Ava Pennington's "One Year Alone with God"

We're happy to have Ava Pennington with us today talking about her book, One Year Alone with God. We're spotlighting this book, but there won't be a giveaway. It sounds like a wonderful book. I've heard of poeple who actually pray, using the name of God that fits their situation at the moment. To learn more about Ava and her book, read on!

1) How did this story book come to you?
I’ve been drawn to the names of God ever since I completed several Bible studies on this
topic. Two years ago, I wrote a package of thirty-one devotions for Haven Ministries, and realized that I didn’t want to stop at thirty-one! So the idea for a one-year devotional was born.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I attended the annual Florida Christian Writers Conference for several years, learning more about the publishing industry and honing my craft by participating in classes and workshops. During my fifth conference, I met with the editor from Revell Books and pitched the idea for a one-year devotional. She was interested and asked me to send her a complete proposal.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I never learned to ski – water or snow skiing.
2. I love to bake. One Christmas, I baked and decorated twenty-two gingerbread houses for family and friends!
3. I worked in lower Manhattan for twenty years as a Human Resources executive – just blocks from the World Trade Center, and moved to Florida two years before 9/11.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve co-authored a series of children’s picture books called Faith Basics for Kids. The first two books, Do You Love Me More? and Will I See You Today? will be released by Standard Publishing January 3, 2011. And I’m working on a new adult non-fiction book on prayer.

5) Parting comments?
I’m excited about the impact One Year Alone with God will have, and I’m thrilled to say that Kay Arthur, founder of Precept Ministries International, has endorsed it!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.avawrites.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AvaPennington.AuthorPage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AvaPennington

Free Kindle books...

Read free bestselling Kindle books on your PC

Back by popular demand...how to read ebooks without a Kindle...
The following is the link to a listing of free bestselling books on Kindle this week. If you don't have a Kindle, follow the steps at the bottom to add the app to your PC, which will allow you to read any Kindle book on your computer. It's free and it's easy!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/ref=pd_dp_ts_kinc_1

When the Amazon page opens, the list to the left is the top 100 ebooks, the list to the right is the top free 100 ebooks. While you're browsing, please check out my new release by clicking on the link below.

Follow these steps to download the Kindle app:
1) Go to my Amazon page
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-Hearts-ebook/dp/B003EV5T3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1270176182&sr=1-2
2) Scroll down. You'll see "Kindle for PC" to the right
3) Click to download the Kindle app
4) Go back to my page above and you can download my book to read the first few chapters for free. This will let you know it's working. When it downloads, you'll see the number "1" in the Archive at the top left.
5) Click on Archive to move the book over to your library.
6) Enjoy!
7) If you want to look at the bestsellers, click on "Kindle Books" on the toolbar at the top of the page. Click on "Kindle Bestsellers" to the left or follow the link above.
8) If you like the free viewing of "Queen of Hearts," I'd appreciate your supporting my work by buying the book. Thanks so much and enjoy the Kindle books!

Michelle Sutton's "First Love"

We're happy to have Michelle Sutton with us today talking about her book, First Love. To learn more about Michelle and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
The inspiration behind First Love came from a novella project I was working on with three other Barbour authors and I had to draft a first chapter and synopsis for it. Come to find out Barbour didn't think Tombstone would be very romantic so the project went nowhere even with best-selling authors also in on the project. So I just used what I had prepared. I wanted to show how hard it might be to date someone you used to sleep with on a daily basis and who broke your heart when they found God and left. So what happens if you are both Christians in the future and you find out you still have feelings for the other person and decide to give it another try? How do you keep from falling back into bed? How hard would that be? Of course, anyone who knows me knows that my characters usually mess up more than once before they get it together. That's the part I like best. I like writing emotional conflict when it clashes with spiritual values.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It wasn't hard at all because it was the second book in a series I sold so it was part of the proposal that I sent. The contracts all came around the same time for the series.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
My mother was a nun before she met my dad.
I have a life outside of writing books
I'm allergic to cats, but I have one at home.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on the third book in the Tombstone Treasures series, First Response.

5) Parting comments?
I really enjoy writing for Desert Breeze Publishing.

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

A.K. Arenz' "Mirrored Image"

We're happy to have A.K. Arenz with us today talking about her book, Mirrored Image. To learn more about A.K. and her book, read on!

