Mary Ellis' "Sarah's Christmas Miracle"

We're happy to have Mary Ellis with us today talking about her book, Sarah's Christmas Miracle. To learn more about Mary and her book, read on!

• How would you describe your book?
Sarah’s Christmas Miracle is a tale about an Amish woman on the cusp of changing her life. She’s courting a serious beau, and is at the age expected to join the church and get married. But Sarah loves her job at the B&B and isn’t sure she’s ready to settle down and raise children. Before she commits to anyone, she must find an older brother who left the Amish for the big city and never came back. What was so appealing that it was worth breaking his parents’ hearts?

• What message do you hope it conveys?
I hope it conveys a message of hope and love for the Christmas season. The story is also told through the eyes of Sarah’s mother, who’s already lost one child to the English world, and fears she might lose another. She must trust that the bonds of family love will be strong enough to keep her daughter from falling away from her faith.

• What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I set the urban scenes in the city where I went to college and met my (future) husband. We had
a ball “researching” a once familiar city, seeing things from a fresh perspective. It’s very uplifting to be a tourist in your own hometown.

• What did you dislike most about writing this book?
I was held to a strict word count and told not to go much higher. I would have enjoyed exploring emotional avenues from more characters’ perspectives.

• What inspired you to become a writer?
As a dedicated reader, I reached a time in my life where I couldn’t keep myself from sitting down and writing. Every writer arrives at a point when he or she must write.

• Tell us about your writing process.
Uh, oh…there is a process I’m supposed to follow? For the first ten years, I also maintained a day job. My writing had to fit in wherever I could squeeze an hour or two. It’s hard to remember who has blue eyes and who has brown, besides the various plot twists when you create in fits and starts. It’s somewhat easier now that I write fulltime, but publicity demands fill in for my former day job. I still haven’t developed much of a schedule…maybe next week.

• What are you working on now?
I’m working on a story about an Amish midwife who runs afoul of the law when a birth goes horribly wrong. It’s a tale of growth within a marriage, dealing with grief, and staying true to your convictions when the road becomes rocky. But it also includes a romance between two people no one would expect to fall in love. The title is Abigail’s New Hope and it will be released on March 1st, 2011.

• What books do you enjoy reading?
I enjoy reading romantic suspense and family sagas.

• Where can readers buy your book?
Reader’s can find Sarah’s Christmas Miracle at http://www.christianbook.com/ or www.barnesandnoble.com or from my publisher http://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/

• Where can readers find you online?
I hope readers will drop me a line at my blog: http://www.maryeellis.wordpress.com/

C.S. Lakin's "Someone to Blame"

We're happy to have C.S. Lakin with us today talking about her book, Someone to Blame. To learn more about C.S. and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted to write another psychological mystery based on another of Agatha Christie’s famous murder mysteries. I had written one earlier called “Innocent Little Crimes” based on her book “And Then There Were None.” My next idea was to do a variation of “Murder on the Orient Express” but set it in a small town rather than on a train. I had been kicking around the idea for a couple of years and when I knew I’d be taking Jim Bell’s mentor track at Mount Hermon in the spring, I thought to write this book for the Christian market and use it in the workshop, which I did. I liked the idea of exploring the way a small town distrusts a newcomer, one especially abrasive. So by having Billy Thurber’s arrival in Breakers coincide with an outbreak of crimes, I explored how easy it is for people to blame someone they don’t know. I also wanted to explore a wider theme of blame, and so my story features a family new to Brekaers that is suffering form their own brand of blame regarding a horrible tragedy in their family. The two stories collide in upheaval and grace.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I did the usual pitching at conferences but couldn’t get anyone interested. So I submitted it in the Zondervan 2009 First Novel Contest at Mount Hermon and it won the contest. I feel extremely honored to have Zondervan enthusiastically supporting this book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Well, who knows? I was a pathological liar when a child and used to steal bottles out of neighbors’ garages to get the 5 cent refunds to buy candy. But I was also a kleptomaniac and stole candy more often than bought it. I was a bit neglected and ignored by my mom, who was a single parent working full-time. I got into a lot of trouble as a kid. Now, I try to behave myself. I was raised Jewish, which usually means atheist celebrating a few random holidays. Thankfully, God chose to reveal himself to me, and I’m very grateful and am glad he forgives sin!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m finishing book four in my fantasy series The Gates of Heaven, for AMG, a collection of full-length fairy tales in the style of C. S. Lewis. I’m very excited about that series and the first book, The Wolf of Tebron, is getting some great buzz and reviews. I’m also plotting out my eleventh novel, my fifth commercial contemporary book, which is not so much a mystery as the modern-day story of Jacob and Joseph, detailing a dysfunctional family in need of grace. It’s another huge challenging, crazy, different project. I’m alsway pushing the envelope and writing harder and harder things. Don’t know why I torture myself like this!

