A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M. White ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

*Today is my birthday! I'm officially 18 years old. =) Thanks to everyone who participated in my birthday month! I hope you enjoyed the interviews and giveaways and talking to all the generous authors who made it possible!*

A Stray Drop of Blood

Roseanna White

White Fire Publishing

About the book:

Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected.

For seven years, Abigail has been a slave in the Visibullis house. With a Hebrew mistress and a Roman master, she has always been more family than servant . . . until their son returns to Jerusalem after his years in Rome. Within a few months Jason has taken her to his bed and turned her world upside down. Maybe, given time, she can come to love him as he says he loves her. But how does she open her heart to the man who ruined her?

Israel's unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas's sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when the criminal is punished. But when she ventures to the trial, Barabbas is not the one the crowd calls to crucify. Instead, it is the teacher her master and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God . . .

Born free, made a slave, married out of her bonds, Abigail never knows freedom until she feels the fire of a stray drop of blood from a Jewish carpenter. Disowned by Israel, despised by Rome, desired by all, she never knows love until she receives the smile of a stoic Roman noble.

My review:
If you only read one book for the whole year, this would be the one I recommend. This book touched me so deeply! It is an extraordinary story of God’s amazing mercy on us. Even though we reject Him, disobey Him, hate Him, and run from Him, He never gives up on us. He never leaves us despite the pain we cause Him. I loved this book. I can’t even put into words how amazing it is! The characters are real, dealing with real problems, temptations, and feelings. Wonderful!

Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot ~ 4 stars

Scattered Petals

Amanda Cabot

Texas Dreams series #2

Revell- Publisher

About the book:

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston in 1856 and heads for the Texas Hill Country, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks could have heartbreaking consequences. Although attracted to her, ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows Priscilla deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who's haunted by memories of his mistakes.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life filled with promise. But then the past intrudes.

My review:
I was a little disappointed with this book. The writing was just okay in my opinion and I never really felt connected with the characters.

Pricilla went through so many hardships and I did feel awful for her. It just seemed like one terrible thing after another happened and she never got any breaks. Now, there were some parts of this book that I really liked, which is why I gave it four stars. This is an okay read, but it wouldn’t be something that I would readily recommend.

Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Sunday Funnies!

25 Reasons You Owe Your Mother...

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to stay that way."

My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Were you raised in a barn?"

My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you."

Jill Eileen Smith ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Jill Eileen Smith is telling us about her new book, Abigail. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Jill! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a wife, mom, and author of a biblical fiction series - The Wives of King David. The books in the series are: Michal: A Novel and Abigail: A Novel published with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The final book, Bathsheba, is coming in 2011. I'm currently working on the first book in the next series, The Wives of the Patriarchs. I love to travel, spend time with my family and friends, am a cat owner, aspiring Bible scholar, amateur historian, musician, and above all a follower of Jesus Christ.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
If you don’t count writing I did during my teens, about 25 years. My first book was published March 2009. I have two books in print right now with a total of six contracted so far.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
It’s hard to compare whose style might be similar to mine, but I would say readers who like historical novels that read with a more modern ease might like my books. I would rate the romance at PG or PG-13 depending on who is making that decision. I work harder at showing the emotion between the characters than anything explicit. There is kissing and hints at sexual relations, but I believe we don’t need the details spelled out for us.

In your own words tell us a little about Abigial.
Abigail is the third wife of King David and her journey is one of heartache and shattered dreams, but in the end she grows stronger for what she has endured and her relationship to David takes an interesting turn.

The Wives of King David series includes three books:
Michal: A Novel, Book 1
Abigail: A Novel, Book 2
Bathsheba: A Novel, Book 3

Read more about them at the series’ website: http://www.thewivesofkingdavid.com/

Blurb:

What price must she pay for true love?

Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. When her husband Nabal’s foolish pride angers David and his men, she boldly steps forward to save her family—and David, the would-be king, takes notice.

Circumstances offer Abigail a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, and she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. But her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?

Abigail follows the bestselling Michal and continues Jill Eileen Smith’s rich story of David’s wives.

What made you want to write this story?
I wanted to read a novel on King David’s life and couldn’t find one that satisfied, so I sat down to write the book I wanted to read.

What research did you have to do for this book?
Research for The Wives of King David series was broad and in-depth, spanning Bible commentaries, Bible encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, archaeological magazines, books on manners, customs, and life and times of the Old Testament eras. I searched websites for Bible places, Hebrew words, and interesting tidbits, studied maps and photos of Israel, made idea boards where I “cast” models and actors into the novel’s starring roles to help me “see” my characters, read books on women of the Bible, Bible cookbooks, and tried some of the recipes. As a final research tool, I traveled with my husband to Israel, giving me a final hands-on feel for the place.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I’m working on Book 1 in The Wives of the Patriarchs – Sarai’s story. I’m also working up a proposal for a new series I hope to sell in the future.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Through my website – http://www.jilleileensmith.com or email me at jill at jilleileensmith.com.

