Author Connie Stevens Shares About the Scars We All Bear

Today's special post is from author Connie Stevens.

Have you ever wanted to hide? I’m not talking about playing hide and seek as a child or crouching behind furniture and jumping out to yell “Surprise!” to someone. I’m not even referring to ducking behind a display in a store because you just spotted your nosey neighbor and didn’t want to be engaged in an hour-long gossip session. There are some people who have found themselves in a dangerous situation and attempted to hide for protection, and of course we see news reports all the time about those who commit crimes and hide from the police.

In my latest book, SCARS OF MERCY, the main character, Everett, wants to hide. He’s not in trouble or danger. He doesn’t want to surprise anyone. His desire is to be alone. In fact, he wishes he could hide from himself. As this story unfolds, Everett loathes his own reflection. He survived the boardinghouse fire, but lives daily with the marks left by the flames. While he is grateful for his new-found faith, he doesn’t understand why God would allow the disfiguring scars, and he assumes he is destined to live a solitary existence.

We all live with scars—some are physical and visible. Others are emotional and known only to us. Regardless of whether other people can see our scars, human instinct drives us to hide those scars from the world. There is a deep, indwelling longing within us to be perfect, and when we aren’t, misplaced shame and humiliation compels us to seek a refuge. But where do we go to hide? Do we build a wall around ourselves? Do we withdraw from people? Sometimes painful experiences can motivate us to do that. It’s a defensive mechanism many of us have used at one time or other. Whatever our purpose, such actions always result in the same thing—loneliness.

In SCARS OF MERCY, Everett’s refuge was self-imposed solitude. Despite his loneliness, he might have been content to shut himself off from the world except for one thing—Tillie O’Dell. This feisty young woman sees Everett’s scars as noble and heroic, and she wishes she could make him see himself the way she does—the way God does. In trying to do so, she finds herself falling in love with Everett, changed from the hurtful, arrogant man he was to one redeemed and restored. This is much the way God sees us when we give ourselves over to Him.

I am reminded of the story in Jeremiah, chapter eighteen, in which the prophet went down to the potter’s house and watched the potter working on a vessel. But the vessel was marred—flawed—in the hands of the potter. So he started over again and remade the vessel into one of beauty and usefulness. This is a story of hope and second chances. The potter didn’t destroy or discard the clay. He reworked it. The flaw didn’t matter because the potter knew how to work around it. There was no need to hide the flawed vessel because the potter made it beautiful.

SCARS OF MERCY is a love story, but not just between Everett and Tillie. This story is an invitation to see God’s mighty, unwavering love for us, and how He wants us to hide ourselves in Him. Scars--whether visible or invisible, real or imagined, physical or emotional or spiritual--don’t have to be debilitating, because we have a God who hides us in the hollow of His hand.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You
are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light
about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You.
But the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Psalm 139: 7-12 (NKJV)

SCARS OF MERCY releases this month with Heartsong Presents, and is the third book in the Willow Creek series.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connie Stevens lives in north Georgia with her husband of thirty-eight years, John, and one cantankerous kitty. She and John are active in a variety of capacities in their home church. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gardening, sewing, reading, browsing antique stores, and collecting teddy bears. An avid Atlanta Braves fan, don’t call her while there is a game on. Visit Connie’s website at www.conniestevenswrites.com


ABOUT THE BOOK
Everett Behr turns away from people to hide his disfiguring scars. A budding friendship with Tillie O’Dell eases his loneliness, but asking her to endure the humiliation of being with someone like him is out of the question. Tillie sees past Everett’s scars to his heart. His courage and compassion make him a man of character, but how can she convince Everett his scars are beautiful to her?


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Scars of Mercy, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday, August 29th. 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 & Book Giveaway with Author Connie Stevens

A big HELLO to today's guest, Heartsong Presents author Connie Stevens!

Q:  What was your inspiration for REVEALING FIRE?
A:  The main characters in REVEALING FIRE were minor characters in my first book, LEAVE ME NEVER. Both Pearl and Hubert are in their mid-fifties—their “September years”. I so fell in love with these two people while writing the first book, I knew I had to give them their own story.

Q:How does your faith impact your writing?
A:  I’ve been asked this question before and my answer is always the same. It’s imperative that everything I write is God-honoring. Because it was God who carved out my writing path, I MUST write to please Him. If I’m not writing for God, what’s the point? From the day I learned I was getting my first contract, I began praying for my readers. That is such an awesome responsibility because at some point I know that unbelievers might pick up my book and I want them to see Jesus in the lives of the characters and understand how He works in their lives.

Q:  Do you plot out your story ahead of time, or do you think it up as you go?
A:  I do both. I plot out the major points and character arcs. I have a general idea of where the story is going and how I’m going to get to The End. But in every book I’ve written, my characters have taken me on unplanned detours. In most cases, they had better ideas than I did, so I followed along to see where we’d end up. (My husband keeps trying to tell me these people aren’t real.)

