Becky Melby's "Yesterday's Stardust"

We're happy to have Becky Melby with us today talking about Yesterday's Stardust. Leave her a comment with your email address to register to win a copy and if you've not done so, please place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to get weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Becky and Yesterday's Stardust, read on!

Title: Yesterday’s Stardust
Publisher: Barbour

Cover blurb: Journalist Dani Gallagher’s zeal to make a difference hinders her objectivity. While trying to help a teen gang member, her lack of “street smarts” angers Nicky Fiorini, chef and manager of Bracciano Restaurant. Ignoring Nicky’s warnings, Dani is intent on writing a story about gang activity in his neighborhood.

In an alley near the restaurant, Dani finds a tattered journal. The diary, written in the 1920s by a girl caught in the web of organized crime, mentions Bracciano—and a hidden treasure. In spite of their explosive meeting, Dani convinces Nicky to help her uncover what happened to the girl and her secret.

Attraction ignites as they work together, but both are hiding secrets of their own. Nicky isn’t ready to talk about the incident that hardened his heart toward God. When a fight erupts and Dani is caught in the middle, Nicky is furious to find Dani’s been learning about teen gangs by joining one.

The diary leads to a hidden room, and the secret, but have they missed the most valuable treasure?

1) How did this story come to you?
The seeds of this story began many years ago. I was writing with my dear friend and writing partner Cathy Wienke at the time. I was working in a ministry with at-risk teens and we brainstormed a story about a reporter who gets overly involved with a teen gang and a handsome Italian chef who thinks she’s crazy. We had a few chapters written when we decided to abandon the project for another story. When the opportunity for a full-length series came my way, Cathy gave her blessing. I created new characters and plot lines and developed the historical thread, but this story wouldn’t be what it is without her input.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I was blessed to be asked by Barbour, for whom I’d been writing since 1994, to develop a proposal for a full-length series. I’m so grateful they liked the concept for the Lost Sanctuary Series.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I had a near-death experience when I was 26.
2. I wish I owned an ATV.
3. I’ve backpacked in the Tetons, Rockies, and Smokeys.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m currently between contracts and working on a proposal for a three-book contemporary series. Each story will also include a second plot thread going back to the nineteen-forties, -fifties, and –sixties. I’m also working with three other amazing authors on a proposal for a novella collection. This compilation will include both contemporary and historical stories.

5) Parting comments? Thank you so much for inviting me!

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

Dani Pettrey's "Submerged"

Title: Submerged.
Publisher: Bethany House

Cover blurb: A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. One single clue. Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart... but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind.

Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.

1) How did this story come to you?
I watched a movie about cave divers and I was fascinated. It got me thinking about what type of person would pursue something so extreme and dangerous for a career, and Cole McKenna was born.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I met my editor at the ACFW conference after his Spotlight Session. He asked to see the first three chapters. A few weeks later, I got a request for the full. A few weeks after that he told me they were going to present it for contract. The day I got ‘the call' was amazing. I had been writing for a number of years and received my share of rejections, so getting the ‘go ahead’ on a story I loved so dearly was pure joy.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I write my first drafts longhand.
2) I married a cowboy.
3) I love the Regency period.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Shattered, book two in my Alaskan Courage series, will be a February 2013 release. It’s Piper McKenna’s story and I had a blast writing it. Lots of sparks in this one.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love connecting with readers and writers online. Be sure to drop by and say hi.
Website: http://www.danipettrey.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DaniPettrey
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DaniPettrey

Lena Nelson Dooley's "Mary's Blessing"

We're happy to have Lena Nelson Dooley with us. Please read on to find out more about Lena and her writing.

 1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, where you live, etc.
I live in Texas with the love of my life. We’ve been married for almost 48 years. We love to spend time with our family. And travel. And minister together.

2. Tell us about your call to write in the Christian arena. When you are actually writing, do you have a real sense of God’s presence or is it more “nuts and bolts” writing for you? (I’m not sure either answer is right or wrong.)
Your readers can read the testimony of how God told me to become a professional writer on the main page of my web site. It’s an interesting testimony. – http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/

I do sense God with me when I write. And I feel him when I’m mulling over the story and planning chapters. And He has even changed the direction of a scene when I was at the computer writing it. This change has affected many people’s lives. They’ve let me know.

3. Do you consider yourself a Christian who writes good fiction or a writer who writes good Christian fiction?
I’m a Christian who writes good fiction. But I cannot write a story without including the all-important spiritual thread in it. The lack of one has caused me to quit reading fiction that’s not Christian. Even after reading a good story, I come away feeling as if something’s missing.

4. I’m always interested in the everyday life of a writer. What is your schedule? And what are you usually wearing when you are writing?
I spend at least 6 hours at the computer—4, 5, or 6 days a week, according to when my deadline is. I start out in my pajamas in the morning, but by mid-morning, I’m fully dressed and go to my office as I would if it were in another building, instead of my home.

