Starsongs Magazine

Title: Starsongs Magazine
Publisher: Written World Communications

Cover blurb: Although Written World Communications is a Christian publisher, Starsongs Magazine is a general market quarterly magazine for kids by kids ages 9-19. Starsongs accepts original short stories, poetry, essays, articles, photography and art work by young people in the above mentioned age group. Each issue of Starsongs contains a mentoring article about writing or photography by an adult writer. We also feature an interview with an extraordinary young person. These interviews to date include author Kayla Woodhouse, Olympic skater Rachael Flatt, manager and first violinist for the New World String Quartet Rebecca Phillips, and mulit-published teen author Riley Carney.

1) How did the idea for this magazine come to you? This magazine came into existence to inspire young people to express their creative talent through original writing, photography, and artwork. Our tag line is “voices of the future” and our goal is to inspire youth.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting the magazine in circulation.
The first issue of Starsongs became available in September of 2010. Starsongs staff is proud to have published over thirty young writers and photographers, many for the first time. Our publication is available in downloadable and print format. We will be celebrating our one year anniversary with our next issue, due to release in late August, so watch for some neat contests!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I have a son and daughter-in-law who live in the United Kingdom
2) I have an awesome granddaughter who was nominated for the softball all-star team
3) Even though I live in Colorado, I was born and raised in New York (not New York City!)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Lots! Starsongs will be launching a book imprint, general market YA books, for which we are currently soliciting manuscripts. As Vice President of Written World Communications, I also supervise our other two children’s publications, each of which have their own book imprints, which we plan to launch within the next few months. Untapped is a Christian YA magazine and book imprint. Patchwork is a Christian children’s magazine and book imprint.

5) Parting comments?
If you are or know a young person who likes to write, please get in touch with me. I am always looking for submissions and I love to work with and mentor young writers. Always be open to God’s plan for your writing life. My original goal was to write westerns! Even though that dream still lingers in the back of my mind, publishing young people brings me much more satisfaction than seeing my own book in print (if that ever happens) probably would.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Starsongs is available at www.magcloud.com/browse/magazine/113497. Our Written World Communications web site is under construction but we can be reached at http://www.written-world.com/. Send Starsongs submissions to Patti Shene at starsongs.mag@gmail.com.

Kim Watters' "Home Sweet Home"

Title: Home Sweet Home
Publisher: Harlequin’s Love Inspired

Cover blurb: Somewhere to belong....
Finally ready to settle down, Abby Bancroft has just inherited a place to put down roots. But her hopes for a successful bed-and breakfast are placed on hold when she learns that her grandparents’ run-down inn is in serious need of TLC. So is Cole Preston, the handsome contractor who offers to help make her dream a reality. His past mistakes won’t let him consider settling in the close knit town. Yet as he and Abby work together to repair the house, they also begin to mend each other’s hearts. And they just may find that consulting their hearts is what creating a home is all about.

1) How did this story come to you?
After I finished my first Love Inspired On Wings of Love, I wanted to write a story that was a little lighter and had nothing to do with a medical profession. I’ve always been intrigued by old Victorian houses and the idea of running a bed & breakfast. Since those are very remote possibilities, I lived it vicariously through my characters.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
My editor passed on another proposal so I sat back down at the proverbial drawing board and hashed out a few ideas with my critique group. Voila. Home Sweet Home was born.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’ve lived in two foreign countries; South Africa and France . I work at a golf course during the day but don’t play golf. I’m claustrophobic so don’t be standing next to me in a crowded elevator.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next Love Inspired tentatively called A Father’s Love, which ironically visits the medical community again.

5) Parting comments?
Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your community for the day. I hope everyone enjoys reading Home Sweet Home as much as I enjoyed writing it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.kimwatters.com www.facebook.com/kimwatters
www.myspace.com/kimwatters
www.twitter.com/kimwattersaz
http://www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

Linda Rohrbough's "The Prophetess One: At Risk"

Title: The Prophetess One: At Risk
Publisher: High Hill Inspiration, a division of High Hill Press, St Charles, Missouri.