The teaser for this book is: Their faces were the same. Will their fates be as well?

1) How did this story come to you?
Like most of my stories, it just suddenly appeared in my brain – it wasn’t long before the characters were knocking around in there waiting to be let out. 

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It actually started in 1986. That’s when the story of Cassandra Chase and Jeff McMichaels was first written. It’s been re-written almost every year since then. The current version is the best – better than I could ever have imagined all those years ago.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Um, let’s see . . . first would be that when I start a book, I NEVER know how it’s going to turn out. I’m an introverted introvert. And third . . . I’m a writer who has trouble using her hands because I’ve a neuropathy in my fingers. Sometimes I have to use pencils situated between my knuckles to type.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m currently working on my next novel, An American Gothic. It’s due out October 2011.

5) Parting comments?
I want to thank you for inviting me to visit with you and your readers, and invite you to check out all my books. I have two cozy mysteries, The Case of the Bouncing Grandma, which was a finalist in ACFW’s 2009 Book of the Year contest, and the second in the Bouncing Grandma Mystery Series, The Case of the Mystified M.D., which won ACFW’s 2010 Carol Awards (formerly Book of the Year).

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
For more information you can find me at www.akawriter.com and www.sheafhouse.com

Vannetta Chapman's "A Simple Amish Christmas"

We're happy to have Vannetta Chapman with us today talking about her book, A Simple Amish Christmas. To learn more about Vannetta and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted an original storyline (doesn't every one), and it seemed to me that Amish women must struggle with some of the same problems that women everywhere do. I live in a small town now, but even when I lived in the Dallas area, I would see people move away, pursue their dreams, and then move back and try to find ways to fit in, to find their place in the community. That's Annie's story, but in the process she finds God's plan for her life.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I was writing contemporary romances, and my agent was shopping them around, but the market was very tight. My agent had had quite a bit of luck with Amish romances (she represents Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman and Mary Ellis among others--all excellent writers). She suggested I try my hand at an Amish romance. I didn't know anything about the Amish, but I'm a great researcher! Once I started researching a little bell went off in my mind, and I went in search of an old box of family photos from the late 1800s. They were of my father's family, who lived in northern Pennsylvania. My father passed away 13 years ago, and there's no one I can ask about those photos, so I'm still running down that thread, but it's exciting to know I might have Amish relatives in my background.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I play the piano fairly well. I work a full time job plus some--I teach high school English and I teach as an adjunct professor at the local university. And my husband and I have four children between us and just finished paying fourteen years of college tuition, to which I always shout, "Praise the Lord" and dance a little jig.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I'm working on book 2 of my Shipshewana Amish Mystery series for Zondervan--book one is due out next fall. This is a cozy series set in Indiana and it is fun, fun, fun. The great Sue Brower is my editor (ACFW's editor of the year - go, Sue!). I'll also hear in the next few weeks about the future of Annie's family, as Abingdon will be making a decision on a follow-up for A Simple Amish Christmas. Watch my website and blog for announcements.
http://www.vannettachapman.com/
http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/

5) Parting comments?
As a brand new author I've been completely blown away by the reception A Simple Amish Christmas has received. It's consistently had excellent rankings on Amazon, even before it released - so I'd like to thank readers of Amish fiction, who can't possibly know me. Readers who don't traditionally read Amish fiction, who were willing to give this book a try. Bloggers like yourself, who helped to introduce a newbie such as me to readers. And then of course the fine people at Abingdon who put together such a lovely book, including my editor, Barbara Scott.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
See above links, and I'm on FB and MySpace.

Melanie Dickerson's "The Healer's Apprentice"

We're happy to have Melanie Dickerson with us today talking about her book, The Healer's Apprentice.To learn more about Melanie and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
Dawn, this book came to me bit by bit over a period of several months. I knew the ending before I knew some of the middle parts, and I used to wake up in the middle of the night and plot the next scene or two, then go back to sleep.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Do you want the long version or the short version? Short? Okay … I was totally sold out for this book and believed with all my heart that it was going to be published. I pitched it at a conference, entered it in a lot of contests, queried a lot of agents, and sent the partial to a few publishers, but no one was interested in a Christian medieval story, and getting a Young Adult romance published by a Christian YA publisher seemed even less likely. After two years I found an agent brave enough to take it on. And after another year of rejections—although the book came close to getting published as an adult Christian romance a couple of times—even my agent was seeming to lose heart. Our one last shot was to send it to the YA editor at Zonderkidz. And praise God, she bought it!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I never watch TV and don’t even know what’s on anymore. I love writing historical romance but history was never a favorite subject of mine. I graduated from a tiny public high school in a class of 33 students.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I have a Beauty and the Beast story that my editor at Zondervan is looking at possibly publishing. I hope to write more medieval fairy tale retellings. I also have an adult romance series set in Alabama in the 1880’s that I’m hoping to find a publisher for very soon.

