Register to win a Kindle and a business card design...

 After fourteen years of hard work, Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Berry Tarabochia are thrilled to announce the release of their novel, On the Threshold. Interested in how a mother and daughter can write a book together? Want a chance at winning a Kindle and a business card design from a top-notch company? Keep reading!

Why did you ladies begin writing this book?

Both of us had always talked about writing a book, but fourteen years ago Sherrie said if we were ever going to write, maybe we should work on a book together. It would hold us accountable. We lived on different sides of the state of Oregon at the time, so we did a lot of it via e-mail, and once a month Sherrie would make the 250-mile drive to Christina's house and we'd work on it in person. We wanted to share a real look at depression and trying to be good enough to please God--what that might look like in a family's life.

Fourteen years? Really?

That's from the first word penned. The very first contest we entered, we actually talked about how we needed to decide how to fight off all the editors who'd be making offers. Instead, we found out we had a lot to learn! Attending writing conferences and reading craft books brought our writing to a higher level.

Tell us about On the Threshold.

We loved having the chance to tell this story! In fact, we have a few more stories to tell about these characters  if readers love this one. Here's what the book is about.

Suzanne—a mother with a long-held secret. Tony—a police officer with something to prove. Beth—a daughter with a storybook future. When all they love is lost, what's worth living for?

Suzanne Corbin and her daughter, Beth Harris, live a seemingly easy life. Suzanne has distanced herself from her past, replacing pain with fulfillment as a wife and mother, while Beth savors her husband’s love and anticipates the birth of their child. But all that is about to change.

Like a sandcastle buffeted by ocean waves, Suzanne’s façade crumbles when her perfect life is swept away. Tragedy strikes and police officer Tony Barnett intersects with the lives of both women as he tries to discover the truth. Left adrift and drowning in guilt long ignored, Suzanne spirals downward into paralyzing depression. Beth, dealing with her own grief, must face the challenge of forgiveness. Can these two women learn to trust each other again? Will they find the power of God’s grace in their lives?

 And a little about you?

Mother/daughter writing team Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Berry Tarabochia bring a voice of authenticity to this novel as they have experienced some of the same issues faced by these characters. They like to say they were separated at birth but share one brain, which allows them to write in a seamless stream. Both live in NW Oregon and love spending time together. Many years ago, they were both on a winning Family Feud team!

Sherrie is the Women's Ministry Director at her church, and loves being the grandma of eight and great-grandma of one. Christina is also the author of The Familiar Stranger, a Christy finalist and Carol Award winner, and runs a thriving editing business.

Please sign up for their Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter at Ashberry Lane for a chance to win cool prizes.

What about this contest?

If you help get the word out, you can earn different points for each thing you do, and every point represents an entry in the contest.

Say, for example, you name your next child “Threshold” in honor of our book. You would earn 100 points (entries), which would greatly increase your likelihood of winning.

Fine print to be read as quickly as those medical side effects are glossed over on TV: A certified copy of the birth certificate must be sent to Ashberry Lane proving the child was born between now and when the contest ends on June 30rd at 10 PM, PDT. Some restrictions apply, such as you must also promise not to change the child’s name to anything else for at least the next fifteen years. You are, however, allowed to use “Thresh” as his or her first name, and “Hold” as the middle.

If that seems like we’re asking a little too much, there are other ways for you to enter the contest.

~ Post about On the Threshold on Twitter or LinkedIn, or share the cover on Instagram or Pinterest, and you’ve doubled your points to TWO.

~ Refer someone to sign up for the newsletter. If he or she notes you as referrer, guess what? You just earned THREE points.

~ Blog about it and reap FOUR points. (We’re available for more blog interviews.)

~ And for those who buy the book (e-book or print copy), you will gain FIVE points.

~ Leave a review—positive or negative—on a retailing site after reading the book, and TEN points to you!

All you have to do to enter is drop us an email to Christina [at] ashberrylane [dot] net with a description of what you did. We trust you.

