Julianna Deering's "Rules of Murder"

Title:  Rules of Murder
Publisher:  Bethany House
Cover blurb:
Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this dangerous game.

1) How did this story come to you?
I’ve been a fan of classic mysteries for years and years.  I’ve also been a longtime fan of the movies of the 1930s and ‘40s.  I thought it would be fun to combine the two, so I dreamed up a British hero and an American heroine and gave them both a love for mystery novels and a cheeky sense of humor.  Once I had Drew and Madeline, I decided it would be fun to take Father Knox’s well known 1929 list of what not to do when writing a murder mystery and see if I could break or at least bend all of his rules in my book.  Of course, my characters, being avid mystery readers themselves, are well aware of this list and realize their investigation isn’t following the rules at all.  It was great fun to write.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Goodness, it’s been rather a long trip.  I sent Rules to my agent when I had it all finished, and when ACFW was in Dallas in 2006 we got to meet face to face and talk about it.  She really liked the book and said she was determined to sell it.  But it wasn’t until late in 2011 that her incredible perseverance paid off, and Bethany House told her they were interested in the book.  The catch was, they didn’t want just one book.  They wanted to see at least two before making a decision.  So I scrambled to finish up the sequel, now titled Death by the Book, and sent it off.  When they sent me a contract for the series, I was so happy that the other publishers had turned it down.  I am so blessed to be with Bethany House.  They do everything first class and have been so incredibly nice to work with.  And they have given the book (and me!) an amazing amount of support.  I’m in awe of how God worked this all out . . . in His time.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Okay.  (1)  My favorite sport is ice hockey which people often find unusual for a female who’s a native Texan.  (2)  I’ve had seven books published under my real name, DeAnna Julie Dodson.  (3)  I used to play the oboe and the bassoon.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve been doing a lot of promotional stuff for the release of Rules of Murder, and that has kept me a little busy.  But I’m about to dig into edits on the third book in the series, Murder at the Mikado, a mystery with a Gilbert and Sullivan theme, and that will keep me very busy.  And I need to start figuring out what Drew and Madeline will be up to next.

5) Parting comments?
I love to hear from readers and love hearing what they think of my stories.  They can contact me on Facebook or on my website or write to me at P. O. Box 375, Aubrey, Texas  76227.  (Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope, and I’ll send you an autographed bookplate and/or bookmark.) 

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I’m at www.juliannadeering.com  or https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuliannaDeering or www.deannajuliedodson.com or @deannajuldodson on Twitter.  You can also find out more about me and the book on Bethany House’s site here:  http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/rules-of-murder/343331.  They have an author interview, an excerpt from the book and discussion questions.

Susan Reinhardt's "The Moses Conspiracy"

   
In 2025, the Christian World is under attack!
     Two seemingly unconnected events set in motion a diabolical plan. Ellie and John Zimmerman find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening investigation,  fighting  shadowy enemy.

     After a terrorist attack on Washington, D.C. in the near future, Ellie plans a trip with her young son, Peter, and they become separated. At the same time back home, John witnesses a buggy accident with unusual circumstances.

     Caught between strained family relations and ominous  warnings from a faceless enemy, the couple rely on God for wisdom and protection.
    
     The truth of a past tragedy is revealed. While they may expose the culprits, will they survive the heartache it brings?

1)  How did this story come to you?
     I started off as a non-fiction writer, but switched gears and began writing fiction after an experience in Gettysburg. Surrounded by history, I "heard" the voices of the forefathers as fading echoes. Attempts to writer a poem or non-fiction piece were unsuccessful, so I put the thoughts aside and prayed.

 Eight months later, my late husband and I were discussing that event when he declared, "That's your book, and it will be written in 4 months and be called Ghosts of the Past."

     The first draft was written in 4 months and underwent a name change to Echoes of the Past. Later, it became The Moses Conspiracy. After 2 years of caring for my husband through cancer until his death and 6 years of honing my fictions skills, The Moses Conspiracy was published.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published. 
When I first presented the manuscript at conferences, I was told: A) It was too short (55,000 words) and B) My writing techniques needed improvement. I attended workshops, read articles online, had people critique my work, entered the ACFW Genesis Contest, and read craft books. The lessons were applied to the manuscript, and gradually editors and agents began telling me they liked my writing. The next hurdle became the genre. The professionals had difficulty identifying a category. Some indicated they thought it was Sci-Fi (sorry, no aliens or spaceships), Futuristic (not that far off), Suspense/Mystery (closer), and Political intrigue (not really). I finally presented it as Christian Speculative Fiction, which encompassed several of these elements.

