Designing Destiny $2.99 on Kindle

Coming soon in print.

When Destiny Dean's grandmother learns that she's been given six months to live, she grieves the fact that she won't be around to watch her only grandchild grow to adulthood. She ponders how she might have an impact on Destiny's life and an idea comes to her. Taking out a leather bound journal, she begins to write down all the advice she would have given Destiny had she been a part of her life.


This book is Christian-based and includes a section of encouraging Scriptures.


Chapters include:
1) Just Good Old Advice
2) Just Pain Fun
3) Giving Back
4) Love & Marriage
5) Education & Work Ethics
6) Emotional Health
7) Physical Health
8) Family
9) Finances
10) Friends & Relationship
11) Spiritual
12) Favorite Bible Verses

Designing Destiny, a Godly book of advice for women of all ages because a good pair of shoes and a little bit of advice go a long way!

David Bond's "A Time To Build"

Title: A Time To Build

Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing 

Cover blurb:

Brian Marshall lives a quiet, serious life. At age thirty-three, he’s content and reasonably prosperous. When a new client steps inside his office one July morning, and he recognizes her strikingly beautiful face, his thoughts are thrown back in time thirteen years, to a time when he committed perhaps the greatest mistake of his life.

Hallie Grover has come a long way in thirteen years. When she left central Pennsylvania as a dispirited seventeen-year old to live with her divorced mother in California, she couldn’t have imagined the path her life was to take. Will she be able to handle her new life, owning and managing a small café in McCane, Pennsylvania? And will she be able to rebuild a relationship with her sister, and a thirteen-year old girl she’s never had the chance to know?

Brian fears Hallie will one day remember him. Hallie blossoms, but is she ready to embrace a relationship she wasn’t expecting?

1)      How did this story come to you?
Like most stories, it just did! This novel has actually gone through a number of significant “evolutions.” It was originally written in first person, but the publisher rejected it. I wish I could come up with a good answer to this question! Story ideas are always “popping up” in my head, and this is really the only thing I can say!

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

I already had a 3-book contract with Desert Breeze Publishing, and when an idea for another series came to me, I put together a proposal and submitted it. My proposal was accepted and I found myself contracted to write 6 full-length novels in a 2-year span. Concerning the journey for A Time To Build, as I just alluded to, this novel went through several iterations. It was actually originally entitled, “The Park,” based on a park where my main character loved to spend time. The last chapter was added after my editor suggested the ending, while good, needed a little more closure. And looking back, it was an excellent bit of advice.

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

First, I am blind. Second, I am a male who loves to read and write romance (there are some qualifiers which I won’t discuss here!). And, third, I am a type I diabetic.

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

My next release (after A Time To Build) is the sequel to my debut. It is entitled, “Sweet Music,” and will be available in October (2012). The manuscript for Sweet Music has just been submitted, and as of this date in June, I am now beginning to work on the sequel to A Time To Build, entitled, “A Time To Heal.”

5) Parting comments?

Based on feed-back from male readers of (mostly) my debut (The Attaché), I’ve kicked around the idea of marketing my novels as, “romance men find worth reading.” Or something like this! Not sure though, since women enjoy my novels as well.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

http://www.authordavidbond.com

Deanna Nowadnick's "Fruit of My Spirit"

Title: Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace
Publisher: Rhododendron Books

Cover blurb: In a memoir of missteps and misdeeds, Deanna Nowadnick writes of the hugeness of God’s love and faithfulness. Reframing life in God’s grace, she discovers an indescribable, indefinable, inexplicable love that has encircled her without fail through joyous, sad, cringe-worthy, heartwarming, forgettable, memorable moments in life.

1) How did this story come to you?
I just wanted to my sons Kyle and Kevin to know how I met their father. One story became two stories; the chapter on Love went straight into the chapter on Self-Discipline. Soon I knew a theme had developed. Finally one day I said to anyone who’d listen, “I think I wrote a book.”

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This is my first book. I fully expected to get a few things down on paper and then run up to Staples to make a couple copies. I was fortunate to find Sue Collier who put together a wonderful team of people who took me through the publishing process. As I said in the Acknowledgements, I could not have done it without them. Not only did they steer me through unchartered waters, but they protected my voice in the process. I am delighted with the book and truly grateful for their time and care.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) Even though I majored in English in college, I never really enjoyed writing assignments. I actually think it had more to do with being told what to write, rather than the writing itself.
2) I love Downton Abbey and Mad Men.
3) I cannot cook, nor can I grow anything. Really! If there’s a national emergency tomorrow, I’ve got to be able to subsist on Quaker Chewy Dips!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
A draft of Book 2 is done. Signs in Life: Meeting God at the Corner of Grace and Mercy tells of those times when God has come alongside and guided, directed and turned me. The book is another collection of short stories, this time recounting the times when God has met me at life’s crossroads, when I’ve been “on point” with God, not because of anything I’ve done, but because a loving, gracious, merciful God has been there time after time, again and again.