Cover blurb:
Front cover: A nation in peril. Only one woman can save it.
Back cover: "This is fast-paced, thrilling, edge-of-the-seat reading. The Prophetess One: At Risk had me flipping the pages and holding my breath." - Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestseller

It’s a very different kind of war.
Why would God choose a pregnant computer programmer to fight it?
All Anna McClintock wants is a peaceful stretch of beach she can walk to with her new husband, Jack, and her soon-to-be-born child. Jack is finishing his engineering degree this semester and the two plan to leave his Kansas home to build their new lives together.
But when Anna finds herself in jail for the murder of a preschool child she tried to save, she realizes she is alone, except for God. She has to rely on new-found spiritual gifts as well as her wits and skills in order to save herself, her unborn son, and her marriage.
And she has another decision to make. This one affects the entire nation.

1) How did this story come to you?
For me, real events formed the background for The Prophetess One: At Risk.
It all started after an extreme tragedy. My husband’s nephew, Daniel Rohrbough, was a casualty in the Columbine shooting. The entire family was in shock, but even so I started noticing strange events. For example, as family at the Columbine memorial service, I was down front far enough to see General Colin Powell on the platform in full military dress between musicians Amy Grant and Phil Driscoll. But he was never mentioned or introduced, and he never spoke. It didn’t take much research on my part to discover Powell is the military’s go to guy when it comes to problems with the Middle East.
As I followed the Columbine shooting, I discovered the shooters bragged theirs would be the first of many such events. And they were right. Plus the officials investigating Columbine looked unsuccessfully for months for third-party involvement in the year-long planning of the shooting.
I started researching other school shootings as they occurred. There were numerous reports of school shooters, including the Columbine shooters, doing a low-level format of the hard disk drives of their computers. This is an extreme measure that takes hours to perform, as it meticulously zeros out the hard disk drive. I only did a low-level format when a computer was so virus-ridden, there was no other way to salvage it. Since most of the shooters, including those at Columbine, posted their plans on the Internet, I wondered what they didn’t want found.
In two cases, the low-level format was stopped before it was complete. Once in a school shooting in Paris and once when a kid in Florida flew his Dad’s plane into a building. In both cases, the authorities found emails they traced back to Al Qaeda operatives.
As I investigated other shootings, I uncovered much more information that led me to believe this sort of thing could be prevented on a grass roots level. This led me to the theme of the book - men are important in the lives of children.
I wrote in more detail about the events and my process on my website on my Books page.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It took me twelve years. Most of that time I spent figuring out how to write fiction, which is very different than doing nonfiction. Every time I thought I should give up on this book, and write something else, someone I respected would read it and encourage me to keep trying. I got my fiction agent about three years ago and he’s been a great advocate for the book. And my publisher, a small press in St. Charles, Missouri, loved the book, thought it was important, and wanted to see it out there. So now we’re on that journey.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
As a child, I wanted to be an entomologist (someone who studies insects). I don’t know if readers will be surprised by this, but I am still surprised I won a national award for a short story I wrote in 7th grade. But readers might be surprised to know I have also produced an iPhone App of a workshop I do to help writers learn to talk about their books to an editor or agent called “Pitch Your Book.” It’s available for the iPhone, iTouch, or iPad at the iTunes store.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on The Prophetess Two. And I’m doing a new App for writers. Plus my fiction agent is shopping my women-in-technology suspense series - five books each with a strong, smart gal trained in a technical field who sees evidence of God as creator in the everyday science she works with. Plus she has a sticky problem that’s got her in trouble. The first one is about a foreign object debris (FOD) expert at Denver International Airport. (A FOD expert is someone whose job it is to help prevent objects from getting sucked into jet engines, including animals, like those geese that forced a commercial airliner into the Hudson River a couple of years back.) The other books feature an astronomer, a chemist, an astronaut, and a physicist.

5) Parting comments?
I’m grateful to be here. Thanks for joining me.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a website where I keep readers posted at http://www.lindarohrbough.com/. And I’m on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LindaRohrboughAuthor.