What are you currently reading?
Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
Hmm…one thing readers who don’t know me personally may not know is that I have always been a Smith. I was born a Smith and married a Smith. I am also a third born who married a third born and we had three kids.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
I don’t have a specific favorite. Any birthday where I can be with my family is my favorite.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Very rich chocolate

Most treasured birthday gift?
Time with my family

What is/was this book’s release date?
February 1, 2010

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
The series’ website – http://www.thewivesofkingdavid.com. Click on Abigail’s picture and then look under Bonus Features. There are book club and Bible study questions there available for free download as well.

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Abigail!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 26) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 1). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 2nd, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Lisa Wingate ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Lisa Wingate is telling us about her book, The Summer Kitchen. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Lisa! Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a wife, mom, Sunday School teacher to high school seniors, and small-town girl. I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember. My older brother was a good writer, and when you’re the youngest in the family, you want to do what the older kids do. When he won a school award for his poem, “The Bee Went Under the Sea,” I was so impressed by his literary brilliance (and the blue ribbon) that I immediately went to my bedroom and created my first book, The Story of a Dog Named Frisky. The Frisky story was the start of many partially-completed writing projects.

A special first grade teacher, Mrs. Krackhardt, put the idea if being a writer into my head. She found me writing a story one day at indoor recess, and she took the time to stop and read it. When she was finished, she tapped the pages on the desk to straighten them, looked at me over the top and said, “You are a wonderful writer!” That was a defining moment for me. In my mind, I was a writer. When your first grade teacher tells you that you can do something, you believe it.

Growing up, I often wrote in response to things I felt were wrong in the world. I wanted to create something that would cause people to stop and think, to treat each other and the world around them with greater kindness and grace. Those desires eventually led me to write my first mainstream novel, Tending Roses, which was published in 2001.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing all my life. These days, I write for both Penguin Putnam (New American Library) and Bethany House, typically one book per year for each publisher. The Summer Kitchen was my twelfth release, and Never Say Never is my thirteenth release for these two companies. In order, the books are:

TENDING ROSES SERIES
Tending Roses
Good Hope Road
The Language of Sycamores
Drenched in Light
A Thousand Voices

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY SERIES
Texas Cooking
Lone Star Cafe
Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner

DAILY TEXAS SERIES
Talk of the Town
Word Gets Around
Never Say Never

BLUE SKY HILL SERIES
A Month of Summer
The Summer Kitchen
Beyond Summer (July 2010)

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
I write mainstream women’s fiction novels dealing with families and relationships, as well as lighter, funnier small-town novels with a bit of romance in them. On the serious side, I share readers with many wonderful authors, including Karen Kingsbury, Lisa Samson, and Debbie Macomber. In the area of lighter, romantic stories I share readers with Susan May Warren, Janice Hanna Thompson, Leanna Ellis, and others.

In terms of romance rating, I’d guess that I’m somewhere between a G and PG. I try not to write anything I wouldn’t put in the church library.

In your own words tell us a little about The Summer Kitchen.
The Summer Kitchen (July 2009) is the second book in the Blue Sky Hill series, following A Month of Summer (July 2008). With the excitement of A Month of Summer being a finalist for the ACFW Book of the Year Award, the release of The Summer Kitchen was a whirlwind. In the midst of that whirlwind, I’ve been tried to make sure the story behind The Summer Kitchen isn’t lost. Recently, The Summer Kitchen was selected for the One Book One Waco community-wide reading program in Waco, Texas, the city that inspired the story. My hope is that the book will inspire others to seek ways to volunteer and make a difference in their own communities. We may not all have the resources to start something like The Summer Kitchen (the free lunch café in the book), but we all have time and talents that can be used to change the world around us.

Blurb:

With her adopted son missing and the rest of her family increasingly estranged, Sandra Kaye Darden is drawn to the little pink house where her Uncle Poppy once provided security. What begins for Sandra as a simple painting project, meant to prepare the house for sale, becomes a secret venture that eventually changes everything.

Cass Blue is having trouble keeping food on the table since she ditched foster care. When Sandra Kaye shows up with lunch one day, Cass has no way of knowing that the meeting will lead to the creation of a place of refuge that could reunite a divided community.

In this moving story of second chances, two unlikely allies realize their ability to make a difference...and the power of what becomes known as the Summer Kitchen to nourish the soul.

