Please
tell us five random things we might not know about you.
1.
I have the same Christmas stocking I had when I
was a baby. Each year I get fuzzy socks, Twizzlers, and other surprises.
2.
When I was a teen, I raised three puppies who
became guide dogs.
3.
I’ve lived in three different states in the past
three years.
4.
My favorite soda is Pepsi with lemon and lots of
ice.
5.
My Pontiac Vibe, which I bought new ten years ago,
has over 180,000 miles on the odometer. I’ve driven it in more than 20 states
and in Washington, DC. My grandsons call it the Alpaca Squadmobile. I love that
car.
Why did you choose to
write this book?
World War II history fascinates me—so many stories, so much tragedy
and drama and courage. After watching a DVD about Hitler’s looting of Europe’s
treasures and another about the horrific plight of children during the war, I
knew I wanted to join these two themes together in one story. Brave people hid
art and brave people hid children. The heroine of Where Treasure Hides does both but the art she hides is very
personal to her.
What
one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would understand?
The non-writing members of my family often comment
on how real these people I make up in my head become to me. They find that both
fascinating and amusing!
What
is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
On a couple of occasions, I thought my writing career was over.
That discouragement is hard to overcome. But new opportunities appeared each
time. It’s not an easy journey, and it tests one’s patience and persistence.
I’ve learned not to give up and to be open to God’s plan for me.
What do you hope
readers to take away from your novel?
Legacy is so important—what we are given from our parents and
grandparents and what we choose to give to our children. But material things
aren’t nearly as important as a spiritual heritage. Proverbs 31:25 encourages
us to clothe ourselves in strength and dignity and to “smile at the future.”
This can be hard when faced with difficulties and heartache. But it’s a promise
that our future, our eternal future, is bright and holy and joyous.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of,
writing-related or not?
I’m blessed that
my three children are amazing adults who love God. It’s a joy to see them
passing along the values that are meaningful to me, such as the importance of
creating memories for each other, to their own children.
What
do you do for fun when not writing?
Like most writers, I love to read. I also enjoy traveling with my
sister. In the last three years, we’ve traveled to Prince Edward Island, to
Europe (where we traveled by train from one major city to another before
spending a few days in Lisbon), and most recently on a cruise up the New
England coast and into Canada. It’s become an annual tradition I hope we
continue.
What
are you working on now?
I’m doing the final edits for a novella called “Match You Like
Crazy,” which is the tenth story in the Resort
to Romance Series. And I’m just getting started on my fourth novel with
Annie’s Fiction which will be part of their new Inn at Magnolia Harbor series.
Where else
can readers find you online?
My monthly newsletter provides fun updates and
giveaways. Please sign up at http://johnnie-alexander.com.
Connect with me on other social media sites via LinkTree.
Back
cover blurb
Artist Alison Schuyler spends her
time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the
curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and
back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is,
until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life.
Drawn to the bold and compassionate
British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War
II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles.
While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch
Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of
art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow.
As time, war, and human will
struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for
their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?
Please give us the first page of the book.
Where Treasure Hides
Johnnie
Alexander
Chapter One
August 1939
The stringed notes of “Rule, Britannia!” grew louder as the crowd quieted,
eyes and ears straining in their search for the violin soloist. The patriotic
anthem echoed through Waterloo Station’s concourse, and as the second chorus
began, sporadic voices sang the lyrics. Travel- weary Brits stood a little
straighter, chins lifted, as the violinist completed the impromptu performance,
the last note sounding long after the strings were silenced.
Alison Schuyler gripped her
leather bag and threaded her way through the crowd toward the source of the
music. As the final note faded inside the hushed terminal, she squeezed between
a sailor and his girl, murmuring an apology at forcing them to part, and
stepped onto a bench to see over the crowd. A dark-haired boy, no more than
seven or eight, held the violin close to his anemic frame. His jacket, made of
a finely woven cloth, hung loosely on his thin shoulders. The matching trousers
would have slipped down his hips if not for his hand-tooled leather belt.
Either the boy had lost weight or his parents had purposely
provided him clothes to grow into. Alison hoped for the latter, though from the
rumors she’d heard, her first assumption was all too likely. She stared at the
cardboard square, secured by a thick length of twine, that the boy wore as a
cheap necklace. The penciled writing on the square numbered the boy as 127.
Other children crowded near
the young musician, each one dressed in their fine traveling clothes, each one
labeled with cardboard and twine. Germany’s castaways, transported to England
for their own safety while their desperate parents paced the floors at home and
vainly wished for an end to these troublesome days.
“Now will you allow him to keep his violin?” A man’s voice,
pleasant but firm, broke the spell cast over the station. The children fidgeted
and a low murmur rumbled through the crowd. The speaker, dressed in the khaki
uniform of a British Army officer, ignored them, his gaze intent on the
railroad official overseeing the children.
“He better,” said a woman
standing near Alison. “Never heard anything so lovely. And the lad not even one
of the king’s subjects. I’d take him home myself—yes, I would—if I’d a bed to
spare.”
Alison mentally sketched the
tableau before her, pinning the details into her memory. The officer’s hand
resting on the boy’s shoulder; the official, a whistle around his neck,
restlessly tapping his clipboard with his pencil; the dread and hope in the
boy’s eyes as he clutched his prized instrument. The jagged square that tagged
his identity.
Bio
Johnnie Alexander creates
characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won't forget. Her
award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, is a CBA bestseller.
She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the
executive boards of Serious
Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers
Conference, co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and
interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also
teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Johnnie lives in
Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing
papillon. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com
and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.
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Wow. Loved the interview, loved the excerpt. Chilling!! (the excerpt, not the interview! lol!) This story sounds amazing, and is going on my list NOW! :)
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