Gail Pallotta's "Stopped Cold"

Cover blurb:  Margaret McWhorter enjoys a laid-back Freshman year in high school flirting with Jimmy Willmore, swimming and hanging out with friends—until that day. Her brother, Sean, suffers a stroke from taking a steroid. Now he’s lying unconscious in a hospital. Margaret’s angry at her dad for pushing Sean to be a great quarterback, but a fire of hatred burns inside her to make the criminals pay. Looking for justice, she takes Jimmy and her best friend, Emily, through a twisted, drug-filled sub-culture. A clue sends them deep into the woods behind the school where they overhear drug dealers discuss Sean. Time and time again they walk a treacherous path and come face to face with danger. Even the cop on the case can’t stop them from investigating. All the while Margaret really wants to cure Sean, heal the hate inside, and open her heart to love.

1)      How did this story come to you?
First of all, I wanted the book to entertain young people. The most fun books I read were Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys mysteries. The three amateur sleuths in Stopped Cold are reminiscent of the famous teen detective.

Through the PTA, I worked with children in grades one through eight. I’ve been a Sunday school teacher, swim team coordinator and an after-school literary instructor. I’ve seen a lot of pain when a child couldn’t live up to being number one. Whether the pressure came from within, peers, siblings or parents, the need to “be the best” rather than “do your best” often hurt and sometimes led to destruction. I wanted to let young people know they don’t have to be number one for God to love them. He’s given each of them a gift or gifts to use for Him.

Children today face a number of problems, but I wrote about steroids. One reason teens say they take them is to enhance athletic performance, which indicates they have a drive to be number one. Even though the use of steroids is going down, according to the latest statistics I could find on the internet there are around 125,000 who say they’ve used them. I imagine there are some who’ve used them, but didn’t say they did.

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

This book insisted on being published. I wrote a draft for it ten years ago. Then I polished it up and took it to a writer’s conference, where I met an editor who liked it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t right for her list. However, she edited my proposal and encouraged me not to give up on this book, but to keep writing and re-writing until it was ready to be published.

I followed her advice then attended another writers’ conference. There I met an author who advised me to send it to an editor she knew. The publishing company kept the book for one year then rejected it. I tossed it in a drawer, where it stayed gathering dust until I joined American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) two years ago.  

After my ACFW critique group finished the book I was working on, I had nothing to submit, so I pulled out Stopped Cold, and they critiqued it. Then I sent out a few queries, and Stopped Cold was accepted. When I received the publisher’s contract, it asked for a fee, so I declined to sign it. Later I attended the James Scott Bell writing seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. I took another book to work on while I was there, but when I came home, Stopped Cold called to me once again, and I made changes to it, applying what I’d learned from Mr. Bell. Then Lisa Lickel and I started critiquing. After I made a few more corrections, I emailed queries to several publishers as well as a couple agents. Now the book’s where it was meant to be—with Madison Connors at Front Porch Romance.

3)      Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m an Elvis Presley fan.

In college I had a friend who owned a small airplane. He picked me up in the sheep pasture in a valley near the mountain college we attended, flew to a town about fifty miles away, and took me out to dinner.

When I tried to learn to cross-stitch, I sewed the picture I was working on to the leg of the jeans I was wearing and had to snip the threads to get it off.

4)      What are you working on now?
I have a couple short stories coming out soon. I just finished a romantic comedy with mystery and suspense and am writing a book about a young woman with a mysterious, undiagnosed illness.

5)      Parting comments.
Two things. I was excited to learn last week that Stopped Cold is a best seller on All Romance E Books, and I appreciate you having me on your lovely blog.

6)      Where can fans find you on the internet?
My Web site is http://www.gailpallotta.com
My blog is http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

 

Sharon Srock's "The Women of Valley View: Terri"

  Title: THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: TERRI
  Publisher: HARBOURLIGHT 

Cover blurb:  Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.

 
Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child.  She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother.  

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another plan in store?
 

1)      How did this story come to you?