5) Parting comments?
Hold on to your dream, if you feel it is what God wants you to do, and never, ever, ever give up! Unless God tells you to. Be fully committed to listening to God and submitting yourself to His direction, because He loves you and knows what’s best for you.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is www.melaniedickerson.com and I have a YA blog that I do jointly with several other YA authors, www.novelteen.com, and I am on Facebook and Goodreads.

K. Dawn Byrd's books

Killing Time
Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?
 http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-ebook/dp/B003XYE8K8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1285640575&sr=1-7

Queen of Hearts
Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.
http://www.amazon.com/Queen-of-Hearts-ebook/dp/B003EV5T3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1270176182&sr=1-2 

Linore Rose Burkard's "The Country Courtship"

We're happy to have Linore Rose Burkard with us today talking about her book, The Country House Courtship. To learn more about Linore and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?By necessity! My readers and publisher wanted a third in the regency series I started with BEFORE THE SEASON ENDS, and, THE HOUSE IN GROSVENOR SQUARE, so I took the next oldest daughter of the family, the sister of the heroine from the previous books, and gave her a book of her own. It was actually quite fun.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.Well, since it was an addition to a series, there was no tough journey to publication. The tough part of publishing (aside from writing) is keeping your book “alive” on the shelf, ie., the work of keeping it on the minds of readers.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.Let’s see…a. I became a Christian at the age of 17. b. I was miraculously delivered from a cigarette habit at my conversion. c. I’d rather swim in a pool than anywhere else, even though I grew up on the edge of Long Island, and my family boated and did beaches.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?I’ve been having a wonderful time in the worlds of two books, one of which I’ve just finished and is with my agent. It’s a contemporary romance with a big fun factor, but also a real poignancy having to do with women’s issues. And right now I’m finishing up a time-travel that I started some time ago and put aside to complete the contemporary.

5) Parting comments?Some readers may be disappointed if I don’t come out with a regency next, but I want to assure them that I have many regencies in various stages of completion, and I do expect (and hope) to publish them in time. As God provides!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?I have a website, a devotional blog and a more “writerly” blog; And I’m often guest blogging all over the place. If they’ve seen the website, then just google my name for my latest web posts.

Anita Higman and Irene Brand's "Under the Mistletoe"

We're happy to have Anita Higman and Irene Brand with us today talking about their book, Under the Mistletoe. To learn more about Anita and Irene and their book, read on!

Irene Brand and Anita Higman each have a Christmas novella in the new 2-in-1 compilation entitled, Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe. Also, both novellas are interconnected. Tell us about that process.

1. Was it difficult to connect your two stories?
Anita: Not at all. We had a brainstorming session by phone and by email and figured it out. Irene’s historical novella, An Appalachian Christmas is tied to my contemporary novella, Once Upon a Christmas Eve. They are connected through the passing of a mistletoe ball through the generations. It was a delight to work with Irene. She’s very easy to get along with. In fact, we’ve become long-distant friends.
Irene:
It wasn’t difficult. Actually, this may have been the easier part of the writing project. After we’d each read the other’s manuscript, I provided Anita with the information necessary for continuity, and she did the same for me. It was easy to insert the other story line into my novella

2. Do you think you’d consider working on another project together?
Anita: Yes, in fact we’ve been chatting about working on another project together.
Irene: It would appeal to me. Although our writing styles aren’t the same, still the differences seem to improve the book.

3. How did you come up with the idea for your story?
Anita: My novels are more character driven, and so my characters tend to move the story along. The idea for Once Upon a Christmas Eve may have started with my interest in the fairy archetype. I loved the movies Cold Comfort Farm and Chocolat for that very reason. There was something enchanting about those two heroines as they whirled around, fixing people’s lives. I gave my main character, Holly Goodnight, some similar fanciful qualities.
Irene: My husband and I spent a few days in Owsley County, Kentucky, where my novella is located. After we met the local people, visited the site where the action would be, and learned about the local history, the story was easy to develop.

