Work in Progress blog hop - The Last Detail pique!

Greetings! And welcome to another blog hop! I'm following the fabulous Teena Stewart, who is one of my co-conspirators on Brave New Century, a historical novella collection from the Prism Book Group, coming...sometime!

Teena blogged on June 6.  But our book isn't the one I'm talking up today - this one is the latest I've been blessed to sign with Prism, all on my own.

 

What is the working title of your next book? It's called The Last Detail.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Several years ago I met a good friend half way between our homes for a weekend catch-up and getaway--this happened to be at Peru-LaSalle, Illinois, and one of the parks we visited was Starved Rock State Park. It had such a neat history, as well as the gruesome story of a murder in the 1950s. A local author wrote about this murder, and for me, the idea morphed into what would happen when people die who have no family to clean up after them? The fictional business The Last Detail was born. The story takes place in this area, in a fictional community, of course, called Fox Falls, and uses Starved Rock park often.

In what genre does your book fall?

 I hope it will be contemporary fiction.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

 Ug - this is not something I think about. I'm terrible at this! I suppose a Ben Affleck-Amy Adams couple would work.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

 All Christian marriages should be perfect, right?

Who is publishing your book?

 The Prism Group. Thanks, Marcy!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

 

About six weeks.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I think a little of Cynthia Ruchti's book, They Almost Always Come Home, which is also not a genre romance, but of rekindling what was lost. Contemporary is hard to categorize, because although there's love and romance in there, the story is more about keeping it alive after, and I think that's what makes for good conversation. Probably Jodi Picoult's books.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to talk about marriage--the way men and women perceive each other while they're getting to know each other; how we think we're doing God's will when He has other plans in mind; how even after we get what we want, it's hard, hard, hard work making marriage be the blessing it's meant to be. Sometimes we're so busy doing for God or following our own path, we forget to take time out for each other.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

 

The characters aren't based on my oldest son and his wife, but it was interesting that I was writing about a missionary who never planned to marry, which was something my son's wife had thought about in her life at one point, and a young woman who was very safe in her own little community, with no desire to change anything.

Find more news and more books on my website.
~Lisa Lickel

 

Follow along on our hop by visiting the fabulous Karla Akins next!    

Where's Zack? Keeping kids reading in summer

Keeping children reading during the summer months can be a challenge, but this summer there’s help. New Christian Books Online Magazine is holding a summer reading quest for readers nine and up called Where’s Zack?

 

 

There will be lot of wholesome reading materials, both articles and short stories, posted free at the magazine at http://www.songsfromtheword.com/NewChristianBooks  The focus will be on finding Zack, the fictitious 13-year-old who disappears in the Florida backwoods in Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery by Cheryl Rogers.

 

In the e-book, Zack battles nature for 30 hours until being found by a search helicopter and airlifted to safety. Now Zack disappears again, this time during his family’s summer vacation.

 

During the month of June, visitors will read about the family’s vacation destinations and modes of travel. By June 30, they’ll need to guess were he disappears this time. They will be able to choose from a multiple-choice listing on an online form. Everyone will receive free e-books.

 

“Those who correctly guess where he separates from his family will be given the next Bible Camp Mystery slated for release later this year. It is called Alone in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery,” says Rogers, who publishes New Christian Books Online Magazine.

 

The e-books will be awarded in early July, leaving participants with more wholesome content for the rest of their summer. No purchase is required to enter the quest. Readers of any age may participate (one entry per person, please).

 

New Christian Books Online Magazine features new book announcements, book excerpts, Bible-based living columns, digital book news, features and author marketing news, plus an online store and affiliate program.

 

Learn more about the quest at http://www.songsfromtheword.com/NewChristianBooks/summer-reading-quest

Jody Hedlund - Christian Author Interviews

Welcome to Christian Author Interviews.
Enjoy our interview with Jody Hedlund, an award-winning historical romance novelist, in this episode. Listen in via the video or audio and share your thoughts in the comments.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below and share this interview with your friends!


Listen to the audio here:

 

About Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling books, The Preacher's Bride and Unending Devotion. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children. Her latest book, A Noble Groom, just released.