5) Parting comments?
I never expected the book to resonate with readers like it has. As I wrote, I knew that God was giving me special stories to share; I just didn’t expect to have the opportunity to share those stories in the form of a real book. Now I’m challenged to help others share their own stories.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FruitofMySpirit
Twitter: @DeannaNowadnick
Website/Blog: http://fruitofmyspirit.com/

Pamela S Meyers' "Thyme for Love"

Cover Blurb: When April Love signs on to be an in-house chef at an old lakeshore mansion in Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, she comes face to face with her long- lost love, the drop-dead gorgeous Marc Thorne.


It doesn't take long for their old magnetism to recharge, but how can she trust the guy who left her nearly at the altar eight years earlier? Her gut tells her something happened to Marc in between--something he's reluctant to reveal.

When April's boss is murdered, Marc is accused of the crime. Unless April can find out who really killed Ramón Galvez, her chances for love will end up at the county jail. But someone else is just as determined she not solve the mystery...and will go to any length to stop her.

On the Road to Publication Be Sure to Pack A Lot of Patience!
When I received my first contract last year, it came almost seventeen years after I began my journey toward publication. Was it easy to wait all those years? I wish I could say yes, but it wasn’t. It’s never easy to be told your story isn’t ready yet, or to comethisclose to a contract and have the publisher’s line shut down. Those are just a few of the roadblocks I ran into along the way. It’s enough to lose your patience.

Over the years, as I had to exercise patience in the long wait, I learned that like a muscle becomes stronger when exercised, the ability to be patient becomes strengthened in the waiting.

Using the word patience, below are listed of the things that helped me to endure until the wonderful day I got THE call.

P is for persevering. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going is an old cliché with a lot of truth. From the outset, we have to determine to be in it for the long haul. I’ve met authors who after pursuing publication for a couple years gave up and self published or stopped writing altogether. If writing for publication is your calling, determine you will do what it takes for however long it takes.

A is for abidingness. I don’t know what I would do without sensing God’s calling to write, and His daily presence to assure me that I’m within the scope of His will. He tells us to abide in Him and He will abide in us, and He gives us all we need for life, the life He’s called us to live. If He’s called you to write, then He will provide all you need for the writing life in His due time.

T is for teachability. Even many of the most published authors takes writing workshops at conferences. When I look at the stories I wrote seventeen, ten, or even four years ago, I see how I’ve grown the craft. We can’t move up the scale to being a publishable writer if we don’t take those writing courses, read craft books, and practice our writing until our fingers bleed all over the keys.

I is for insistence. Don’t ever settle for mediocre. Insist on doing better next time in a writing contest, or wowing an editor who rejected your idea last year at a conference, or taking a rejected manuscript making it better.

E is for endurance. A form of the word patience in the Greek translates to patient endurance. The King James calls it long suffering. I think that’s an apropos description to describe years of waiting for publication. There were times when I asked God if I misunderstood His intent on my life, and every time He would allow something positive to happen, like a request for a full manuscript. So I kept on pursuing.

N is for nuts and bolts. We need to know more than how to write, we need to learn the nuts and bolts of the publishing industry: What editors are currently looking for, or what they are not so interested in at the moment. What are the market trends? How is digital publishing affecting the industry landscape and how might I adjust to that? We can never know too much about this ever-changing industry.

C is for courage. We need courage to make ourselves known in the industry, and to develop our platform even before we publish. Where are our spheres of influence and how can we grow them? A budding author must become a known entity on the social media platforms. Make his or her name recognizable. For the more outgoing this isn’t so difficult, but for the shy it can require a lot of courage to do this.

E is for energy. Hanging in there can take a lot out of us. For those with family responsibilities and a job outside the home, there is often little time for writing unless it is done in the wee hours. Learn what you personally need in the way of sleep and downtime and allow yourself to avail yourself of those times so you will have the needed energy to write. Pacing is important.

Even though I’ve landed some book contracts now, I still need to put these into play each day as I work toward a deadline or acceptance of a new book proposal. And I find that when I begin each day on my knees, God is always there ready to give me everything I need for the life of a writer.

Ann Lee Miller is giving away downloads of "Kicking Eternity!"

Note: Anyone who leaves a comment with an e-mail address (JaneReader[at]msn[dot]com) will receive a free e-book copy of Kicking Eternity. Those who don’t want to leave an e-mail may contact Ann for their free book at AnnLeeMiller.com.