5) Parting comments?
I write all kinds of things, but although I’ve been chastised and told to stick to one genre, my Boss seems to have other ideas for me. I always look to Him to tell me what to write and the ideas bubble up and spill over. I know what to work on by how excited a project gets me and how it grips me to where I can’t really focus on anything else. I usually am working on one project while writing another, and the last six or so novels have alternated between fantasy and contemporary drama, so I guess that seems to be the pattern I’m sticking with for now. Unless a publisher gives me some three-book deal and I have to do that for a while. I feel blessed to spend my time doing what I really love—writing and editing for other writers. If you need mentoring or help on a project, hire me!

6) Here are the websites for the new releases:
http://www.gatesofheavenseries.com/ and http://www.someonetoblame.com/

John Herrick's "From the Dead"

We're happy to have John Herrick with us today talking about his book, From the Dead. To learn more about John and his book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
On my way home from work, I turned on the radio and listened to the oldies station. Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” played—a song I never cared for. But this time, the song’s opening groove pulled me in and for the first time, I paid attention to the lyrics about a straight-laced preacher’s son. After the song ended, I thought, “Preacher’s kids often get stereotyped as near perfect. What if a preacher’s kid’s life hit rock bottom and, given his unique background, he had to climb out of a pit of his own making?” A few minutes later, random ideas for From The Dead started to pour forth. When I got home, I spent 30 minutes getting all the initial thoughts on paper. As the weeks passed, the concept grew. In your gut as a writer, a sense settles in: “Yes, this is my next book. I can marry myself to it for the next nine months.”

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I’d written one prior novel—some would consider it a novella. It received great feedback but hadn’t found a home. Its short length added to the risk of taking on a new writer. An author friend of mine offered words of encouragement about that project and encouraged me to start the next novel, which would become From The Dead. Unknown to her, I’d had that sense in my gut that my next step was to write the second novel, but she provided that final, strategic nudge. Sometimes we don’t know our impact on others until down the road.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I spent 8 years in information technology, doing everything from writing computer code to project management. I had zero training in it and didn’t care for the field, but it ended up fostering the discipline and framework I needed to write a novel.
2. I devour books, but I’m a painfully slow reader! Slowing down is the only way I can remember any details.
3. I once drove the wrong way up an interstate ramp at 3 a.m. I was out of town, construction all around, and none of those orange signs were lit—the ones that tell you where to go! At 3 a.m., we didn’t see anyone enter or exit, so my buddy and I guessed on the correct ramp. Halfway up the ramp, we saw oncoming headlights. Comical in retrospect, but thankful I’m alive!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m in the preliminary stage for my next novel. I tend to let the ideas marinate in my gut for a while, and the vital scenes seem to rise to the surface. That method seems to work best for me.