Follow Jody Hedlund Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

 

Books Mentioned in the Interview

The Doctor's Lady

The Preacher's Bride

Unending Devotion

Rebellious Heart

A Noble Groom

Enter to Win a Paperback Copy of A Noble Groom!

Enter below to enter the giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Christian Author Interviews is hosted by Shelley Hitz of Crossreads and Body and Soul Publishing. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads bloggers!

Pay attention to the enemy of your soul.

Three Reasons to Listen to the Enemy

By Lynn Hare

 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (ESV)

Pay attention to the enemy of your soul. He’s got something you need.

Following a car accident in February, I was laid up with leg, back, neck, and facial injuries. By March, I was still in so much pain, I couldn’t even get comfortable in bed.

I told my husband, “This morning I didn’t want to get out of bed. The pain is winning.” My head dropped to my chest.

But I listened for Jesus’ voice. I heard Him whisper, “Those thoughts are not yours. The enemy is in your head.”

How do we wage war? By listening to the enemy. Here are three reasons:

1.) The enemy will show you where on the battlefield to fight.

When we hear, “I’m not making any progress,” we need to look for growth.

When I said, “I’m not getting better,” I frowned at the bald-faced lie. “Hey,” I said, “No wonder I’m under attack. I’m about to improve!” Determined, I rode my exercise bike and stretched my leg muscles. I was rewarded with a surge of energy. The next day, instead of two crutches, I was on one.

2. Like negatives from a camera, the enemy shows you the reverse of the truth.

Like photos developed in a dark room, black becomes white. Red turns green. Yellow is soon purple. When the enemy shows us an image, we need to declare its precise opposite.

I caught myself saying, “I feel lonely and isolated.” But then I glanced at the stack of get-well-soon cards and meals friends had dropped off. “NO!” I said aloud. “I have lots of friends!”

I determined to write two letters of encouragement each night.

3.) The enemy unwittingly drops hints that point to our future.

When I looked in the mirror, I thought, “Look at the swelling over my eye. What a loser!”

But instead, I looked ahead to what God was shaping me to become. I said aloud, “I’m a winner!” I doubled my words of encouragement to others. Several told me they were uplifted and strengthened.

And now the enemy was no longer in my head. I grinned, leaned forward and asked, “What else have you got?” He scowled and backed away. “Forget it.”

Lynn Hare Bio:

Author, speaker, and certified teacher Lynn Hare enthusiastically provides grace-filled messages about encouragement, prayer, and practicing the presence of the Holy Spirit. A member of Oregon Christian Writers, she lives in Portland with her husband, Tim, of thirty-two years. Her inspirational pieces appear in numerous Christian periodicals. Website: www.lynnhare.com

 

Barbara Derksen talks about her new FindersKeepers mystery series

Meet Barbara Derksen, Prolific writer! 

Barbara, how long did it take you to write your latest book?

            I usually finish one mystery a year but I also did a devotional and a children’s book this past winter. I write mostly in the winter because we are on the road all summer for Christian Motorcyclists Association. Shadow Stalker was started last summer but completed over this long winter we’ve had. 

Barbara, what three things do you know now about the publishing world that you wish you knew when you first started?

            My first mystery was written before I attended any writer’s conferences. I did not understand POV and that would have been very helpful. I also envisioned being discovered like other artists and now know that to be fallacy for most of the really good writers out there. I don’t know if I would have done things differently, but the knowledge would have caused me to think about my audience more. I read a book early on about marketing but I had no idea how many steps it takes to get a book seen by the buying public. Marketing is huge and that knowledge may have given me pause to reconsider writing … but maybe not. 

What have you learned about writing and yourself since you started your most current project?

            I‘ve learned to pace myself, to include in my characters’ lives what the Holy Spirit is teaching me spiritually, and how important it is to edit, edit, and edit some more.  

Tell us a little about your books, especially your latest release.

