Cool New Interactive Fiction Blog From Lisa Richardson

My friend Lisa Richardson has created a very cool and innovative new blog. In her own words, here's how it works:

Any child of the late '80s remembers the Choose Your Own Adventure stories that were around. This is kind of like that. Each week I post a portion of a story and then a poll. Audience participation drives what happens next. If you have a brilliant idea for a twist, or you are just dying to see something happen that is "out of the box," just put it in the comments. If I like it I will try to incorporate it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have fun!

Neat, huh? The current story, Girl Sleuth, features a plucky young writer named Anne. Set in the 1920s, Anne hopes to get her big break writing for the Lacey Carew mystery series (think Nancy Drew). But it isn't long before Anne's in the middle of a real life mystery of her own.

Not only is Lisa a great writer, but it's so much fun to see where the story will go. Hop on over to her blog, Inspired Adventures, and check it out!

To read an interview with Lisa, check out Tiffany Colter's blog, Writing Career Coach.

Elizabeth Ludwig on Dreaming Dangerously - WIN A BOOK!

A big welcome to today’s guest blogger, author Elizabeth Ludwig!

The Year of Dreaming Dangerously

It is possible to dream big, to have aspirations so high they take your breath away. Like most people, I feared setting my sights on such scaly heights. What if my dreams were never realized? What if one by one, they were trodden beneath the weight of rejection? And so I set my goals lower, at more attainable levels: Placing in a writing contest, having an editor request a full manuscript, sparking the interest of an agent. These were reasonable requests to lay before my Lord and Savior. I felt confident in asking that He help me see these dreams realized. Except. . .

Attainable goals have never interested God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

God proved this scripture to me in 2008. I asked that an editor would request a full manuscript. Instead, in April, I held my first novel in my hands. I asked that an agent would show an interest in my work. Instead, I signed with Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary. I asked that I might place in a contest. Instead, I was named IWA Writer of the Year. True to His promise, God gave me ABUNDANTLY above what I dared to ask or think.

Even now, my heart is overwhelmed at all God has done in my life. I am brought to tears as I think on how little faith I put in the ability, and power, and awesomeness of God. Yet He desired to prove to me how great and able He is. I don’t suppose I will ever understand why the God of the universe takes such an avid interest in one humble servant. I only know that God is who He says, and He does what He promises.

I encourage you to dream dangerously in the coming year. Establish your goals and then lay them before the throne God. He does not want your attainable dreams. He wants your lofty ones, the dreams of your heart. Most of all, He wants to show you, as He did me, how exceedingly able He is to do beyond what you ask or think.

Visit Elizabeth at her website - www.elizabethludwig.com
or her blog -http://www.elizabethludwig.blogspot.com


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Ludwig graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hart High School in 1985. She received a scholarship to Michigan State University in 1986 and went on to study English and Journalism. She spent several years learning both music and theater arts, and has performed in numerous community projects. She is an accomplished speaker and dramatist, having performed before audiences of 1500 and more, at local community groups, and before judges for Forensics Meets across the state of Michigan. She works full time, and currently lives with her husband and two children in Texas.


ABOUT THE BOOK – Where the Truth Lies

Casey Alexander refuses to believe her aunt committed suicide. Her personal investigation makes some people uncomfortable enough to want her dead.

As the main suspect in Casey's quest, Luke Kerrigan does some searching of his own. What he finds has him doing a little more digging that leads him to doors he may not want opened.

The secrets unearthed will turn lives upside down and threaten the peace in their small community.

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Where the Truth Lies, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on March 26th. 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!

Welcome Back to Susan Page Davis & Megan Elaine Davis!

THE BIOS

Megan Elaine Davis grew up in rural Maine where she was home-schooled with her five siblings. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Creative Writing from Bob Jones University, and has published poetry, articles, and humorous anecdotes in various publications. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, travel, theater, cooking, and chatting with friends. Her favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, and C. S. Lewis. Homicide at Blue Heron Lake is her first novel. She lives in Clinton, Maine. She recently became Mrs. John-Mark Cullen and makes her home in England.


