you so much!

Queen of Hearts Review by Shawna Williams

Queen of Hearts Review by Shawna Williams. Register in the post below this one for the end of month giveaway.

What a great read! K. Dawn Byrd has crafted a story that blends romance, suspence,and history into an entertaining experience called, Queen of Hearts. The story begins with ambitious reporter, Daphne Dean, deciding to add a little more adventure to her life by joining the O.S.S. during WWII. She's suddenly thrust into a situation she's ill-prepared for, and isn't sure who to trust. There's her ex-boyfriend, Kenneth, who still holds her heart. By all reason she should trust him since she's known him her whole life, but war has brought out a different side to him that makes Daphne leery. Then there's the new guy, mysterious Vito, with shady family connections and secrets he's unwilling to divulge, yet something about him engenders trust. Should Daphne give it?

As the situation escalates, Daphne finds herself in hiding in an abandoned mental hospital. Both men insist they want to protect her, but is that really the case?

Is it terrible that I really want to find this institution to explore? Seriously, K. Dawn's description was so vivid and intriguing that this fictional setting is now listed in my top ten places I "must see" before I die. (Not sure how that's going to work out.) The whole story was great, but the last part was a major page turner, that kept me guessing until the very end. And I loved the growth of the characters shown in the book's conclusion. Most satisfying indeed. K. Dawn Byrd is a masterful suspense writer, and I look forward to her next title, Killing Time, in August, 2010.