            I write devotionals with a target audience of bikers since that’s who we minister to all summer. Each one builds on the one before so all six can build spiritually into a person’s life in a major way. God is using them all across the country including men’s bible studies. Straight Pipes, Two-Up, Chrome, Chaps, Road Trip, and this year, More Than Bells, speak to anyone who wants to listen and, ‘ve been told, God meets them in the pages.

            My children’s stories have come about because I have grandchildren. Building a subtle truth from God’s Word into their lives is my motivation and I meet many grandparents at biker rallies who want to take something home to their grand-kids. The stories are about animals with kids names who teach some of their characteristics to the readers but also talk of a Creator and pray and such.

            My third genre is the mysteries. I began with a mystery but I pulled Mind Trap so I could rewrite now that I’ve learned so much about the craft. Then I wrote a four book series, Wilton/Strait Mystery Series. Vanished, Presumed Dead, Fear Not, and Silence take two people, virtual strangers who share the same church, on many adventures to solve mystery, find missing people, and point the authorities in the right direction to capture some evil people. Andrea Wilton and Brian Strait grow spiritually through the series and relationally as well.

            My latest book, Shadow Stalker, is the first in a new series, the Finders Keepers Mystery Series. Shadow Stalker begins with a five year old girl, Melissa Rompart, who watches her parents’ death by the hands of a man who stalks her through life to kill her too. As an adult, Christine Finder, alias Melissa Rompart, has returned to her home country and city to embark on a search of her own with a sideline for tracking missing people.  She teams up with Jeremy Goodman, a strong believer who shares how God leads in his life. Christine is a skeptic.

What marketing techniques have worked the best for you?

            I’m not sure any one works better than any other. I use whatever I can to get my name out there, from interviews, live and on the internet, TV appearances, live radio, or social media. Meeting the public at book tables, signings, readings, etc. adds familiarity. Marketing takes time and work. Like a musical artist, we have to keep our name in front of people so anyway we accomplish that works.

Who in the profession would you most like to sit down with, and what would you ask?

I would like to find a publicity specialist to find out how they find the interviews, and other media events for their clients. I’d like to pick their brain about the files they’ve accumulated and what criteria they use to distinguish a good interview from a poor one. But moistly, I’d want enough money from my sales to hire one so I wouldn’t have to use valuable writing time to do the marketing.

About the book:

An ominous shadow hangs over her, as Christine Finder,  alias Melissa Rompart, visits the brutal slaying of her parents most nights in a dream.  The threat of discovery propels her to search for the whereabouts of the killer to see the man brought to justice. In the meantime, the killer stalks her mind while she operates Finder’s Keepers, an agency that searches for the people her clients hire her to find. Nathan Brent is only four years old and missing. Will she find him in time or will the killer find her first?

Amazon.com 

Amazon author page

LinkedIn

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Facebook fan page

Google+ 

website

Shadow Stalker page on website (read excerpt and order)

 About the author:

Watching the expressions on the faces of her readers, as well as answering questions about her characters, is what drives author and speaker, Barbara Ann Derksen to write yet another book and another. Her favorite genre is murder mystery but each book brings forth characters who rely on God as they solve the puzzle in their life.

Barbara’s devotionals are sought after each year when she publishes a new one that reflects what God has placed on her heart. From Straight Pipes, her first, to More Than Bells, Preparation for Prayer, the latest, Barbara’s devotions take people to the place where God can touch their heart and leave a lasting impression. When people stop by her table for the latest, they talk to her about using the devotions in their chapter meetings, or their personal devotions. Some men return at their pastor’s request because the books are used as launch pads for men’s bible study. Many copies have been passed on to new believers as discipling tools.

Born in Canada, Barbara lived in the US for 12 years. There her writing surfaced as she worked under contract as a journalist for six years with over 2500 articles published in newspapers and magazines during that time. Meeting and interviewing people, digging for the hidden gems in their lives, made those years informative as well as instructive. She began attending Colorado Christian Writer’s Conferences and each year, under the tutelage of great Christian writer’s like James Scott Bell, Angela Hunt, and others, she honed her skills.