5. Name five of your favorite things and five pet peeves.
I love my family, good friends, dark chocolate, writers who understand me, and learning new things.

I don’t like for people to have a closed mind, for people to take advantage of others, for someone to be dishonest in any way, clothing sizes that aren’t really standardized, and being out in the heat.

6. When did you first realize that God was real? I’m not asking about your salvation experience, but when God first invaded your consciousness and you realized that He was more than just a religious concept.
I don’t know a time in my life that I didn’t know that God is real. I was raised in a strong Christian home, so God was part of our everyday life.

7. Now, tell us about when you came to Jesus and totally committed everything you knew about yourself to everything you knew about Him … where, when, how.
I was in my late 20s when I had a special dynamic experience that took me beyond just being saved to really walking daily with Jesus and letting his Holy Spirit direct my path. At a Spiritual Life Retreat in West Texas, for the first time, all the speakers were really walking with Him. They caught my attention and held it (which was a feat in itself). I came away from there with a new awareness of what it really meant to live the “abundant life.”

8. What has been your toughest walk of faith?
I’ve been through a lot of hard times: caring for invalid parents, almost losing my husband to death, and many more, but I never lost faith in the One who holds me in His hands. I think my hardest year was the year when God had told me to leave a good job and work at home writing. I knew that He told me, but there were times that I wanted to take some matters in my own hands. I had a lot of “Are you going to trust Me?” moments that year. Then in the last year and half, I’ve experienced several health issues. They really turn me closer to God.

9. What went into your decision to write in your particular genre/time period?
Actually, if you look at my body of work, you’ll see that I’ve been published in several time periods and different genres. But all my works have a romantic element. I believe the motto God gave me says it all. Characters Who Grip Your Heart

Readers know that whether I’m writing contemporary or historical, straight romance, mystery, suspense, western. No matter what book they pick up of mine will have that kind of characters.

10. Do you read the reviews that are written about your book(s)? Do you believe and/or take to heart the reviews that are written about your book(s)?
If I know about them, I do like to read the reviews, but just to get a feel of what readers see in my books. I don’t take the really good ones too seriously, and I don’t let the not so good ones hurt my feelings. (There have been far fewer of them anyway.)

11. What is the message you hope people gain from reading your book(s)?
God has a plan for your life. You can either walk in His plan, or you can get off course. But He’s always waiting to help you get back on the right path.

12. What do you like to read? What is in your “stack to be read” right now?
I have three large bookcase sections of to-be-read books. I pick out one according to my whim-of-the-day. I love historicals and mysteries, suspense, romance, adventure.

13. What do you like most about being an author? The least?
The actual writing. I love to write and craft an interesting story. The thing I probably like the least is the solitude. Writing is a solitary thing. Every once in while, I have to break loose and just have a day out with friends.

14. What motivates your writing?
God created me to write, so I write. I love to write a story that can change lives and at the same time entertain.

15. Being an author brings opportunities to speak to different groups—book clubs, workshops, conferences. Do you enjoy public speaking or does it frighten you?
With a degree in Speech and Drama, I enjoy public speaking.

16. If you could shout something to the heavens, and not care who heard you, what would you shout?
I LOVE JESUS, AND I LOVE JAMES!!!

Bio:
Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 690,000 books in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers http://www.acfw.com/ and the local chapter, DFW Ready Writers. She’s a member of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.

Lena loves James, her children, grandchildren, and great grandson. She loves chocolate, cherries, chocolate-covered cherries, and spending time with friends. Travel is always on her horizon. Cruising, Galveston, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Mexico. One day it will be Hawaii and Australia, but probably not the same year. Helping other authors become published really floats her boat, with eighteen signing their first book contract after her mentoring. Three of her books have been awarded the Carol Award silver pins from American Christian Fiction Writers, and she has received the ACFW Mentor of the Year award at their national conference. The high point of her day is receiving feedback from her readers, especially people whose lives have been changed by her books.

Her 2010 release was Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, from Summerside Press which recently won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in publishing Western literature for fiction. Lena is currently under two 3-book contracts with Charisma House/Realms. The first book released in October 2011. Maggie’s Journey appeared on a reviewers Top Books of 2011 list. The second is Mary’s Blessing, which will release in May 2012.

In addition to her writing, Lena is a frequent speaker at women’s groups, writers groups, and at both regional and national conferences. She has spoken in six states and internationally. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Gate Beautiful blog radio show.

Lena has an active web presence on Shoutlife, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Linkedin and with her internationally connected blog where she interviews other authors and promotes their books.

Website: http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
Blog: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenandooley  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley
Official Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/333031.Lena_Nelson_Dooley

Info about book:
Mary’s Blessing, book 2 McKenna’s Daughters series
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1616386177
ISBN-13: 978-1616386177

When her mother dies, Mary Lenora must grow up quickly to take care of her brothers and sisters. Can love help her to shoulder the burden?