Mistaken Identity by K. Dawn Byrd

Here's the second review of Mistaken Identity. It's now on Amazon. I'm excited that the book is being so well received.


Best friends Eden Morgan and Lexi Branson are as different as day and night. Lexi can get any boyfriend she wants, and Eden longs for boyfriend of her own. As this story unfolds new neighbors move in next door to Eden's family. And we have all heard about the `boy next door' right? Well these new neighbors included that boy Channing, and wow was he ever drop dead gorgeous! He and Eden seemed to hit it off from the beginning, but the problem was that Lexi wanted him too. And what Lexi wants she gets.

Mistaken Identity, a wonderful and sweet love story that anyone romance fan would like. And I would especially encourage any teenage young lady to read this book because dating is something they will all face at sometime. I loved the teen characters in this story; they made me feel as though I was watching this story in real life! Channing was just a sweet and hot guy that every girl at school had their eye on. The idea of having a Christian and non-Christian going for the same guy was cool. And it kept me wanting to finish the story to see just who Channing would pick, Eden or Lexi. It just all depended on what Channing was looking for in a girlfriend. Now you just need to read the book to find out who the winning woman turned out to be.

First Review

I'm so excited! I just had to share my first review of Mistaken Identity. It's from Clare Revell at http://telscha.blogspot.com/. She gave it 4 1/2 out of  5 stars. Here's what she had to say:

I loved Mistaken Identity. I read it in one sitting, so engrossed that the toast burned and milk boiled over as I read. Eden faces all the problems young Christian girls do today. Short skirts, make up, protective parents (and yes I’m one of those dreaded protective parents who ban her daughters from wearing belts or pelmets – aka short skirts). And when she does finally fall for a boy, admittedly a slightly older boy, not only does she have to worry about what her parents will think, her BF, Lexi falls for him too. Problem is what Lexi wants, Lexi gets.

A book for parents and teenagers alike, this one deals with important issues as well as having an engaging storyline, loveable characters and enough nail biting moments to keep you rooted to the pages and wondering about the characters after the last page is turned.





Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6ez8xvh
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/6bpw26c
Also available at Sony and other ebook outlets and coming soon to Christianbook.com

Deanna Klingel's "Avery's Battlefield"

Title: Avery's Battlefield
Publisher: Journey Forth, the young reader imprint of BJU Press.

Cover blurb: Avery and his dog, Gunner, have a good life in Kanawha Valley-a loving family, a prosperous farm, and a warm community of friends. But when the long unrest between the North and South ignites into war, Avery's peaceful world is shattered. His father, brother, and uncle leave home, each drawn away by the war. Soon Avery and Gunner must begin a dangerous journey that will take them across the paths of people on both sides of the struggle. What can a simple farm boy bring to the war effort? A true heart, a healing hand, and a large supply of courage and faith. Avery discovers that his battlefield is in the clinics and hospitals, where the anger and pain continue long after the fighting ends. Avery's Battlefield is the story of a boy, a dog, and their search for peace in the first years of the Civil War.

1) How did this story come to you?
Avery told me his story. It was in my mind and heart before I put it to paper.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The journey to publication was almost as long as Avery's journey across Virginia. Avery and Gunner started out with an agency in London who loved the story and we worked hard together on it. They took it to the Bologna Children's Book fair and a couple of major New York publishers were interested in it, one was interested in film rights. We worked on everything they asked and made all the changes they requested. Then the agents delivered it finished to their specs, and were as disappointed as I when, in the end, neither took it. I was thrilled when a year later Journey Forth said they'd be interested in seeing the manuscript, and they took it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Three things that might surprise people about me are 1) my family: I've been married 49 years and we have 7 kids and 11 grands. 2) I dance with my dog and run a dog park. 3) Anyone who visits my house would be surprised to learn that I love to garden because there isn't any evidence of that.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
What's next for me is book two of Avery and Gunner, Avery's Crossroad, which will be out in September, and Bread Upon the Water, coming out between Thanksgiving and Christmas from Rafka Press. Bread is a true story of a modern adventure hero, a boy who escaped Vietnam as a boat person to pursue his calling to the priesthood. I have a YA novel finished, Cracks in the Ice, a story of a destroyed Olympic dream. That manuscript is looking for a home, and the one I'm finishing up Waiting With Elmer, kind of an unusual quirky one that's been a lot of fun to create.