Terri’s story was the natural progression from the first book in the series, THE WOMEN OF VALLEY VIEW: CALLIE 

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

I began writing 5 years ago in a much delayed obedience to God. That obedience has opened doors, removed obstacles, and granted me my dream.  

3)      Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love to mow the grass 
I HATE reality TV

My favorite pet was an iguana

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

Book 3 in the series is under contract, I expect to begin edits this week. I’m working on book 4. 

5) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Visit my BLOG at: http://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/
Connect with me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Find me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock  

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/d9kwdcc

Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/cud7xb6

Pelican book group: http://tinyurl.com/cd5zqar

 

Jo Huddleston's "Beyond the Past"

Beyond the Past back cover blurb
An inspirational Southern Historical with Threads of Romance
Emmajean Callaway’s life in Atlanta plummets from bad to worse. Can big brother, Jim, lead her back to the family who loves her and also hold the imploding Callaway family together?

Jim Callaway looks forward to 1951 and the chance to forge a relationship with Caroline after twenty years apart. He’s sidetracked when his sister and his best friend need his help. His baby sister, Emmajean, skids into jail on drug charges in Atlanta. The ordeal of incarceration and trial diminishes her and she needs rescuing, not only physically but spiritually. She struggles toward recovery and restoration with her lawyer’s help as he champions her inside and outside the courtroom. Jim’s nephew Joe is one step ahead of the truant officer, wrecks his car, and officials suspect alcohol is involved. Joe awaits his fate at the hands of the juvenile court judge. Jim and Caroline continue their bumpy journey as they seek realization of their dreams, wondering if they really can overcome obstacles to their being together after so many years.

1) How did this story come to you?

Beyond the Past is book #2 in the Caney Creek Series. The series is set in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee where I and my ancestors grew up. At annual family reunions as a little girl, I’d listen to my relatives’ stories about time before TV and air conditioning. All those stories stayed in my mind from year to year. Those stories needed to be told. This book is fiction but it came to me from listening to real people.

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

The first book in the series, That Summer, started simmering in my head in the late 1990s. In 2001 I was diagnosed with a health problem that prevented me to write, either by hand or computer (this was before speak-to-type). I thought my writing career was over. In 2008, I regained ability to hold my fingers on the home keys of the computer and finished book #1 soon thereafter. But getting an agent or a publisher for a first time novelist seemed impossible. I discovered ACFW, joined, and found my publisher on ACFW’s list of recognized publishers. I couldn’t write That Summer and not have a book #2 so I wrote book #2, Beyond the Past.

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

Well, not much surprises folks these days, but here goes:
I played varsity basketball in high school
I am claustrophobic
I chew my ice cream

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

I’ve begun book #3, Claiming Peace, in the Caney Creek Series. I hope to be able to start another series but that’s not settled yet.

5) Parting comments?

Dawn, it was my pleasure to visit with you and your readers on your blog. Thanks for having me.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Website/blog: http://www.johuddleston.com

 

Susan Page Davis' "Revolution at Barncastle Inn"

Title: Revolution at Barncastle Inn

Cover Blurb:  Lily Mitchell’s sister organizes a Patriot’s Day vacation at the Barncastle, with the entire week’s activities set in Revolutionary War days. Lily’s husband was killed in Afghanistan two years ago, and she’s found it hard to move on. A fun vacation where Lily’s family joins Vermont “Patriots” takes her mind off her grief—until one of the “Redcoat” officers quartered at the inn draws her attention. Ethan Danvers is a modern day history professor who enjoys eighteenth-century re-enactments and makes a very convincing British officer. Though they oppose each other in the re-enactment, Ethan makes a special connection with Lily and her son. They’re enemies for the week—but will they be allies for life?

This e-book also contains "Where There’s Smoke,” an original romantic short story by Susan Page Davis, as bonus content.

1)      How did this story come to you?