Here is a sample email:

Dear Sherrie and Christina,

Fortunately, my last name is Hold, so when my triplets were born yesterday, all I had to do was name them "On," "The," and "Thresh." (Yes, that makes a double "h," but without it, the name just looks silly and I don't want a kid with a funny name.) I also got the cover of On the Threshold tattooed on my arm, took a picture of it, and posted it on every possible social media site, including Facebook, though I understand I don't get points for anything done on there. Next, I forwarded the Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter to a few of my friends and ALL of my enemies. After reading the book in two hours, I posted an honest review on three different retail sites. Please enter my name 349 times.

Love,

Your #1 Fan

Or something like that. :)

Where else can we find you gals online?

 Buy the book, e-version or paperback, on Amazon or B&N or iTunes or in any other version on Smashwords. Sign up for the newsletter (all the kids are doing it!). If you want a signed copy mailed anywhere in the United States, email us. (Christina [at] ashberrylane [dot] net)

www.twitter.com/authorchristina

www.facebook.com/sherrie.ashcraft

www.facebook.com/authorchristina

www.christinaberry.net/

www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com

Thanks for hosting us!

Beth Vogt's "Catch a Falling Star"

1)   How did this story come to you?
Catch a Falling Star was prompted by a conversation I had with a good friend who was in her forties. She has a very fulfilling life in a lot of ways, and yet some of her hopes and dreams haven’t come true. Our conversation stayed with me because everyone deals with the reality that life doesn’t always go according to our plans. I took that reality and wove it into this novel.

2)   Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I originally pitched my editors another story idea – I’d even started fast-drafting it – but they decided they liked Catch a Falling Star and wanted me to write it. So I shelved the story I was writing and started bringing Kendall and Griffin to life.

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

1.) When I was 41, I found at I was pregnant. At the time, I had 3 teenagers, and having another baby was nowhere on my To Do list, not even as an optional activity. She was born on Christmas Eve and is truly an unexpected blessing from God.

2.) Thanks to my husband’s air force career, I lived in Turkey for two years.

3.) I’m a twin. I have a fraternal twin sister. We don’t look anything alike – except that we are both female. When we were growing up, we had a difficult time convincing people we were sisters, much less twins.

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

  I just submitted novel #3 to my editor. It’s titled Somebody Like You, and it’s another inspirational contemporary novel set in Colorado. One fun aspect is that it has a set of twins in the storyline.

5) Parting comments?

    I am a quote aficionado – I even have a blog (In Others’ Words), where I share quotes and invite readers to join the conversation and share insights. One of my favorite quotes is: “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” ~William Shakespeare (1564-1616) poet & playwright

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Website: bethvogt.com (http://bethvogt.com)
My blog, In Others’ Words, is embedded in my website. Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt?ref=hl
Twitter: bethvogt

Lisa Lickel's "Healing Grace"

Title: Healing Grace: a novel
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

 Cover blurb: Grace Runyon ran away from God. It took a very sick man and his little boy to make her face her past and find forgiveness.

 1) How did this story come to you?
I had been thinking about miracles, which led me to wonder how people perceive them; it we always realize when a miracle takes place and the general reaction. When I researched more, I came across the biblical gifts of the spirit and started wondering how those gifts would be manifest today, and if they would always be perceived as supernatural.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Healing Grace was originally published in 2009. It was the second book I wrote, and after getting the rights back, I was delighted with the opportunity to rework it and make it better.

 3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m finally ready to let my hair go natural. JJ Abrams has no idea of what made Star Trek so important. I’m a devoted Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers fan.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My current work in progress is a suspense – Running can’t erase their past. Lily runs to find help when her stepbrother is caught up in a kidnapping and insurance fraud scheme targeting her and her nephew; Cam runs to find peace when he’s exonerated after being falsely accused of sexual harassment. When they find each other, they may not be able to save each other.

 5) Parting comments?
There are still a few print versions of this book at online publishers. The book with the lavender cover is the old version – please don’t buy it by mistake. The new Healing Grace has been completely rewritten, re-edited and updated. I had a wonderful team of editors to work with. A print version of this new book will be available later in the year.

 6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is: http://www.lisalickel.com. From there you can find me elsewhere in online social media.