Q:  How long does it take you to complete a novel? How many drafts do you go through?
A:  My writing schedule is an ever-evolving process. It used to take me 8-9 months to write a book, but I wasn’t following a schedule. Once I had more than one contract and deadlines, (throw content edits, copy edits, and galley edits into the mix) I knew I had to be better organized. Now I can turn out a book (50K words) in approximately three and half months. Because I edit as I go, and as I get my chapters back from my crit partners, I don’t do several drafts—usually only two.

Q:  What’s your favorite part of the writing business? What’s your least favorite?
A:  My favorite part is the creating and the research. I love historical research. My least favorite is probably the content edits (No offense, Rachel J)

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer?
A:  Don’t quit. God won’t start something in your life that He doesn’t intend to finish, so hang in there.

Q:  What’s the one far out sci-fi technology you’d most like to see become a household item?
A:  This is a funny question since I write historical romance, not sci-fi. My husband is the science fiction fan in our house, and I don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars, but I wouldn’t mind having a robot—like the one on The Jetsons. What was her name? Rosie? Rosie cleaned, and did laundry, and cooked the meals. Yeah, I’d like to have a Rosie.

I'd like to have, Rosie, too. Good choice :+} Thanks for joining us today, Connie. It was a pleasure!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connie Stevens lives in her favorite place in all the world, within sight of the beautiful mountains of north Georgia. She and John, her husband of thirty-seven years, share their home with one cantankerous kitty, misnamed Sweet Pea. When Connie isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, browsing antique stores, sewing, and collecting teddy bears. She also likes making quilts to send to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Visit her website at www.conniestevenswrites.com or look for her on Facebook.

ABOUT THE BOOK - Revealing Fire
Pearl Dunnigan is in her “September years”, well beyond the age when most women fall in love. She married her childhood sweetheart years ago. Now, as a widow, she operates the only boardinghouse in Willow Creek, Iowa, and is content with life . . . until Hubert dares to convince her to dream again.

During Hubert Behr’s youth, blind ambition and careless actions destroyed his family and his marriage. Have the lessons he’s learned since then made him worthy of a second chance, or has his past made him unsuitable for love? Hubert is willing to try again, but what will Pearl say when she learns his secrets?

Hubert’s estranged son arrives in town, and his anger and scorn threaten to undo Hubert’s and Pearl’s plans. When all the truth is revealed, will their love be destroyed or refined by fire?

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest . . . because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 

1st Corinthians 3:13

WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Revealing Fire, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday, May 20th. 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 & Book Giveaway with Author Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Welcome to romance novelist Shannon Taylor Vannatter!

Q:  What was your inspiration for this series?
A:  In the first book in the series, White Roses, I mentioned a bleached blond clad only in a towel who had wrecked the heroine’s romance. When my editor asked if the book could be made into a series, I immediately thought of the bleached blond. I wanted to explore what would shape her character and what it would take to tame her. With book two, White Doves, an illegitimate son was revealed, so White Pearls wrapped up that story and I knew I wanted to set it in a historical plantation house in Rose Bud, AR. It’s one of those houses I can never drive by without craning my neck to look. They used the actual house on the cover.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?
A:  I had one creative writing class in the 3rd grade and I loved it. But that was all, so I never even thought of being a writer. I had a story in my head from the time I was fifteen, but never knew what to do with it. Finally at about thirty, I realized it could be a book, but didn’t start writing until three years later.

Q:  How does your faith impact your writing?
A:  It just comes out. The very first book I wrote was supposed to be a clean romance, but my characters kept talking to God. That’s when I learned there was an inspirational market.

Q:  How do you deal with writer’s block?
A:  I’ve only had it once and I thought it was a myth until then. I’m a seat of the pants writer. I usually know how the book will begin, a couple of big turning points, and how it will end. For the second book in the series, I had to write the chapter by chapter synopsis before writing the book. When it came time to write the book with a deadline hanging over my head and the book already plotted out, I had my first case of writer’s block. I thought it was a myth until then. I went to a writers’ workshop taught by Kaye Dacus. She mentioned she was a pantser and how hard it is for her to write a synopsis before the book. So after the class I asked for advice. She said to put away the synopsis and work on something else until it was out of my head, then write the book. I did it and it worked. The words starting flying.

Q:  Do you treat yourself to something special when a project is completed?
A:  High heel shoes. I love them and have probably fifty pair, but my closet is overflowing, so I’m going to have to come up with something else.

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer?
A:  Join a local writers’ group and attend conferences. Join a national group geared toward your genre and attend all the national conferences you can afford.

Q:  What do you think about writing contests? Have you participated in any? What’s the benefit to an unpublished writer?
A:  I entered four or five contests and got 2nd place in two of them. I learned so much from the judges’ feedback. Some of it is subjective, but if two judges’ said the same thing, I paid attention. I learned to pray about the comments and then make changes accordingly. I recommend entering contests with feedback or where the final judge is an editor from the house you’re interested in.

Q:  What event, writer, or book has most impacted your writing life?
A:  American Christian Fiction Writers. I’ve attended the conference since 2005 and finally joined in 2007. If not for ACFW, I’d probably still be unpublished. Specific workshop: It all came together for me at the early bird in 2008. Margie Lawson’s EDITs class. The scales fell from my eyes and I knew what should be in a book and what shouldn’t. If writers ever get the opportunity, they should take it. She offers a lesson packet on her website.