  An author friend, Kathi Macias, introduced me to my publisher in January 2013. Within a few weeks, I'd signed contracts with Joyce Hart, of Hartline Literary Agency, and Helping Hands Press (a small, royalty publisher). The Moses Conspiracy was released as an e-book in March 2013 and in print on May 17th.

 3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
     A) Took a course in Sign Language, and do specials at church.
     B) Like to wear silly socks when my style tends to lean toward the classic.
     C) Write by the seat of my pants. Outlines and plotting make me break out in a cold sweat.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Right now, I'm editing my second book in the trilogy, which has a working title of, The Scent of Fear. I'm also writing a Christmas novella that bridges The Moses Conspiracy and The Scent of Fear. The last book of the trilogy is mostly in my head.

5) Parting comments?
If you're a writer, I suggest you spend time learning the craft and not be in a rush to show your manuscript to the professionals. I could have saved myself a lot of rejection and embarrassment if I'd waited. Also, patience and persistence pays off. In 2012, I wanted to quit. I'm thankful I stuck with the program because it paid off.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
 I blog at http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Lena Nelson Dooley's "McKenna's Daughters" series

My Mckenna’s Daughters series was published by Realms, the fiction imprint of Charisma Media.
The titles are: Maggie’s Journey, Mary’s Blessing, and Catherine’s Pursuit

1) Your cover blurb:
This is the blurb for the series: The heroines are identical triplets, born on one of the last wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. Their mother dies giving birth to them, and they’re separated. They don’t find out until near their 18th birthday that they have sisters. Each book is one of the sisters’ story.

2) How did this story come to you?
I’m not sure when this story first entered my mind. I do know that the idea came from the Lord, and it percolated in my brain for several years before I wrote the series.

3) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I do remember now. When Tracie Peterson was the acquisition editor for Heartsong Presents, when they started the states series, she told the Heartsong authors that three of us could propose ideas for a three book series. I had the idea and I asked two of my friends to join me in the proposal. Tracie liked it a lot, and we thought she was going to buy it. After she resigned so she could concentrate on her own writing, the new editor decided to give the proposal back to us.

The idea wouldn’t let me know, so a few years later, I asked my friends if they would mind if I took my story and added two more, not at all like their stories, and submitted it. They agreed.

Three other editors liked the series, but finally gave it back for differing reasons. The LI Historical editor said it was too involved for their line, but she really liked it. When my agent sent it to the Realms editor soon after they started their new fiction line, she bought it right away.

4) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I was raised in the Ozark Mountains on fish farms.
I graduated fourth of my graduating high school class of fifty.
I was not born a redhead.

5) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am working on another three book series that my agent is shopping right now.
My actual next project is adapting Pola Muzyka’s novel Abducted to Kill into a screenplay for a Christian movie. We’re already in pre-production meetings.

6) Parting comments?
I’m giving away a pdf copy of the winner’s choice of any of the McKenna’s Daughters books.

7) Where can fans find you on the internet?
 I love my readers. I like to hear from them at any of these places:
Website: www.lenanelsondooley.com 
Blog: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenandooley/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lenandooley 
Official Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/333031.Lena_Nelson_Dooley
Shoutlife: www.shoutlife.com/lenanelsondooley
Blogtalk Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/gate-beautiful-radio-show/
Other blogs where I’m a regular contributor:
http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/
http://justthewritecharisma.blogspot.com/

Cynthia Hickey's "Cooking Up Love"

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for Cynthia:

1. When did you discover your love for the written word? My mother said that, not having a Kindergarten close enough for me to attend as a child, that she taught me to read. I took to it easily and have always read above my level. Once I discovered the many worlds between the pages of a book, I was hooked.

2. When did you begin your writing career? I’ve made up stories for as long as I can remember, but it isn’t until a few years ago that I actually began to take the writing process seriously. My first novel, Fudge-Laced Felonies, was released through Barbour in 2007. At the American Christian Fiction Writers Association conference that year, I was awarded the new author contract.

3. Tell us something that people may not know about you? I’ve been on television twice. Once on the backdrop of a weather report filmed on Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas and another time when a documentary was being filmed at the Pickle Plant where I worked.

4. Do you have a secret desire that may not ever come true? I’ve always thought it would be a blast to be in a movie. Not a walk on character, but an actual main character. An insane person would be fun.