I can give away an electronic version of the book – Kindle, Nook, html or pdf.

 

Gail Pallotta's "Stopped Cold"

Cover blurb:  Margaret McWhorter enjoys a laid-back Freshman year in high school flirting with Jimmy Willmore, swimming and hanging out with friends—until that day. Her brother, Sean, suffers a stroke from taking a steroid. Now he’s lying unconscious in a hospital. Margaret’s angry at her dad for pushing Sean to be a great quarterback, but a fire of hatred burns inside her to make the criminals pay. Looking for justice, she takes Jimmy and her best friend, Emily, through a twisted, drug-filled sub-culture. A clue sends them deep into the woods behind the school where they overhear drug dealers discuss Sean. Time and time again they walk a treacherous path and come face to face with danger. Even the cop on the case can’t stop them from investigating. All the while Margaret really wants to cure Sean, heal the hate inside, and open her heart to love.

1)      How did this story come to you?
First of all, I wanted the book to entertain young people. The most fun books I read were Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys mysteries. The three amateur sleuths in Stopped Cold are reminiscent of the famous teen detective.

Through the PTA, I worked with children in grades one through eight. I’ve been a Sunday school teacher, swim team coordinator and an after-school literary instructor. I’ve seen a lot of pain when a child couldn’t live up to being number one. Whether the pressure came from within, peers, siblings or parents, the need to “be the best” rather than “do your best” often hurt and sometimes led to destruction. I wanted to let young people know they don’t have to be number one for God to love them. He’s given each of them a gift or gifts to use for Him.

Children today face a number of problems, but I wrote about steroids. One reason teens say they take them is to enhance athletic performance, which indicates they have a drive to be number one. Even though the use of steroids is going down, according to the latest statistics I could find on the internet there are around 125,000 who say they’ve used them. I imagine there are some who’ve used them, but didn’t say they did.

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

This book insisted on being published. I wrote a draft for it ten years ago. Then I polished it up and took it to a writer’s conference, where I met an editor who liked it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t right for her list. However, she edited my proposal and encouraged me not to give up on this book, but to keep writing and re-writing until it was ready to be published.

I followed her advice then attended another writers’ conference. There I met an author who advised me to send it to an editor she knew. The publishing company kept the book for one year then rejected it. I tossed it in a drawer, where it stayed gathering dust until I joined American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) two years ago.  

After my ACFW critique group finished the book I was working on, I had nothing to submit, so I pulled out Stopped Cold, and they critiqued it. Then I sent out a few queries, and Stopped Cold was accepted. When I received the publisher’s contract, it asked for a fee, so I declined to sign it. Later I attended the James Scott Bell writing seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. I took another book to work on while I was there, but when I came home, Stopped Cold called to me once again, and I made changes to it, applying what I’d learned from Mr. Bell. Then Lisa Lickel and I started critiquing. After I made a few more corrections, I emailed queries to several publishers as well as a couple agents. Now the book’s where it was meant to be—with Madison Connors at Front Porch Romance.

3)      Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m an Elvis Presley fan.

In college I had a friend who owned a small airplane. He picked me up in the sheep pasture in a valley near the mountain college we attended, flew to a town about fifty miles away, and took me out to dinner.

When I tried to learn to cross-stitch, I sewed the picture I was working on to the leg of the jeans I was wearing and had to snip the threads to get it off.

4)      What are you working on now?
I have a couple short stories coming out soon. I just finished a romantic comedy with mystery and suspense and am writing a book about a young woman with a mysterious, undiagnosed illness.

5)      Parting comments.
Two things. I was excited to learn last week that Stopped Cold is a best seller on All Romance E Books, and I appreciate you having me on your lovely blog.

6)      Where can fans find you on the internet?
My Web site is http://www.gailpallotta.com
My blog is http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

 

Sharon Srock's "The Women of Valley View: Terri"

  Title: THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI
  Publisher: HARBOURLIGHT 

Cover blurb:  Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

 
Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child.  She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.  

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another plan in store?
 

1)      How did this story come to you?