5) Parting comments?
I'm keeping busy and love it. I'm traveling a lot with Avery and Gunner, especially to the sesquicentennial events in Virginia, meeting lots of folks, signing a lot of books, and having fun. I even wear a reenactment costume of a nurse, a character in my book.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a website, http://www.booksbydeanna.com/. The last page tells where I'll be going, and there's a comment place for friends to write. I also have email deannaklingel@yahoo.com and I'm on facebook. I frequently blog with other writers. If you google my name you can find those. I'd love to hear from readers.

JoAnn Carter's "Paradox"

Title: Paradox
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Cover blurb: Lilly Holland’s passion is flowers-not people. All she’s ever dreamed of was a peaceful life surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. The exact opposite of what life is like at the touristy Holland Lodge in the small town of Paradox. So, why does she feel like God is nudging her to go? He, if anyone, should know better than ask this of her.

Ric Walker, Holland Lodge’s grounds keeper, is Lilly’s only link to sanity. His steady presence and strong faith encourages her through this trying situation. However, that sanity is threatened as she realizes her feelings for him are changing into something more, something deeper.

Will Lilly learn that Paradox is more than a town’s name, but rather a divine place where God can reveal His power, bring healing, and love, just when she thinks all hope is gone?

1) How did this story come to you?
We live in Vermont, but our extended families are from in New Jersey. Whenever we go back to visit, we drive through a tiny little town in New York, that if you'd blink—you'd miss it—called Paradox. The name always made me wonder about the town's founders and such.


2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It's was about a year and a half (or more) of a long dry spell. I had submitted many things and receiving lots of rejection slips... so I went back through a list of possible publishers to bug--ah, I mean submit to. :) Then along comes a random e-mail from a dear friend mentioning a publisher I had on that list, Desert Breeze Publishing. Fast forward a month. I decided to query Desert Breeze Pub. That same day I get an e-mail stating not to expect to hear back until July—eight months later. GULP! Looks like another possible dead-end. However, three day's later, an e-mail arrives... they like what I submitted and offered a contract. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. I can't wait to see what God will do next. I can only sit in this roller-coaster seat and enjoy the ride.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I am the wife of a wonderful Youth Pastor who has been in the ministry for 20+years.
2. We have four children—all boys. (One of which is about to get his learners permit!)
3. Although I enjoy being around people, I am an introvert and "recharge" my batteries by walking, reading, listening to music, and spending time alone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
What's next? A Mission trip to Mexico!
Yes, your read that right. This summer, our family is headed to serve in Mexico. Writing wise, in the middle of our time away, The Floating Palace ~ A Historical Inspirational Romance will be released. (July 15, 2011) You can check it out here~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDcuTF8v9bg
Then in December, Hidden Paths a Young Adult Inspirational Romance will release through Desert Breeze Publishing. What a great way to finish up 2011, huh? God has been so faithful.

5) Parting comments?
Perhaps today, you're feeling stuck in a rut and listening to the lie that you're not worth anything and what you've done in your past defines who you are today. Don't believe it. No matter where you are, what you've done, or who you are, your heavenly Father loves you -- dearly. Some days that feels like such a paradox! I love Merriam-Webster definition of that word, "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true"...such is the love of God. Why He loves me so is beyond my comprehension. Yet He does and it is my prayer that each person who reads this book will be challenged to consider that and what it means for your life.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://home.comcast.net/~jo.glenncarter/site

Lynn Squire's "Joab's Fire"

Title: Joab’s Fire
Publisher: HigherLife Publishing.