Susan Page Davis is the author of 13 published novels, with more coming soon. Her historical novel set in colonial Maine, The Prisoner’s Wife, won the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, the ACFW Book of the Year, and was favorite historical of the year in the Heartsong Presents book club. Her suspense novels include Frasier Island (a Faithpoint Book Club selection and Romantic Times Book Reviews Top Pick), Finding Marie (a Crossings Book Club selection), and a January 2008 release from Love Inspired Suspense, Just Cause. She’s the mother of six and grandmother of five. She and her husband Jim, a newspaper editor, live in rural Maine.


THE INTERVIEW

JA: Treasure at Blue Heron Lake is the second of your Mainely Murder series. Please tell us about it.
SPD: Emily Gray and Nate Holman spend a weekend with friend Jeff Lewis, who owns Lakeview Lodge on the shore of Blue Heron Lake. A burglar breaks in during the night, and Jeff tells the story of the man who owned the lodge a hundred years ago and died mysteriously there.

JA: This is the second book the two of you have co-authored. Are you still speaking to each other?
SPD: Ha! Actually we’re on pretty good terms, and have just finished writing book three, Impostors at Blue Heron Lake, which will release next spring. We’ve had our moments, but I don’t think we’ve disagreed much over plots. We save that for real life stuff.
MED: So far we are still speaking to each other, but give us time. ;)

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
SPD: For me it’s a set of three romances set in Alaska, more suspense books, and a longer historical novel coming from Barbour in ‘09.
MED: I’m going exploring next! I have to decide what type of writing I want to work on once I move to England, and I’m not entirely sure yet. I might continue with my journalism, or I might use my spare time to write another book.

JA: Since Megan’s wedding is only days away (it will actually be over when this interview runs) I’m going to keep things simple and ask some very light and fluffy, romantic questions.

Who do you consider the quintessential fictional leading man?
SPD: Call me boring if you wish, but I’ll take George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart’s character in It’s a Wonderful Life) any day. He was a real hero, but it took an angel to tell him that.
MED: Possibly Knightly from Jane Austen’s Emma.

JA: What’s your favorite three-hanky movie?
SPD: I haven’t watched many movies lately, so it would probably be an old one. Something like The African Queen or To Kill a Mockingbird. And The Little Princess always makes me cry.
MED: Silas Marner or Somewhere in Time.

If you could choose an actress to star in the movie based on your life, who would it be? And who would play your love interest?
SPD: Angela Lansbury and Howard Keel.
MED: Miranda Otto and Billy Boyd (Eowyn and Pippin from Lord of the Rings)

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
SPD: Visit me at www.susanpagedavis.com. I love to hear from readers, and I have a “painless” drawing for a free book every month.
MED: Right now I have a page on my sister Amy Ballard’s Web Site: www.amyballard.com. Look for the link “Sister Site.”

Thanks, ladies, for taking time out of your jam-packed schedule to visit with us today. May God continue to bless you both in your writing, and Megan, may you have much joy as you embark on the greatest journey of all: marriage!


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Treasure at Blue Heron Lake just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 17th. 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 Cynthia Hickey - Interview & Book Giveaway

I was at the ACFW lunch when Cynthia Hickey received her contract from Barbour, so it’s a real thrill for me to have her on the blog. Her new book is Fudge-Laced Felonies, part of the Heartsong Presents Mysteries line. Let’s meet Cynthia!

THE BIO

Cynthia Hickey lives in Surprise, Arizona with her husband, two of their seven children, two dogs, two cats, and a fish. They're a large blended family. Cynthia has one birth child, three step-children, three adopted children, and five grandchildren. She is also the Detention Monitor at the local elementary school. Life is busy, but there's always time to write.