5. Do you have a favorite book? The one book I own that has stood the test of time is Gone With the Wind and Little Women. I still love them.

6. A favorite author? I’d have to say that in today’s market, I love Diana Gabaldon. Her Outlander characters are so rich, I feel as if I know them.

7. Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written? No, I can’t say that I do. I guess Fudge would be it if I had to pick, it being my first and all.

8. Any suggestions for pre-pubbed authors? Never, ever, give up. If you’re meant to be an author, you need to write as much as you need to breathe.

Book blurb:

Tabitha McClelland knows accepting a job as a Harvey House waitress can be risky. Traveling alone to the rough-and-tumble West just isn’t done by young ladies of good breeding. But far more dangerous is her powerful attraction to Adam Foster. Family means everything to the widowed chef, but the self-sufficient Tabitha cherishes her freedom above all else.

Adam is captivated by the fiercely independent Tabitha. Fraternizing with the female employees is strictly forbidden, but the Harvey Girl awakens feelings too compelling to ignore. Can Adam convince Tabby to share his dream of a future in California–together?

Author bio:

Multi-published author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries published through Barbour Publishing, with a novella releasing in March 2013. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013 and 2014 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents. She lives in Arizona with her husband, two of their seven children, two dogs, two cats, and a fish named Floyd. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com 

Cynthia Hickey (Melton)

www.cynthiahickey.com

http://christianfictionhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com

Author of Bestselling Summer Meadows mystery series

HICKEY Facebook Twitter MELTON Facebook Twitter 

Vannetta Chapman's "A Wedding for Julia"

Title: A Wedding for Julia

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Cover Blurb:  Just As Hope Runs out the Door, Love Softly Peeks In

Julia Beechy is so stunned, she can hardly breathe. The announcement that she must either marry or move from the family home on her mother’s imminent death catches Julia completely by surprise. How can she leave the only home she has ever known? What about her dream of opening her own Plain café?

Quiet Caleb Zook thought his time for marrying was long past, but he feels a stirring in his heart he cannot shake for this beautiful, forlorn woman. When he offers support, comfort, and a solution, Julia is afraid to accept it. Can she marry someone she barely knows? Is that the right thing to do? Is this God’s plan for her future? For his?

As Julia and Caleb work through the consequences of their life-altering decision, the people of Pebble Creek weather the worst storm to hit Wisconsin in the last hundred years. Where will Julia and Caleb be on the other side of it?

1) How did this story come to you?

"I had the awesome experience of participating in a Bible study entitled, The Bible in 90 Days. It was during that study that I came across Genesis 24:67. ‘Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.’ I couldn't let go of that image of God providing a lifelong love for Isaac before he had even met the woman. And Isaac, he trusted God and married Rebekah. What a wonderful God we serve. Julia's story began there, in the pages of Genesis. I hope it is one that brings you hope, inspiration, and a touch of God's grace."

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

Harvest House had read a previous proposal (A Simple Amish Christmas) and they were interested in me writing Amish romance for them. They contracted the Pebble Creek series based on story blurbs, and possibly I also sent a few sample chapters.

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

I struggle with my weight, I have 3 cats and quite a few deer living in my yard, and I've had my thyroid removed!

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

I have the edits for 3 different books that I'm working on now. The Christmas Quilt (Abingdon, October 2013), Murder Simply Brewed (Zondervan, March 2014) and Where Healing Blooms, a novella included in An Amish Garden (Thomas Nelson, May 2014).

4) Parting comments?

Thanks for having me, and a big thank you to everyone who clicked over. I'm daily encouraged by how many "readers" there still are in this old world.

5) Where can fans find you on the internet?

webpage--www.vannettachapman.com

facebook -- www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks

twitter -- @VannettaChapman                                  

pinterest -- pinterest.com/vannettachapman

Hotline Girl

When the school counselor asks Abby to work a counseling chat line, she begs her to choose someone else. When Race, Abby's three-year crush, begins using the chat line to talk about his girlfriend problems, can Abby be impartial when she really wants to tell him to dump her?

Race notices Abby after she has a complete make-over. He begins to spend more time with her and feels like a cheater because he likes the hotline girl too. How can he like two girls at once?

Abby is thrilled when Race begins spending time with her, but she's crushed when he tells the hotline girl that he likes her and wants to take her out. Is he a player? Will he even want to be with her when he finds out that she is the hotline girl and knows all his deepest secrets?