Terri’s story was the natural progression from the first book in the series, THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: CALLIE 

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

I began writing 5 years ago in a much delayed obedience to God. That obedience has opened doors, removed obstacles, and granted me my dream.  

3)      Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love to mow the grass 
I HATE reality TV

My favorite pet was an iguana

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

Book 3 in the series is under contract, I expect to begin edits this week. I’m working on book 4. 

5) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Visit my BLOG at: http://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/
Connect with me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Find me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock  

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/d9kwdcc

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/cud7xb6

Pelican book group: http://tinyurl.com/cd5zqar

 

Jo Huddleston's "Beyond the Past"

Beyond the Past back cover blurb
An inspirational Southern Historical with Threads of Romance
Emmajean Callaway’s life in Atlanta plummets from bad to worse. Can big brother, Jim, lead her back to the family who loves her and also hold the imploding Callaway family together?

Jim Callaway looks forward to 1951 and the chance to forge a relationship with Caroline after twenty years apart. He’s sidetracked when his sister and his best friend need his help. His baby sister, Emmajean, skids into jail on drug charges in Atlanta. The ordeal of incarceration and trial diminishes her and she needs rescuing, not only physically but spiritually. She struggles toward recovery and restoration with her lawyer’s help as he champions her inside and outside the courtroom. Jim’s nephew Joe is one step ahead of the truant officer, wrecks his car, and officials suspect alcohol is involved. Joe awaits his fate at the hands of the juvenile court judge. Jim and Caroline continue their bumpy journey as they seek realization of their dreams, wondering if they really can overcome obstacles to their being together after so many years.

1) How did this story come to you?

Beyond the Past is book #2 in the Caney Creek Series. The series is set in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee where I and my ancestors grew up. At annual family reunions as a little girl, I’d listen to my relatives’ stories about time before TV and air conditioning. All those stories stayed in my mind from year to year. Those stories needed to be told. This book is fiction but it came to me from listening to real people.

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

The first book in the series, That Summer, started simmering in my head in the late 1990s. In 2001 I was diagnosed with a health problem that prevented me to write, either by hand or computer (this was before speak-to-type). I thought my writing career was over. In 2008, I regained ability to hold my fingers on the home keys of the computer and finished book #1 soon thereafter. But getting an agent or a publisher for a first time novelist seemed impossible. I discovered ACFW, joined, and found my publisher on ACFW’s list of recognized publishers. I couldn’t write That Summer and not have a book #2 so I wrote book #2, Beyond the Past.

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

Well, not much surprises folks these days, but here goes:
I played varsity basketball in high school
I am claustrophobic
I chew my ice cream

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

I’ve begun book #3, Claiming Peace, in the Caney Creek Series. I hope to be able to start another series but that’s not settled yet.

5) Parting comments?

Dawn, it was my pleasure to visit with you and your readers on your blog. Thanks for having me.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Website/blog: http://www.johuddleston.com

 

Susan Page Davis' "Revolution at Barncastle Inn"

Title: Revolution at Barncastle Inn

Cover Blurb:  Lily Mitchell’s sister organizes a Patriot’s Day vacation at the Barncastle, with the entire week’s activities set in Revolutionary War days. Lily’s husband was killed in Afghanistan two years ago, and she’s found it hard to move on. A fun vacation where Lily’s family joins Vermont “Patriots” takes her mind off her grief—until one of the “Redcoat” officers quartered at the inn draws her attention. Ethan Danvers is a modern day history professor who enjoys eighteenth-century re-enactments and makes a very convincing British officer. Though they oppose each other in the re-enactment, Ethan makes a special connection with Lily and her son. They’re enemies for the week—but will they be allies for life?

This e-book also contains "Where There’s Smoke,” an original romantic short story by Susan Page Davis, as bonus content.

1)      How did this story come to you?

        I’m one of four authors who wrote the Christmas at Barncastle Inn collection of novellas a couple of years ago. We asked the publishers if they would consider doing more stories about Barncastle Inn, a family-run inn in Vermont where you can spend your vacation in any time period you wish. The publisher declined, but we loved the characters and the premise so much that we decided to write more stories. We’re writing more novellas and releasing one a month as e-books. We’ve called the series Celebrate Any Time.