5) Parting comments?
No matter your dream, never give up! I’m a classic example of someone who had to hold out for a couple of decades—but the breakthrough finally arrived. I try to document some of the things I learned along the way in my blog. Thanks for letting me stop by today!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
You can visit my website at www.johnherrick.net. Feel free to send me a message; I love to hear from readers! I also have a blog at http://www.johnherricknet.blogspot.com/.

Kenneth Weene's "Widow's Walk"

We're happy to have Kenneth Weene with us today talking about his book, Widow's Walk. To learn more about Kenneth and his book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I actually had occasion to work with a family in which a son had become quadriplegic as the result of an accident. It was my intervention that got him out of the house, to rehab, and eventually back into live. When I was thinking about that family, I realized it was really the mother’s story that I wanted to tell. From there, the story just took its shape.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
No real journey. I sent Widow’s Walk to three publishers. All Things That Matter Press decided that it was an important tale. They are very much a values oriented publisher and take books like Widow’s Walk seriously.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m a psychologist, I’m an ordained minister, and I am a New Englander: I don’t know if these will surprise, but they certainly will help readers to understand what and how I write.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Since Widow’s Walk I’ve had a second novel, Memoirs From the Asylum published (also by ATTMP). I have a conspiracy novel, Times To Try The Soul of Man, ready to go. Currently I’m working on a new novel that has not title, but it is primarily written in a poetic voice, which makes it very challenging and exciting for me as a writer.

5) Parting comments?
I don’t just write stories; it is very important that my books make people think. Widow’s Walk is about faith and spirit; it is also about responsibility and love. Memoirs From the Asylum is about freedom and fear and about existential choices.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is http://www.authorkenweene.com/ I also have trailers for my books. The trailer for Widow’s Walk is http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?p=wbgzb2yk

As with most books, the easiest way to purchase mine is at Amazon and look for my name, Kenneth Weene; or you can visit All Things That Matter Press.

Liz Johnson's "Vanishing Act"

We're happy to have Liz Johnson with us today talking about her book, Vanishing Act. To learn more about Liz and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
The hero of this story, Nate Andersen, is a minor character in my first novel The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, and I was really excited to get to tell his story. And while the town is fictional, it was great to set the story in Colorado, where I lived for almost four years.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The road to publication on this book was a blast! I wrote the book at my own pace because I wasn't under contract on it yet, and when I was done I sent it off to my editor. We'd talked a bit about it as I was working on it, but she hadn't seen any sample chapters or anything. While I'd love to say a few weeks after sending it in, my editor bought it, that wasn't quite the way it went. She asked me to make some changes, which I was happy to do. When I sumbitted the second time, I sat back and waited ... sometimes not so patiently. Then at the ACFW conference in Denver last year, I had a chance to speak with the senior editor for the Love Inspired Suspense Line. About two weeks later my editor called and offered me a contract. And the rest is editing history.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Three things! I don't know if I have three surprising things. Let's see ... I won my fantasy football league last season, I love nearly everything to do with the Civil War era, and I didn't learn to ice skate until I was 25 when I took lessons through the city of Colorado Springs.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now I'm working on a few proposals for new ideas, including a possible series about military for Love Inspired Suspense. I just finished my third novel for them, which is due out in March 2011. Code of Justice features a Heather Sloan, one of the minor characters in Vanishing Act. Heather's sister is killed in a helicopter crash, and Heather sets out to track down the drug ring that brought the helicopter down.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks so much for having me! It's a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate the support!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love hearing from my readers, and they can find me online at http://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/ and they can e-mail me at Liz@lizjohnsonbooks.com.

Erin Healy's "Never Let You Go"

We're happy to have Erin Healy with us today talking about her book, Never Let You Go. To learn more about Erin and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
NLYG is a supernatural thriller about the terrifying effects of a parent’s bitterness on her dearly loved child. The idea came from real-life observations about how families unwittingly pass bitterness through generations. I was curious about why that happens and what it takes to break the cycle.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My journey has been a backward, “inside-the-industry” journey from career editor to author. I’ve worked with dozens of talented novelists and have been one of Ted Dekker’s editors for years. He invited me to co-author some books with him (we wrote KISS and BURN together). Our agreement with the publisher included the opportunity for me to write at least three more novels on my own.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Daniel Boone is my great (to the eighth or ninth power) uncle. I’m a terrible speller. I’ve walked on the dreary English moors that inspired Wuthering Heights (and caught a miserable cold as a result).