She received her contract for Fudge-Laced Felonies during the American Christian Fiction Writer's Association's Friday lunch. In front of five hundred people. Instead of realizing the editor was talking about her, she glanced around the large room wondering who else had been an army brat and foster parent for nine years. Yep, it still hasn't completely sunk in.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is Fudge-Laced Felonies from Heartsong Presents Mysteries. Please tell us about it.
CH: Summer Meadows wants people to think of her more than the spoiled, almost thirty year old who lives with her aunt and uncle. She wants to accomplish something in her life, and catch the eye of her long-time crush, Ethan Banning. When she finds diamonds buried beneath her hopeful prize-winning rose bush, she sets out to solve the mystery, endangering her life in the process.

JA: In the course of solving the mystery, heroine Summer Meadows, must face her true feelings for handsome Sunday school teacher Ethan Banning. At the same time, Ethan is trying to hide his feelings for Summer. How much fun was it creating the tension between these two?
CH: Creating the tension between the two was great fun! Summer is, by nature, a selfish person. But she’s also witty, caring, and a complete ditz. When she thinks Ethan has his eye on the town vamp, she goes to extremes to attract his attention. There’s a lot of humor in her attempts to make him notice her.

JA: Summer’s aunt is a candy maker. Did you get to do any fun candy-related research for this book?
CH: Actually, Summer is the candy maker and her aunt works for her. I use to own a handmade chocolate store so research was done years ago. Besides writing, candy-making is the best job in the world!

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Fudge-Laced Felonies?
CH: That we are all created unique. With faults and all. God loves us without the need for us to succumb to something other than what we are. Summer struggles with letting go and letting God. Something most of us need to work on. At least I do.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
CH: I’ve completed and submitted to my publisher books two and three in the Summer Meadows series: Candy-Coated Secrets and Chocolate-Covered Crime. I am now working on another cozy series set in the fictional town of Timbuktu, Arkansas.

JA: You grew up in a family of story tellers. How did that impact your life?
CH: The stories I grew up with where mostly true stories of family history. These stories raised many questions of “What if”. An older cousin was also the master at scary stories. Our imagination would take off to where we were afraid of a square of moonlight shining through the trees. I’ve made up stories since I was a child. It seemed natural to move to writing.

JA: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
CH: This is always a hard question. But, I guess it would be that beneath this blunt exterior, is a big heart. I always tell people, don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer. I also have a strange sense of humor.

JA: Have you read any books lately that thrilled you to your toes?
CH: Embrace Me by Lisa Samson. This story of wounded and disfigured carnival people rocked me to my toes. Definitely! What a true story of God’s love. I’m also really enjoying the other HeartsongPresents/Mysteries by Barbour. A lot of fun.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
CH: My visiting my blog or website, www.cynthiahickey.com or www.cynthiahickey.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for visiting the blog, Cynthia. 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 Fudge-Laced Felonies 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 June 2nd. 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 Darlene Franklin - Interview & Book Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to present Darlene Franklin, author of Gunfight at Grace Gulch, part of the Heartsong Presents: Mysteries line from Barbour. Let’s meet Darlene!

THE BIO

Darlene Franklin lives in the Denver area with her mother and her lynx point Siamese cat Talia. She has sold four novels as well as a novella and has contributed to numerous magazines, anthologies, and devotionals. She has also written curriculum for children’s Sunday school. She is a frequent guest speaker at local writers groups.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is Gunfight at Grace Gulch from Heartsong Presents Mysteries. Please tell us about it.
DF: Gunfight at Grace Gulch is the first book in the Dressed for Death series. Cici Wilde grew up in a small ranching community and is expected to marry the boy next door. Instead, she bucks tradition, opens a vintage clothing store, and is dating the new guy in town, theater director Audie Howe.

Audie directs a reenactment of a famous gunfight from Grace Gulch history. With the whole town watching, one of the actors is shot dead. Suspicion falls on Cici’s old boyfriend and her sister; she decides to investigate.