Since the month for my next original book in the series fell in April, I chose to set it against a Patriot’s Day background. This holiday is official in the states of Massachusetts and Maine (which was part of Massachusetts until 1820).  It commemorates the anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride and the battles of Lexington and Concord. A story of a re-enactment came to mind, with a quiet, unassuming man playing the part of an obnoxious British officer.

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

      The four of us discussed it as authors and decided to move ahead and expand the series. We agreed on a schedule that we hope will allow us to publish a new novella every month. We edit for each other, with each author responsible for her cover and the actual publishing.

The theme of the original books carries through, and the series has threads of romance and Christian faith. Whether it’s a pirate Christmas or a colonial-era Patriot’s Day, you can celebrate any time at Vermont’s Barncastle Inn. Other new books in the series include Spring Comes to the Barncastle, by Lynette Sowell (now available), Barncastle Memorial, by Darlene Franklin (May 2013), and Showdown at the Barncastle (June 2013), from Janelle Mowery. We hope the readers enjoy the new adventures at Barncastle Inn as much as we have.

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

I was a spelling champion in eighth grade. I had a major stroke at the age of 43, but by God’s grace made a complete recovery. I am descended from John Alden of Mayflower fame.

   

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

I am currently writing a new cozy mystery for Guideposts.

5)      Parting comments

I am giving away three copies of Revolution at Barncastle Inn, which is an e-book. It can be read on Nook, Kindle, a computer or other device. Commenters who do not read e-books can indicate that, and I will substitute another print book for up to two of the winners. You can choose the Christmas at Barncastle Inn in paperback or a different book.

The featured book (Revolution at Barncastle Inn) can be purchased for 99 cents at:

Amazon for Kindle: http://is.gd/MlBnsp

Or at Barnes & Noble for Nook: http://is.gd/cc51LC

    

6)      Where can fans find you on the Internet?

My website is at: www.susanpagedavis.com, and you can read more about the Celebrate Any Time series on my Romance page: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/romance.html

I’m also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

And I post on the 23^rd of each month on the Christian Fiction Historical Society:

http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Maddrey's "Courage to Change"

Title: Courage to Change

Publisher: HopeSprings Books

Cover blurb: Should you be willing to change for love?

When Phil Reid became a Christian and stopped drinking, his hard-partying wife Brandi divorced him. Reeling and betrayed, he becomes convinced Christians should never remarry, and resolves to guard his heart.

Allison Vasak has everything in her life under control, except for one thing. Her heart is irresistibly drawn to fellow attorney and coworker, Phil. Though she knows his history and believes that women should not initiate relationships, she longs to make her feelings known.

As Phil and Allison work closely together to help a pregnant teen, Allison melts his defenses. But when Brandi discovers Phil's new relationship, she decides that though she doesn't want him, no one else can have him either. Can Phil and Allison's love weather the chaos Brandi brings into their lives?

 1) How did this story come to you?

About half-way through writing the first book in the series (Wisdom to Know) I knew that Phil and Allison’s story had to be next. They gave me enough hints about the problems they were facing in their potential relationship, that I had a place to start. But there were some twists and unexpected sub-plots that cropped up as I was writing that I never expected. But I love them. Honestly, with most of my stories it’s the same way – I just sit down and start writing and see what happens.

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

This book was much less of a journey than the first, since my publisher told me they were interested in any follow-ons I might write for the first. So I sent a proposal off as I was starting to write and was excited to get a contract. Writing under contract (and therefore with a deadline!) was a new and challenging experience. I’m grateful my publisher is smaller and, therefore, pretty flexible.

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

-I have a PhD in Computer Science and I still love programming. Sometimes I’ll twiddle around with code in my spare time.

-I love to crochet but I absolutely can’t knit. I don’t know why I find knitting so much harder, but I’m just not both-hand-coordinated I guess.

-I play Skylanders with my son…and I think I might enjoy it more than he does. It’s a really fun game!