What made you want to write this story?
The Summer Kitchen was inspired by the incredible true story of The Gospel Café in Waco, Texas. I learned about the Café a few years ago when a reader came to a book signing and said, “If you’re looking for a great story, there’s a place you should know about.” She proceeded to tell me about three women who had, some years ago, hatched the idea of buying a former crack house in a rundown area of town, and turning it into a café that would offer lunches to all who came asking, whether they could pay or not. This group of friends not only hatched the idea--they acted on it and made it work! Thirteen years later, the Café feeds hundreds each week. In the novel, the main character, SandraKaye, doesn’t begin her Café with such a grand sense of purpose. She is merely compelled to deliver a bag of sandwiches when she sees kids digging for food in a dumpster at a nearby apartment complex. With the help of a young foster-care runaway, she begins to create something that, much like the real Gospel Café, takes on a life and a mission of its own.

What research did you have to do for this book?
The characters of The Summer Kitchen and their neighborhood came to life very much on their own. As research, I volunteered periodically in the kitchen of The Gospel Café. When you look across the counter and see the amazing cross section of humanity—homeless men and women, families from the housing project, university students from Baylor, professors, ministry students, youth group members—all sharing a common table, it is an amazing experience. Cass, SandraKaye, and the members of the Summer Kitchen’s neighborhood came to life during those visits to the Gospel Café.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Dakota Fanning would play the runaway, Cass Blue, and Charlize Theron would be perfect as SandraKaye Darden, the suburban mom who sets out to prepare her uncle’s old house for sale in a rundown neighborhood and ends up feeding hungry kids.

That’s aiming high, in terms of acting talent—but, hey, why not dream of the best?

What are you working on now or going to write next?

I’m currently working on the first book in a new series for Bethany House (Larkspur Cove to be released in Feb, 2011), and putting the final touches on the next book for Penguin Putnam, titled Beyond Summer, which will be released in July 2010.

How can readers get in contact with you?
For more information about the books or me, stop by my e-home away from home, www.Lisawingate.com. I’m also on Facebook and Youtube, of course. Isn’t everybody? By signing up for the newsletter on www.Lisawingate.com, you can enter a monthly drawing for a free autographed book and receive occasional notes about upcoming happenings, new books, speeches and appearances, and anything else that’s newsworthy in the book world. I love sharing my cyber-porches with friends who also know the joy of living within a story, then sending it out into the world.

What are you currently reading?
I just finished Gone to Green by Judy Christie. Great book!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
As a teenager, I was a gymnast, harboring big dreams of going to the Olympics. Unfortunately, I was also a horse lover with dreams of winning the National Finals Rodeo, and a book lover with dreams of writing novels. One dream out of three isn’t bad!

What is your favorite birthday memory?
A day spent by the creek with my boys and a surprise picnic basket they packed.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
chocolate

Most treasured birthday gift?
A book about our family one of my sons made for me.

Disney Princess?
Jasmine

What is/was this book’s release date?
The Summer Kitchen, July 2009

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
http://www.lisawingate.com/thesummerkitchenchapters.htm

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Summer Kitcken!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 26) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 1). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 2nd, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Denise Hunter ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Denise Hunter is telling us about her new book, Seaside Letters. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Denise! Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m happily married (for 21 years), have 3 sons ages 11, 14, and 17, and we live in Indiana. I love to read (big surprise!), travel, and watch romantic comedies. Chocolate fits in there somewhere too.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I started writing my first novel in 1996, writing while my sons napped each afternoon. My July release, Driftwood Lane, will be my 16th novel.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
Karen Kingsbury, Deborah Raney, Francine Rivers.

I’d say the romantic scenes themselves are G. However, sometimes my characters are dealing with past issues, sin, or consequences that can be PG13.

In your own words tell us a little about Seaside Letters.
Seaside Letters is the 3rd book in my Nantucket Love Stories series. Each book is completely stand-alone, though, as the characters don’t carry over from one book to the next.

Blurb:

Their letters could lead to lasting love . . . or expose Sabrina's mortifying secret.

Sabrina Kincaid didn't intend to fall for Nantucket native Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning-a man tied to a past she deeply regrets. But she has. And she's fallen hard.

But she's kept this a secret from her handsome customer. And now Tucker wants to hire Sabrina to help locate his friend "Sweetpea"-the mysterious woman he's falling in love with online. Sabrina is not inclined to help, but if Tucker hires someone else, it could spell disaster. Because if someone else sifted through the emails and figured out the truth-then Tucker would discover that the person he's trying to find is . . . her.