JA: Your heroine, Cici Wilde, owns a vintage clothing store. Do you share her interest in vintage items?
DF: You know, I probably would if I could find clothes to fit. The right outfit, from hat and hairdo to footwear, says a lot about setting and personality. But the main reason my heroine owns a vintage clothing store is that it sounded like a fun, quirky occupation that could lead to some interesting mysteries.

JA: The Graces and the Gaynors have been feuding for more than a century. How did you dream up these families?
DF: The historical inspiration for Gunfight at Grace Gulch—the multiple Oklahoma land runs—triggered a lot of bitter feuds. Three times as many participated in the runs as there was land available; some people chose to cheat by getting to their land “sooner” than anyone else. That is, they camped out on the land instead of making the run on the appointed day. As you can imagine, that led to bitter accusations and years of claims tied up in court. I’m sure that in real life, more than one gunfight erupted over disputes.

Having said that, the Graces and the Gaynors are purely fictional. I took the facts I knew and asked the essential writer question, “what if?”

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Gunfight at Grace Gulch?
DF: Mostly, I hope they enjoy their stay in Grace Gulch as much as I do. If they struggle with self-image like Cici does, I also hope that they can accept the beauty of God’s creation in them. We are each unique, and called to different areas of service.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
DF: I am finishing the second book in the Dressed for Death series, A String of Murders (scheduled for a late December release from Heartsong Presents: Mysteries), and also hope to write a third book, Paint Me a Puzzle. This fall, I will have a novella in the Snowbound Colorado Christmas anthology and several devotions in Barbour’s line of 365 Daily Whispers of Wisdom. Beyond that, I hope to continue exploring America’s west, whether through mysteries or historical novels.

JA: Is writing something you always wanted to do, or did you discover your passion after trying a lot of other things?
DF: I studied church music in college, and Christian education in seminary, and both continue to be a big part of my life. I took up writing after a painful divorce, and discovered a new passion.

JA: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
DF: I don’t know, I’m pretty boring and predictable! Perhaps my description of myself as “humor challenged.” Laughter, including the ability to laugh at myself, is something I discovered rather late in life.

JA: Who are some writers that inspire you?
DF: Inspire. Now, that’s a good question. I would love to match Dick Francis’ characters, James Lee Burke’s ability to capture setting, or Faye Kellerman’s ability to weave faith into taut mysteries. I particularly enjoy reading Philip Yancey, Mark Buchanan, and Liz Curtis Higgs. John Grisham and J.R.R. Tolkien changed the way I look at the world.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
DF: Check out my website, www.darlenehfranklin.com, or my blog, www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com

It was great having you on the blog, Darlene. May God continue to bless you in your writing journey!

JEN’S REVIEW

When a staged gunfight goes terribly wrong, the citizens of Grace Gulch have a real life murder mystery on their hands. In Gunfight at Grace Gulch, author Darlene Franklin introduces us to a unique bunch of characters. The ongoing fued between the Graces and the Gaynors adds to the suspense and the fun. By weaving letters written by Robert Grace in the late 1800s into the contemporary setting, Franklin offers a glimpse into the past… one that continues to affect the present. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this frontier story with a twist.

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Gunfight at Grace Gulch 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 30th. 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 Cathy Elliott - Interview & Book Giveaway

A big welcome to Cathy Elliott, author of the cozy mystery A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1). Let’s meet Cathy!

THE BIO

Cathy Elliott is a Library Information Technician at a community college in northern California. A woman of many interests, Cathy is an antique collector, a quilter, a musician, and ardent reader, and a new grandmom. In her spare time, she loves to swap chapters for emergency critiques at a local hangout.

A contributing author to Focus on the Family Newsletter, The Upper Room, Stories for the Teen’s Heart, Book 3, and A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents, Cathy has written ten children’s books for an educational company. A Vase of Mistaken Identity is her first novel.