Q:  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’m cheating here. My survival item would be my husband. I don’t rough it well, so I’d need him to survive. The book would be the Bible. And the person would be our son.

Thanks for visiting, Shannon. It was great fun!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shannon Taylor Vannatter married her high school sweetheart. Since then her husband answered the call to preach and they became first-time parents 16 ½ years into their marriage. She is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife.

White Roses, White Doves, and White Pearls is her first series with Heartsong Presents. All three books are set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas. Brides and lovebirds take advantage of the re-mailing program to have wedding invitations and Valentines cards mailed from Romance with a unique postmark. Romance also hosts several annual weddings with Valentine’s Day the most popular date.

The 18th Annual Heartsong Awards named her #3 Favorite New Author, White Roses as #1 Contemporary Novel and #2 Favorite Contemporary Cover, and White Doves as #8 Contemporary Novel and #1 Favorite Contemporary Cover. She is currently working on a Texas rodeo series contracted with Heartsong Presents.

Learn more about Shannon and her books at http://shannonvannatter.com/. She’s active on Facebook: facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter and Twitter: @stvauthor.

ABOUT THE BOOK - White Pearls
Shell doesn’t have a good reputation…

But no matter what everyone in Rose Bud, Arkansas, thinks of her, she’s back in town with a job to do. She’ll stick it out and make the best of things. But why does Ryler have to be the landscaper on this project? She was just getting her heart under control.

Ryler has his own reasons for being in Rose Bud, and they don’t include Shell. Spying on his birth family was going to be hard enough. He doesn’t have time to worry about a woman who dumped him…even if his heart says otherwise.

But God’s love can change even the hardest heart. In the light of His presence, even the darkest past can be overcome. They may not know it, but the people of Rose Bud are about the change!


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of White Pearls, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Tuesday, May 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!

Meet Historical Fiction Author Amber Stockton - Interview & Giveaway!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tiffany Amber Stockton is an author, online marketing consultant, and web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart, and their baby daughter in Colorado. They also have a vivacious Border Collie mix named Roxie. Amber has sold eight books to Barbour Publishing with more on the horizon. Other writing credits include five short stories for Romancing the Christian Heart, and contributions to Grit for the Oyster and 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage. Her goal in writing is to convey the message that God is always present, even during the most difficult circumstances. Read more about her at her web site: http://www.amberstockton.com/.


GETTING TO KNOW HER

JA: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
AS: I can't say for certain, but I have always been a storyteller. My parents said I was forever embellishing every story I told to the point that they would step in and tell the story how it really happened. To me, the real truth wasn't interesting enough, so I had to add some flair to it. I suppose writing books came naturally. :)

JA: How does your faith impact your writing?
AS: It's essential and breathes from every word I write. My underlying goal with every story I write is that my readers will see evidence of God's presence in their lives, no matter what the circumstances. I have been blessed with a strong, unwavering faith for most of my life, and that faith has sustained me through may difficult circumstances. I would love for my readers to have that as a takeaway from my novels.

JA: How long does it take to complete a novel? How many drafts do you go through?
AS: Depends on how long the novel is. For the ones I've sold so far, I can write one of them in 2 weeks. For a trade-length, I could do it in 1 month. I'm a fast writer, and I usually only go through 1 complete draft with a phase of revisions before sending it off to my editor. Of course, once my editor gets it, then come the revisions in the content edit stage, followed by the copy edit stage and finally the galley stage. So, if those count, that would make 5 drafts in all.

JA: Do you treat yourself to something special when a project is completed?
AS: Usually, my husband and I go out to eat somewhere special to celebrate. And we splurge...but only after the 2nd half of my advance arrives. :) Otherwise, we'd feel guilty about spending frivolously when we could likely put the money to good use somewhere else. But the advance money is book money, so we feel splurging is justified.

JA: What does your family think about your crazy career?
AS: Actually, since my husband is also a published author, he understands. *winks* And he's just as nutty as I am, if not more so. I mean, he writes science fiction. You HAVE to be a nut job to write that genre. LOL!

JA: What’s the one far out sci-fi technology you’d most like to see become a household item?
AS: The replicator from Star Trek. That thing that produces whatever food item you ask of it, with all the embellishments and spices, and cooked just the way you want it. Can you imagine the time it would save if you could just ask for your meals and poof? There they are! Yeah, that is one household item with which I could easily become spoiled.

Thanks for visiting with us, Amber. Many blessings on your many projects!


WIN A BOOK
If you’d like to be entered in today's book giveaway, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on December 15th. The winner will get their choice of one of Amber's books. (NOTE: This one is restricted to residents of the United States and Canada.) 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!

More about Amber's latest series...