What made you want to write this story?
Honestly, I’m a huge fan of You’ve Got Mail, and I wanted to tell my own love-via-email story. Seaside Letters has it’s own twists and turns that make it wholly different from the movie, though.

What research did you have to do for this book?
For the series itself, I went to Nantucket to research the setting—I always do that. It really puts me there in the story and helps me to take the reader there also.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Mathew McConaughey for Tucker and Anne Hathaway for Sabrina

What are you working on now or going to write next?

I’m gearing up for the release of my last Nantucket book, Driftwood Lane (July 6, Thomas Nelson), and I’ve just finished A Cowboy’s Touch, due out in Spring 2011.

How can readers get in contact with you?

I have a readers group on Facebook, which has turned out to be a great way to connect with my readers. I also give away books and ask for my readers’ help choosing everything from titles to covers. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124248046980

I also have a website http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/

What are you currently reading?
I’m currently between books. The newest Jodi Piccoult novel is next on my to-be-read list and probably Francine Rivers’s latest novel will be after that.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I play the drums on my church’s worship team. :)

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Cherry with white icing

Disney Princess?
I have all boys. I don’t know a single Disney princess!

What is/was this book’s release date?
Oct, 2009. It’s on the shelves!

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Sure. I posted it pre-publication for my Facebook Readers. Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=124248046980&topic=11256

~~~~~

**Open to residents of any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Seaside Letters!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 26) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 1). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 2nd, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

This Week's Winners!

Winners:

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White--
Julia (julesreffner@...)

A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin--
Charity (esterried@...)

Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren--
Trinity Rose (wandaelaine@...)

A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

A Distant Melody

Sarah Sundin

Wings of Glory series #1

Revell- Publisher

About the book:

Will a chance meeting in a time of war change her life forever?

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. While Allie has nearly resigned herself to that fate, Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas.

Walt and Allie meet and begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

Book 1 in the Wings of Glory series, A Distant Melody is an exciting and tender story of love, courage, and sacrifice during World War II.

My review:
Fantastic. All the time that Sarah Sundin spent researching, studying, and perfecting this book paid off in rich historic details that transport you to a different time and place. This book will make your heart soar, and then bring you to tears with depths of sadness, then bring you back up again.

This book is a double-winner in my mind, because it casts off clichés! The main characters are not super-model gorgeous… they are only beautiful in each other’s eyes. Also, this book doesn’t have the usual “spiritual clichés” either. Rather than the typical “one of the people destined to fall in love isn’t a Christian, so the saved person must wait or deny the relationship”, it has two people who are already Christians. However, they still go through a spiritual journey and grow in the areas that God is showing them needs improvement. I loved that. Very different from the usual CF book. This is highly recommended.

Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Sarah Sundin ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Sarah Sundin is telling us about her new book, A Distant Melody. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Sarah! Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in northern California with my husband and three children, a skittish cat and a yellow lab who eats my pens. When I’m not ferrying kids to soccer and karate, I work on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teach Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. A Distant Melody is my debut novel.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing for ten years. My debut novel, A Distant Melody, released this month. A Memory Between Us, the second book in the Wings of Glory series, comes out September 2010, and the third book comes out Fall 2011.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
Ooh, the question I hated most when writing my query letters! I usually compare it to novels by Tricia Goyer, Lynn Austin, and Robin Lee Hatcher, because they also wrote stories set during World War II, with both action and romance as well as attention to historical detail. I think my writing is PG—plenty of kissing for romance fans, but not overly sensual. As a mother of a fourteen-year-old girl, I have no problem recommending it even for young teens.

In your own words tell us a little about A Distant Melody.
A Distant Melody is the first book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

Blurb:

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie Miller will do anything to gain her approval—even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak—fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women—takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

What made you want to write this story?
This story came out of a “what if” question in a contemporary novel I wrote (very badly). What if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? Obviously it wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting—he’d “Google” her—but it made a sweet premise for a historical. My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England which flew over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, and I had my link. My great-uncle was a B-17 bomber pilot with the Eighth, so I had access to family stories plus his personal letters. My research fascinated me so much, the story expanded to become a trilogy, with each book focusing on one of three brothers.

What research did you have to do for this book?
As a reader, historical inaccuracies throw me out of the story, so I wanted my own novels to be as accurate as possible. I have to confess, I now have over two hundred books and websites in my bibliography. Yes, that’s sick. Since the heroes in this series are B-17 bomber pilots—but I’ve never flown a plane—I read a “How to Fly a Plane” book to get the basics, purchased copies of the actual B-17 pilot’s manual and the training film (pure gold!), and ran the flying scenes past a pilot friend. For home front information, I use everything from Top Ten lists, to fashion style guides, to the Time Capsule series with extracts from Time Magazine. Lately I’ve been poring over microfilm of my local newspaper for everything from the price of a dress, to rationing updates, to the weather. Plus fun little trivia, like how the PTA met at Mrs. So-and-So’s house on D Street where they knit socks for soldiers.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
That would be hard! Neither Allie nor Walt is considered good-looking—except in each other’s eyes—and almost all Hollywood types are gorgeous. I haven’t seen anyone who matches the characters in my mind—including the very cute cover models.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
Right now I’m doing publicity for A Distant Melody, going through Revell’s edits for A Memory Between Us, polishing Book 3 before I turn it in, and preparing a proposal for another series, which will follow three flight nurses during World War II. I’m doing the published author juggling act!

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love to hear from readers!

Email: sarah@sarahsundin.com

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com/

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahsundin

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Abigail by Jill Eileen Smith in the Wives of King David series. I’m really enjoying it, but I’m so busy right now with my book release that I don’t have time to read. Grr.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
During summer breaks in college, I worked as a ride operator at Knott’s Berry Farm. I knew how to jump on and off a moving merry-go-round. Don’t ask to see it now.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
