CFBA Presents LOVE ON THE LINE by Deeanne Gist

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingLove on the LineBethany House (October 1, 2011)byDeeanne Gist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid to Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.


JEN'S THOUGHTS

Deeanne Gist remains one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. She always finds away to bring new, fresh twists to stories of days gone by. Love on the Line is no exception. I'm sure you'll enjoy this offereing from a master storyteller!

If you haven't tried one of Gist's books yet, check out Maid to Match, which is available right now as a free Kindle download.

Interview and Giveaway with Author Rose McCauley

It's a great pleasure to welcome back my dear friend (and debut author!) Rose McCauley.

Q:  What was your inspiration for Christmas Belles of Georgia?
A:  Jeanie Smith Cash came up with the idea and graciously asked me to join her and Debra Ullrick and Jeri Odell.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?
A:  Yes, I have written since a young child, but only started pursuing publication about 10 years ago.

Q:  How do you come up with your story ideas?
A:  Many different ways—something I see or hear or read about, or sometimes I come up a character first and then write a story about them.

Q:  How does your faith impact your writing?
A:  Like life, I think our faith should impact everything we do. I like to put my characters in situations that cause them to reach out to God for help or insight.

Q:  How long does it take you to complete a novel?
A:  Since this was a novella (20,000 words) I was able to write it in a month. How many drafts do you go through? After the initial writing, I sent it to 3 crit partners who gave me some suggestions, then I sent it to the other three authors in the collection for their suggestions, then made a few more and sent it in, so this book went through 4 minor drafts. I have a longer novel (over 80,000 words) that has gone through several drafts!)

Q:  Do you plot out your story ahead of time, or do you think it up as you go?
A:  Since Barbour requires a complete synopsis of the whole book, this story was well plotted out before I started, making the writing go faster, but there were still minor changes as I went. The first story I wrote I just started with my characters and took them on a journey, but that story took much longer to write and is not published! One of the things I learned from that experience is to have more structure before I start, but to still allow myself and my characters to change direction if needed to make it a more compelling story.

Q:  After becoming a published author, what surprised you the most?
A:  How much hard work still remained to market the book.

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer? 
A:  Keep studying the craft of writing, keep reading and keep writing.

Q:  If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
A:  Since I already had a career of 27 years of teaching, I am enjoying writing as my second career!

Q:  What does your family think about your crazy career?
A:  They are all very proud and supportive, and my husband has washed a lot of dishes in the past few years!

Q:  There’s been a lot said about the future of publishing and the possible death of the print book. What’s your take on eBooks, self-publishing, and such?
A:  I do not have a kindle, but my daughter and granddaughter do and love them. I have downloaded several books to my computer kindle but have not completed one yet! I still love to hold a book in my hands and I love to share my books with others, so will keep buying printed books.

Scenario: You’re about to be dropped off on a deserted island. You can take along one survival item, one book, and one person (living or dead… but they’ll be alive on the island). What and who do you take?
A:  I am very practical. I would take a blow-up mattress, a Bible, and my hubby. He is the McGyver-type, so he could build anything we needed!

Thanks for hosting me, Jen. This was a fun interview!

And thanks for joining us, Rose. I'm so happy for your success!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rose McCauley
Rose has been writing for over ten years and has been published in several non-fiction anthologies and devotionals. She is happy for this to be her first fiction anthology because Christmas books are her favorites. A retired schoolteacher who has been happily married to her college sweetheart for 41 years, she is also mother to three grown children and their spouses and grandmother to three lovely, lively kids! You can reach her through her website http://www.rosemccauley.com/ or blogsite at http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Nick’s Christmas Carol in Christmas Belles of Georgia

“God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:6

Nick Powers worked hard to earn his college degree and his dream job. He doesn’t know what to expect when he finds out new owners will be taking over Bellingham Plantation soon. When Carol Wells comes to town, she and Nick get off to a rocky start, but soon combine forces to make Christmas a happier time for others. Can they find their own Christmas happiness?

WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Christmas Belles of Georgia, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday, October 14th. (NOTE: This time round, US addresses only. Thanks.) Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Interview and Giveaway with Author Alice J. Wisler

It's my pleasure to welcom Alice J. Wisler to the blog.

Q:  What was your inspiration for A Wedding Invitation?
A:  I received a wedding invitation intended for the previous owner of my house. The invitation was beautiful and the reception was to be held at a country club in New York. I wondered: What if I crashed this wedding? Instead, I let my main character end up at the wrong wedding.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?
A:  Yes, ever since I was in first grade and I wrote stories with stick-figure illustrations and stapled them together.

Q:  Do you plot out your story ahead of time, or do you think it up as you go?
A:  I plot ahead of time. Publishers want a synopsis, so this makes me go deep into the story and get it all lined up before I set out to write it.

Q:  What’s your favorite part of the writing business? What’s your least favorite?
A:  I love it when I’m about ¾ of the way through writing a novel. That’s when I love, love, love to spend all my time writing. Hours pass and I’m in my own world. Sometimes I even forget to eat.

Q:  After becoming a published author, what surprised you the most?
A:  What do you mean Oprah doesn’t know who I am? :)

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer?
A:  Don’t give up. Keep writing to improve your voice and the craft.

Q:  If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
A:  I’m sure I would have discovered some drug that would help others and earn me millions.

Q:  What event, writer, or book has most impacted your writing life?
A:  The cancer-related death of my four-year-old son Daniel in 1997 has impacted my writing more than anything else. He was a sweetheart and I miss him each day.

Q:  What’s the one far out sci-fi technology you’d most like to see become a household item?
A:  A robot that cleans the entire house with one press of a button.

Thanks for taking the time to visit with us, Alice. Blessings to you!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alice J. Wisler is the author of RAIN SONG (Christy Finalist 2009), HOW SWEET IT IS (Christy Finalist 2010), HATTERAS GIRL and A WEDDING INVITATION----all by Bethany House Publishers. In memory of her son, she teaches online grief-writing courses---Writing the Heartache---and at conferences across the country. Visit her website: http://www.alicewisler.com/.

ABOUT THE BOOK: A Wedding Invitation
Samantha Bravencourt ends up at the wrong wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and from there, the past starts to come alive. She meets Lien, a former student from her days of teaching English-as-a-second-language at a refugee camp in the Philippines as well as Carson, the man who taught with her, the man who broke her heart. Now she and Carson are asked to help Lien find her mother before Lien's wedding date. Why is the past so hard to forgive? And dare she take another chance on love?


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of A Wedding Invitation, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday, October 10th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!