Copper and Candles
Barbour Publishing/Heartsong Presents Book 1 of Michigan historical series (HP #843)
At Christianbook.com or Amazon.com
Release date: April 2009
ISBN-10: 1602603405
ISBN-13: 9781602603400

A young lady of means discovers that keeping secrets, no matter how noble the intent, demands a price that she and a refinery worker, with all their resources, might not be able to pay.— Society teas and garden parties, shopping, gossip—Life as a young lady of means may be fun, but Felicity wants to do more. Unfortunately, she finds that her position and wealth can sometimes hinder her efforts to help those around her in need. Thus, when a charity case falls ill and cannot work, Felicity determines to go to work as a commoner in Detroit's dangerous factory district. Relationships become complicated, however, and she soon finds herself falling in love with a worker from the copper refinery next door. She knows her family would never accept him as a suitor, but what's a girl to do? What she doesn't know is that Brandt has his own secrets and hides his identity just as carefully as she. Brandt and Felicity soon discover that deception—no matter how noble its intent—demands a price that even they, with all their resources, may not be able to pay. Can they survive the storm when truth is revealed?
Read the first chapter here.

Hearts and Harvest
Barbour Publishing/Heartsong Presents Book 2 of Michigan historical series (HP #867)
Christianbook.com 
Release date: September 2009
ISBN-10: 1602605769
ISBN-13: 9781602605763

A destitute young man fights society's mores to win the hand of his privileged sweetheart.— William's is a true riches to rags story...Once members of Detroit's elite society, the Berringer family lost everything they had in the financial crash of 1893. From a life of influence and privilege, they now find themselves working a potato patch alongside immigrants and other destitute folk on borrowed land. William's resentment toward his current situation—and mostly toward God for allowing it—simmers barely beneath the surface. All it takes is one charitable visit to the fields from a lovely society darling to burst his façade of acceptance. Annabelle Lawson, convicted by her pastor's admonishing words, begins delivering food and water to the workers on her father's donated land. But as she learns the stories of the people who work there, she becomes increasingly drawn to their plight. Especially that of the inscrutable William Berringer. Can Annabelle and William overcome the stigma placed upon his family by a society that once embraced them? Will her parents remember their own meeting or forbid this budding romance altogether?
Read the first chapter here

Patterns and Progress
Barbour Publishing/Heartsong Presents Book 3 of Michigan historical series (HP# )
Christianbook.com
Release date: December 2009
ISBN-10: 1602606870
ISBN-13: 9781602606876

A farmer's daughter would rather turn back the hands of time than accept the fact that advancement in technology could be in God's plan.— Shannon Delaney was right. Every time she might consider changing her stance on what other people called progress, something bad would happen and she would be proven right again. Take the day Jacob Berringer almost ran her over in that new Model-T, for instance. And he had the nerve to suggest she'd been daydreaming? Or the Titanic. A marvel of modern invention. Look where that got them. Or how about the new tractor her brother insisted they try out. What did he get from that? A broken arm. Why can't things just stay the way they are—the way they should be? Jacob's got his work cut out for him, proving to the stubborn but beautiful Shannon that just because he works for the Henry Ford Company, he isn't evil incarnate. But something about her tells him she's worth the effort, and when Jacob puts his mind to something, he doesn't turn back. But will either of them look to God for direction?
Read the first chapter here

CFBA presents DECEPTIVE PROMISES by Amber Miller

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingDeceptive PromisesBarbour Publishing, Inc (2008) byAmber Miller


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi, I'm Amber, but my friends call me Tiff, short for Tiffany, my first name. I am in my 30's, married the love of my life in July 2007, live in Colorado and just had an incredibly beautiful daughter named Victoria.

I love to travel and visit new places. Ultimately, my dream is to own horses and live in a one-level rancher or log cabin nestled in the foothills of the mountains. For now, I will remain where I am and do what I love—design web sites and write.

I got involved with web design in 1997, when I was asked to take over running the official web site for the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. That eventually led to a series of negotiations where I was offered the job of running world-renowned actress Jane Seymour's official fan site. That has branched into doing web sites for a variety of clients, including: authors J.M. Hochstetler, Trish Perry, Kathy Pride, Louise M. Gouge, Susan Page Davis, and Jill Elizabeth Nelson, actor William Shockley (the voice of AT&T and Toyota) and many others. With the help of a handful of other web site "technos," Eagle Designs was born! Feel free to visit and see our other clients.

Amber's very first book, Promises, Promises, released in February 2008. It's a historical fiction set in Delaware during the Colonial period and the Great Awakening. The other 2 books in the series are Quills And Promises (July 2008) and this one, Deceptive Promises (December 2008). In 2009, they will be repackaged for a state set entitled Liberty's Promise. She has also sold another series set in historical Michigan during the Industrial Revolution. The 3 books in that series will begin releasing in May 2009 and will be repackaged in 2010.


ABOUT THE BOOK

MARGRET WANTS TO BELIEVE SAMUEL'S PROMISES.

Is deception fair in wartime Margret Scott must deal with this question as she finds herself attracte to the enigmatic Samuel Lowe. As the tensions grow between the colonists and the British soldiers and loyalists, Margret cannot always tell where Samuel's loyalties lie.