Mary Lenora Caine knows she is adopted. As she was growing up, her mother called her “God’s blessing.” But now that she’s gone, Mary no longer feels like any kind of blessing. Her father, in his grief, has cut himself off from the family, leaving the running of the home entirely in Mary’s hands.

As she nears her eighteenth birthday, Mary can’t see anything in her future but drudgery. Then her childhood friend Daniel begins to court her, promising her a life of riches and ease. But her fairy-tale dreams turn to dust when her family becomes too much for Daniel, and he abandons her in her time of deepest need.

Will Daniel come to grips with God’s plan for him? And if he does return, can Mary trust that this time he will really follow through?

We're happy to have Valerie Comer with us today talking about "Topaz Treaasure." Leave her a comment with your email address to register to win a copy and if you've not done so, please place your email address in the feedburner box to the right to get weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Valerie and Topaz Treasure, read on!



Title: My story is called "Topaz Treasure," and it's the first novella in a 4-in-1 contemporary romance book called Rainbow's End.

Publisher: Barbour Publishing.

Cover blurb: The collection blurb is "Four young women find unexpected gifts on a geocaching adventure in the Missouri Ozarks wilderness—but will they lead to happiness or heartbreak?"

My novella blurb is "Lyssa Quinn volunteers at the Rainbow’s End geocaching hunt hoping she'll have the nerve to point folks to the true treasure found in Jesus. She’s not expecting her former prof to be there, too. Kirk Kennedy’s treasure hunt takes him down a path he hadn’t intended when he is captivated by Lyssa’s intriguing sparkle. Can he convince Lyssa that there is more than one kind of treasure? Can Lyssa remind him of the greatest prize of all?"

1) How did this story come to you?
Ever since my husband and I started geocaching about four years ago, I toyed with the idea of writing a contemporary romance with that backdrop. The specific story of Lyssa is partly grounded in my own (aren't they all?) in that Lyssa needs boldness to share her faith.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This is my first and, so far, only publishing credit. I saw Barbour's call for anthology proposals in December 2010 and began brainstorming with my friend Nicole O'Dell about what we could put together. Once we had the framework of the geocaching event in place, we pulled in Cara and Annalisa to begin developing our individual stories. "The Call" was actually an email, and it came about two weeks after we'd submitted the proposal. Barbour allowed me a bit of time to get an agent. Once I'd signed with Joyce Hart, Barbour issued the contract and I was able to share my exciting news with everyone!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. My family runs an apiary with about 70 beehives in our 'spare time.'
2. I wrote 9 novels over 9 years before signing the novella contract with Barbour.
3. I write at my day job, a small-town flooring shop, and my bosses don't even care.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My agent and I have several proposals out at the moment. While we wait for word, I'm continuing to write the remainder of one of the proposed books.

5) Parting comments?
As one of the many authors writing for Barbour's Romancing America line, I've started a website and blog to promote all the books in the series. Right now we're just finishing up 4 weeks of historical romance with The Quakers of New Garden and its authors. Next week we start talking about Rainbow's End. Come join us at http://romancingamerica.com.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet? Connect at:
• Website: http://valeriecomer.com/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valeriecomer.author
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/valeriecomer
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/valeriecomer
• Blog: http://valeriecomer.com/blog
• Blog: http://romancingamerica.com/

Ada Brownell's "Swallowed by LIFE"

Title: Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal

Cover blurb: Do you know you are more than a physical body? An award-winning medical and religion writer, Ada Brownell, --through her research after the death of her daughter—shows why we have hope for eternal life, not only from a Christian point of view, but because of physical evidence.

Of her 17 years as a reporter, the author spent seven on the medical beat at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado, reporting on discoveries about the human genome, neurology, mental illness, cancer, disease prevention, treatments, medications, and more. She also is a religion writer.

1) How did this story come to you?
I began the research a few years after we lost our 31-year-old daughter to an aggressive form of lymphoma. I went through the New Testament and underlined every verse that had to do with eternal life. How uplifting! It’s everywhere because life is at the heart of the gospel. The Book of Acts is known as the history of the church, but everywhere the apostles preached “Jesus Christ, whom you crucified, is risen from the dead, alive forevermore.” When Adam and Eve sinned, God promised to do something about death (Genesis 3: 15) and gave His Son the horrendous task. Jesus completed the work at Calvary and He demonstrated His love for us there, and that message still resounds around the world.

The Word is full of information about living forever, but because I was a medical reporter I wanted to gather evidence that shows we’re more than a body. Part of that research was thinking. Although I covered many seminars on life and death issues, studied regenerative cell discoveries, a person only has to think about what he already knows. You can lose 50 pounds, have a mechanical or another person’s heart or organ transplanted and you’d still be you. Because of cell death and regeneration we aren’t even walking around in the same body we had last year.

As leaves on a tree wither and die each season, we all know our stay here is temporary, but it seems the majority don’t think about it, let alone investigate reasons for faith in God and Jesus’ sacrifice for us on Calvary.