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
THE PROMISES SHE KEEPS comes out in January 2011. It’s the story of two women who are seeking immortality, and the autistic artist who shows them the unexpected way.

5) Parting comments?
I’m über-interested in stories about ways in which our spiritual and physical lives intersect. If you are too, look me up on Facebook (www.facebook.com/erinhealybooks) and “like” my page, then join in the discussions there about the ways God works in our lives supernaturally.

6) Where can fans find you on the Internet?
In addition to Facebook, at http://www.erinhealy.com/. You can view the video trailer for NEVER LET YOU GO and also read the first three chapters. My Web site has a place for readers to leave comments about my books—please let me know what you think of them, good or bad!

Ronald S. Barrios' "Blood Drops"

We're happy to have Ronald S. Barrios with us today talking about his book, Blood Drops. To learn more about Ronald and his book, read on!


1) How did this story come to you?
I started with a concept of the main character and wanted to introduce him to the world so I just put him in a situation and it developed from there. First came chapter one, then chapter two grew out of chapter one. Chapter three out of chapter two and so on.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I was told be a small publishing house that they could work with me if I added profanity and sex to my novel, there is none, but I refused to so I went independent as not to have to compromise my beliefs as a Christian.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I like like Frank Sinatra.
2. I love Disney cartoons.
3. I worry about readers enjoying my novels. I don't want to disappoint anyone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on the next book in the Rey series and plan on putting that out in the spring of next year. I'll reveal more on my website.

5) Parting comments?
I just want to thank you for taking a chance on me. I know you normally don't interview independent authors and this means a lot to me. I greatly appreciate you and won't forget this. Thank you, K.

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

Erica Rodgers' "Alexis and the Sacramento Surprise"

We're happy to have Erica Rodgers with us today talking about her book, Alexis and the Sacramento Surprise. To learn more about Erica and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I was really excited when my editor told me that "my" Camp Club Girl, Alexis, was the girl from central California. I grew up is South Lake Tahoe, California and spent a lot of time in Sacramento, so a lot of the things Alexis does in the books are things I did as a child. Except for investigating animatronic dinosaurs. I can honestly say I've never done that.
At one point in this book, Alexis faces a school board that bans field trips to a nature park because it has "Christian elements." I chose to write about this because many students deal with adults who challenge their beliefs. I wanted to encourage them by portraying a young person who stated her views respectfully and was not shaken when others might not agree.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I submitted a different book to Barbour. It too was a girl's mystery, but it wasn't a good fit for them at the time. Later, they contacted me and asked if I would like to write for the Camp Club Girls series. It has been a great opportunity and a lot of fun.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I color when I'm stressed. Yes--in coloring books. Try it. It works.
I am in love with super-heros. Both the literary and the comic book kind. From Aslan to Iron Man, they have me wrapped around their fingers. :)
Writing villains is really fun, and sometimes it's easier than writing about the good guys. Maybe that's because they're not perfect...and no one expects them to be.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am currently working on a young adult science-fiction novel called Breaking Bedlam: the Chronicles of Jim Christmas. I am absolutely in love with these new characters (what author isn't?) and can't wait for them to find a publishing home!

5) Parting comments?
I am so blessed to be able to write. In the words of my husband, I get to make things up for a living. No cubicle, no reports to file...sometimes no money, but I'm doing what I love. :) To God alone be the glory!

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

K. Dawn Byrd's "Killing Time"

Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?



Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-ebook/dp/B003XYE8K8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1280791153&sr=1-1

Desert Breeze Publishing: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-103/k-dawn-byrd-killing/Detail.bok

Barnes & Noble: http://www.b&n.com/

Sony ebooks: http://ebookstore.sony.com/

"Queen of Hearts"

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For more information about Queen of Hearts, click on a link below. At Amazon, you can download the first couple of chapters for free. At Desert Breeze, you can read the excerpt.

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-Hearts-ebook/dp/B003EV5T3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1270176182&sr=1-2

Desert Breeze Publishing:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-70/Queen-of-Hearts/Detail.bok

Arlene James' "Baby makes a Match"

We're happy to have Arlene James with us today talking about her book, Baby Makes a Match. To learn more about Arlene and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I had a pregnant friend whose car broke down on the side of the road, and neither her husband nor I could get to her. She had to accept a ride from a kind stranger, and though she was on the phone with her husband the whole time, it was an “uncomfortable” (okay, scary) incident. When I decided to do a contemporary “marriage of convenience” story for Chandler Chatam, who first appeared in Book 2 of the Chatam House series (A MATCH MADE IN TEXAS), I remembered my friend’s experience, and that became the catalyst for my premise.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I’ve been blessed to publish steadily for 3 decades and work almost exclusively on pre-sold book contracts. My agent negotiates a multiple-book contract with my publisher based on the popularity and sell-through figures of my previous books. Then I propose premises until I spark my editor’s interest, at which point I submit a formal proposal. We usually hammer out the details between us, and I go to work. Publishing was an entirely different world in the beginning of my career, and the truth is that God simply opened a door for me. I went through that door, and I’ve never looked back.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Hm, I’m not sure much would surprise my readers at this point. They know that I grew up on a ranch, love rodeo and hockey, and agreed to marry my husband of 34 years on our first date. What haven’t I told them? Let me see… Well, I sing (contralto/tenor); I love to throw large dinner parties (25-30 people), and I’m in the process of moving from Texas, where I’ve lived for the last 33 years, to northwest Arkansas.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on two projects at the moment: Book 2 in the Love Inspired Rocky Mountain Heirs continuity series (THE LAWMAN’S RUNAWAY BRIDE), and Book 5 of my Chatam House series. After that, I’ll be working on Book 6 of that series, at which point I’ll be at the end of my current contract.

5) Parting comments?
Writing has been the best of all possible worlds for me, and I thank God for putting me where I am. When my children were small, I was able to be at home with them AND work. When my husband’s career had us traveling all over the world, I was able to pack up my laptop and go without having to “take time off.” Now that he is retired, I’m able to work while spending time with him. I can’t imagine giving up this life until God calls me home, at which point someone will probably have to pry the keyboard out of my cold, dead fingers. Ha!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
In all the usual places (Facebook, Amazon.com, eHarlequin…) and at my two websites: http://arlenejames.com/ and––my personal favorite––http://chatamhouseseries.com. I’m available via email at deararlenejames@sbcglobal.net.

Elizabeth Goddard's "Exposing Amber"

We're happy to have Elizabeth Goddard with us today talking about her book, Exposing Amber. To learn more about Elizabeth and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I’ve always wanted to do a story about a fossil dig and I found a museum that was connected to one and knew it would make the perfect setting for a book.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
For some, especially these days, it seems the journey to publication happens quickly. For me it’s been long and arduous. I started working toward publication in 2001, though at the time I hadn’t yet decided to focus on novel writing. But when I attended my first conference, ACW, and met DiAnn Mills I knew I wanted to write novels. I didn’t receive my first contract until 2007.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’d rather go to Yellowstone National Park than Disney World. I prefer action movies over chic flicks. I haven’t read any Amish novels. Not even one.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I recently turned in a romantic suspense proposal to a category romance publisher and I’m working on a big story for my agent right now. I’m very excited about both stories, but I don’t want to give away any company secrets.