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"If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity." -Job 31:5-6

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Samuel's duties have him working for both sides of this war, and he often finds himself torn between what is right and what is wrong. He promises Margret she can trust him, and Margret promises him she does. But can promises born in deception be trusted? Can a relationship built in uncertainty survive?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Deceptive Promises, go HERE.

Dreaming with Amber Stockton - WIN HER BOOK!

A big welcome to today's guest blogger, author Amber Stockton!





Dreams.

Such a broad topic, yet it's one with which I am quite familiar. Who isn't? After all, without dreams, we wouldn't have much of a purpose in this life. Dreams keep us going from day to day, even when the going gets tough. Dreams give us something on which to pin our hopes and sights, despite the current mire or quicksand we might be enduring.

Let me tell you, I know all about getting stuck in the mire and feeling like I'd never get out. That was me only a little over 2 years ago. Then, God opened the floodgate, and I was blessed beyond my wildest imaginations!

How about we start at the beginning, though? :)

I'll confess, I'll be 33 later this year. Most women don't like to admit that, but it's important to what I'm about to share with you. Because, you see, I spent an entire decade of my life hoping something would change and praying that at least one of my dreams might be realized. After high school and college, I found myself at a crossroads. So many of my friends had graduated, knowing exactly what they wanted to do and who would be by their side as they did it. Me? I had no clue. Worse yet, I was still alone and single. In fact, at 22, I had yet to have a boyfriend or even experience my first date.

I'd graduated with a degree in elementary education and received a certification to teach. I even did that for 2 years before realizing this just wasn't where I was meant to be. So, instead, I became an administrative assistant and remained working at the local Christian bookstore where I'd been hired 3 years prior. Staying busy helped keep my mind off of my loneliness, but it didn't eliminate the reality by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, when I wasn't working, I spent my time alone at home, still living with my parents, holed up in my room or office.

During this time, I dabbled in the writing world, experimenting with some fan fiction and short stories. I also began a correspondence with a favorite author, Tracie Peterson, via email. Three years later, in 2002, she encouraged me to join a newly formed national writer's organization, at the time known as ACRW (American Christian Romance Writers). Today, that organization is ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and is the premier Christian fiction organization in the world. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Believing it couldn't hurt, I joined and in October of that year attended my first writer's conference. That's where I met many other writers and authors and discovered that I'd love to join the crazy bunch by becoming a published author. However, I had no clue how to even begin. Enter another author, Linda Windsor, who lived somewhat nearby and offered to take me under her wing, not to mention all of the valuable instruction and guidance ACFW offered through their annual conferences, online courses and email discussion lists.

Now, obviously, there are a lot of details I'm omitting. I'm trying to keep this short and to the point, though. :)

So, back to Linda and the mentoring she offered. Because of her help, in late 2004 I had a proposal ready to send to Barbour Publishing's romance book club, Heartsong Presents. Despite my fear and trepidation, I submitted the proposal. Then, I waited.

Six months later, I hadn't heard anything. It was now the summer of 2005. I followed up with the editor, who happened to be Tracie Peterson's husband. They are no longer involved with the club line, but they were responsible for helping me get my foot in the door. Anyway, a few weeks later, I received an email from Jim saying the file had some issues, and he couldn't open it. So, I sent it again. Six weeks later, while attending the annual ACFW conference that year in Nashville, Jim came up to me and told me to check my email. I did and to my delight, he had replied saying he wanted to see the full manuscript. I nearly cried with joy.

I suppose I should also interject the little tidbit that the previous year at the conference in Denver, I had met a young man who wrote science fiction and had been brave enough to join a romance writer's organization a few weeks before it changed its name to straight fiction writers. Earlier in 2005, we had started an online correspondence via email and instant message and formed a fast friendship. I guess the 2000 miles separating us made it easier. We met up again in Nashville and spent a good deal of time hanging out and having fun. Several married ladies at the conference started plotting to get us together, but we were fine being friends.

Anyway, back to the manuscript. Upon returning home, I went straight to work, finishing the novel and sending it to Linda for proofing. It took about four months, but by January in 2006, I had sent off the full book to Jim.

Again, I waited.

During this time, my friendship with Stuart began to progress, and I found myself looking forward to each evening when he'd come home from work and log online to chat. There were days we'd spend hours talking through instant message. Time held no meaning. At first, he wasn't planning to attend the conference in Dallas that year, but I persuaded him otherwise. Just before the conference, I received word that Jim Peterson loved the book and was giving his full recommendation to Tracie that Barbour move forward with purchasing it!

You can no doubt imagine my delight. It took another four months before I received the actual notice that they were going to buy my book, and just before Christmas that year, I received my very first book contract!

As I still worked retail at the time and it was Christmas, I didn't get home until late. Stuart, living two time zones away) was the only one online for me to share my good news. Everyone else in my house was asleep and I didn't want to wake them. About a week later, still flying high on the euphoric reality that I'd soon be a published author, I again was chatting with Stuart when he suggested he fly out to see me and we celebrate by catching a show in New York City. After spending a lot of time together at the last conference and parting ways with me feeling like things were going nowhere between us, I jumped at the chance.