When I turned twenty-two, my husband and I had been dating just a few weeks. He took me out to dinner at the Charthouse in Sausalito, where we watched the sun set over the San Francisco Bay, and then he took me to the symphony. I think we beamed at each other the entire evening. I was tumbling in love with him.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting—no nuts!

Most treasured birthday gift?
Another tough question! A meaningful gift I received a few years ago was my mother’s sapphire ring, which has been in the family for several generations. I love the heritage—plus blue’s my favorite color.

Disney Princess?
Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Hands down. Not only is she bright, strong, loyal, and a head-in-the-clouds reader—but she falls in love with Beast because of who he is, not what he looks like. Sigh. Now that’s romance.

What is/was this book’s release date?
March 1, 2010!

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Here!

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

 

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of A Distant Melody!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 23) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 25). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 26th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Roseanna White ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Roseanna White is telling us about her book, A Stray Drop of Blood. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Roseanna! Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I'm in my late twenties, have been married for going on nine years, have two adorable kids aged 4 and 2, and make my home in the mountains of Western Maryland. I'm addicted to email, have read everything from Plato to Nietzsche, and love pretty much anything literature-related.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I've been writing since my teachers first taught me how to string letters together. I have stories from my primary school days that are oh-so-brilliant, LOL, and pretty much any teacher I ever had could tell you I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I finished my first novel at 13, my second at 16, and have completed a total of around 18. A Stray Drop of Blood is my first published work, though my agent is shopping several other manuscripts right now.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
This book has most often been compared to Francine Rivers—which I consider an incredible honor, since she's one of my all-time favorite authors.

As for how to rate the romance . . . I'd say PG bordering on PG-13 for this book; given the situation of my heroine, who is a slave taken by her Roman master, there are by necessity some scenes that deal with the physical side. But for every moment of passion there is an affirmation of God's outlook on it, and most of the book is dealing with the consequences of it.

In your own words tell us a little about A Stray Drop of Blood.
A Stray Drop of Blood follows the life of Abigail, a Hebrew girl who is born free but sold into slavery to a kind Roman soldier when she is eight. She serves her mistress, also a Hewbress, out of love . . . but when her master's son returns from Rome, her life takes a drastic shift.

From Biblical Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha to Ancient Rome in all its splendor, A Stray Drop of Blood explores the depths of faith, the nature of passion, and the redemptive power of the blood of Christ.

At the moment Stray Drop is a stand-alone novel, but I do have a sequel planned that will be about the children you meet in the first one. It would deal with the manifestation of the spiritual gifts, demon possession, and of course love found where least expected. (Can't have a book without a good love story! Not a book with my name on the cover, anyway.)

Blurb:

Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected.

For seven years, Abigail has been a slave in the Visibullis house. With a Hebrew mistress and a Roman master, she has always been more family than servant . . . until their son returns to Jerusalem after his years in Rome. Within a few months Jason has taken her to his bed and turned her world upside down. Maybe, given time, she can come to love him as he says he loves her. But how does she open her heart to the man who ruined her?

Israel's unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas's sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when the criminal is punished. But when she ventures to the trial, Barabbas is not the one the crowd calls to crucify. Instead, it is the teacher her master and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God . . .

Born free, made a slave, married out of her bonds, Abigail never knows freedom until she feels the fire of a stray drop of blood from a Jewish carpenter. Disowned by Israel, despised by Rome, desired by all, she never knows love until she receives the smile of a stoic Roman noble.

What made you want to write this story?
On Good Friday when I was 15, I got in a fight with my best friend over a guy (the guy I married a few years later, FYI). Torn between the high of new love and the bitterness of the fight, I sat down to read about the first Good Friday . . . and was totally overwhelmed by the sacrifice Jesus made for us, all he went through.

I went to my computer and wrote a short story entitled “A Stray Drop of Blood,” about a woman in the crowd who had gone to the trial to see Barabbas meet justice . . . only to run into the forgiveness of a teacher she had never seen before. I decided that day it would become a book, and over the next 6 years, I made it one.

What research did you have to do for this book?
Oh, my. Mostly I went to college. =) At my alma mater, we read original texts that are considered the foundation of Western society, beginning with the Ancient Greeks, moving to the Bible, Ancient Rome, and early Christian philosophers (that's the first two years, which are the ones relevant to this). I absorbed all this cultural info like a sponge and then rounded it out with research on things like fashion and housing of the day.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

A young Monica Bellucci for Abigail, and Matthew Bomer for Jason. Though of course they look slightly different in my head. Here are some sketches I did of my characters, loosely based on these actors (loosely, primarily because of a lack of skill on my part, LOL).

What are you working on now or going to write next?

While I wait to here back on several proposals that are with various editors, I'm working on one that has been requested that's set in 1784 in Annapolis, Maryland—during that brief span of time when Annapolis was the capital of the U.S. It's about a young lady who flees her betrothed when he betrays her and determines to find for herself this liberty her brother just fought for.

Working on that has forced me to put aside a contemporary about a displaced Bedouin women who is rescued from a Russian pirate by an ex-SEAL, all the while fleeing a black market arms dealer. And a romantic suspense set in 1928 Egypt, on an archaeological dig. =)

C- Those all sound awesome!

How can readers get in contact with you?
Well, there is contact info at my website, www.RoseannaMWhite.com, and you can also visit me at my blog, http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com, or find me on Facebook or Shoutlife.

What are you currently reading?
M. L. Tyndall's The Raven Saint. So good!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I'm so even-tempered that a college professor once said of me, “I fear such temperance may be unhealthy in one so young.” LOL. I'm also such an optimist that my critique partners have dubbed me RO, which stands for Roseanna-Optimist (I said it was my middle name, but they insisted it was my first. We compromised on a hyphen;-).

What is your favorite birthday memory?
Not sure it's my favorite, but one of the silliest is eating a big ol' slab of chocolate cake at Shoney's when I turned eight. For breakfast, that is.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Chocolate-orange. (Got a killer recipe for it!)

Most treasured birthday gift?
The oil painting of my hometown by our local artist-extraordinaire—my now-hubby (then boyfriend) got it for me when I turned 18.

Disney Princess?
Ariel. I dreamed of being Ariel for YEARS! Just ask any of the kids from the playground, where I would sit on the top of the slide like it was that rock and sing the “I don't know when, I don't know where . . .” song.

What is/was this book’s release date?
1 December 2009

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
http://www.fictionfinder.com/book/first_chapter/623

Something Roseanna wanted to add-
 I just joined the Life and Faith Tour and am super excited about it and would like to start putting the word out there. The website for the tour is www.LifeandFaithTour.com. I'll be selling and signing books in Richmond, VA, Rockingham, NC, and Atlanta, GA this summer, alongside some other fabulous authors--including Karen Kingsbury!