4. Out of your novellas, which characters are your favorites?
Anita: Beyond the heroine I loved Van Keaton, the author. He was flawed in a number of ways, but he had enough endearing qualities to make him loveable too. At least that is what I hope readers will feel.
Irene: The hero and heroine turned out to be great characters, but Granny, the hero’s grandmother was a lovable person – the kind of grandmother all of us would have liked. (I don’t remember either of my grandmothers.)

5. What did you want the reader to take away from your story?
Anita: That no matter how impossible circumstances look, God can work all things for good.
Irene: That even when a romance seems hopeless, true love can overcome any barrier.

6. What does a typical workday look like for you?
Anita: I’m usually up at 5:30 to have breakfast and a devotion time with my husband. Then I go up to my office, reply to emails, and start on my writing. I stop for lunch, run a few errands, and then to go back to work again. I don’t watch TV in the evening, but I do treat myself to a new movie or two on the weekends.
Irene: My husband and I get up at 5:45 each morning. While he shaves, I prepare breakfast. We also have a devotional period before we eat. We’ve used THE SECRET PLACE, our American Baptist devotional material, since we were married. We have a list of different people for whom we pray at each meal time. Weather permitting, we take a 2-mile walk after breakfast. I open my e-mail next, then read the Bible and have private devotions. The last 3 days of the week, I prepare to teach my Sunday School lessons. I write as much as possible, but the time spent on my writing depends upon what else needs to be done. I’m very active in the work of my church – choir, playing piano, women’s work and teaching a Sunday School lesson. Unless I’m on a deadline, I don’t write after 6:00 p.m.

7. Where do all your ideas come from?
Anita: Ideas flood in from everywhere—while I’m running errands, or chatting with a friend, or drifting off to sleep. I can barely keep up with the flow. I have to write them down to use later.
Irene: From reading research books or fiction. I get ideas from talking with others, or news items on television.

8. What are you reading right now?
Anita: I’m reading, A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle.
Irene: I’m reading a Regency romance, one I’ve had on my shelves for a few years. First Season by Anne Baldwin

9. What are your five favorite things about Christmas?
Anita: The birth of Christ, of course. But then I love the music, the scents, the special foods, and family time together.
Irene: Local church activities, music, baking and visiting shut-ins with goodies, Christmas dinner with extended family, holiday movies on TV.

10. Where can readers find you online?
Anita: I would love for folks to drop by my website at http://www.anitahigman.com/.
Irene: http://www.irenebrand.com/

Thank you for inviting us to your blog? Irene and I hope your Christmas is filled with the love of Christ and all things bright and beautiful!

Margaret Brownley's "A Suitor for Jenny"

We're happy to have Margaret Brownley with us today talking about her book, A Suitor for Jenny.  To learn more about Margaret and her book, read on!

More Love and Laughter in the Old West from Bestselling Author Margaret Brownley: A SUITOR FOR JENNY
Some timely advice for landing a husband from Margaret’s new book, A SUITOR FOR JENNY

• Charm and composure must prevail at all times. If a gunfight erupts, exit the scene with grace and serenity.
• If you don’t know whether or not to kiss a handsome man, give him the benefit of the doubt.
• Never engage in boisterous laughter. If you must show mirth, a polite smile or titter will suffice.
• Never criticize your beau. If it wasn’t for his faults he’d probably be courting someone else.
• A woman more knowledgeable than a man is obliged to hold her tongue and feign ignorance in all matters except, of course, childbirth.
• Never show affection in public. Love may be blind but the townspeople are not.
• Once your vows are exchanged devote yourself to domestication—his.
• Eschew secrets, for they are normally discovered at the worst possible time. If confronted, weep and deny everything.—

Blurb:

Jenny Higgins is certain falling in love and finding a husband are matters of the mind. But her heart has other plans.

After their parents died, Jenny felt responsible for seeing that her two younger sisters were well-taken care of. Tipped off by an article naming Rocky Creek the town with the highest number of eligible bachelors, Jenny rolled into this Texas town with a clear objective: find suitable husbands for her two younger sisters and then start fresh somewhere far, far away. Jenny believes that women who fall in love at first sight often wish they’d taken a second look, so she diligently begins to follow all the rules set forth in her handy manual on how to land a husband.