He arrived in March of 2007 and after four days together, we had no doubts about our feelings. One week later, we were engaged, and five months later in July of 2007, we were married! And yes, there are a lot of details again that I'm leaving out. If you want to read the full story, you can check out the main page of my web site. Click on the Wedding Day Story then the Engagement Announcement. :)

After leaving everything I knew to move to Colorado and be with my husband, it took another six months before I received the very first copy of my book, hot off the press. Still, having Stuart there to rejoice with me meant more than I could ever put into words. That book released in February of 2008 and was followed by my next two books in July and November. During this time, I also signed contracts for three more books which release this year.

In the midst of all of this, there is another exciting development. I know, hard to believe it could possibly get better, right? Well, it did. In August of last year, Stuart and I discovered we were expecting our very first child, who is due in March.

So, as you can see, a lot has happened in a short amount of time. Looking back, it still feels like I might have wasted a lot of time in my 20's wondering when life would happen to me and when I'd see my dreams come true. However, seeing where my life is now and what's looming on the horizon, I realize all of that in my past had to happen to make way for what was to come and what will still be coming my way.

If you've found yourself in a similar situation, don't give up hope. That's the worst thing in the world you could allow to happen. I might have allowed slight depression to get me down, but I kept moving forward...even in tiny steps. God's voice kept whispering to me that my time would come. Although I got angry with Him and even yelled a bit, I now can look back and see the big picture along with His overall plan for my life.

Today, I couldn't be happier than where I am right now. Joy fills me as I look forward to all that God has in store, and the dreams in my heart that have yet to be fulfilled or realized. To those of you down in the trenches, I've been there. I'm speaking to you and begging you to keep holding on to your dreams. Keep forging ahead. You just never know when everything you ever imagined for yourself might be over that next hill. But you have to climb the hill to find out. If I can impress upon you one thing from this story, it's this:

Never, ever, ever give up.

(Thanks, Jennifer, for having me here today. I hope some of your readers are inspired by this story of mine. And if anyone wishes to leave a comment, you'll be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of my next book releasing in April, Copper and Candles. Feel free to also comment on the story or share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Stockton is an author and freelance web site designer who lives with her husband and fellow author in beautiful Colorado Springs. They are expecting their first child in March and have a vivacious puppy named Roxie, who is half Border Collie and half Flat-Haired Retriever. She has sold six books to the Heartsong Presents line of Barbour Publishing. Other writing credits include several writing articles for national and international publications, five short stories with Romancing the Christian Heart, and book contributions to 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage and Grit for the Oyster. Read more about her at her web site: www.ambermiller.com.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Copper and Candles

Society teas and garden parties, shopping, gossip—Life as a young lady of means may be fun, but Felicity wants to do more. Unfortunately, she finds that her position and wealth can sometimes hinder her efforts to help those around her in need. Thus, when a charity case falls ill and cannot work, Felicity determines to go to work as a commoner in Detroit's dangerous factory district. Relationships become complicated, however, and she soon finds herself falling in love with a worker from the copper refinery next door. She knows her family would never accept him as a suitor, but what's a girl to do? What she doesn't know is that Brandt has his own secrets and hides his identity just as carefully as she. Brandt and Felicity soon discover that deception—no matter how noble its intent—demands a price that even they, with all their resources, may not be able to pay. Can they survive the storm when truth is revealed?

WIN THE BOOKS

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Copper and Candles, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on January 29th. 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.) Please note that this book releases in April, so the winner's book will be sent out in late March. Good luck!

Win SANDHILL DREAMS by Cara Putman!

What a pleasure to welcome back Cara Putman! Her latest novel, Sandhill Dreams is the second of her World War II series for Heartsong Presents. Let’s hear from Cara!

THE BIO

Cara describes herself as “an attorney, wife, mom, women's ministry leader, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband, and my kids, that is.” In her "spare" time she serves as publicity officer for American Christian Fiction Writers (www.acfw.com) and adviser to the Indiana chapter.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is Sandhill Dreams from Heartsong Presents. Please tell us about it.
CP: Here’s the blurb:

With her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined?

Lainie Gardner dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home, Lainie is determined to find a job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska’s sandhills.

Tom Hamilton had dreams, too. Dreams of preparing the horses at Fort Robinson for duty on the warfront. Instead, he is assigned to train war dogs and their handlers, meaning that each day he must face the fear he’s had of dogs since he was bitten as a child.

Lainie and Tom wonder why God seems to have denied them their dreams. But is it possible new dreams will bring them more joy than they ever imagined?

JA: Lainie and Tom both have to deal with disappointment and questioning God after their dreams don’t come to fruition. What would you tell someone facing that kind of discouragement?
CP: It sounds trite, but I’ve learned it’s true. God doesn’t close a door without opening another. His plan is so much better than ours, and if we can hang on, we’ll soon see that’s true in our lives.