~~~~~

**This giveaway is open to residents of any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of A Stray Drop of Blood!

To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 23) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 25). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 26th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Susan May Warren ~ Giveaway!

Sons of Thunder

Susan May Warren

Brothers in Arms series #1

Summerside Press

About the book:

Sofia Frangos is torn between the love of hot-headed, passionate Markos and his younger brother, quiet, intelligent Dino. Markos longs to honor his family, Dino wants to forget the tragedy that drove them from their Greek home to the shores of America. One brother offers the past she loves. the other, a future. Which "Son of Thunder" will she choose? From Chicago's sultry jazz-era clubs. . .to Europe's World War II battlefields. . .to a final showdown on a Greek Island, the SONS OF THUNDER discover betrayal, sacrifice--and finally. . .redemption.

Click here to read my review of this book.

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an a copy of Sons of Thunder!

To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 23) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 25). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 26th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge ~ 5 stars

Plain Jayne

Hillary Manton Lodge

Plain and Simple series #1

Harvest House Publishers

About the book:

Jayne Tate loves her life as it is—living in a big city, working as a reporter for a fast-paced newspaper, and dating a guy who knows nothing about her past. When her father passes away though, she’s forced to take another look at what she wants out of life. After losing out on the big career opportunity she was hoping for, she decides to escape to Oregon Amish country, seeking solace and maybe a big story.

