Kay Strom ~ Interview + Giveaway!

**I have changed the rules for entering my giveaways and there are new ways to earn extra entries, so be sure to read that section at the bottom of this post. =)**

Today author Kay Strom is telling us about her book, The Call of Zulina. 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, Kay! Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a Christian writer, meaning I am a Christian who writes. Although I also write for secular venues, my worldview stays the same. A lot of my work has a global touch.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
Well, I’ve really been writing all my life. But I’ve been writing for publication… well, a pretty long time. My first book came out 25 years ago. I just finished book number 36 and am now working on another fiction trilogy, the first book of which is due on the editor’s desk at the end of the summer.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be?
Hmmm, that’s a difficult one. I think of myself as an individual.
Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
Definitely G. Actually, romance is not the main element in the GRACE in AFRICA trilogy.

In your own words tell us a little about The Call of Zulina.

The Call of Zulina is book 1 of the GRACE in AFRICA trilogy.
Set in Africa in 1787, this is the story of Grace Winslow, daughter of a white slave trader and his African princess wife. Raised in naïve isolation, it is only when Grace escapes from her parents’ compound and runs head first into the uproar of a slave rebellion that she learns the truth about the family business—the capture and sale of slaves. Grace must decide who she is and on which side—slave or free. One special captive becomes the love of her life.

Blog site: http://www.kaystrom.wordpress.com/
Facebook: Kay Marshall Strom

What made you want to write this story?
When I was in Senegal, West Africa, working on another project, I toured Goree Island, an old slave fortress off the coast. I was horrified at the sight of a pair of baby-sized manacles bolted to the wall! Then I read about a real couple who lived in the area at the time—a white slave trader and his African wife, who ran a slave trading business. I kept wondering: What if…? If they’d had a daughter, who would she be? Which side would she be on?

What research did you have to do for this book?
Lots! I went to Africa twice. I read and read and read. I have friends in Africa who helped me, too. Of course, I had already written Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, the biography of the author of Amazing Grace who was a slave trader, so a lot of research on the time and place were already done.

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

Halle Berry would play Grace. Djimon Hounsou would play Cabeto.

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

I’m working under contract on another fiction trilogy, this one set in India (Blessings in India). If follows two families through three generations, one of the untouchable caste and the other high caste nominal Christians who own them.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Through my website: http://www.kaystrom.com/

What are you currently reading?
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. She’s a great writer of historical fiction!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I have a cross tattooed on my wrist. It is a sign of unity with the persecuted Christians in Egypt.

What is/was this book’s release date?
The Call of Zulina was released August 2009.
Book 2, The Voyage of Promise, will be out August 2010.
Book 3, The Triumph of Grace, will be out Spring 2011.

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of The Call of Zulina!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment.


*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you would not like to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

+2 Read and leave a comment on one of my recent book reviews.

**You can earn a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above requirements. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (April 2) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 8). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 9th, 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.