Cover blurb: Joab Black and his wife Sarah overcame the worst of pioneer hardships in order to establish a prosperous farm in Alberta, Canada. But those challenges never prepared them for the tragedy they now faced—a staggering loss and intense pain causing them to doubt everything they had ever believed. In the midst of their sorrow, even their closest friends interpret their sufferings as a result of God’s judgment. Has God abandoned them?
Sergeant Dixon, the local North West Mounted Police officer, investigates the events leading to the Blacks’ plight. While his work gives them a ray of hope, his probing into the activities of a certain stranger possibly connected to the case may cost him his job and even his life.
Inspired by the Biblical book of Job, this novel includes a Bible study exploring the perfection of God’s plan and the bounty of His love even in the most inexplicable and intense sufferings.

1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted to write a book that would help people through difficult times. Considering my life, I knew Job, in the Bible, helped me through life so I set out to write a story based on him. After reading what my great grandparents went through to settle a wild country, I felt there could not be any better location for a Job-like story than Southern Alberta at the turn of the 20th century.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I never intended to publish this book. I considered it my practice work where I tried all the writing techniques I was learning at the time. However, I posted each chapter on my blog for Fiction Friday. When I saw how readers were responding to it, and after discussing the possibility of writing an accompanying Bible Study with some friends (including pastors’ wives), I wrote the Bible study section. The book went through two critique groups and finally I mentioned it to my former agent. She suggested I try HigherLife and said she would mention it to the editor there. I submitted the book; they reviewed it and offered me a contract; and I sweated buckets as I signed the contract. This would be a great step of faith. This wasn’t about me becoming famous. This wasn’t about me making a name for myself. This was about getting the message to people who needed to hear that life is short and we survive by focusing on God and the eternal life He provides for all who believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Whenever I grew nervous through the publisher’s editing process and production schedule (and now through the marketing stage) I reminded myself to be bold and courageous for the Lord is on my side.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m told I’m a pretty open book. But here we go:
1) Perhaps one of the greatest fears I have is being caught in a lie. Stressing over that has kept me as honest as I can be, but there are times where I have spoken without giving my answer enough thought and it turns out that what I said was false. Oy, such a thing can give me an ulcer.
2) I have a scar on my face between my eyes, which I got as a child. Just recently it occurred to me, after studying myself in the mirror, that who ever thought I was angry when I wasn’t were looking at the scar—when I squint it makes me look angry. I squint a lot, according to my eye doctor. Trust me, I’m not as angry as I look.
3) I had a cousin who told my husband when we were first married that I am fearless. And while I can see his point (given the crazy things I did as a kid), he was sadly mistaken. My life has tended to be governed by fear, and my way of coping has always been to lower my horns and charge like an angry bull. I’ve realized, in my old age, that this is my tendency, and I’m working on laying those fears at my Lord’s feet and learning to curl up under His wing.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on a novel set in the late 1840’s in Cornwall, England. Here’s my one sentence summary: A vicar seeks inner peace by destroying the ministry of an evangelist.
By the end of July, I hope to have a booklet out with seven short stories and seven devotionals on faith. The stories are based on Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. While none of my characters are in this chapter of the Bible, they do demonstrate the same faith that the Bible characters did.

5) Parting comments?
The passion of my work lies in my desire to present Biblical truths through story to readers. On my blog I regularly post for Fiction Friday, and with each post I include a Food for Thought section. I’d love for readers to come and join in the discussion. My blog address is: http://faithfictionfunandfanciful.blogspot.com/

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My personal website is: http://www.lynnsquire.com/
My blog is: http://faithfictionfunandfanciful.blogspot.com/
You can purchase my books at: http://www.presentingbiblicaltruths.com/
If you want to learn more about Joab’s Fire, go to: http://www.joabsfire.com/

Dorothy Love's "Beyond All Measure"

Title: BEYOND ALL MEASURE
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Fiction

Cover blurb: Ada Wentworth journeys south to take a job as a lady’s companion, hoping to save enough to eventually open her own millinery shop. But when she falls in love with the local mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell, she must decide whether she can trust God with her future…and Wyatt with her heart.

1. How this story came to me:
I love history, and the beautiful southern Appalachians, and knew I wanted to set a story there. A couple of years ago I visited a museum that featured a collection of vintage ladies’ hats and my protagonist Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian hat maker, whispered her story into my ear. I wrote down what she said.