        I’m one of four authors who wrote the Christmas at Barncastle Inn collection of novellas a couple of years ago. We asked the publishers if they would consider doing more stories about Barncastle Inn, a family-run inn in Vermont where you can spend your vacation in any time period you wish. The publisher declined, but we loved the characters and the premise so much that we decided to write more stories. We’re writing more novellas and releasing one a month as e-books. We’ve called the series Celebrate Any Time.

Since the month for my next original book in the series fell in April, I chose to set it against a Patriot’s Day background. This holiday is official in the states of Massachusetts and Maine (which was part of Massachusetts until 1820).  It commemorates the anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride and the battles of Lexington and Concord. A story of a re-enactment came to mind, with a quiet, unassuming man playing the part of an obnoxious British officer.

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

      The four of us discussed it as authors and decided to move ahead and expand the series. We agreed on a schedule that we hope will allow us to publish a new novella every month. We edit for each other, with each author responsible for her cover and the actual publishing.

The theme of the original books carries through, and the series has threads of romance and Christian faith. Whether it’s a pirate Christmas or a colonial-era Patriot’s Day, you can celebrate any time at Vermont’s Barncastle Inn. Other new books in the series include Spring Comes to the Barncastle, by Lynette Sowell (now available), Barncastle Memorial, by Darlene Franklin (May 2013), and Showdown at the Barncastle (June 2013), from Janelle Mowery. We hope the readers enjoy the new adventures at Barncastle Inn as much as we have.

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

I was a spelling champion in eighth grade. I had a major stroke at the age of 43, but by God’s grace made a complete recovery. I am descended from John Alden of Mayflower fame.

   

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

I am currently writing a new cozy mystery for Guideposts.

5)      Parting comments

I am giving away three copies of Revolution at Barncastle Inn, which is an e-book. It can be read on Nook, Kindle, a computer or other device. Commenters who do not read e-books can indicate that, and I will substitute another print book for up to two of the winners. You can choose the Christmas at Barncastle Inn in paperback or a different book.

The featured book (Revolution at Barncastle Inn) can be purchased for 99 cents at:

Amazon for Kindle: http://is.gd/MlBnsp

Or at Barnes & Noble for Nook: http://is.gd/cc51LC

    

6)      Where can fans find you on the Internet?

My website is at: www.susanpagedavis.com, and you can read more about the Celebrate Any Time series on my Romance page: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/romance.html

I’m also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

And I post on the 23^rd of each month on the Christian Fiction Historical Society:

http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Maddrey's "Courage to Change"

Title: Courage to Change

Publisher: HopeSprings Books

Cover blurb: Should you be willing to change for love?

When Phil Reid became a Christian and stopped drinking, his hard-partying wife Brandi divorced him. Reeling and betrayed, he becomes convinced Christians should never remarry, and resolves to guard his heart.

Allison Vasak has everything in her life under control, except for one thing. Her heart is irresistibly drawn to fellow attorney and coworker, Phil. Though she knows his history and believes that women should not initiate relationships, she longs to make her feelings known.

As Phil and Allison work closely together to help a pregnant teen, Allison melts his defenses. But when Brandi discovers Phil's new relationship, she decides that though she doesn't want him, no one else can have him either. Can Phil and Allison's love weather the chaos Brandi brings into their lives?

 1) How did this story come to you?

About half-way through writing the first book in the series (Wisdom to Know) I knew that Phil and Allison’s story had to be next. They gave me enough hints about the problems they were facing in their potential relationship, that I had a place to start. But there were some twists and unexpected sub-plots that cropped up as I was writing that I never expected. But I love them. Honestly, with most of my stories it’s the same way – I just sit down and start writing and see what happens.

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

This book was much less of a journey than the first, since my publisher told me they were interested in any follow-ons I might write for the first. So I sent a proposal off as I was starting to write and was excited to get a contract. Writing under contract (and therefore with a deadline!) was a new and challenging experience. I’m grateful my publisher is smaller and, therefore, pretty flexible.

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

-I have a PhD in Computer Science and I still love programming. Sometimes I’ll twiddle around with code in my spare time.