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

Right now I’m working on book 3 in the series, Serenity to Accept. It’s currently scheduled to release in September, but I need to get my act together if that’s going to happen! So what’s next for me is a lot of writing. I’ve also got an idea for a 4^th book with the same general group of characters starting to percolate, as well as a project that’s a little different rattling around.

5) Parting comments?

Thanks for having me! I hope that you all found this as fun to read as I did to put it together. And I hope that if you read and enjoy one of my books that you’ll let me know – I love hearing from readers!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

I love to have people connect with me!
You can visit me at my website: http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com  or on
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

Linda Rondeau's "Days of Vines and Roses"

Title: Days of Vines and Roses
Publisher: Helping Hands Press

Genre: Contemporary/romance/suspense/with paranormal elements

Cover Blurb: When a romance writer and her estranged publisher husband attempt to reconcile, malignant forces and a pending lawsuit seem bent on keeping them apart. After fifteen years of marital disarray, Henry and Sylvia Fitzgibbons (aka Lana Longstreet) independently contemplate divorce, their relationship relegated to Henry’s infrequent visits to the Connecticut estate and their once a week meeting at Chez Phillipe’s in Manhattan. But, not yet. There is the matter of the decaying rose gardens and the thirtieth anniversary party the children are planning. Reluctantly, Henry moves in for the summer, steeled against the hauntings that torment only him. As reconciliation seems possible, the evil forces within begin to target Sylvia as well. Like the strangling vines within the rose beds, Henry and Sylvia have become victims of spiritual neglect. Their only hope remains in surrender to a power greater than the evil determined to destroy them.

1) How Did the Story Come to you?
I was moving the lawn one day and thought about the weeds in our lives that choke and tangle us. Then I thought about a married couple I knew that simply stayed married because of convention. I thought how tragic. God intends for marriage to be so much more. Then I thought about writing a story about a married couple trapped in a loveless marriage. I decided to have them living separately but unsuccessfully trying to keep the marriage afloat. Then I thought how Satan does not want marriages to work. What if a marriage headed toward reconciliation after a long separation? What would Satan do? The rest of the story is Days of Vines and Roses.

2) The Book’s Journey
I conceived and wrote this book ten years ago. Three editors requested the full manuscript with strong indication they wanted to publish the book, but those three editors ended up leaving their houses almost immediately after requesting my manuscript. I put the book away for a long time, thinking perhaps God didn’t want this book published. But God used this book to turn my writing toward a new direction. I was contracted for three books in a sci-fi series as well as ten volumes of a prequel. However, after my diagnosis of breast cancer and resulting chemo brain, a peculiar cognitive dysfunction that accompanies treatment, I found I could not fulfill this obligation. My publisher was wonderfully understanding of my disability. He agreed to substituting two books already completed, Days of Vines and Roses to be the first. As I revised and edited the book for current trends, God reassured me that my writing should focus on contemporary romance and suspense.

3) Three things that will surprise readers
a) I was an official witness to a wedding performed in Monterrey, Mexico.
b) I went to the same high school as Richard Gere. I was two years ahead of him. North Syracuse High School.
c) During the Great Depression, both my father and grandfather worked as loggers in Upstate New York.

4) What’s next for you?
With the success of my devotional book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children, I am working on a Christian Living book based on my newspaper column, This Daily Grind. Topics will include:

Spouses, Children and Other Strangers
Who Put the Vinegar in the Salt?
If Life Were Fair, We’d All Be Bald

I am writing another Adirondack suspense with the working title Legacy of Regret. My first novel and Selah Award Winner, The Other Side of Darkness was set in the Lake George area. This one will be set near Lake Placid. My contemporary romance, Songs in the Valley, a modern day interpretation of Hosea, will be released later this fall by Helping Hands Press.

Thanks for the opportunity to share Days of Vines and Roses.

Bio: Winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel The Other Side of Darkness/Harbourlight, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, writes stories of God’s mercies. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Linda’s best-selling Adirondack Romance, It Really IS a Wonderful Life, is published by Lighthouse of the Carolinas and is available wherever books are sold.