Our daughter rejoiced in assurance of Salvation, but was curious about the physical and other aspects of the eternal, but it seemed most of the material out there was for the grieving instead of everyone who needs peace about it, reasons for faith, and definitive evidence we’re more than a body.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The book originally was a three-section book. One section was about losses, difficult decisions (living wills; assisted suicide; different religious views on cremation). Another was about leaving a legacy for friends and family. I had a publisher who accepted the book, began the editing process, but went bankrupt. I became discouraged and put it aside. But the first section on being swallowed by life (2 Corinthians 5:4) burned in me. A few years later I resurrected the book, completely rewrote it and submitted it a few places. But marketing was a slow process and I decided I wasn’t getting any younger so I edited it again and researched print-on-demand publishing. I’d cut it to about 23,000 words (I thought that was plenty for the subject matter), went with self-publishing at CreateSpace using their editor and cover designer (I love the cover with the little sprouts coming up with a tombstone in the fog behind). The editor did a good job, complimented me on my writing, changed my AP style to Chicago Manual of Style, and urged me to update some of my footnotes, which I did.

3) Tell things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I won best actress in a high school one-act play contest and the judges (probably because I’m a redhead) told me I should go into comedy because I could be another Lucille Ball. (Might be true, because the following shows lack of common sense.)

I went out in 30-below weather in the middle of the night in Leadville, Colo., (two miles high) in only my nightie, a big fake fur coat and boots to thaw out water pipes in our mobile home. The snow was about three feet deep. I had to tunnel under and got my matches wet, backed out (brrr). My hand stuck to the frosty door knob and the door was frozen shut. I had to awaken my mother in law to help me get back inside. I didn’t want her to know I’d turned the bathtub water off (my hubby said to keep it running) while I took a bath. Next time, I wore a hat, wool pants, sweaters, gloves, and didn’t get my matches wet. I knew no neighbors in the mobile home park and was certainly glad when I got back inside. Needless to say, I kept the water running afterward.

Having a streak for the humorous might be why in Swallowed by LIFE that sounds so serious, I also have sprinkles of humor in good taste.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m hoping to see my historical novel, The Belle of Peachville, published. The proposal has been seen by one editor and one agent. I also plan to release Confessions of a Pentecostal, as an e-book. I still have a few paperback copies and since Swallowed by LIFE came out there has been renewed interested in Confessions, which sold about 7,000 copies before going out of print. Used copies have been sold online for years by other people. I still write articles and stories for Christian publications and an occasional op-ed piece for newspapers. Soon I’d like to write the sequel to The Belle of Peachville and possibly a sequel to my teen novel, Joe the Dreamer and the Mystery at Sir Henry’s Castle.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for inviting me to be your guest.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.adabrownell.com/
Swallowed by LIFE: http://amzn.com/1466200936

http://www.amazon.com/swallowed-by-life-ebook/dp/B007BGCVSU/ref=sr_.1_3?s=books&ie+UTF8&qid=1330035854&sr+1-3

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Ada-Brownell?keyword=Ada+Brownell&store=book

Dora Hiers' Journey's Edge

Title: Journey’s Edge
Publisher:  White Rose Publishing

Cover blurb: A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?

1) How did this story come to you?
Actually, Trey Colton from Journey’s End inspired this book. Renner was Trey’s partner, both Deputy U.S. Marshals, but total personality opposites. I knew the moment Renner appeared on the page that he would have his own book. I had to dig around in his past to find his sweetheart, but when you meet Kinny, you’ll understand how perfect they are for each other.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Although Journey’s Edge is the second book in the Marshals of Journey Creek series, I didn’t submit it until after the release of Journey’s End because I wanted to familiarize myself with the publishing process. Soon after, White Rose Publishing contracted Journey’s Edge and the third book in the series, Journey’s Embrace.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I’m a family room sports fan. Why should I leave the comforts of my air-conditioned family room to enjoy NASCAR, football, and hockey?
2) No beaches for me. Give me the mountains! My favorite getaway consists of sipping coffee on a cabin deck tucked in the mountains.
3) I am obsessed with locking doors. Sometimes I check them a couple times to make sure they are really locked. Weird, right?

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just submitted When Truth Whispers, my first book in a new novella series. I’m in the early stages of the next book in that series based on a recent WRP prompt: A fire. A new identity. An old girlfriend. When I saw that prompt, I knew I couldn’t let it slide.

Expect Journey’s Embrace, the third book in the Marshals of Journey Creek series, to release soon with White Rose Publishing.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks so much, K. Dawn, for hosting me today! I’ve enjoyed visiting with you and checking out the fabulous books featured here.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.dorahiers.com/
Email: Dora@DoraHiers.com
Blog: http://dorahiers.blogspot.com/
Facebook: Dora Hiers Author
Twitter: @DoraHiers

Purchase Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ADora+Hiers&keywords=Dora+Hiers&ie=UTF8&qid=1333027958&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B005FCDYB0

Pelican Book Group: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php

Autographed Copies: http://dorahiers.blogspot.com/

The Identity Series

Mistaken Identity
Eden Morgan makes a list of six goals to accomplish in order to have the best summer ever. Getting a boyfriend, which is perhaps the most important goal, becomes complicated when she and her best friend, Lexi, fall for the same guy. Since Lexi is popular, gorgeous, and always gets her guy, Eden thinks she doesn't have a chance.