-I love to crochet but I absolutely can’t knit. I don’t know why I find knitting so much harder, but I’m just not both-hand-coordinated I guess.

-I play Skylanders with my son…and I think I might enjoy it more than he does. It’s a really fun game!

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

Right now I’m working on book 3 in the series, Serenity to Accept. It’s currently scheduled to release in September, but I need to get my act together if that’s going to happen! So what’s next for me is a lot of writing. I’ve also got an idea for a 4^th book with the same general group of characters starting to percolate, as well as a project that’s a little different rattling around.

5) Parting comments?

Thanks for having me! I hope that you all found this as fun to read as I did to put it together. And I hope that if you read and enjoy one of my books that you’ll let me know – I love hearing from readers!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

I love to have people connect with me!
You can visit me at my website: http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com  or on
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

Linda Rondeau's "Days of Vines and Roses"

Title: Days of Vines and Roses
Publisher: Helping Hands Press

Genre: Contemporary/romance/suspense/with paranormal elements

Cover Blurb: When a romance writer and her estranged publisher husband attempt to reconcile, malignant forces and a pending lawsuit seem bent on keeping them apart. After fifteen years of marital disarray, Henry and Sylvia Fitzgibbons (aka Lana Longstreet) independently contemplate divorce, their relationship relegated to Henry’s infrequent visits to the Connecticut estate and their once a week meeting at Chez Phillipe’s in Manhattan. But, not yet. There is the matter of the decaying rose gardens and the thirtieth anniversary party the children are planning. Reluctantly, Henry moves in for the summer, steeled against the hauntings that torment only him. As reconciliation seems possible, the evil forces within begin to target Sylvia as well. Like the strangling vines within the rose beds, Henry and Sylvia have become victims of spiritual neglect. Their only hope remains in surrender to a power greater than the evil determined to destroy them.

1) How Did the Story Come to you?
I was moving the lawn one day and thought about the weeds in our lives that choke and tangle us. Then I thought about a married couple I knew that simply stayed married because of convention. I thought how tragic. God intends for marriage to be so much more. Then I thought about writing a story about a married couple trapped in a loveless marriage. I decided to have them living separately but unsuccessfully trying to keep the marriage afloat. Then I thought how Satan does not want marriages to work. What if a marriage headed toward reconciliation after a long separation? What would Satan do? The rest of the story is Days of Vines and Roses.

2) The Book’s Journey
I conceived and wrote this book ten years ago. Three editors requested the full manuscript with strong indication they wanted to publish the book, but those three editors ended up leaving their houses almost immediately after requesting my manuscript. I put the book away for a long time, thinking perhaps God didn’t want this book published. But God used this book to turn my writing toward a new direction. I was contracted for three books in a sci-fi series as well as ten volumes of a prequel. However, after my diagnosis of breast cancer and resulting chemo brain, a peculiar cognitive dysfunction that accompanies treatment, I found I could not fulfill this obligation. My publisher was wonderfully understanding of my disability. He agreed to substituting two books already completed, Days of Vines and Roses to be the first. As I revised and edited the book for current trends, God reassured me that my writing should focus on contemporary romance and suspense.

3) Three things that will surprise readers
a) I was an official witness to a wedding performed in Monterrey, Mexico.
b) I went to the same high school as Richard Gere. I was two years ahead of him. North Syracuse High School.
c) During the Great Depression, both my father and grandfather worked as loggers in Upstate New York.

4) What’s next for you?
With the success of my devotional book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children, I am working on a Christian Living book based on my newspaper column, This Daily Grind. Topics will include:

Spouses, Children and Other Strangers
Who Put the Vinegar in the Salt?
If Life Were Fair, We’d All Be Bald

I am writing another Adirondack suspense with the working title Legacy of Regret. My first novel and Selah Award Winner, The Other Side of Darkness was set in the Lake George area. This one will be set near Lake Placid. My contemporary romance, Songs in the Valley, a modern day interpretation of Hosea, will be released later this fall by Helping Hands Press.