JA: You were able to visit the real Fort Robinson. How was that experience?
CP: It was awesome. I’d been once as a young teen, but when I went back last spring, I got to spend the day with the museum’s curator. I’d hoped to take an hour of his time. Instead, he spent the day with me, opened his files of records and veteran interviews to me, and walked me around the site of the war dog training camp and the prisoner of war camp. It really made the days during the war come alive. And thanks to his book on that time in the history of the Fort, I was able to incorporate all kinds of details to make the novel accurate. In fact, I got some plot ideas from his book and our conversation.

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Sandhill Dreams?
CP: That God never loses sight of us. Even when we feel like He has abandoned us and our dreams lie in ashes at our feet, He still sees us and calls us by name. And we can take comfort in that!

JA: Your first book in the series, Canteen Dreams was set in North Platte, Nebraska, where you lived. Can you tell us about the genesis of the story?
CP: Canteen Dreams started because of three things. After meeting Jim Peterson, then acquisitions editor for Heartsong Presents, I knew they still needed Nebraska stories and he was open to World War Two. If I was going to propose some ideas, I wanted it to be different from the more traditional prairie story. As I thought about it, I knew I wanted to honor my grandparents and their generation, while my grandparents are still alive. I also love the story of the North Platte Canteen and the role the town of North Platte played during the war. Put the three together, and Canteen Dreams was born.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
CP: This summer I’m writing the Complete Idiots Guide to Business Law and the first book in an Ohio World War Two series. I’m also working on ideas for legal thrillers and waiting to hear if the follow-up to my first romantic suspense, Deadly Exposure, is going to be contracted.

JA: On top of everything else you do, you’re also the publicity officer for American Christian Fiction Writers. What would you like people to know about that group?
CP: If you are interested in writing or actively engaged in writing Christian fiction, then this group is for you. We exist to encourage, train, and develop writers. Our national conference is the only one that focuses exclusively on Christian fiction and is a great way to learn about the craft of writing and meet editors and agents. I wouldn’t have the contracts or have learned the craft I have without joining ACFW and attending the conference.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
CP: There are two ways. Visit my website: www.caraputman.com. I’m constantly adding information about events, reviews of books, etc., to the site. And I update my blog Monday through Friday: http://carasmusings.blogspot.com. You can come there to learn more about me, what I’m writing, books I’m reading, etc.

Thanks for stopping by again, Cara. May God continue to bless you in your writing journey!

JEN’S REVIEW

After meeting Cara at the ACFW conference last September, I was quite anxious to read on of her books. Sandhill Dreams definitely lived up to my expectations!

Lainie Gardner is a young women with big dreams. Tom Hamilton had a purpose, a plan for his life. Neither Lainie or Tom expected their lives to go in a different direction, leaving them both wondering why God would do such a thing. This is such a universal theme and Putman handles it well. In Lainie and Tom she’s created interesting, sympathetic characters that grab the reader and carry them on to the end.

Although this is the second book in a series, it stands alone just fine. You’ll enjoy it, even if you haven’t read Canteen Dreams, but you’ll probably want to go get the first book when you’re done!

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Sandhill Dreams just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on June 9th. 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!

Meet Cecelia Dowdy - Interview & Book Giveaway

A big welcome to Cecelia Dowdy, author of John’s Quest part of the Heartsong Presents line from Barbour. Let’s meet Cecilia!

THE BIO

Cecelia Dowdy is a world traveler who has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. When she first read Christian fiction, she felt called to write for the genre.

She loves to read, write, and bake desserts in her spare time. She also loves spending time with her husband and her toddler son. Currently she resides with her family in Maryland. You can visit Cecelia on her websites: www.ceceliadowdy.com and www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is John’s Quest from Heartsong Presents. What’s it about?
CD: John French, a science professor, is an agnostic--he’s unsure if God exists. When he’s hired to tutor a blind seven-year-old child, Scotty, he finds himself falling for the child’s beautiful aunt/guardian, Monica Crawford. Monica’s life changes drastically when her irresponsible younger sister abandons her handicapped son on her doorstep. As John helps Monica to educate her nephew, he falls in love with her. However, problems arise when Monica, a devout Christian, finds herself drawn to Scotty’s handsome and intelligent tutor. Monica finds herself in a bind because she knows it’s a sin to be unequally yoked with a non-believer. How in the world can these two lovebirds overcome the huge problems that stand in the way of their relationship?

JA: Your hero, John, is agnostic and the heroine, Monica, is Christian. What particular challenges did this relationship present?
CD: His being an agnostic created a very strong challenge with their relationship. Monica is a strong Christian and she knows how the Lord feels about being unequally yoked with a non-believer. Yet, John’s and Monica’s attraction continues to grow, yet they know they can’t be together romantically. It creates an interesting and strong conflict in the novel.

JA: Monica is hired to tutor seven-year-old Scotty, who is blind. What kind of research did you need to do for this aspect of the story?
CD: My husband is totally blind, so I’ve had a lot of experience in dealing with a blind person.

JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading John’s Quest?
CD: I hope their faith in God is strengthened when they read my story.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
CD: Currently, I’m on a deadline for my next novel, Milk Money. Here’s the tentative back cover copy for that novel:

Running a dairy farm is a big job, but doing it alone is almost impossible.