Title: Kicking Eternity, First Place Winner, Long Contemporary in the 2009 Romance Writers of America Faith, Hope, and Love Contest

Cover blurb: Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ live. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.

1) How did this story come to you?
Like the main character, my daughter has had a life-long passion to become a foreign missionary. Also, a friend was devastated when the man she believed God told her to marry broke their engagement. In Kicking Eternity the hero has to come to terms with the same dilemma.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote my first novel fifteen years ago and have been writing full-time for ten years while trying to break in to traditional publishing. Last summer my agent let all her unpublished authors, including me, go. In the midst of my despair, God nudged me to indie e-publish. So, I swallowed a hairball of pride and walked down the self-publishing road. The part of me that clamors for validation still hopes for a traditional publishing contract. But how can I go wrong obeying God?

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I lived on a sailboat as a child and rode my bicycle down the dock each morning to attend school. After school every day, I tossed my books onto my bunk, shimmied into a swim suit, and jumped overboard.
• My father was often mistaken for Willie Nelson.
• I and my three sons are color blind.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
In addition to Kicking Eternity, The Art of My Life debuts in September, Avra’s God in December, and Tattered Innocence next March.

5) Parting comments?
Readers who enjoy Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) may like my books. I aim for her fast pace, depth, and passion.

I was thrilled to receive an endorsement from Jenny B. Jones, author of the Katie Parker Production Series from Think and The Charmed Life Series, and others from Thomas Nelson:

“Ann Lee Miller writes stories straight from the heart with characters who'll become friends, remaining with you long after you turn that final page. You won't want to miss Kicking Eternity!”

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.annleemiller.com/
Twitter @AnnLeeMiller
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Lee-Miller/356653761022022

Bio: Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.

Jordyn Redwood's "Proof"

Title: Proof
Publisher: Kregel

Cover blurb: Here is the Amazon Blurb: Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

1) How did this story come to you?
I was watching a Discovery Health Channel special and the idea was born.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
For me, my publishing path started when I finally listened to the Lord and finished my novel. After attending the ACFW conference in 2006—I decided it would be most beneficial to attend another national conference only when I had my manuscript finished. When the ACFW conference came to Denver in 2009—I took that as the time to finish the book because I wouldn’t have to pay for airfare. One of my agent appointments led to Greg Johnson taking me on as a client. My publishing contract came in the spring of 2011.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m an okay acoustic guitar player. Fairly accomplished quilter. I love tea with the flavored coffee creamers in it.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now, I’m working on Book #3 of the Bloodline trilogy—tentatively titled Peril and also editing Book #2, Poison, that is set to release February 2013. Next, I’m researching for my next proposal which will either center on an elite security firm in Washington D.C. or near-death experiences. Haven’t settled on which yet.

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

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a medical blog for both historical and contemporary authors to help them write medically accurate fiction called Redwood’s Medical Edge. Also my website at http://www.jordynredwood.net/.

Zoe Mack & A Case of Fatal Attraction

Zoe is thrilled when she lands her first paying case until she learns she'll be going undercover at a local blood bank. The fact that she faints at the sight of blood makes working there more than difficult. Who would steal blood and what would they do with it? Is her creepy vampire-like coworker using it in a cult ritual?


When Zoe learns that Nate will be working undercover with her, she's overjoyed. She soon finds that the gorgeous Rikki's attraction to Nate is too distracting and considers throwing him off the case. Zoe questions his loyalty even as Nate proclaims that she's the only girl for him.

Nothing is as it seems and Zoe has no clue who can be trusted. Who's stealing the blood? Is it the director? The vampire-like guy with the fangs who wears all black? Or, her gorgeous co-worker who has a thing for Nate?

Carol Cox's "Love in Disguise"

Publisher: Bethany House
Cover blurb: Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it’s the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can’t figure out who’s stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow . . . or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.

Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn’t safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he’s falling in love with doesn’t really exist?

1) How did this story come to you?
Stories featuring a master of disguise have always fascinated me, and I’ve wanted to write about a character like that for some time. Then Ellie Moore came along, with her background in the theater and her thirst for adventure, and I knew I’d found a heroine who had all the qualifications to carry it off.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I love writing historical fiction, stories set in my home state of Arizona, and romantic suspense. I developed a three-book proposal that blended all of those elements, and I was thrilled beyond words when Bethany House loved the idea as much as I did. I feel like I’m livin’ the dream!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
a) Even though I grew up in the desert—or maybe because of that!—my favorite vacation spot is at the beach. Pretty much any beach will do, I’m not picky. Just give me sand and surf, and I’m happy.
b) My dad was a dairy farmer, and I could drive a tractor before I could drive a car.
c) I have to drive 50 miles (one way) to reach the nearest Wal-Mart, movie theater, or mall.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the edits for another historical romantic suspense set in Arizona. Look for it to come out in 2013. In this one, the hero—a widower with an ornery young son—and the heroine—a former governess who is tired of dealing with unruly children—are vying for control of a mercantile while dealing with an array of demanding customers and quirky townspeople, as well as trying to find out who’s behind the sinister happenings that have been plaguing the town. Lots of fun!