2. Journey to publication:
Like Angela E Hunt and others, I began my career writing novels for preteens and young adults. After publishing fourteen books in the secular market I wanted to write more complex stories for adult readers and realized that the CBA is a better fit for me. I was lucky to find my fabulous agent, Natasha Kern, who sent out the proposal for Beyond All Measure, the first in the Hickory Ridge series. We received interest from several publishers and the books found a home at Thomas Nelson fiction.

3. Three things that may surprise readers:
I once sang (briefly) in a rock and roll band; I love collecting beach stuff, my chocolate chip coffee cake is pretty darn good.

4. Working on:
I recently turned in the revisions for BEAUTY FOR ASHES, the second Hickory Ridge novel which will be out early in 2012, I’m writing book 3, and polishing up the proposal for another series of southern historicals.

5. Parting Comments:
Thanks so much for hosting me.

6. Find me on the Internet at:
 http://www.dorothylovebooks.com/  and on Facebook.

K. Dawn Byrd's "Mistaken Identity"

I am pleased to announce my latest release, Mistaken Identity, my first young adult romance. It will be available on Wednesday, June 15 at all ebook outlets including Amazon, Desert Breeze Publishing, Sony, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, etc.

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

For your chance to win, please leave you comments in the comments section. I hope you've enjoyed my blog and all the great Christian fiction that's been giving away here since I started it.
 
You can read an excerpt from Mistaken Identity, here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok

First review of Mistaken Identity...

I'm so excited! I just had to share my first review of Mistaken Identity. It's from Clare Revell at http://telscha.blogspot.com/. She gave it 4 1/2 out of  5 stars. Here's what she had to say:

I loved Mistaken Identity. I read it in one sitting, so engrossed that the toast burned and milk boiled over as I read. Eden faces all the problems young Christian girls do today. Short skirts, make up, protective parents (and yes I’m one of those dreaded protective parents who ban her daughters from wearing belts or pelmets – aka short skirts). And when she does finally fall for a boy, admittedly a slightly older boy, not only does she have to worry about what her parents will think, her BF, Lexi falls for him too. Problem is what Lexi wants, Lexi gets.

A book for parents and teenagers alike, this one deals with important issues as well as having an engaging storyline, loveable characters and enough nail biting moments to keep you rooted to the pages and wondering about the characters after the last page is turned.

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6ez8xvh
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/6bpw26c
Also available at Sony and other ebook outlets and coming soon to Christianbook.com

"Angels in Cowboy Boots" by Sunny Eads

Guest post by April W Gardner

Meet previous Clash of the Titles gladiator, Sunny (SQ) Eads. She is the author of Angel in Cowboy Boots.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Two years ago Sarah Bentley lost everything except her faith and it teeters in sync with her hesitant steps. Now a chance encounter with four-year-old Matt and his uncle, Dave McKeever, brings hope for the future with a job, a wonderful new place to live, and...dare she dream?...love. Active outdoors man, Dave McKeever, battles the instant attraction between them believing God can't possibly want him to marry a woman held together by titanium joints and steel rods when he needs a capable, athletic mate. Though God's love brings them up out of the valley of pain and death, can they trust Him not to thrust them there again?

ABOUT SUNNY:

Sunny (SQ) Eads, an award winning author, was born and raised in southern Arizona. She received her higher education at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona and flew several years with American Airlines. Her love of Arizona and the mountains surrounding the state are evident in all of her novels thus far. Sunny has lived in Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Texas. Inspiration for her characters comes from the hero she married, her two lovely daughters and especially her six wonderful grandchildren.


Sunny, how long have you been writing?

SQ Eads is my pen name, I've been writing for over twenty years.


What do you love about writing in general, and about this book in particular?

I love writing because, unlike life, I can guarantee a happy ending. God seems to plant an idea in my mind, then He lets me run with it and develop the story. In the end, Jesus is the answer to all my characters' problems.