Thanks for the opportunity to share Days of Vines and Roses.

Bio: Winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel The Other Side of Darkness/Harbourlight, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, writes stories of God’s mercies. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Linda’s best-selling Adirondack Romance, It Really IS a Wonderful Life, is published by Lighthouse of the Carolinas and is available wherever books are sold.

These books are also available in ebook format along with her other ebooks by Helping Hands Press: I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children and Days of Vines and Roses. Songs in the Valley is scheduled for release this fall by Helping Hands Press.

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com  or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Dora Hiers' "Journey's Embrace"

Meet Sage Michaelson

Sage Michaelson here, a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Witness Protection Program. Although lately it feels more like a Criminal Protection Program, especially after losing my spleen on the job.

When my best friend Steven texted, “Delaney in trouble. Can you keep an eye on her while I’m on my honeymoon?” I chucked the hospital gown and split for Journey Creek. We grew up in the same orphanage—Steven, his sister, and I—so that makes us practically brother and sister. How could I say no?

Besides, I needed time to recover and reevaluate. And a little distance from my ex-fiancé couldn’t hurt. Jennifer always said I was married to my job. Guess she found a man who wasn’t because she wears a ring on her finger again. I’m OK with it. Sure, I gave her a ring and a commitment. But not my heart. How could I? The people I love always end up dead. I’m on my own. Best just to keep it that way.

What trouble was Dane in this time? That’s what we used to call Delaney. Growing up, she’d had long muscular legs. Cute, but in an awkward, gangly Great Dane sort of way. And always in trouble or causing trouble. I gather from Steven’s text that hadn’t changed.

I hadn’t seen the Dane in a few years, so it kinda threw me to see her waltzing away from the wedding reception in a silky turquoise gown, the kind of dress that forces a man to take a second look. Steven sure wouldn’t appreciate the thoughts that flitted through my head about his sister. To be truthful, I’d feel much better if she changed into her customary basketball shorts or work scrubs. Then I wouldn’t notice how she’d grown from the Dane into beautiful, vivacious Delaney. A woman who embraces passion and life with enthusiasm. A woman who puts others first, on the job and with the orphanage kids.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to ditch the doctor. All this ibuprofen seems to be messing with my head.

Steven only said that someone ransacked Delaney’s house. He didn’t warn me that a man had it out for her. Delaney insists God will protect her, but I’m not buying it. He didn’t protect my parents and sister from the car accident that killed them, or keep my granny from suffering a fatal heart attack on an airplane.

No, I can’t leave her to fend for herself. I promised Steven I would look out for her. But, somewhere along the way, protecting Delaney became less about my promise to Steven and more about my love for her…and God.

Meet Delaney Hunt

Just wait until my brother gets back from his honeymoon!

What was Steven thinking texting Sage Michaelson to keep an eye on me? Sure, I get that Steven’s worried about me after my home invasion, but now I need a Deputy U.S. Marshal looking over my shoulder? Sage just lost his spleen. He should be recovering in the hospital, not trailing after me or chasing innocent trick-or-treaters off my doorstep.

It’s not that I mind Sage being around. I’ve loved him since he showed up at Quiver Full Orphanage, always the protector, even at thirteen. But, he turned eighteen and left for the big city without a backward glance. Not at me, anyway. He kept in touch with Steven, but I haven’t heard from him since his engagement.

It’s not like he would ever love me in a non-sisterly way. When the doctor mentioned we sounded like we were married, Sage shuddered. I’m not beautiful, but sheesh! Did the man have to shudder?

And Sage could never accept my job, or even tolerate it. He suffers from a powerful fear of flying and heights. I guess I would, too, if I saw my granny suffer a heart attack and die on a plane like he did. But, I’m a flight medic. My dream job, flying all over the world helping people. It would take more than his declaration of love for me to give it up.

Besides, Sage may be scared of flying, but I’m more than a little afraid of love. Of what love means to a person, or what it doesn’t. Take my mother, for example. She didn’t have enough love to go around, not enough to give up the drugs and one-night stands. But that doesn’t stop me from praying that Sage would love…ah well, it’s best not go there.