Barbara has developed a speaking platform and has spoken across the US and in Manitoba, Canada for women’s groups and in church services on topics such as The Writing Experience, working in the ministry of Christian Motorcyclists Association, Love, Parenting, Time Management, and a host of others.

With 17 books to her credit, one currently inactive and awaiting revision, each one surpasses the last, according to her readers. They look forward to discovering the new characters in a new series Finders Keepers. Book One – Shadow Stalker – is now available.

Writing, however is simply a tool to be used in the ministry she shares with her husband. With his gift of music (he sings country gospel), Barbara and her husband operate CatchFire Ministries, a ministry to bikers through Christian Motorcyclists Association. They travel for four to five months every summer in the US and the rest of the time in Canada where they seek to inspire, encourage and invite people into a deeper ministry with Jesus Christ. They also minister at Veterans Homes and churches along the way and are about to begin a ministry to Juvenile offenders incarcerated at Manitoba Youth Center. The mysteries include a gospel message that opens her readers to the possibility of reading books written from a Christian World view and supply funds for CatchFire.

 

 

 

CrossReads Book Blast: Wacky Wishes by Susette Williams, Illustrated by Jack Foster - Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

 

Title: Wacky Wishes By Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator

About the Book:

Tommy and Suzie find a wishing well and like children do, they begin making wishes. Imagine their surprise when their wishes start to come true! Are spacesuits the new dress code at school? What’s Tommy going to do with three heads? You’ve heard of, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” When Tommy and Suzie's wishing gets out of hand, will they be able to wish away the mess they've created before their wishes run out?

Buy on Kindle  
Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator Susette Williams is a Best Selling Author. She loves writing various genres, both for children and adults. She usually can't resist the urge to let her ornery sense of humor shine through in one of her characters and has always believed that laughter helps you deal with the obstacles life puts in your way. Susette and her husband have six wonderful children, all with intriguing and different personalities, like the characters she creates in her novels. Jack Foster has illustrated over 25 children's books. He is a Sunday school teacher, art teacher and the father of five terrific children and eleven wonderful grand kids. He lives just outside of Chicago with his lovely wife, dog and cat. Check out his work at www.jacksillustrations.blogspot.com Follow Susette Williams Website | Facebook | Twitter

Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Enter below to enter a $25 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!

Meet Linda Carroll-Bradd, author of The Ring That Binds

The Ring That Binds

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

 

 

Linda, what do you love about this book?

I love the small personal feel to this story that contains fewer than ten characters.

 

Introduce us to the story and one character—any one.

In The Ring That Binds (a western historical novella that spent 7 weeks on Kindle Top 100 western romance list), a widowed seamstress Celina strives to earn enough money to provide a happy Christmas for her 4-year old daughter, Keena. Co-owner of the general store, Mikel Toussaint has his eye on Celina and wishes for the chance to make her life a bit easier. Mikel is an emigrant from the Basque region of Spain. He and his older brother, Danel, arrived about four years earlier than the story’s 1884 setting. Mikel is effusive, generous and not shy about the fact his English is sometimes rough. He loves little Keena and slips her treats whenever he can. The gesture he makes at the conclusion of the story brought tears to my eyes as I wrote it.

 

What one new thing did you learn during the research of this book?

I learned that Aspen, Colorado experienced a big silver mining strike in the early 1880s that boomed when the railroad reached the town in 1887 and provided the means to transport large quantities of the ore.

 

What’s your best marketing tip?

Join blog hops with themes or genres that match your book. Through the association with other authors writing similar stories, you reach a wider audience of potential readers.

BUY LINKS

Prism Book Group 

Amazon 

B&N 

Smashwords

 

About the author: 

As a child, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about characters having exciting adventures in places far away. Upon reaching a landmark birthday, she decided to write one of those romances she loved so much. Easier said than done. Perseverance paid out and twelve years later, she received her first call from a publisher and a confession story was published. Now Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor, and many have a tie to her previous home of Texas.

Linda currently lives in the southern California mountains with her husband of 34 years and their two spoiled dogs, Shiba Inu Keiko and terrier mix Phoenix.

For more information, find Linda here:

www.lindacarroll-bradd.com

http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com