Deanna Klingel's "Cracks in the Ice"

Title:  Cracks in the Ice.
Publisher: Write Integrity Press, in Georgia.
Cover blurb:  This is teen and women's fiction about the niece of a mafia don who has a dream of Olympic gold in figure skating. She's almost there. Everything is in place. She's favored to win. Then tragedy derails her. As so often happens to athletes who can no longer compete, Gina loses her identity, along with self-worth. She spirals into despair, alcoholism rules her life. Two people who never give up on her are able to show her she is still loveable, still worthy, still a daughter of God. Is it too late for Gina to reinvent herself? Too late to hope?

1. How did this story come to you?

How this story came to me is a mystery to me. This has happened in some of my other books as well. The character comes to me, already named, and tells me their stories. Not knowing anything about Gina's world meant a lot of research, but as I learned more and more I realized it was just as Gina told it to me.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
After writing, rewriting, and polishing, I began the difficult search for a publisher. I didn't have an agent at that time, so I started with smaller publishers. Then on the ACFW loop one day came the announcement that a new Christian publishing house was accepting teen fiction, so I took a chance and submitted to Tracy Ruckman at Write Integrity Press. The first thing I heard from Tracy was "I Love It!" She came to a festival in North Georgia where I was signing books, and hand delivered the contract. It was very exiting.

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

You want to know three things about me that would surprise my readers? I can't think what that might be. I'm pretty wide open, kind of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get sort. I think everyone knows I love golden retrievers and train therapy dogs. They're in all my pictures. My bios are all short, but they all say I live in the mountains of western North Carolina. But maybe they don't know I'm originally from Michigan, then lived in New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland and Georgia. Most probably know I raised seven children, but maybe don't know I've been married for fifty years! I have eleven grandchildren. Now you know everything.

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

What I'm working on right now is keeping up with blogging, facebook, traveling, newsletters, bookings and marketing. It all cuts into my writing time! I don't have to spend sooo much time with submissions anymore because now I have an agent who does that part of it for me. I'm looking forward to getting started on my next writing, so I'm trying to get ahead of all the other things so I won't be interrupted for the summer. I'll be starting a new novel in June, historical fiction, YA.

5) Parting comments?

I'm looking forward to giving away a copy of Cracks in the Ice. I've gotten some wonderful comments from readers who really love it. It was a Selah Finalist, which was terribly exciting, and has the Seal of Approval of the Catholic Writers Guild.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

You can find me at BooksByDeanna.com. That's my website and my blog is on the first page. I'm on facebook, twitter, Goodreads. My book is available at your favorite indie bookseller, on Amazon.com, kindle and nook. Please suggest it to any teens you know.

Angela Strong's "Lighten Up"

Title: Lighten Up, Endurance Press

 Cover blurb:

Bethany Light is the daughter of a minister who can’t forgive her father for running off with the church secretary. She goes to her own pastor for counsel, never expecting to fall in love with him. To make matters worse, she’s personal training his fiancé in preparation for the big day and somehow ends up in their wedding.

Refusing to make the same mistake her dad made, Bethany tries to focus on fixing her family rather than face her own issues. How could a household that used to have it all together have fallen so far from grace? And how can she keep from following in her father’s footsteps when it feels so right?

1) How did this story come to you?
I had the pastor of a huge church fall into my arms sobbing after confessing a nine-year affair, my mom once caught our pastor in a phone sex scandal, and my dad took over as pastor of a church where the previous minister had run off with the church secretary. The subject was everywhere around me except in the book stores. It's sad. It's real. And it hurts a lot of people. So I did what I do best--I made the tragic entertaining with the hopes that the deep truths will shine through.

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

My agent at the time loved Lighten Up. While she shopped it, I decided to whip up a proposal for the Love Finds You series. When she called with good news, I expected it to be the sale of Lighten Up. It was not. Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho released in 2010, but Lighten Up didn't find a home.

As an author, I'm often surprised by the reactions my writing gets, and this was one of those times. I labored over this story. I poured my heart into this story. But the other story sold. Maybe because of the "taboo" content in Lighten Up. Maybe because it was too outside the box. Maybe because it's not as good as I think it is. I don't know.

But through marketing Love Finds You, I got to know the manager for the local Family Christian Stores. When he told me he wanted to start a small press who published the kinds of books that the bigger publishers wouldn't touch, I submitted Lighten Up. And he loved it enough to sign me to a three book deal.