It’s not as if I don’t have a full and satisfying life. I do. Between mentoring the kids at Quiver Full, raising money to build another orphanage cottage, working on a recycling committee, and my job, I couldn’t ask for more. Well, I suppose I could. Like figuring out who this prankster is and why he’s targeting me…

Becky Lyles' "Winds of Wyoming"

“Winds of Wyoming,” my first novel, debuted on January 2, 2012. From that moment on, I promised readers a sequel would soon follow. After all, I’d learned much about writing fiction while penning the first book, and I knew what would happen in the next phase of my heroine’s life. All I had to do was input those events into my computer. Surely, I could crank out the second novel in a matter of months.

As you may guess, I discovered that writing the sequel, “Winds of Freedom,” was just as hard as writing the first book. Others may hop on the fiction train and never fall off, never falter in their production. But my struggle to get the story out of my head and into a form others could comprehend tossed me from the fiction train onto a hay wagon pulled by a donkey that took three steps backward for every step forward.

Okay, so I admit I’m the donkey. Several factors played into my fiction-challenged head while writing and rewriting “Winds of Freedom.” 1) I’m still learning. Though some may be naturals at writing fiction, I have to work at it and constantly educate myself on the subject. 2) I created a vague outline for the sequel—but details were sketchy. Many authors thrive with that method, yet I can see how much easier the process would have been if I’d thought through specifics in advance. 3) My editor’s comments threw me into a tailspin. After years of writing for the nonfiction market, I thought I had fairly thick writer’s skin; however, his observations were blunt, and I couldn’t see how to incorporate his suggestions into the story without starting over.

In addition to developing thick skin, writers must also employ perseverance. I eventually plowed through the editor’s comments and suggestions, reworked or deleted several scenes, filled in missing details and added a couple scenes. Thanks to the editing process, the story is much, much stronger.

Currently, “Winds of Freedom” is in the hands of a half-dozen wonderful proofreaders. After I receive their suggestions and make appropriate changes, the story will finally be on its way to the publisher. The hay wagon is almost there. I can see the hitching post on the horizon!

Rebecca Carey Lyles is a freelance writer and editor whose articles and stories have appeared in magazines and compilations. In addition to her novels, she’s also written two nonfiction books, “It’s a God Thing! Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships” and "On a Wing and a Prayer: Stories from Freedom Fellowship, a Prison Ministry." She and her husband, Steve, live in beautiful Boise, Idaho.

Website: http://www.beckylyles.com
Email: beckylyles@beckylyles.com
Facebook: Rebecca Carey Lyles
Twitter: @BeckyLyles
Blog: widgetwords.wordpress.com

“Winds of Wyoming” – Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with a marketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous new beginning as a guest-ranch employee. A typical twenty-five-year-old woman might be looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on the outside—despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers a violent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide will trail as close as a shadow and imprison her once again.

Sharon Dow's "Satan's Throne"

Title: Pergamum: Satan’s Throne

Publisher:Deep River Books, a Christian Publishing company in Oregon.

Cover blurb: After Antipas (first book) is martyred at the altar to Zeus for his outspoken convictions on Christ, the remaining Christians in Pergamum must flee for their lives. With the Roman emperor’s grip tightening, evil forces behind the scenes aim to root out the growing followers of The Way and destroy the church. Marcus and Paulus, brothers of the martyred Antipas, have chosen different paths. Marcus, a brute temple guard, remains loyal to Zeus, who many attest is the one true god of Pergamum. Paulus follows in Antipas’ footsteps as one who fearlessly proclaims the Gospel. Enraged, Marcus disowns his brother and swears him as enemy. A battle for the fate of Pergamum is inevitable. In this sequel to the heart-pounding Antipas: Martyr, Sharon Dow continues the vibrant story of persecuted Christians banding together within the sinister walls of Pergamum, the very lair of Satan’s throne. Who will be saved and who will choose the easy way out? Amid the rubble, will the new Christians emerge victorious, with their faith strong and vital?

