Eileen Hinkle Rife's "Second Chance"

Title: Second Chance
Publisher: OakTara

Cover blurb: Mave Robertson, a recent empty nester, wants the fire back in her marriage, but her husband, Jerry, remains aloof. Is he having an affair? Midlife crisis? When a neighbor suggests she “get a life,” Mave accepts the challenge and volunteers at an inner city teen ministry where she’s thrown into a culture of drugs, gangs, and unwed teen moms. She soon discovers someone she can help, but might he also be the cure for both her stale marriage and her crumbling relationship with her father?

1) How did this story come to you?
In part, this story was my way of processing the empty nest. Finding purpose in the second half of life is a theme in Second Chance, so I wanted my central character Mave to find new meaning in this season of her life. Through her volunteer work with a Christian inner city teen ministry, I hope to spotlight the efforts these organizations make to reach out to lost and hurting teenagers with the gospel of Jesus Christ. My special focus is on Straight Street where my daughter and son-in-law serve fulltime. In fact, a portion of book proceeds supports Straight Street.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
OakTara contracted Second Chance shortly after they published Chosen Ones (3) in my Born for India trilogy (2011).

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
One of my new ventures in the second half of life is dancing with hubby. Playing with my six grandchildren, ages five and under, keeps me on my toes as well. Two of my grandkids were born via water birth using a mid-wife. One of them was born in my home. Quite the adventure!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
OakTara has just contracted two more projects: 1) Wit & Wisdom from the Wee Ones, a kids’ quip book inspired by (you guessed it), my six grandkids and 2) Laughing with Lily, my fifth novel. Teaser: An unexpected encounter with a person from her past launches a special education teacher on a quest for answers.

5) Parting comments?
My hope for those who read Second Chance is that they will find a mix of laughter and tears as they process transitions in life. Like Mave, may they discover a purpose much bigger than themselves.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.eileenrife.com/, http://www.eileen-rife.blogspot.com/, http://www.guardyourmarriage.com/, http://www.christianspeaker.net/

Eileen Hinkle Rife's "Restored Hearts"

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

Publisher: OakTara

Cover blurb: One brother’s dark secret. Another brother’s scorn.
Newlyweds Gavin and Maggie Munsfield return to care for the sick and wounded at The Oasis Compound in Chennai, India, which is still suffering from the recent tsunami. Gavin’s brother, Tim, a successful landscape architect, joins them for the clean-up and rebuilding of the Compound. But Tim harbors a dark past that threatens to destroy his relationship with his brother . . . and a promising new love. Will family ties be strong enough to bind two wounded hearts, once the secret is revealed?

1) How did this story come to you?
A few years ago, my husband, a licensed professional counselor and marriage/family therapist, asked if I would write a pamphlet on homosexuality which he could use in his office. I agreed and delved into research. However, it didn’t take long to realize I didn’t have the stomach for what I was discovering, so I abandoned the project. Three years ago, the Lord renewed my interest in the issue and pushed me to pursue the topic in a way I had not envisioned—in fiction format.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
In January, 2007, OakTara requested the manuscript for my first book in the Born for India trilogy, JOURNEY TO JUDAH, which was released in 2008. Since two other books were accepted at that time as well, Book Two, RESTORED HEARTS, naturally followed and was released in 2009.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Even though RESTORED HEARTS is set in India and I have visited on several occasions, I still do not like Indian food. However, I do like coconut water which is sold at roadside huts and is good for replenishing electrolytes. My Indian missionary daughter and son-in-law have now gifted me and my husband with three red-headed grandchildren!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
 The third book, CHOSEN ONES, in the Born for India trilogy is in the hands of my editor and should be released soon! CHOSEN ONES profiles a missionary couple in crisis who unexpectedly meet a child with a sorrow too big for words. A contract on my fourth novel, SECOND CHANCES, has also been signed by OakTara. One-liner for SECOND CHANCES: Mave Robertson has something in her purse that Dareece Jackson wants . . . and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

5) Parting comments?
 As I walked through this journey with Tim, God used his story to shed light on my own healing journey. While I have not struggled with homosexuality, I have struggled with other equally devastating strongholds in my life. In writing Tim’s story, I learned in deeper ways to identify with another fellow struggler. And in doing so, my own prison door flung open and I was set free.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.eileenrife.com/, http://www.eileen-rife.blogspot.com/, http://www.guardyourmarriage.com/, http://www.christianspeaker.net/, http://www.oaktara.com/.