5) Parting comments?
I’m so thankful the Lord opened these doors for me—I love to write!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Bethgoddard.com

Michael Sullivan's "Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness"

We're happy to have Michael Sullivan with us today talking about his book, Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness. To learn more about Michael and his book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?

There is a great deal of autobiographical material in the story. I actually had a dream back in May of 2007. I was in the streets of First Century Jerusalem and it was Palm Sunday. I knew then I wanted to send my characters back to the last week of Christ’s life.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.

I first started writing the core of this story when I was homeless, back in 1983-84. I was riding the E-train (NYC subway line) at night. To keep myself awake at night, I wrote many of the autobiographical material now featured in the book. Two decades would pass before I became serious about attempting to write the novel. Necessary Heartbreak was first self-published two years ago. Simon & Schuster liked the story enough to offer me a contract. I added over 100 pages to the story for the S&S edition. Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness will also come out in a mass market edition next April. Currently, my agent, Irene Webb, is pitching the story to four movie producers.

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

I’m not sure there’s anything that would be surprising. In this particular story, I’ve incorporated many of my likes and dislikes into the main character. I’ve taken a very deep, emotional and honest look at myself too, using the bluntness as the core of the main character’s personality.
However, I do like to cook. I enjoy seeing my children eat a great meal. I wish I could work someday in Disney World. I love to see children smile. And I hope someday to take up ballroom dancing.

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

It’s the sequel to Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness. The title of the story is called The Greatest Christmas Ever.

5) Parting comments?

Enjoy today. It’s our greatest unopened gift. It may sound corny, but ultimately it’s the absolute truth. Unwrap your gift today. Absorb the beauty of God’s world. Make it even more beautiful with your smile and your strength.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Whentimeforgets.com

Angela Dolbear's "The Garden Key"

We're happy to have Anglea Dolbear with us today talking about her book, The Garden Key. Angela has been kind enough to offer to give away a copy to one lucky blog reader. To register to win, place your e-mail address in the box to the right (subscribe to my blog via e-mail) if you've not done so and leave Angela a comment with your e-mail address at the bottom of her interview. To learn more about Angela and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I have two golden retrievers and a big backyard, so cleaning up after them is a lengthy process, so I spend this time in prayer. The story for THE GARDEN KEY, actually the full novel, was given to me during my weekly “Doody Duty.”
It made perfect sense. At the time, I was studying the Song of Solomon with my husband, Tim, and the book is rooted in Songs 4:12 – “A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.” THE GARDEN KEY is a fictitious look at pursuing purity in a relationship, and living out an obedient life in Christ in the midst of temptation and pressures from outside, as well as inside influences.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Hmm…how much time do you have?! It’s been quite an adventure. The first traditional publishing contract I signed seemed all good at the time. But I soon found out that the publisher had not completely read my book, and the editor was adamant about deleting the climactic scene where the resolve is tested of the two main characters to stay pure in their relationship. Without that scene, the message of obtaining God’s victorious power through prayer and study of His Word would just be a bunch of religious words.
Also, the publisher wanted to change how they were going to market and distribute (online only – which I could do myself), as well as decrease my royalty percentage. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff that I don’t want to get into. It was only by the grace of God that I was able to get out of that contract. Nice people, but it wasn’t a good fit. The publisher I am with now is small, but gives me complete artistic freedom and is generous with my royalty percentage. I am blessed.