1) How did this story come to you? 
When I completed the manuscript for Antipas: Martyr, I was so attached to the characters that I wanted to know what happened to them. Thus was born Pergamum: Satan’s Throne, the sequel.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published. 
I entered the manuscript in the Deep River Books 2012 writing contest. It received an award of merit and I was offered a contract. I accepted!

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers. 
1. I love politics and follow the American elections as well as the Canadian ones. I’ve always had a secret desire to be involved. 
2. I have also had the desire to spend a year above the Arctic Circle to experience total light and total darkness. I almost went there to teach when I graduated. 
3. I would love to have tea with the Queen!

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you? 
I am currently working on another Biblical novel titled, Huldah: Prophetess. Huldah was the prophetess who identified the scriptures found in the temple when Josiah was King. It is approximately 80% complete.

5) Parting comments? 
I hope to write and publish at least 10 books. I have the ideas and titles for them and a little written for each one.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet? 
I have a website http://www.sharondow.ca.  I am also on facebook.

Lisa Lickel's "Meow Mayhem"

Title: Meow Mayhem

      Publisher: Whimsical Publications

Cover blurb:  After being left at the altar, Ivy Amanda McTeague Preston uproots herself and her cat,

an Egyptian Mau named Memnet, from her boring and lonely life to start over at the
urging of Mayor Conklin, a fellow pedigreed Mau owner.

Truesdale Thompson is ready to move in a fresh direction with his life. A private man
whose physical wounds are the only outward sign of a tragic accident in his past, True
and his cat, Isis, open a branch of his trendy little bookstore and coffee shop in Apple
Grove.

When Ivy takes a mysterious message while the mayor is away on business, only Ivy’s
criminology professor mom and True believe there’s something rotten in Apple Grove.
Can Ivy carry on her romance with True while saving the town from further Mayhem?

1) How did this story come to you? 
I was reporting for my community’s town government on the changing nature of downtowns and the loss of business, so the germ of the story began there. When I learned that a nearby city had tunnels along the river connecting stores that were built a hundred years ago, I knew I had to use the information somewhere. A story about creating hypo-allergenic cats, a love of history and my neighbor who uses a live answering service: put all this together and out pops a story.

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

I wrote this story as an experiment in first person; I’d never done that before, so it was quite a challenge. I have new respect for method actors, and those who generally write in first person. I wanted to try a full-length mystery since I’d been writing lighter romantic cozies for a book club, so went ahead and wrote Meow Mayhem on spec, but ran into some bad timing as I was between agents and mysteries weren’t doing quite so well for a couple of years. But then I tried Whimsical Publications after checking with another acquaintance who writes for them, and had the book accepted. There’s always much rejoicing when a manuscript is accepted.

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

I have absolutely no sense of direction.

I love science fiction.

I visited the Soviet Union for a college seminar.

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

Always working on something – I have an agent passing around what I feel is my most compelling story so far about a terminally ill woman caught up in an unethical stem cell trial; I am working on a new manuscript about a couple caught up in a murder scheme that is only the tip of the iceberg of intrigue.

5) Parting comments? 
Thanks for having me here today. Mysteries are fun, and I’d love to hear about yours, or your favorites, and what you like about them.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet? 
All of my social networking can be accessed from my web site: http://www.lisalickel.com 

Jeanette Windle's "Congo Dawn"

CONGO DAWN BLOG INTERVIEW

Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle

Please tell us a bit about yourself.
As daughter of missionary parents, I grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. I married another missionary kid, and we have been in full-time international ministry ever since. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, I've lived to date in six countries and traveled in more than thirty on five continents. Those experiences have birthed 16 international intrigue titles, including bestselling Tyndale House Publishers release Veiled Freedom, a 2010 Christian Book Award and Christy Award finalist and sequel Freedom's Stand, a 2012 Christian Book Award and Carol Award finalist and 2011 Golden Scroll Novel of the Year finalist.