But while Jenny is interviewing the less-than-promising candidates, her sisters are falling in love the old fashioned way--with men of their choosing. And the longer Jenny stays, the more her sense of control slips away. The town isn’t living up to her expectations, her sisters are rebelling against her practical choices, and soon her own heart starts to betray her, as US Marshal Rhett Armstrong stirs up emotions in her that weren’t part of her plan.

To relinquish her control to God and calm her restless spirit, she’ll need to give up her foregone conclusions about marriage, love, and faith.

1) How did this story come to you?
This is the 2nd book in my Rocky Creek Romance series, and it was really fun to write. I came across a meeting notice in an old Kansas newspaper for The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Male Independence and my creative mind went in overdrive. I have no idea what happened to the society or if its members succeeded in staying single and independent, but I knew I had to write about it. Naturally in my book, all the suitable men belong to it—and that leads to a lot of headaches for a heroine determined to find suitable husbands for her two younger sisters.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This book was part of a three-book contract, so there really wasn’t much of a journey. The book had been perking at the back of my mind for years so when I actually sat down to write it, it pretty much wrote itself. This is rare. Most of the time writing is the process of hammering out each word with something akin to a sledgehammer.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I pretty much failed English in school (Still can’t diagram a sentence).
• Ditto history (Who can remember all those dates and battles?)
• A historical writer who failed English and history in school isn’t surprising enough?

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just finished the 3rd and final book in my Rocky Creek series. A Vision of Lucy is scheduled for publication June 2011. I’m currently working on the first book in a new series, and I’m very excited about it. I can’t wait to share it with my readers.

5) Parting comments?
I just want to thank my readers for helping to make the first book in my series, A Lady Like Sarah, a bestseller! Please keep those letters and emails coming.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
You can find me at http://www.margaretbrownley.com/
I’m also a resident blogger at http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/
If you want to enjoy a laugh, check out my book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prY2q9Oasp4
To order A Suitor for Jenny: http://bit.ly/98waTr
Have a little faith!

Trish Perry's "The Perfect Blend"

We're happy to have Trish Perry with us today talking about her book, The Perfect Blend. To learn more about Trish and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?
My Harvest House editor and I brainstormed about series ideas on the phone one afternoon. She came up with the idea of a series wrapped around a quaint tea shop—apparently tea is very popular with readers!—and I came up with a couple of story ideas. We ran with it!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I had published four novels with Harvest House by the time we worked on this idea, but it still required “selling” the idea to Harvest’s publication committee. I think I submitted four or five different series ideas at once, and the tea shop idea rang a bell.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
--I can’t swim. Not one bit.
--I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
--I used to sing in a rock band. That was crazy fun.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just finished writing the second installment in The Tea Shop Series, called Tea for Two (releasing April 1), and I just finished writing a really fun devotional with Kristin Billerbeck, Sandra Bricker, Diann Hunt, and Debby Mayne (Delight Yourself in the Lord…Even on Bad Hair Days, Summerside Press, March 2011). Now I’m writing Unforgettable, a romantic comedy set in the 1950s, for Summerside Press’ spring 2011 release.

5) Parting comments?
Readers, if you like romance and a bit of humor, I hope you’ll come visit my site and check out my books. And enter Dawn’s drawing, below! It’s been a pleasure to stop by. Thanks, Dawn.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website/blog link is http://www.trishperry.com/
My Facebook link is http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1459576628&ref=ts
My Twitter link is http://twitter.com/TrishPerryWrtr

Sandra D. Bricker's "Love Finds You in Carmel by the Sea"

We're happy to have Sandra D. Bricker with us today talking about her book, Carmel by the Sea. To learn more about Sandra and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?All I needed was to spend a little time in Carmel to go gaga for the place. It’s so artsy and quaint, and it struck me that it has the vibe of an old Hollywood movie.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I actually sold a different story to Summerside, one that was set in Montana. However, the owner of Summerside went on a golf vacation to Carmel, and he fell in love with the place, then asked me if I’d consider changing the location of my story.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.1. The Bachelor is my secret pleasure. Don’t ask me why!
2. I grew up wanting to be Ann Marie, Marlo Thomas’ character in That Girl.
3. I am a fanatic fan of the old Dick Van Dyke Show. Rob Petrie was, and still is, my ideal man.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?I co-authored with Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Debby Mayne and Trish Perry. It’s called Delight Yourself in the Lord…Even on Bad Hair Days. It’s due out in the spring, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. I’m working on books two and three in the OH! series for Abingdon Press.