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your debut novel is A Vase of Mistaken Identity. Please tell us about it.
CE: Thanks for asking. It’s a cozy mystery starring antiques and intrigue—two of my favorite things! Here’s a little summary: An antique dealer acquires a vintage vase with a list of familiar names inside. At first, she is curious. But when the first person on the list has a freak accident, and the second mysteriously disappears, Thea gets nervous, then gets involved because—her name is next! Check out the video book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPrSz1b6Inw

JA: Your heroine, Thea James, is an antique dealer who gets pulled into a web of mystery. How did you come up with the idea for this story?
CE: When I began to write seriously, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to write. One evening at writer’s group meeting, I asked for prayer for direction in my writing journey. My author friend, Cindy Martinusen, then suggested I might try and write a mystery. It seemed a daunting idea, but by the time I got into my car, I had Thea’s name and knew she had an antique store. As I pulled into my driveway, I’d figured out there was a list hidden in a vase. It just began to come until I had a plot and characters. An immediate answer to prayer. And I appreciated it!

JA: What drew you into the world of cozy mysteries?
CE: I have read cozies for the longest time. But I’m not a cozy fan only. I enjoy traditional mysteries, too. Those of a soft-boiled nature in particular and some true crime, like Ann Rule. But I didn’t think I was ready to “live there” in my head or in my Care Bears heart. For me, a cozy was a good place to begin my mystery career.

JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading A Vase of Mistaken Identity?
CE: When my book was first published, I found myself comparing it to others of a deeper nature. Wow, some folks had their lives changed in some way by a work of fiction. But my book was light and fun and offered as joyful entertainment. Was that enough? When I got a letter from a reader saying she had read my book while in the hospital and it gave her a much needed escape, I understood its purpose. If the reader can find refreshment in the story, the humor, or the prose during a hard time, or any time…it will be enough for me.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
CE: A couple of things. I’m working on the sequel to my first book. And, I’m also working on a different mystery which is not a cozy but a soft-boiled detective novel set on Whidbey Island, Washington. I’m excited about both of them. We’ll see where God leads.

JA: I hear you’ve done quite a bit of antique hunting on eBay. What’s your favorite find?
CE: Oh, my! That’s a hard one. I’ve purchased so many items they sort of blend together. A mint transferware platter and covered casserole come to mind. Then there was that lovely pink luster bowl. Hmmm.

Let me answer it this way. My favorite “find” was a Pennsylvania collector who bid an astounding price for a 19th century mocha-ware (old yellow-ware) pitcher I placed on eBay for sale. I bought it at a yard sale for $40 which I thought was terribly high. I don’t like to pay over a few dollars at a garage/yard sale. Forty dollars seemed like an antique store price to me. But I thought it might be something good and eventually put it up on eBay. When the bidding went to $450, I was flabbergasted. When it rose to $700, I began to feel faint. The final price was $1350!!! Sure wish I could find another pitcher like that one.

JA: I love your eBay story! I used to hunt and sell on eBay and had some wonderful surprises, but nothing that incredible. Good job!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
CE: Since I work in a library (which gives a certain impression), maybe that I played rhythm guitar and sang in a country-rock band for several years. It was how I financed my daughter’s private Christian school education. We made many great memories playing class reunions, weddings and private parties.

JA: As a Library Information Technician, you must get your hands on a lot of books. Are there any you’ve read lately that particularly stand out?
CE: Because of time restraints, I’m more selective than I used to be. To improve my writing, I’m trying to flood my senses with the very best the literary world has to offer. Right now I am reading an older book that Robert Penn Warren calls, “A masterpiece!” It is called Blue Highways: Journey Into America by William Least Heat Moon. The writing is so lovely, witty, poignant…I’m taking notes as I go.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
CE: Folks can find out my schedule or what’s new by going to my Web site at: www.cathyelliottbooks.com Should anyone have a question not answered there, please feel free to e-mail me through the “Contact Info” link on the site.

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for the interview and opportunity to highlight my book. It’s been great fun!

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

WIN THE BOOK

You can win a copy of A Vase of Mistaken Identity 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 24th. 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!