Channing Johnson is everything Eden's ever dreamed of and she can't believe he just moved in next door. When he starts showing interest in her, she's overjoyed...until she sees him out on a date with Lexi. He says Lexi talked him into it to repay her for tutoring him. Lexi says they're in love.

Eden doesn't know who to believe and is forced to choose between her best friend and the guy of her dreams. Nothing is as it seems and no matter who she chooses, someone will get hurt.
Shattered Identity

Lexi Branson thinks she's found the guy of her dreams. So what if he's older? Her new motto is, "Love knows no boundaries or age limits." Zack Bane loves her and treats her like a princess and that's all that matters.

Lexi soons discovers that she doesn't know Zack as well as she thought. He has secrets, the kind that shatter the lives of those who love him. When faced with the truth, Lexi tries to hang onto him because she has a secret of her own.

When Lexi ends up in danger, she discovers she has no one to turn to except her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. Can Jeremey, who is still in love with her, keep her safe from Zack? When faced with a choice will Lexi choose to stay with the guy who has become a stranger or will she choose Jeremy, the guy who loves her with all his heart?

Jo Ann Durgin's Twin Hearts

Title: TWIN HEARTS (Book #3 in The Lewis Legacy Series)
Publisher: TORN VEIL BOOKS, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Cover blurb: Josh Grant is a man seeking redemption. He’s not looking for love, but finds it in a most unexpected and tender way. His twin sister, Rebekah, is an elementary schoolteacher torn between two very different men: a dashing, British aristocrat offering her the world, and the other a humble, faithful Louisiana lumber man. When family tragedy strikes, the twins lean on Sam and Lexa Lewis and their fellow TeamWork Missions volunteers for encouragement. Together they learn lessons in faith and family and what's most important in life as they discover it’s time to stake their claim on love, which means a road trip from Louisiana to . . . the peace to be found in seeking and finding the sweetest desires of the heart.

1. How did this story come to you?
It’s the natural progression in my series, but I must stress this: all my books can stand alone, but like most series, they build on the other with the background events and characters. In this one, I felt the need to bring back Josh Grant, the wayward sheep of my TeamWork crew, and have him find his redemption. Writing this book presented a unique challenge: two simultaneous love stories—one in Texas and one in Louisiana. There’s a shocking, but very sweet surprise revealed very early, and the spiritual “takeaway” from that storyline is to show how God’s people aren’t perfect and sometimes fall prey to the same temptations and sins as others. It’s how we ultimately deal with the consequences of our sin that makes the difference and can impact others.

2. Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The answer for this particular book isn’t very dramatic since it’s the third in the series. The first two have done well for a new author and small, independent publisher or I wouldn’t be here promoting this one! The Lord opened all the doors in His timing (and a 10-year hiatus to raise my children). I’d invite you to read all about my journey to publication at my website at www.joanndurgin.com. The Lord knew the right publisher for me; Torn Veil allows me the freedom as an author to write “outside the box” of formula romance in both content and word count. What a blessing!

3. Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
A. I sleep with a backrest and about five pillows; it’s amazing I don’t have neck pain.
B. I’m related to an honest-to-goodness Master’s and U.S. Open Golf Champion (his oldest daughter was the flower girl in our wedding).
C. I sat on the front row of a Broadway theatre once and can say I was sit on my Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor looked me straight in the eye and winked. What a thrill to see those two legends together!

4. What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have a proposal currently being reviewed by another publisher for a Christmas novella, and the fourth book in my series, Daydreams, releases from Torn Veil Books in early December. This one takes place only a few months after the end of Twin Hearts and includes a TeamWork wedding and goes from Manhattan to Louisiana and Texas and back again. It’s a fun and romantic adventure for your 2012 holiday reading season!

5. Parting comments?
Thanks so much for hosting me on your wonderful blog again! It’s always a pleasure.

6. Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’d love for readers to visit my website at http://www.joanndurgin.com/ or send me a friend request on Facebook. One of my very favorite things is to interact with my readers!

Nicole Odell's "The Embittered Ruby"

Title: The Embittered Ruby
Publisher: Barbour Publishing.

Cover blurb: Sixteen-year-old Carmen Castillo wonders what it would be like to have a pair of ruby slippers.“There’s no place like home. . .”   “There’s no place like home. . .”   “There’s no place like home.”

But then reality sets in, and Carmen concludes that ruby slippers are mere fiction. Constant prayers that her parents will patch things up remain unanswered. . .and her hurtful world becomes too much for her to bear. Trapped by resentment and anger, Carmen lashes out the only way she knows how and soon finds herself at a crossroads. Will Carmen find the path to ultimate peace and contentment that her heart longs for? Or will her troubled soul remain forever embittered?