3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. Writing and music rival each other as my first love (actually, my fourth love: first is God, second is my hubby, and third is the family which includes my son Kyle and my four-legged muses, Gracie & Caleb). I am far more comfortable considering myself a singer/songwriter/worship leader than I am a published author.
2. Love, love, love Monster trucks. “Grave Digger” is the best and my all-time favorite.
3. Madeleine, the main character in THE GARDNE KEY is not me. A lot of readers assume the book is about me, but it is not. It was inspired by many events that took place in real life, but Maddy is far braver and more obedient in her walk with Christ than I am.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
The sequel to THE GARDEN KEY. In this novel, Madeleine struggles with her doubts and fears, so instead of professing to be a “Lust-o-holic” as she does in THE GARDEN KEY, she is now a self-proclaimed “Fear-o-holic.”
The full-length CD of songs that were written at the same time as the book, and recorder by my band CHILD OF THE SON at Eclectica Studios here in Austin, TX, will be released in the Fall of 2010. It’s like a soundtrack for THE GARDEN KEY.
Also, THE GARDEN KEY Prayer Team is growing (I’m so grateful – I can’t begin to tell you how much), so we are stepping up the communication of specific prayer needs through “Blog-letters” and other internet venues. The Lord told me a while ago that this is not simply a novel (or series of novels) it’s a ministry. From all the emails I’ve received describing how this book has changed lives, I believe Him. And I am greatly humbled.

5) Parting comments?
Writing has been a great blessing in my life, and hope it is for others as well. When I sit down to write it’s like a date with God, a time to receive what He has for me. Nothing comes (worthy of printing, that is) until I have prayed and asked Him for it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’m on Facebook, please feel free to “friend” me. I love meeting new people. I lurk about Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/book/show/7675580-the-garden-key
too. Also, http://www.thegardenkey.com/, Amazon.com, and http://www.cloudpillarpublishing.com/, my publisher’s website, which is the best place to purchase a copy of THE GARDEN KEY (paperback or ebook versions) because my publisher charges less for shipping than Amazon.com and you’ll receive a signed copy. What a deal!
Thanks for taking the time read this interview. Blessings to you today!

Eileen Hinkle Rife's "Restored Hearts"

We're happy to have Eileen Hinkle Rife with us today talking about her book, Restored Hearts. To learn more about Eileen and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
A few years ago, my husband, a licensed professional counselor and marriage/family therapist, asked if I would write a pamphlet on homosexuality which he could use in his office. I agreed and delved into research. However, it didn’t take long to realize I didn’t have the stomach for what I was discovering, so I abandoned the project. A couple years ago, the Lord renewed my interest in the issue and pushed me to pursue the topic in a way I had not envisioned—in fiction format. As I walked through this journey with my protagonist, Tim, God used his story to shed light on my own healing journey with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In writing Tim’s story, I learned in deeper ways to identify with another fellow struggler. And in doing so, my own prison door flung open and I was set free.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
After proposing possible series’ concepts to the OakTara team, they fully supported and encouraged the idea that tough issues, such as homosexuality, need to be addressed in Christian fiction.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
The opening honeymoon scene with Maggie and Gavin in RESTORED HEARTS is based on my husband’s and my 25th anniversary trip to Maui. We kissed in the enormous banyan tree I describe in chapter one. Unrelated, but another bit of book trivia—my brother-in-law is a doctor who cleared up some questions I had about Gavin’s medical mission work in India.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Having completed all three books in the Born for India trilogy, I am now editing a stand-alone manuscript titled, SECOND HALF. Mave Robertson, a recent empty nester, wants the fire back in her marriage, but her husband, Jerry, remains aloof. Is he having an affair? She frets. Midlife crisis? When a neighbor suggests she “get a life,” Mave accepts the challenge and volunteers at an inner city teen ministry where she is thrown into a culture of drugs, gangs, and unwed teens. She soon discovers a friend whom she can help, but she never guesses that he might be the cure for both her stale marriage and her crumbling relationship with her father.

5) Parting comments?
My prayer through RESTORED HEARTS is that those who struggle and long to be free from same-sex attraction, or any sinful dysfunction for that matter, will experience the release God has for them through the Lord Jesus Christ. I also pray that the Church, with grace and compassion, will reach out to the one who struggles.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Stop by and visit me at the following locations:
http://www.eileenrife.com/
http://www.eileen-rife.blogspot.com/
http://www.guardyourmarriage.com/
http://www.christianspeaker.net/