5) Parting comments?Thank you so much for inviting me to join you for a visit. You’ve been so supportive of me and my books, and I’m really grateful.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?My Web site: http://www.sandradbricker.com/
My blog: http://sandradbricker.blogspot.com/
Book trailer for Carmel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxMPh8qr3uM

Maureen Lang's "Whisper on the Wind"

We're happy to have Maureen Lang with us today talking about her book, Whisper on the Wind. To learn more about Maureen and her book, read on!

1) How did this story come to you?Through research! I love reading about the First World War era, and came across references to an “illegal, uncensored” newspaper that the German occupying army in Belgium very much wanted to stop. I knew there was a story there. So I created characters living in Belgium who are willing to do whatever they can to resist the Germans. For them, it’s helping to circulate this powerful little newssheet that thumbs its nose at an iron-fisted enemy.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.This book actually has one of the longest journeys. I originally conceived the idea back around the year 2000, but I had so much fun with the first draft it was extremely long—over 150,000 words. I knew it would have to be cut to a more reasonable length, under 100,000 if possible. But rather than take the time to make it more marketable, I went on to write and then publish several other books. I always knew I’d come back to this one, though. And I did. I never entirely gave up on it, and it’s had plenty of time devoted to cutting and revising, so I’m hoping it’s my best book to date.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.Well, if they haven’t read anything else by me, in particular The Oak Leaves, they might be surprised to learn I have a child with Fragile X Syndrome, a form of genetic mental retardation. He just turned fifteen, but functions more like a two year old—a very tall two-year-old, since he’s taller than I am! That means pretty much constant attention when he’s not at school for those few hours during the day.
Readers might also be surprised to learn that although I’m an eager, avid reader, I only finish books that captivate me. If I’m not learning something from a book, or enthralled with the plot or characters, I just don’t have the time to plod through something just to reach The End. I know many readers who would never abandon a book once started, but I just can’t force myself to be that diligent. I admit this reluctantly, knowing that in all likelihood some people have set aside one of my books, which is of course just about the saddest thing an author can envision about their work.
That’s only two, but for the life of me I cannot think of a third! I’m pretty open about most things in my life, so everything that comes to my mind doesn’t seem as though it would surprise anyone. I’m a member of groups you would expect: ACFW, RWA, a local writer’s group, a Christian church, a wonderful family. All that might seem rather dull, and not very surprising, but that’s my life!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?Did I just say my life was dull and not very surprising? Not true! I just finished a book I’m sooo excited about, and not only was it anything but dull, the content was a total surprise to me. I thought it might be interesting to finally give a plot line to the Germans, who have largely been the “bad guys” in my previous books. Of course every book needs angst, but there was just so much to choose from if I set the book in Germany at the end of the war. I zeroed in on my heroine, who tries escaping the guilt she feels over her father’s war profits by going to Munich and taking up with a seductive revolutionary. But when her parents send an old friend after her—a soldier trying to get over his own war nightmares—she must choose between faith or guilt, conservative or liberal hopes, and love or appeasement. It’s titled Springtime of the Spirit and comes out with Tyndale next March (2011). And I can’t wait!
Okay, so my excitement only comes through the characters I dream up…I guess my real life is still rather dull and unsurprising. Sigh.

5) Parting comments?I’m happy to present a signed copy of Whisper on the Wind to a blog winner according to Dawn’s guidelines, and hope the story will inspire and entertain. Thanks very much for visiting with me!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?http://www.maureenlang.com/
http://maureenlang.blogspot.com/ (where I’m blogging about the story behind Whisper on the Wind)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/maureen.lang

Sandra Robbins "The Columns of Cottonwood"

We're happy to have Sandra Robbins with us today talking about her book, The Columns of Cottonwood. To learn more about Sandra and her book, read on!