Series Description: DIAMOND ESTATES. Three girls are on a journey to find hope and healing. Each coming to Diamond Estates seeking solace… Each with her own unique set of struggles… And each capturing hearts and challenging the faith of teen girls.

1) How did this story come to you?
As a teen, I went through a residential Teen Challenge program much like the Diamond Estates program…minus the stone monastery and the mountains. The girls I met there, plus my own experiences, gave me the inspiration for most of the Diamond Estates series—just wait for book three in December!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Hmm. There’s not much to tell about this. It was pretty textbook, I think. Nothing really challenging and no major upsets. My agent sent off the proposal, and the offer came a few weeks later. Don’t worry—it hasn’t always been that easy. ;)

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I have three-year-old triplets—most of you probably already knew that, though.
2. I graduated high school and started college at 15.
3. I’m a member of Mensa.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have some non-fiction I’m working on right now and a super-fun fiction proposal being shopped around to publishers. I have so many book releases this year (nine total) that I am kind of focusing on birthing rather than creating at this moment. Next up is the release of Rainbow’s End, a novella anthology about geocaching in the Ozarks, also with Barbour Publishing. (5/1) The first two non-fiction books in the Hot Buttons series, (Kregel) release on 6/1. It’s all in God’s hands, and I’m excited!

5) Parting comments?
There are three things I pray for myself, my kids, my readers, and you:
I pray that the motivation for sin would be illuminated by God’s spotlight so we can identify it, deal with it, and kick it out. Next I pray for the strength to embrace change and disappointment as part of God’s refining fire. Finally, I pray for the power to rise above pain and poor choices, reinventing the person shaped by lies into an embodiment of truth.

“…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

Nicole O'Dell, mom of six, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices. She’s author of YA fiction, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, 2/1/12, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular advice column. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents helps pre-empt peer pressure by tackling tough issues. Visit http://www.nicoleodell.com/  for more info.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is http://www.nicoleodell.com/  or http://www.choose-now.com/. I’m on facebook at www.facebook.com/nicoleodell or twitter at www.twitter.com/Nicole_Odell and www.twitter.com/choosenowradio.

S. Dionne Moore's books

Book #3 Your Goose is Cooked: When LaTisha Barnhart’s chief cook overhears a hitman being hired to take out the mayor, he tells the amateur sleuth right away. And when said hitman turns up dead, the plot thickens like pan of stale gravy. Lord knows there’s no shortage of suspicious activity around town—just keeping track is making LaTisha’s head spin. But when she is nearly run down in broad daylight, she realizes her goose might be cooked. Your Goose Is Cooked is a feast for mystery fans!

Book #2 Polly Dent Loses Grip (2010 Carol Award Silver)
While LaTisha Barnhart is helping her mother-in-law move into Bridgeton Towers Assisted Living and Nursing, Polly Dent loses grip on a facility treadmill and takes a fatal spill that's ruled an accident. The residents' gossip is revealing all kinds of motives for murder and LaTisha's nose smells trouble simmering. Can she stay on her achin' feet, and one step ahead of the villain, long enough to solve yet another crime?

Book #1 Murder on the Ol' Bunions(2008 Genesis Silver)
LaTisha Barnhart's bunions tell her something's afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employer, Marion Peters. She's burping Mark Hamm's bad cooking to investigate his beef with Marion. . .getting her hair styled at a high falutin' beauty parlor to see what has Regina Rogane in a snarl. . .playing self-appointed matchmaker between the local chief and a prime suspect. . .and thinking Payton O'Mahney's music store lease might be the reason he's singing a sour note when discussion of Marion's murder arises. LaTisha's just might use the reward money to get her bunions surgically removed, but she's got to catch the crook first.

1. Where did you get the idea for your main character LaTisha Barnhart?
I had an agent tell me she loved my spunky, mature women characters. I decided to base a story around such a character and since Barbour was starting a new mystery line and I just happen to love mysteries, I gave it a shot. LaTisha’s height is based on one of my close friends, with Hardy’s based on her husband—they make quite the couple, just like Hardy and LaTisha.

2. What gave you the idea for the plot?
I love history. Old ghost towns and treasure hunts. . .pirates and cops and robbers. . .well, my imagination got so stirred up I decided to use a modern town whose businesses occupied old buildings. Then I spiked that with the town legend of the assayer stealing gold from Maple Gap citizens and getting shot for his deed.

3. Who chose the clever title?
Originally, LaTisha’s story was called Get Off My Bunions, but when it became a mystery, my editor and I decided Murder on the Ol’ Bunions would be a better fit.

4. What was the most difficult thing about writing this story?
Ugh, making sure all the clues tied in and that no thread of the plot had been dropped. Writing a mystery is TIGHT writing.