It's a learning experience for both of us. I'm just glad the story is out there. And that he supports me even though I'm no superstar.

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

First, I'm also an aerobics instructor--well, maybe that's no surprise since the book mixes fitness with faith, but it's my passion aside from writing. One demands that I keep my "butt in chair" for long hours, while the other forces me to move it. Probably a good balance.

Second, my husband left me after I sold Love Finds You in Sun, Valley, so I was writing the romance novel while my own marriage was falling apart. After that I decided I never wanted to write romance again. But then I met the most amazing man who showed me how powerful love really is. I'm back, and I know my writing is going to be better than ever because of what I went through.

Third, I wrote about forgiving an adulterer in Lighten Up before I went through the divorce. I read it again after the fact and got a lot out of it. Sometimes, my writing is more healing for me than anyone else.

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

Well, for Endurance Press, I'm writing two more books featuring Bethany's cousins: Shake it Up and Making Up. Besides that, I just finished Romancing the Throne, a fast-paced, light-hearted romantic suspense that finds Jacqueline James on the verge of becoming a modern day princess until the prince hires a P.I. to do a background check and discovers her father is a fugitive from the states. Determined not to let her fairytale fall apart, Jacqueline hires the P.I. to help her prove her father's innocence. Together they elude press, bounty hunters, and the Miami P.D., finding the truth and freeing Jacqueline for marriage to the future monarch...except now Prince Charming doesn't compare to her knight in shining armor.

5) Parting comments?

May the God of all grace…restore you and make you strong. --I Peter 5:10

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

I have a blog that was started to help bring healing to unloved wives, but now it's for anyone who believes in the healing power of love. Hope to see you there. http://angelaruthstrong.blogspot.com

Mary Ball's "Escape to Big Fork Lake"

Mary Ball

Publisher: Inspired Romance Novels- now prism Book Group.

 Cover blurb: Will an inheritance bring new happiness or a trap for murder?

 Bad luck seems to follow Sam Blacker. She loses her job and faces daily struggles keeping her drunken neighbor away from her. When an unexpected inheritance gives her a chance for a new beginning, Sam, a city girl at heart, is hesitant. However, after a brutal attack she has no choice.

Making a decision that will forever change her life she flees to the small fishing town of Big Fork Lake, Alabama and soon finds herself in the arms of Noah Frye. A tumultuous relationship with Noah sparks buried desires of the heart, even if he is a Christian, surely, she can get around that little problem.

As Sam and Noah’s passion grows trouble lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching. Inescapable, Sam’s bad luck returns when she stumbles upon a murder and becomes the only suspect. Will she have to run again, this time to stay out of prison? Worse, will she lose the best man she’s ever found? And what about the newfound hunger in heart to know God—can she truly trust in Him?

 1)  How did this story come to you? One day while doing chores I got to thinking about a trip to the lake. The next I knew my mind was plotting the path for my characters to follow. Sounds crazy but most of my ideas God gives me when I alone with my thoughts.  

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published. The time it took me to go from manuscript to novel was almost two years. I believe I re-wrote the story four times.  I sent the manuscript off to about 45 publishers. Prism Book Group is wonderful at working with debut authors. Though I was green (still am in a lot of ways) the acquiring editor was willing to work with me and published my novel.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers. I’m not a cooking person, at least not from scratch. I don’t like conflict, even though it’s in my novel.Pink is not my favorite color! Nevertheless, I seem to have a lot of that color.  

 4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?My coming soon novel is titled “Stone of Destiny” I hope you don’t mind me sharing a blurb.

The sapphire is said to symbolize mental clarity, faithfulness and truth. For centuries, the legion of the Harrison family revolved around a ring. The family stone believed to have divine favors that transform lives-sometimes forever.

Taylor has given up on everything but her work. After becoming the youngest CEO of Mugful’s Beverage Company, she believes life is complete. That is until her grandmother asks her to oversee renovations at the family home, in addition to searching for a missing heirloom.

First contact with what she believes is an insignificant ring, lost for fifty years, sends her life spinning. Taylor experiences strange dreams. Feelings surface; she doesn't understand; mere thoughts that should remain unspoken, are voiced. 

Taylor’s emotional journey begins, testing a heart as cold as the ring itself-forcing her to question everything she believes.

Is this a fairy-tale or her soul, reaching out for a different world, a life she can only find through faith and a divine trust in God?