In Angels In Cowboy Boots, Matt, the four-year-old boy, holds a special place in my heart; he's a blend of my five grandsons. Sarah is far from Dave's idea of a perfect mate, but God repairs the broken and makes it ideal.

How did you arrive at this particular back cover blurb? Was it you or your publisher or a group effort?

I created the blurb.  I wanted the reader to see how all things are possible with God. In Angels In Cowboy Boots, God takes a broken life and a misguided one, intertwines the two, and creates a deeply loving couple to parent an orphaned boy.

What do you do first when you’re browsing in a book store? Back cover, front, cover, inside, first few pages? What usually entices you to buy a book by an author new to you?

When browsing in a book store, my first step is to look at the title then read the back blurb. My decision to purchase comes from that information. It hooks me or it doesn't.

Thanks, Sunny!

In her giveaway, Sunny is offering her drawing winner the choice of paperback, Nook, or Kindle.

--April W. Gardner is the Sr. Editor at the literary site, Clash of the Titles. 

                                            She is also the author of the best-selling novel, Wounded Spirits.

" A Stray Drop of Blood" by Roseanna White

Guest post by April W. Gardner

Meet recent Clash of the Titles Champion, Roseanna White. She is the author of A Stray Drop of Blood, which by the way has one of my all time favorite tag lines: Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For seven years, Abigail has been a slave in the Visibullis house. With a Hebrew mistress and a Roman master, she has always been more family than servant . . . until their son returns to Jerusalem after his years in Rome. Within a few months Jason has taken her to his bed and turned her world upside down. Maybe, given time, she can come to love him as he says he loves her. But how does she open her heart to the man who ruined her?

Israel's unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas's sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when the criminal is punished. But when she ventures to the trail, Barabbas is not the one the crowd calls to crucify. Instead, it is the teacher her master and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God . . .

ABOUT ROSEANNA:

Roseanna M. White is the editor of Christian Review of Books. She makes her home in the mountains of Western Maryland with her husband, two small children, and the colony of dust bunnies living under her couch.

Welcome, Roseanna! Have you learned anything new about God's character through this book?
Oh my, yes. As I rewrote this book a couple years ago for its paperback release, I realized that one of the most beautiful aspects of God’s nature that the story highlights is how He surprises us by meeting us in unexpected places. In Stray Drop, Abigail goes to Jesus’ trial hungry for revenge, and instead runs smack into the Lord’s forgiveness. She’s never the same, and I wasn’t the same after writing it.

What does your process look like? Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
Both. ;-) When I’ve got an idea for a book, it’s usually about 70% complete within 24 hours. I’ll write the first three chapters, then a synopsis. I’ll pants my way through the first half of the book, sticking to my loose outline (mostly) but with plenty of freedom. By the second half of the book, though, I’ll have already figured out what scenes need to finish it out, so I’ll jot down a more detailed outline so I don’t forget them and can pinpoint any holes that need filled in before I hit my climax.

Of course, Stray Drop was so long that I went through this process twice—the crucifixion scene being my first “climax,” then the actual ending my second one. Beginning the second half of the book was like starting a sequel in a lot of ways, though I couldn’t conceive of actually ending it after that first “climax.” (Quotes on purpose, since it’s not the real climax, LOL.)

When's your favorite time to write?
It used to be early morning, but that was before my kids started waking up at 6 rather than 8. (boy do I hear ya) Most of my writing time ends up being during my son’s naptime, but my favorite times are still those times of quiet and semi-darkness, when I can sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, some treasured silence, and no interruptions—early morning or after the kids are in bed, when hubby’s occupied with a hockey game. ;-)

Thanks, Roseanna!

--April W. Gardner is the Sr. Editor at the literary site, Clash of the Titles. 

She is also the author of the best-selling novel, Wounded Spirits.

Cynthia Hickey's Candy-Coated Secrets

Title: Candy-Coated Secrets
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Cover blurb: When a carnival train crashes in front of Summer Meadows’s house, she does what comes naturally—she acts without thinking and volunteers to lead an elephant to the fairground. The animal’s trainer follows close behind but disappears when they reach their destination. When Summer goes looking for the trainer, she finds something altogether different—a woman hanging dead in the shower of one of the trailers. A carnival slew of mishap and misadventure ensue when Summer and her fiancé, Ethan, set out to solve the murder.