5) Parting comments?
Writing is a rather isolated profession, so I love interacting with readers. I’m grateful for all the e-mails and messages I receive that make the writer-reader connection come full circle!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Visit my website at www.AuthorCarolCox.com. Sign up for my newsletter and leave a comment on my blog, the Trail Journal. You can also find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/carol.cox. I love connecting with readers that way!

Staci Stallings' "To Protect & Serve"

Publisher: Spirit Light Publishing
 Cover blurb: Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman's fireman. He's not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.

Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that's on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn't what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it's possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can't control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have...

1) How did this story come to you?
I was writing another story, and when I write, I create a soundtrack for the story and I pull pictures from the 'net of people who look like my characters. At the time a young lady who was working for me became interested in "the process" of how I wrote the books. So I was sharing the pics, etc. For this book, I had one member of a 90's boy band; however, instead of liking him, she "fell for" one of the other guys in the band. She kept asking when I was going to write HIS story. Finally, just to tell her definitively that wasn't going to happen, I said, "Okay, God, if I was going to write his story, what would it be?" To Protect & Serve dropped into my lap.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
In August of 2011, I read an ebook about how to put your book for sale as an ebook. I had dabbled in ebooks before, but at that point I decided to go big in ebooks. By October I had 13 ebooks for sale and I was seeing a steady climb in sales. By January, I knew this new venue was where I was meant to be publishing. After my ebook "Deep in the Heart" climbed to the #1 spot on four category lists, I decided to take the plunge with "To Protect & Serve," the first of a three-part series with the other two coming out in July and November 2012.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love to Wii snowboard--all the action, none of the hospital bills.
When I was young, I grew up on a dairy farm and did a lot of milking and feeding cows with my parents and siblings.
When I was in 11th grade, I drove tractor out in the middle of nowhere for a whole summer. I spent my days plowing up and down fields, listening to the radio, and meting out my lunch and snacks so I would have enough for the whole day because the nearest "store" was 30 minutes away--about the same distance as the nearest other person on the planet.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Many projects are going at the same time right now. I am working on getting three books out in print (they have all been released as ebooks and climbed the Amazon charts, so people want them as paperbacks now). I have the second in The Courage Series coming out in late July. I am finish-editing three short story collections and a Bible study to come out some time by the end of the year. And of course, I'm keeping up with my husband, three kids, house, two businesses, two large extended families, and all of our pets!

5) Parting comments?
Thank you so much to all of my readers and reviewers and to God. I always hoped this day would come, but there were moments in there I wasn't totally sure it wasn't all a pipe dream. However, my early readers were very encouraging, my reviewers have just been awesome as have my writing friends and host bloggers. And of course, God is just completely and totally awesome to have put the pieces in this puzzle just the way He did all the while keeping me focused on something I couldn't even see back then.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My Christian Living blog: http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/
Info about my Romance Novels: http://ebookromancestories.com/
Coming soon: http://www.stacistallings.com for the latest and greatest!
My giveaway book will be an ebook, so the person will need to have either a Kindle or a Nook.

THANKS, K. Dawn! I've enjoyed my time on your blog!

Martha Rogers' Spring Hope

Publisher: This book is published by Realms Fiction Division of Charisma Media

Cover blurb: Libby ran away from an abusive father and life in a saloon straight into the arms of a deputy sheriff. Can Cory forgive her past and give her the life and love she’s always wanted?

1) How did this story come to you?
The forgiveness for a lifestyle unacceptable to a Christian parallels my own journey to forgiveness toward my brother and his lifestyle of sin and degradation.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Actually, this one was easy as it is the fourth book in the Seasons of the Heart series. My editor liked the concept of the story as presented in the proposal.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Well, they might not know I was in nursing school before changing my major and going into Home Economics. They also might not know I have a bum knee from playing tackle football with the boys when I was fourteen. I also sang in a concert at Mozart’s concert hall, in Salzburg, Austria.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am working on a new series set in the years just after the Civil War. The first book is loosely based on my own great-grandparents and their love story. I did a lot of genealogy research and what I found led me to writing the story of my great-grandfather and his journey home from the Civil War in 1865. He and my great-grandmother Sally were married in June of 1865. When we visited the church where they were married, and I read a letter he had written to her, I knew I just had to write it. I used their names in my book as a tribute to them.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me as a guest. I am still amazed even after three years that I will have ten published books when my Christmas one is released in September.

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

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