When her dad dies, Emily must work hard to save the family farm, but she manages. Until the day the CPA pulls in her drive and announces he’s there to do an audit on the place.

Franklin Reese is appalled at the lack of interest the Cooper women have in the financial end of their livelihood, but he dives in, determined to help them learn. The further he looks into Mr. Cooper’s dealings, however, the more uncomfortable he becomes.

Can he uncover the truth of the situation and still earn the love of the amazing Emily Cooper? Will issues in Franklin’s own life keep them apart, even after the farm is taken care of? Only God can heal hurting hearts and repair broken lives. Will these two let Him in?

JA: You are very well traveled. Of all the places you’ve visited, which is your favorite?
CD: I love any tropical place with a nice beach with clear blue water! Places like Tahiti, parts of Mexico, and the Cayman Islands are my favorites.

JA: What’s your favorite thing to read for pure enjoyment?
CD: Just about any type of Christian fiction. Although, I tend to prefer Christian women’s fiction and Christian romance novels.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
CD: Through my blog and website. I’m always updating both sites with my latest release news! www.ceceliadowdy.com and www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com.

Thanks for visiting with us, Cecelia. May God continue to bless you in your writing journey!

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of John’s Quest just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll combine the responses of my Blogger and ShoutLife blogs to pick a winner at random on May 21st. 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.) ShoutLifers will be contacted via ShoutMail. Good luck!

Meet Ramona Cecil - Interview & Book Giveaway

Today I’m happy to present author Ramona Cecil. Her latest book is Sweet Forever from Heartsong Presents. Let’s meet Ramona!

THE BIO

Ramona K. Cecil is a wife, mother, grandmother, free-lance poet, and award-winning inspirational romance writer. Now empty-nesters, she and her husband make their home in Indiana. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers Indiana Chapter, her work has won awards in a number of inspirational writing contests. Over eighty of her inspirational verses have been published on a wide array of items for the Christian gift market. Her first published novel, Larkspur, won first place in Vintage Romance Publishing’s 2005 Vintage Inspirations Contest. Since then, she’s had three more inspirational historical romance novels contracted by Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents line. The first of these three, Sweet Forever, will be released in March, 2008. The following two, Everlasting Promise and Charity’s Heart, have not yet been assigned release dates. Mrs. Cecil enjoys a speaking ministry, sharing her journey to publication, while encouraging aspiring writers. When not writing, her hobbies include reading, gardening, and visiting places of historical interest.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your current book is Sweet Forever from Heartsong Presents. Tell us about it.
RC: Set in Madison, Indiana, on the banks of the Ohio River in 1845, Sweet Forever is the love story between the daughter of a riverboat gambler and a young minister. Fleeing a riverboat explosion and the man who killed her husband, Rosaleen Archer is convinced God hates her when she lands in the arms of a young minister. Jacob Hale, already struggling with self-doubts about his calling, is further discouraged in his ministry when the lovely and mysterious Rosaleen rebuffs his attempts to bring her to the Lord.

JA: The main characters, Rosaleen Archer and Jacob Hale, fight feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. What made you want to address these themes?
RC: Whatever might be the impetus of those feelings, I think they are universal and afflict every person at one time or another. There have been many times in my own life when I’ve been plagued by such feelings. These are themes to which I believe all readers can relate.

JA: Sweet Forever is the continuation of the Hale siblings’ saga, which you began in Larkspur. Can we look forward to more adventures with this family?
RC: Yes. I have two more historical romances to be released by Heartsong Presents in 2008 and 2009. Everlasting Promise is the story of Susannah, the youngest Hale sibling from Larkspur. Charity’s Heart is a post Civil War story featuring Daniel Morgan, the son of the hero and heroine from Larkspur. Daniel is first introduced as a six year old boy in Sweet Forever.

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Sweet Forever?
RC: I hoped through this story to convey the spiritual truths that every soul is loved and valued by God, and that with God, all things are possible.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
RC: Presently, I am working on a long women’s historical called The Heritage, set in my own southern Indiana county in 1812. It asks the question, what is really important in life, i.e. worth keeping and/or dying for?

JA: Your parents were poets. How did growing up in such a creative atmosphere help shape the person you are today?
RC: My parents understood my desire to write creatively and encouraged it. My mother taught me how to write my early poems in stanzas while my dad often read to me from the poetry of James Whitcomb Riley. I remember vacation trips that were planned around visiting homes-turned-museums of James Whitcomb Riley, Gene Stratton Porter, and Mark Twain.

JA: What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
RC: I was a tomboy as a child. I loved to climb trees and as soon as my brother outgrew a pair of black high-top basketball sneakers, I claimed them for my own.

JA: What do you like to read for fun?
RC: The same thing I write—inspirational historical romances. Can’t get enough!

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
RC: The newsletter page of my web site as well as appearances on blogs like this.

Thank you, Ramona, and continued blessings on your writing journey!

WIN THE BOOK

You can win a copy of Sweet Forever here. Just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll combine the responses of my Blogger and ShoutLife blogs to pick a winner at random on March 4th. 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.) ShoutLifers will be contacted via ShoutMail. Good luck!