Even in this land of buggies and bonnets, Jayne finds life more complicated than she expected. Can she persuade herself that her growing friendship with the mysterious and handsome Levi Burkholder is just about research? And what’s a latte-drinking, laptop-using, motorcycle-riding reporter to do when this new life starts to change her?

With humor, faith, and unexpected romance, Plain Jayne will delight readers.

My review:
Plain Jayne is a great book. I really enjoyed reading it and getting to know the characters. Jayne is a woman who is afraid of loving because of a hurtful past, and Levi is a great man who is ready to love, despite his painful past. Despite the obstacles between them, they fall in love and learn to trust one another. Patience also becomes an important part in the story, as the characters learn to not rush each other. Hillary uses witty, compelling writing to draw you into the story and connect you to the characters. I recommend this book, and really look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Sunday Funnies!

A Fishing Lure...

     A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the Game Warden jumped out of the bushes.
     Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods. The Game Warden was hot on his heels. After about a half mile, the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, so the Game Warden finally caught up to him.
     "Let's see yer fishin' license, Boy!" The Warden gasped.
     With that, the boy pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license.
     "Well, son," said the Game Warden. "You must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!"
     "Yes, sir," replied the young guy. "But my friend back there, well, he don't have one."

This Week's Winner's!

**I just want to say that I'm sorry. My mom surprised me with a trip to Florida for my birthday, so I got behind on my blogging. I'll be a little late posting the new giveaways. Thanks for your understanding.**

Carman

Winners:

Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris is:
Karenk!!

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy is:
Sylvia M!!

An Honest Love by Kathy Fuller is:
pixie13!!

Sunday Funnies!

Parking Tickets

     The other day I went downtown to run a few errands. I went into the local Coffee shop for a snack. I was only there for about 5 minutes, and when I came out, there was this cop writing out a parking ticket.
     I said to him, 'Come on, man, how about giving a retired person a break'?
     He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. His insensitivity annoyed me, so I called him a 'Nazi.' He glared at me and then wrote out another ticket for having worn tires. So I proceeded to call him a 'doughnut eating Gestapo...' He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he wrote a third ticket when I called him a moron in blue.
     This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I talked back to him the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn't really care. I came downtown on my bicycle since the PNM stock is in the tank and I cannot drive the GMC unless I really need to, and the car that he was putting the tickets on had one of those bumper stickers that said, *'Obama in '08.'*

I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. The doctor tells me that it's important to my health.

Kathy Fuller ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Kathleen Fuller is telling us about her new book, An Honest Love. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter! She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Kathy! Tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve been married to my wonderful husband James for 16 years and we have three children: Mathew, Sydney, and Zoie. We live in Northeast Ohio, where I teach special education part-time while writing full-time.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing for 10 years. I have fourteen books published with three more coming out in 2010.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
I write sweet and gentle Amish fiction similar to Wanda Brunstetter. My books are definitely G! :)

In your own words tell us a little about An Honest Love.
An Honest Love is the second book in the Hearts of Middlefield series, which continues the Byler Family saga.

Blurb:

Anna must find the courage to tell Lukas the truth. Will he find the courage to forgive her?
Anna was once betrayed by someone she loved deeply. In an attempt to never be hurt again, she and her mother relocated to Middlefield, Ohio. It was the ideal place for Anna's broken heart to mend. In Middlefield, Anna withdrew from risk, placing all her attention on managing the new gift shop she and her mom bought.

When Lukas introduces himself, Anna can't resist her attraction to him. Though she finds herself falling in love, she's hiding a piece of her past in fear that their future will be destroyed if she tells him the truth.

But love can't be built on lies and the past comes rushing back to Anna in an irreversible way. Now Lukas must decide how he will react to Anna's betrayal. As they cling to their belief in an honest love, they realize it's a path they must walk together even as it leads to unexpected places.

What made you want to write this story?
I love writing family sagas. Also I wanted to write a series set in Middlefield, OH, which is the fourth largest Amish settlement in North America. I live close to Middlefield and wanted to share the community with readers.

What research did you have to do for this book?
I did a lot of “book” research about the Amish, then went into the community and became friends with an Amish woman who reads my stories for accuracy. I also read blogs like Amish America. www.amishliving.com is also a good place to find out information and to connect with others who enjoy all things Amish.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Actually if you look at the cover of the book I think the models are perfectly cast for Elisabeth and Aaron. If they were actors I would choose them. As far as famous actors, I would choose Amanda Seyfried and Kellan Lutz.

What are you working on now or going to write next?