1) How did this story come to you?
After my first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, I wanted another idea just as fun for the sequel. During one of my many daydreaming episodes, I thought, “What if somebody asked me to walk an elephant a mile down the road?” Ta-da! Book number two.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote my first cozy on a dare when Barbour asked for submissions. A friend dared me to write a cozy. I didn’t even know what one was. I had to look it up on the internet! Then, I figured it would be fun to try. I wrote it, submitted it in a contest, won first place, acquired an agent, and at the 2007 ACFW conference, Barbour presented me with the contract at the Friday luncheon. It was definitely a whirlwind.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m actually very shy.
I’ve been on television twice.
Beneath my fat suit, I’m really a size three

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve recently contracted a contemporary novella with Barbour that is releasing Fall of 2012. I’m working on a historical right now that I hope to find a home for.

5) Parting comments?
NEVER NEVER NEVER give up on your dreams!

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

Margaret Brownley's A Vision of Lucy

Title: A Vision of Lucy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Cover blurb:Anything can happen when posing for Lucy—and usually does.
Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. If she can earn money making photographs, then maybe her father will see that what she does is worthy, more than just a distraction. And her deepest hope is that he’ll see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, whose paintings still hung on their walls.
But trouble follows Lucy on every photo shoot: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.
When Lucy meets David Wolf—a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of town—she thinks she can catch the attention of the editor with his photograph.
But instead of landing her a job, Lucy’s photograph starts a chain of events that uncovers the truth about David’s past that left him deeply scarred. For David the truth turns out to be more painful than the lies—especially when it keeps him from the woman he loves.

1) How did this story come to you?
Oddly enough it was an advertisement in an old newspaper that sparked the inspiration for my heroine Lucy Fairbanks. Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife.
Lucy doesn’t deliver babies but she does take herself to new heights—literarily—in search of the perfect photo.

2) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I was chased by outlaws, started a stampede and burned down a church. Oh, wait, that wasn’t me—that was Lucy!

3) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My story “Snow Angel” will appear in the Log Cabin Christmas collection in September. The first book in my Last Chance Ranch series is scheduled for publication March 2012. I am currently working on book 2 in the series.

4) Parting comments?
Thank you so much for letting me visit with you today—it’s been a pleasure.

5) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’d love you to visit me at the old homestead at http://www.margaretbrownley.com/. You might want to check out my reader contest.

Marybeth Whalen's She Makes It Look Easy

Title: She Makes It Look Easy
Publisher: David C Cook

Cover blurb: Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.
A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, “I want what she has,” She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.

1) How did this story come to you?
I was sorting out a situation I saw unfold in my own community. I kept wondering if things could’ve turned out differently than they did, really questioning not only the people directly involved, but those of us who saw what was going on and did nothing. Because I process things best through writing—through telling stories—I began to play with this idea, involving other things that I had on my mind—issues of comparison and contentment with women, things like that. Out of all of that, She Makes It Look Easy came to be!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published:
It was my second novel so it was much different than the first. I think my main challenge this time was not having the kind of time to write it that I had with my first novel, The Mailbox. When you’re writing that first novel, you don’t realize what a luxury it is to just write when you feel like it. 

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers:
1. I have never been overseas. The only “international” travel I’ve done is to Mexico and Canada.
2. My husband is the son of one of my dad’s friends. They never imagined we’d grow up and get married.
3. I actually like to cook. And read cookbooks, cooking magazines, etc. This is reflected in the book as the two characters seem to do quite a bit of cooking or talking about cooking.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I will have a new novel hopefully coming out in fall of 12. This one is a follow up (not a sequel!) to The Mailbox. I’m writing it right now.

5) Parting comments?
This book was a hard one to write. It delves into things that many women have struggled with or are struggling with. I hope you’ll grab some friends, read the book and sit down and talk about it. Some good—and necessary—conversations will come from it.

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