Tell us about the featured book?
If absolute power breeds absolute corruption, what happens when a multinational corporation with unlimited funds hires on a private military company with unbridled power? Especially in a Congolese rainforest where governmental accountability is only too cheaply for sale and the ultimate 'conflict mineral' is up for grabs?

Set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's war-torn eastern Ituri rainforest zone, Congo Dawn confronts former Marine lieutenant Robin Duncan with just that question. A veteran in handling corruption and conspiracy, Robin has never had any trouble  discerning good guys from bad. But as her private security team tries to track down an insurgent killer, Robin faces a man who broke her trust years ago and discovers that gray areas extend deeper into the jungle than she anticipated.

As a vicious global conspiracy emerges, run by brutal men who don’t leave witnesses alive, Robin must decide if there is anyone left she can trust. And where is God in the suffering and injustice? How is it followers of Yesu (Jesus) caught in the crossfire can still rejoice when everything they hold dear is ripped away? READ EXCERPT

What inspired your interest in writing Congo Dawn?
Growing up in the world's largest rainforest, the Amazon, I was captivated by missionary biographies from its second-largest African counterpart, the Congo. Among them the story of Dr. Helen Roseveare, who helped establish several mission hospitals and medical training centers in the Ituri rainforest despite violence and unrest of impending Congolese independence, herself held captive for five months during the 1964 Simba rebellion. The largest of those centers Nyankunde was in turned razed in 2002 during the continuing conflict that has taken more than five million Congolese lives in the last decade. Today's fighting is greatly aggravated by the value and pursuit of conflict minerals in that zone.  As always, it has been the mission pilots, medical personnel both expatriate and Congolese, and other followers of Yesu, Jesus Christ, who have been first back into the conflict zones well ahead of United Nations, embassy, local law enforcement or any other humanitarian and corporate interests. Their courage in shining bright the light of Yesu's love in one of the planet's darkest corners gave voice to this story.

How did you come up with the concept for Congo Dawn?
For the story's actual suspense thread, I've had personal opportunity to witness what a multinational corporation is capable of in dark corners of the Third World when no one is watching (an experience in itself too unbelievable to write up as fiction). In Africa as elsewhere, both the protective and striking arm of such corporations has historically been hired foreign mercenaries. But today's private military corporations are vastly different, possessing more fire power than the average country. What struck me was the lack of any accountability to outside oversight beyond some paid-off local warlord. So what happens when a multinational corporation with unlimited funds hires on a private military company with unbridled power in a Congolese rainforest where the ultimate 'conflict mineral' is up for grabs? Coming up with one very plausible possibility birthed Congo Dawn.

On a deeper spiritual level, Congo Dawn addresses the age-old question of how a world filled with such darkness, injustice and pain can possibly be the creation of a God of love. How can followers of Yesu [Jesus]  in the bleakness of an Ituri rainforest conflict zone or any other dark corner of this planet take seriously a Scriptural mandate to rejoice in their suffering [James 1:2; I Peter 4:13]? What value beyond our own comprehension might human suffering possibly hold that a loving Creator God permits it to continue?

What message would you like your readers to take from Congo Dawn?
The same simple, yet profound realization to which Congo Dawn's main protagonists are ultimately drawn. The coexistence of a loving Creator with human suffering is no oxymoron, but a divine paradox those refined in the fires of adversity are best equipped to understand. The smallest flames of love and faith shine most brightly against the darkest night. Our heavenly Father really does know what He's doing, and His ultimate plans for our lives and all His creation will not be thwarted.

How can a reader connect with you on the Internet?
Yes, I would like to invite any reader interested in knowing more about Congo Dawn, my other titles, or my own life journey to visit me at my website (www.jeanettewindle.com) and personal blog, From the Eye of the Storm (http://jeanettewindle.blogspot.com/) or contact me directly at jeanette@jeanettewindle.com. I would also be delighted to participate with your local book club or discussion group through Skype video or on-line chat conference (or in person if I am in the vicinity).