I’m working on the next book in my tween series, the Mysteries of Middlefield, called Secrets Beneath. The first book, A Summer Secret, releases in May.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Several ways:

http://www.kathleenfuller.com/

http://www.amishhearts.com/

http://www.amishliving.com/

I’m also on facebook and twitter.

What are you currently reading?
A Pocket Guide to Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. A wonderful little book!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
That I’m absolutely, completely, and unequivocally terrified of heights. Even seeing people on high things on TV makes me queasy. Oddly enough, I don’t mind flying in a plane.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
When we were dating my husband got together with several of my good friends and threw me a surprise 25th birthday party. I had no clue. It was awesome!

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Chocolate fudge

Most treasured birthday gift?
I don’t know—they’ve all be wonderful.

Disney Princess?
She’s not a princess, but my favorite Disney character is Mulan.

What is/was this book’s release date?
March, 2010. It’s available now! :)

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
http://www.kathleenfuller.com/excerpts

~~~~~

**Open to any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of An Honest Love!

To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 12) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 18). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 19th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Mary Connealy ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Mary Connealy is telling us about her new book, The Husband Tree. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Mary! How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?

I've been writing for a long, long time, Carman, if you count all the years it took me to get published—I'd say about fifteen years. Black Hills Blessing, which releases in March is my 14th book, but it's a 3 in 1 collection of three shorter books that released in a book club.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
The romance is G and frankly I've created my own genre and no one is doing quite what I'm doing. Let's just go with that, shall we?

In your own words tell us a little about The Husband Tree.

Belle Tanner buries her third worthless husband and makes a vow over his shallow grave. She’s learned her lesson. No more men.

Silas Harden just lost his second ranch because of a woman. The first deserted him when times got tough. Now he’s had to quit the whole state of New Mexico to avoid a trumped-up shotgun wedding and the noose of matrimony. He’s learned his lesson. No more women.

Belle needs hired hands to move a cattle herd late in the season and there’s no one around but seemingly aimless Silas. She hires him reluctantly.

Silas signed on, glad for the work, though worried about a woman doing such a thing as hiring drovers, only to find out he’s the lone man going with five woman, including a baby still in diapers. After the cattle drive is over, he might as well shoot himself to speed up the process of being embarrassed to death.

A fast approaching winter.

The toughest lady rancher you’ve ever seen.

A cynical cowboy who has to convince five women he’s right for their ma. . .and then convince himself.

And one thousand head of the crankiest cattle who have ever been punched across the backbone of the Rockies.

What research did you have to do for this book?
The main research I do is location. The style and rhythm of the books is just wildly recognized 'Cowboy'. But I needed to find a rugged place to drive cattle, research the plants that grew there, the weather, the type of rivers and stones and the history of that place at that time. Was Montana a state or a territory? Was Helena in existence…since they drive the cattle there.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

I'd have Jane Seymour play Belle—in her Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman days. Beyond that, I'm stuck. I don't really like doing that, for the same reason I don't like having faces on my book covers. I think it messes with your imagination.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
The sequel to The Husband Tree, book #3 in the Montana Marriages series releases in May. After that is another series of romantic comedy with cowboys. That's the Sophie's Daughters series, the daughters of Sophie McClellen from Petticoat Ranch.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love hearing from readers. My email address is mary@maryconnealy.com

And they can find me online at:
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ Seekerville

http://petticoatsandpistols.com/ Petticoats & Pistols

http://mconnealy.blogspot.com/ My Blog

http://www.maryconnealy.com/ My Website

What are you currently reading?
I just finished Erica Vetsch short sweet romance The Marriage Masquerade. She is so talented. I did NOT want that book to end. I just loved her characters.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
My birthday is in March, just like yours Carman. Honestly my childhood memories of my birthday are mostly snow and rain and cold. It just always worked out that way.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Carrot Cake-I have a recipe so good, if I used it carefully I could vault straight into the governor's office.

Most treasured birthday gift?
My husband gave me a riding lawnmower once. I know, not romantic but man or man was I THRILLED. Seriously.

Disney Princess?
Let's go with Ariel in the Little Mermaid. I loved all those Disney movies. Belle from Beauty and the Beast—she's close to first, Jasmine—I loved Jasmine, Nala—well, she's a lion so that's working against her. But I loved the movie. Cinderella, Snow White—we watched all these movies a thousand times when my kids were little. Pocahontas, not so much. No on Mulan. Sleeping Beauty was lame. She slept through the whole movie, what's the point of that?

What is/was this book’s release date?
The Husband Tree released in January, so it's in bookstores now.

~~~~~

***USA adresses only, please***

 

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Husband Tree!

To enter:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 12) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 18). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 19th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.