1) How did this story come to you?I’ve always enjoyed reading and studying about the Civil War and its aftermath for the people who lived in the South. The paddle wheelers that plied the rivers and transported crops to market played an important part in reestablishing the agricultural heritage that had been damaged during the war. I thought it would be interesting to set a story in a fictional riverboat port town. The story involves two people—(1) a woman who lost everything she holds dear during the conflict but has a dream to raise her family’s plantation from the ashes of war; and (2) and a man, a stranger who never meant to put an end to her dream when he purchased her land for the back taxes. They both have plans for their futures, but they discover God’s plan is best for both of them.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published?I knew that the Heartsong Presents Romance line at Barbour needed a three book historical romance series set in Mississippi, and I wrote a proposal and sent it in. I didn’t hear anything from the editor for a year and a half. One day I received an email from her that said she had two Mississippi proposals that she liked, mine and another, but she didn’t have an Alabama one. She asked if I could change my setting to the Alabama River. I quickly did some research and found that it would present no problem to change the setting. So I moved the story from the Mississippi River to the Alabama River.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.I hate to wash dishes. I love to cook, but the clean-up afterwards is something I always dread.

I am the mother of twins (a boy and a girl) who were born before my two older daughters started to school.

Although I’d always had a desire to write, I majored in music in college with piano as my instrument and taught music in the public schools for years.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?I have just finished the first of three romantic suspense books that are set on Ocracoke Island. I vacationed on that small barrier island off the coast of North Carolina several years ago and couldn’t wait to set a book there. The first one will release from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense in July 2011.

5) Parting comments?Thanks for having me on your blog today. I hope readers will enjoy The Columns of Cottonwood. The two books to follow are Dinner at the St. James and Blues Along the River.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?I always enjoy hearing from my fans. You can contact me on my website at http://sandrarobbins.net/ my blog at http://www.sandrarobb.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter and Facebook.

I also hope readers will go to my website or blog and sign up for newsletter.

Register to win a getaway weekend with bestselling author Lisa Wingate!

What could possibly be more fun than reading a great book this summer (well, maybe not more fun, but a totally different kind of fun)?

Celebrating 2011 with national bestselling author, Lisa Wingate, in beautiful, historic, antique-filled Jefferson, Texas for the fun-filled reader event of the year, the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend 2011 book extravaganza! If you've never been to the Pulpwood Queens annual tiara-wearing, book sharing event, or even if you have, you'd be in for a treat! Head Pulpwood Queen Kathy Patrick hosts a weekend filled with books, authors, beautiful bed and breakfast hotels, antiques, a costume ball, and more fun with books than you can imagine. Kathy has over 50 authors on the slate, including Lisa Wingate. This year, the Keynote speakers are Fannie Flagg, Rick Bragg, and Pat Conroy!

The best thing about this girlfriend getaway is that the winner and companion can do as much or as little as they like. Girlfriend Weekend offers two days of amazing events, and the town of Jefferson features everything from museums and antique shopping, to quilts, history tours, and carriage rides!

The prize package does not include travel. The winner be responsible for travel for herself/himself and guest (that's right, this package is for TWO). If you're the lucky winner, you'll get:

***TWO fully-paid admission armbands for Girlfriend Weekend 2011 (one for you and one for your best girlfriend, or your favorite Timber Guy). This includes admission to Saturday night's big-hair extravaganza, the "Great Big Ball of Hair" where you can come as you are, or arrive dressed as your favorite book character and compete in the costume contest. Who knows? You might become "Miss Hairball Queen 2011!"

***TWO nights in a room fit for a queen, amid the opulence and grace of the 1920s at the beautiful Delta Street Inn bed and breakfast in historic Jefferson, Texas. (double occupancy)

***Your very own "Insta-Queen Kit" featuring a gorgeous tiara and a smaller porta-tiara for more casual occasions (or one to keep and one to share with your best girlfriend), free autographed Lisa Wingate books, your scepter, a copy of Kathy Patrick's Tiara Wearing Book Sharing Guide to Life, your very own Pulpwood Queens T-shirt, and everything else you need to crown yourself and read like a Pulpwood Queen!

More details and entry form are available at http://www.lisawingate.com/. This is a great opportunity for readers or writers, so don't forget to spread the word to your book clubs, co-workers, family members, and girlfriends -- after all, if one of your friends wins, you can come along as the guest! Contest ends November 15.