I already have another novel in the works. It takes the readers into the life of Rob. He’s one of the villains in Escape to Big Fork Lake. This book has been challenging for me because it’s based on an alcoholic, his recovery and his path to God.     

5) Parting comments? Number one: Thanks for spotlighting me on your lovely blog. Number two: it’s my hope that people who read my novels either learn more about God’s mercy or get a deeper desire to know more about Jesus Christ.   

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

My website is http://marylouwrites.weebly.com/.You can find me at inspires4mary.twitter.com. Also, my Face book page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inspirational-author-Mary-L-Ball/

 

Register to win a Kindle and a business card design...

 After fourteen years of hard work, Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Berry Tarabochia are thrilled to announce the release of their novel, On the Threshold. Interested in how a mother and daughter can write a book together? Want a chance at winning a Kindle and a business card design from a top-notch company? Keep reading!

Why did you ladies begin writing this book?

Both of us had always talked about writing a book, but fourteen years ago Sherrie said if we were ever going to write, maybe we should work on a book together. It would hold us accountable. We lived on different sides of the state of Oregon at the time, so we did a lot of it via e-mail, and once a month Sherrie would make the 250-mile drive to Christina's house and we'd work on it in person. We wanted to share a real look at depression and trying to be good enough to please God--what that might look like in a family's life.

Fourteen years? Really?

That's from the first word penned. The very first contest we entered, we actually talked about how we needed to decide how to fight off all the editors who'd be making offers. Instead, we found out we had a lot to learn! Attending writing conferences and reading craft books brought our writing to a higher level.

Tell us about On the Threshold.

We loved having the chance to tell this story! In fact, we have a few more stories to tell about these characters  if readers love this one. Here's what the book is about.

Suzanne—a mother with a long-held secret. Tony—a police officer with something to prove. Beth—a daughter with a storybook future. When all they love is lost, what's worth living for?

Suzanne Corbin and her daughter, Beth Harris, live a seemingly easy life. Suzanne has distanced herself from her past, replacing pain with fulfillment as a wife and mother, while Beth savors her husband’s love and anticipates the birth of their child. But all that is about to change.

Like a sandcastle buffeted by ocean waves, Suzanne’s façade crumbles when her perfect life is swept away. Tragedy strikes and police officer Tony Barnett intersects with the lives of both women as he tries to discover the truth. Left adrift and drowning in guilt long ignored, Suzanne spirals downward into paralyzing depression. Beth, dealing with her own grief, must face the challenge of forgiveness. Can these two women learn to trust each other again? Will they find the power of God’s grace in their lives?

 And a little about you?

Mother/daughter writing team Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Berry Tarabochia bring a voice of authenticity to this novel as they have experienced some of the same issues faced by these characters. They like to say they were separated at birth but share one brain, which allows them to write in a seamless stream. Both live in NW Oregon and love spending time together. Many years ago, they were both on a winning Family Feud team!

Sherrie is the Women's Ministry Director at her church, and loves being the grandma of eight and great-grandma of one. Christina is also the author of The Familiar Stranger, a Christy finalist and Carol Award winner, and runs a thriving editing business.

Please sign up for their Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter at Ashberry Lane for a chance to win cool prizes.

What about this contest?

If you help get the word out, you can earn different points for each thing you do, and every point represents an entry in the contest.

Say, for example, you name your next child “Threshold” in honor of our book. You would earn 100 points (entries), which would greatly increase your likelihood of winning.

Fine print to be read as quickly as those medical side effects are glossed over on TV: A certified copy of the birth certificate must be sent to Ashberry Lane proving the child was born between now and when the contest ends on June 30rd at 10 PM, PDT. Some restrictions apply, such as you must also promise not to change the child’s name to anything else for at least the next fifteen years. You are, however, allowed to use “Thresh” as his or her first name, and “Hold” as the middle.

If that seems like we’re asking a little too much, there are other ways for you to enter the contest.

~ Post about On the Threshold on Twitter or LinkedIn, or share the cover on Instagram or Pinterest, and you’ve doubled your points to TWO.

~ Refer someone to sign up for the newsletter. If he or she notes you as referrer, guess what? You just earned THREE points.

~ Blog about it and reap FOUR points. (We’re available for more blog interviews.)

~ And for those who buy the book (e-book or print copy), you will gain FIVE points.

~ Leave a review—positive or negative—on a retailing site after reading the book, and TEN points to you!