5. What was the most fun?
I love doing the scenes between Hardy and LaTisha. They are so much fun and so real to me. Hardy is LaTisha’s conscience when she gets carried away, and his softness plays well against her tough gal demeanor. Of course, LaTisha is really a teddy bear inside too.

6. What advice would you give to those desiring to write mystery?
Start with something else. Writing a mystery is much more difficult than writing a romance where there are only two main characters. Mysteries involve so many clues and red herrings, twists and turns. . .it’s pure craziness trying to keep everything straight.

7. What is your favorite thing about writing?
Doing the writing is my favorite part. I hate editing. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Once I’ve finished a story, I want to take a break from it. A LONG break, but I seldom get that opportunity since content edits and line edits are a reality of signing a contract.

8. Will we see more of LaTisha and Hardy?
Absolutely! Polly Dent Loses Grip, a 2010 Carol Award Finalist, will Release April 1 (no foolin'!) followed by Your Goose Is Cooked. I'm especially excited about the release of this ebook because it was the last in the series and never was printed. This is the last of the LaTisha Barnhart Mystery series. Anyone who loved (or hated) the Mayor in the first book will find out what happens to him in the third, when LaTisha investigates a hit on a hitman. When she almost gets run down in the road she knows she'd better solve the case before her goose is cooked!

9. Any words of wisdom for new writers?
Try your hand at writing in a completely different genre than you imagined. So many get stuck writing in one genre that they never stretch themselves. I wrote historicals for years. Murder on the Ol’ Bunions was my first try at a mystery. Can you believe that? If I hadn’t taken the plunge I would have never known I could do it.

Mistaken Identity or Shattered Identity by K. Dawn Byrd

Mistaken Identity: Eden Morgan longs for a boyfriend of her own, an impossible goal when her best friend, Lexi Branson, gets all the attention and all the guys. When they fall in love with the same guy, Eden believes she doesn't have a chance. She can only hope that sometimes the good girl gets the guy.

Mistaken Identity YouTube book trailer:  http://tinyurl.com/7mepbet

 
Shattered Identity: Nineteen-year-old Lexi Branson thinks she's found the guy of her dreams. He's hot, wealthy, and older. She soon finds out that sometimes the perfect guy turns out to be perfectly dangerous.

YouTube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6eyVH_Z2mY 

Jennifer Fromke's "A Familiar Shore"

Title: A Familiar Shore
Publisher: Write Integrity Press

Cover blurb: Meg Marks is a young lawyer raised off the coast of the Carolinas. An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, and sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan. After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep. Will she sacrifice her own dreams for revenge, or will she choose something more?

1) How did this story come to you?
I was studying the story of Joseph and the moment he stands before his brothers with a choice: revenge and retribution or forgiveness and restoration. I wanted to place a contemporary character in a similar position. The novel is not really very close to the Joseph story, but that’s how it started.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This is my first novel, and ACFW’s Genesis was the first competition I entered (and won). While at conference, three agents requested the manuscript, but it was not polished at the time. I took three months to finish it and then sent it to the agents. One of them rejected it but said some very nice things. The other two never responded. So I began to query agents left and right. Several requested the manuscript, but none offered representation. Meanwhile, I sent a proposal to Pix-N-Pens Publishing, a small, traditional publisher looking for submissions. I received a glowing, generous, enthusiastic rejection from them, which made my heart sing. The reason for the rejection was the fact that Pix-N-Pens was strictly aimed at the CBA market. A Familiar Shore is written from a Christian worldview (and lines up nicely with CBA standards on lack of violence, sex, and cussing), but there is nothing overtly “Christian” in it. Six months later, Tracy Ruckman (publisher of Pix n Pens) contacted me to see if the manuscript was still available. She remembered my proposal when she opened up another imprint aimed at the general market (Write Integrity Press). Tracy loves this story and her enthusiasm about the book is an enormous gift to me. My number one desire in a publisher was someone who would champion the book and I found just that with Write Integrity Press (link: http://www.writeintegrity.com/).

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
(a) I like to try at least one new recipe every week.
(b) I was kicked off the cheerleading squad in seventh grade because my family went skiing for too many weekends and I missed too many games.
(c) My favorite sound in the world (aside from the voices of my family) is the sound of water lapping against anything: a boat hull, a dock, the shore. Ok, so if you read my book, this last one won’t surprise you. Nevertheless, it’s true.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m writing my second novel - the story of two friends who make promises as girls they find difficult to keep as women. Early-onset Alzheimer Disease and other family issues complicate this turbulent, soul-deep friendship. I’ve also been writing some short stories this year, so I’m just beginning to seek placement for them.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks so much for hosting me! It’s a thrill to be in such great company.

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

Carrie Turansky's "A Man To Trust"

Title: A Man To Trust
Publisher: It’s published by Love Inspired

Cover blurb: After years spent helping run her family’s Christian bookstore, it’s time for Adrie Chandler to give her own dream a chance. But can she trust the beloved shop to new manager Ross Peterson? The man is too handsome, too charming…too much a reminder of another dream Adrie had to let go of – marriage. Yet Ross surprises her by knowing a thing or two about making sacrifices. Suddenly, Adrie is questioning what she really wants. And whether the dreams she once thought unlikely are within reach after all.