These books are also available in ebook format along with her other ebooks by Helping Hands Press: I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children and Days of Vines and Roses. Songs in the Valley is scheduled for release this fall by Helping Hands Press.

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com  or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Dora Hiers' "Journey's Embrace"

Meet Sage Michaelson

Sage Michaelson here, a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Witness Protection Program. Although lately it feels more like a Criminal Protection Program, especially after losing my spleen on the job.

When my best friend Steven texted, “Delaney in trouble. Can you keep an eye on her while I’m on my honeymoon?” I chucked the hospital gown and split for Journey Creek. We grew up in the same orphanage—Steven, his sister, and I—so that makes us practically brother and sister. How could I say no?

Besides, I needed time to recover and reevaluate. And a little distance from my ex-fiancé couldn’t hurt. Jennifer always said I was married to my job. Guess she found a man who wasn’t because she wears a ring on her finger again. I’m OK with it. Sure, I gave her a ring and a commitment. But not my heart. How could I? The people I love always end up dead. I’m on my own. Best just to keep it that way.

What trouble was Dane in this time? That’s what we used to call Delaney. Growing up, she’d had long muscular legs. Cute, but in an awkward, gangly Great Dane sort of way. And always in trouble or causing trouble. I gather from Steven’s text that hadn’t changed.

I hadn’t seen the Dane in a few years, so it kinda threw me to see her waltzing away from the wedding reception in a silky turquoise gown, the kind of dress that forces a man to take a second look. Steven sure wouldn’t appreciate the thoughts that flitted through my head about his sister. To be truthful, I’d feel much better if she changed into her customary basketball shorts or work scrubs. Then I wouldn’t notice how she’d grown from the Dane into beautiful, vivacious Delaney. A woman who embraces passion and life with enthusiasm. A woman who puts others first, on the job and with the orphanage kids.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to ditch the doctor. All this ibuprofen seems to be messing with my head.

Steven only said that someone ransacked Delaney’s house. He didn’t warn me that a man had it out for her. Delaney insists God will protect her, but I’m not buying it. He didn’t protect my parents and sister from the car accident that killed them, or keep my granny from suffering a fatal heart attack on an airplane.

No, I can’t leave her to fend for herself. I promised Steven I would look out for her. But, somewhere along the way, protecting Delaney became less about my promise to Steven and more about my love for her…and God.

Meet Delaney Hunt

Just wait until my brother gets back from his honeymoon!

What was Steven thinking texting Sage Michaelson to keep an eye on me? Sure, I get that Steven’s worried about me after my home invasion, but now I need a Deputy U.S. Marshal looking over my shoulder? Sage just lost his spleen. He should be recovering in the hospital, not trailing after me or chasing innocent trick-or-treaters off my doorstep.

It’s not that I mind Sage being around. I’ve loved him since he showed up at Quiver Full Orphanage, always the protector, even at thirteen. But, he turned eighteen and left for the big city without a backward glance. Not at me, anyway. He kept in touch with Steven, but I haven’t heard from him since his engagement.

It’s not like he would ever love me in a non-sisterly way. When the doctor mentioned we sounded like we were married, Sage shuddered. I’m not beautiful, but sheesh! Did the man have to shudder?

And Sage could never accept my job, or even tolerate it. He suffers from a powerful fear of flying and heights. I guess I would, too, if I saw my granny suffer a heart attack and die on a plane like he did. But, I’m a flight medic. My dream job, flying all over the world helping people. It would take more than his declaration of love for me to give it up.

Besides, Sage may be scared of flying, but I’m more than a little afraid of love. Of what love means to a person, or what it doesn’t. Take my mother, for example. She didn’t have enough love to go around, not enough to give up the drugs and one-night stands. But that doesn’t stop me from praying that Sage would love…ah well, it’s best not go there.

It’s not as if I don’t have a full and satisfying life. I do. Between mentoring the kids at Quiver Full, raising money to build another orphanage cottage, working on a recycling committee, and my job, I couldn’t ask for more. Well, I suppose I could. Like figuring out who this prankster is and why he’s targeting me…