All you have to do to enter is drop us an email to Christina [at] ashberrylane [dot] net with a description of what you did. We trust you.

Here is a sample email:

Dear Sherrie and Christina,

Fortunately, my last name is Hold, so when my triplets were born yesterday, all I had to do was name them "On," "The," and "Thresh." (Yes, that makes a double "h," but without it, the name just looks silly and I don't want a kid with a funny name.) I also got the cover of On the Threshold tattooed on my arm, took a picture of it, and posted it on every possible social media site, including Facebook, though I understand I don't get points for anything done on there. Next, I forwarded the Infrequent, Humorous Newsletter to a few of my friends and ALL of my enemies. After reading the book in two hours, I posted an honest review on three different retail sites. Please enter my name 349 times.

Love,

Your #1 Fan

Or something like that. :)

Where else can we find you gals online?

 Buy the book, e-version or paperback, on Amazon or B&N or iTunes or in any other version on Smashwords. Sign up for the newsletter (all the kids are doing it!). If you want a signed copy mailed anywhere in the United States, email us. (Christina [at] ashberrylane [dot] net)

www.twitter.com/authorchristina

www.facebook.com/sherrie.ashcraft

www.facebook.com/authorchristina

www.christinaberry.net/

www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com

Thanks for hosting us!

Beth Vogt's "Catch a Falling Star"

1)   How did this story come to you?
Catch a Falling Star was prompted by a conversation I had with a good friend who was in her forties. She has a very fulfilling life in a lot of ways, and yet some of her hopes and dreams haven’t come true. Our conversation stayed with me because everyone deals with the reality that life doesn’t always go according to our plans. I took that reality and wove it into this novel.

2)   Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I originally pitched my editors another story idea – I’d even started fast-drafting it – but they decided they liked Catch a Falling Star and wanted me to write it. So I shelved the story I was writing and started bringing Kendall and Griffin to life.

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

1.) When I was 41, I found at I was pregnant. At the time, I had 3 teenagers, and having another baby was nowhere on my To Do list, not even as an optional activity. She was born on Christmas Eve and is truly an unexpected blessing from God.

2.) Thanks to my husband’s air force career, I lived in Turkey for two years.

3.) I’m a twin. I have a fraternal twin sister. We don’t look anything alike – except that we are both female. When we were growing up, we had a difficult time convincing people we were sisters, much less twins.

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

  I just submitted novel #3 to my editor. It’s titled Somebody Like You, and it’s another inspirational contemporary novel set in Colorado. One fun aspect is that it has a set of twins in the storyline.

5) Parting comments?

    I am a quote aficionado – I even have a blog (In Others’ Words), where I share quotes and invite readers to join the conversation and share insights. One of my favorite quotes is: “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” ~William Shakespeare (1564-1616) poet & playwright

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?

Website: bethvogt.com (http://bethvogt.com)
My blog, In Others’ Words, is embedded in my website. Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt?ref=hl
Twitter: bethvogt

Lisa Lickel's "Healing Grace"

Title: Healing Grace: a novel
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

 Cover blurb: Grace Runyon ran away from God. It took a very sick man and his little boy to make her face her past and find forgiveness.

 1) How did this story come to you?
I had been thinking about miracles, which led me to wonder how people perceive them; it we always realize when a miracle takes place and the general reaction. When I researched more, I came across the biblical gifts of the spirit and started wondering how those gifts would be manifest today, and if they would always be perceived as supernatural.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Healing Grace was originally published in 2009. It was the second book I wrote, and after getting the rights back, I was delighted with the opportunity to rework it and make it better.

 3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m finally ready to let my hair go natural. JJ Abrams has no idea of what made Star Trek so important. I’m a devoted Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers fan.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My current work in progress is a suspense – Running can’t erase their past. Lily runs to find help when her stepbrother is caught up in a kidnapping and insurance fraud scheme targeting her and her nephew; Cam runs to find peace when he’s exonerated after being falsely accused of sexual harassment. When they find each other, they may not be able to save each other.

 5) Parting comments?
There are still a few print versions of this book at online publishers. The book with the lavender cover is the old version – please don’t buy it by mistake. The new Healing Grace has been completely rewritten, re-edited and updated. I had a wonderful team of editors to work with. A print version of this new book will be available later in the year.

 6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is: http://www.lisalickel.com. From there you can find me elsewhere in online social media.

I can give away an electronic version of the book – Kindle, Nook, html or pdf.

 

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