Lisa Harris ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Lisa Harris is telling us about her new book, Blood Ransom. She has offered a 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 live with my family in Mozambique where we are involved in a discipleship movement as well as some humanitarian projects. I have three kids and we’ve just started our third year of home schooling. That in itself has become a full time job, but I love being involved in their schooling. :)

We also travel a lot (which I believe is a great plus for the kids’ education) and in the past few years we have spent time living in South Africa, Brazil for language learning, and now Mozambique.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
This past weekend, as I was clearing out some file cabinets, I found some stories I’d written when I was ten or eleven, so I’ve always had the desire to write. I didn’t start seeking publication until about twelve years ago when the dream first really took hold. About six years after that, I had my first novella published and just signed my 21st contract this month!

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
I don’t know if I could ever compare myself to them, but I’d love to think of Blood Ransom a combination of Dee Henderson and Terri Blackstock, equaling a strong suspense line that keeps the pages turning along with romance and a spiritual thread. All the romances I’ve had published are definitely rated G. :)

In your own words tell us a little about Blood Ransom.
Blood Ransom, like all the books in the Mission Hope Series revolves around Volunteers for Hope International, a fictional, nonprofit organization that places short-term doctors and medical teams across Africa. Natalie Sinclair and Chad Talcott, two Americans working with Volunteers for Hope, find themselves in a race against time when they stumble upon a modern-day slave trade in a blend of adventure, romance, and suspense.

Blurb:

Deep in the heart of Africa, two American lives are about to change forever. Natalie Sinclair and Dr. Chad Talcott want to make a difference in under-developed African villages … but they didn’t count on risking their lives in the process. Romance and adventure drive this powerful thriller about the modern-day slave trade and those who dare to challenge it.

What made you want to write this story?
For years, I wanted to write stories set in Africa that told about ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances, and in the process, to see how their lives changed through their reliance on God. Blood Ransom deals with the issue of human trafficking, and I’m currently finishing up book two in the series that is set in a refugee camp.

Another motivation is to inspire others that God can use you too! A friend and I have recently started a blog that shares stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for God called Inspire. Be Inspired. We can’t all go to Africa, but we all can make a difference in the lives of those around us one person at a time. Stop by and share your story with us!

http://oneextraordinarygod.blogspot.com/

What research did you have to do for this book?
I had to do tons of research. :) Even though I live in Africa know a lot about the people and setting, I still had to research the medical situations, plane crashes, jungles, and political situations to make them all believable. I love research, though, and tend to spend a lot of time looking for that perfect jewel of information I want to add to the books authenticity.

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

I think it’s every authors dream to have their book made into a movie. Choosing who would play the lead, though, is hard. Since I think the cover looks a little bit like Penelope Cruz, I’ll choose her (I loved her in Sahara) As for the male lead… I’m still looking. :) He’s got short curly hair, clean cut, good-looking …


What are you working on now or going to write next?
I’m currently finishing up Blood Covenant, book two in this series for Zondervan about a harrowing situation in an overpopulated African refuge camp where an outbreak of measles erupts and renegade soldiers block their only way out. It will be released early next year.

Then, as soon as I send that manuscript to my editor, I’ll jump into a new romantic suspense I’ll be writing for Summerside Press called Dark Continent. It’s set both in southern Africa and New York in the early 1920’s.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Please stop by my blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com/  or my website www.lisaharriswrites.com I LOVE to hear from my readers!

What are you currently reading?
I’m reading The Gabon Virus by Paul McCusker and Walt Larimore

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
Hmmm… I made my own Root beer today. :)

What is your favorite birthday memory?
The first thing that comes to mind is watching my grandmother make angel food cake then icing it with green, mint icing every year for my birthday while she was still alive. A birthday doesn't pass when I don't pull of those sweet memories of thick slices of cake and laughter.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Angel food cake with mint icing. :-)

Most treasured birthday gift?
Home made cards from my children full of drawings and poems. I'll definitely treasure them forever.

Disney Princess?
Cinderella. I've just always loved that story.
 
What is/was this book’s release date?
Blood Ransom’s official release is March 5 and should be in all the stores by the beginning of April.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Yes! http://lisaharrisfirstchapter.blogspot.com/

~~~~~

**USA and Canada addresses only, please**

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

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.