1) How did this story come to you?
This story is the second in the Bayside Treasure Series. I wanted to tell Ross Peterson’s story. He was the best friend of the hero in the Seeking His Love. I also love music and thought the heroine’s dream of playing her flute professionally would be interesting to readers.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
A Man To Trust was contracted over a year ago as part of the series and it’s the third book I’ve written for Love Inspired.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I have a pet rabbit named Mercy who is a very cuddly and an ideal pet. I lived in Hawaii for eight years after we were first married and learned to do praise Hula and make flower leis. I wrote my first book when I was twelve, titled Passport to Paris.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just turned in my fourth Love Inspired novel, Snowflake Sweethearts. It comes out in late November 2012. I am working on some historical ideas now…just starting out with those.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks very much for this chance to connect with readers and friends!

6) Where can fans find you on the Internet?
I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and also have a website: http://www.carrieturansky.com/. I offer an email newsletter every other month and the signup is on my website.

Lessons from the Open Road

A couple of years ago, the idea of writing a devotional about the lessons I learned while riding a motorcycle came to me. I jotted down notes for weeks, hoping to come up with enough lessons to take the reader through a month. Lessons from the Open Road ended with 33 lessons, each followed by Scripture and prayer.

Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes learning new things is hard. Just when I thought I'd mastered the parking lot where I was learning to ride my little Yamaha Virago starter bike, I pulled out, forgot to hit the brake, did an Evel Knievel, and jumped a short concrete wall, landing in some trees. My poor little bike limped home with a hole in the crankcase the size of a quarter. J-B Weld to the rescue!

I'm stubborn, too stubborn to quit. After I recovered from the sore neck that resulted from my stunt, I climbed back on the old iron horse. Eventually, I graduated from the parking lot and hit the streets. When I'd learned to ride well enough to satisfy hubby, he bought himself a new Harley and I inherited his anniversary edition Harley Davidson Sportster. And, when I graduated with my masters degree, you'd never guess what I wanted. Yep, a new bike. I became the proud owner of a Screamin Eagle V-Rod (picture attached.)

All good things must eventually come to an end. I enjoyed my days on the road, but found another passion. Writing. I work a full-time job and since there's only so much time in the day, I have to choose what's most important to me. The bike had to go. Occasionally, I miss it, but for the most part, I'd rather be writing. I'm hoping the devotions in Lessons from the Open Road will minister to your heart as much as writing them did to mine.

Lessons from the Open Road is currently available in ebook format and will be coming soon in print. I had planned to list it at no cost, but Amazon wouldn't allow me to do so. I've listed it at the lowest price Amazon allows, 99 cents, and all proceeds will be donated to my church's building fun for the new church that's currently under construction.

Catherine Richmond's "Spring for Susannah"

Title: Spring for Susannah
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Cover blurb: Hundreds of miles from home, Susannah faces an uncertain future as a mail-order bride on the untamed Dakota prairie.

When her parents die suddenly, and no suitors call, Susannah resigns herself to the only option available: becoming a mail-order bride. Agreeing to marry her pastor's brother, Jesse, Susannah leaves the only home she's ever known for the untamed frontier of the Dakota Territory.

Her new husband is more loving and patient with her than she believes she deserves. Still, there is also a wildness to him that mirrors the wilderness surrounding them. And Susannah finds herself constantly on edge. But Jesse's confidence in her-and his faith in God's perfect plan-slowly begin to chip away at the wall she hides behind.

When she miscarries in the brutal Dakota winter, Susannah's fledgling faith in herself and in God begins to crumble. Still, Jesse's love is unwavering. Just when it seems like winter will never end, Susannah finally sees the first tentative evidence of spring. And with it, the realization that more than the landscape has changed.

She looks to the future with a renewed heart. Yet in her wildest dreams, she couldn't predict all that awaits her.

1) How did this story come to you?
Spring for Susannah was inspired by a song about a mail-order bride meeting her husband for the first time. Researching the history unrolled the story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I first heard the song in July 1991. Through the years I researched, learned to write, and learned to deal with rejection letters. I entered a contest, hoping for feedback, and received a contract with Thomas Nelson - how amazing is that!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I was on a rifle team in high school and college. I have a pilot's license. My writing is fueled by Ghiradelli chocolate chips - they come in huge bags from Sam's Club. No, I won't say how many it takes to write a novel!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next book, Through Rushing Water, releases in July. When the mission board sends her to a poverty-stricken Indian agency, Sophia wonders if she can do anything about the tribe's enormous problems. Then she witnesses the most important events of the 19th century.

5) Parting comments?
I love hearing from readers!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.catherinerichmond.com/, https://www.facebook.com/catherinerichmondfans, and Twitter @WriterCatherine.