Anita Onarecker Wood ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 4 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Anita Wood is telling us about her new book, Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge (May 2010). 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.

Here is a little about the featured author:

Author Anita Onarecker wrote Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge to share the story of a life-journey that culminated with meeting Don Piper on a Texas bridge. Her book is a companion story, a back story to 90 Minutes in Heaven, the New York Times bestseller.

As she wrote, God revealed the connection of all their life choices, and how any one different decision would have altered their encounter with Don Piper.

Anita is an eyewitness to miraculous prayer: she’s seen God’s intervention.

Anita understands challenges of life, and brings a message of encouragement.

Her husband Dick died in 1996, completely altering Anita’s life. In 2000, she recognized God’s call to ministry on her life and therefore finished college and seminary. After she received her master’s degree in 2007, she now has a speaking, teaching, writing ministry.

She lives in Spring, Texas, with husband Ed Wood, is her #1 prayer supporter and encourager. She is mother to Terri and Kevin, and Maw-Maw to five grandchildren! God is good.

Welcome, Anita! Tell us about your salvation experience.
I am always happy to tell others of my salvation. I was born again as a young girl of eight, but sadly failed to grow much until my mid-twenties. Since then I continue to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Jesus communicated clearly to my heart as a young girl in Sunday School. As the teacher explained about His death on the cross, God stirred my spirit and enabled me to understand my need of salvation. This was a very real encounter with Him that Sunday, life changing and destiny changing.

In your opinion, what is your best trait? What is your worst?
I am a good loyal friend, and true to my word. I take commitments seriously, and endeavor to be dependable. I am sometimes naive, believing others will keep their word as well. I may be hard on myself at times.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I love the outdoors and hiking! Since I live in flat southeast Texas, that’s unusual. My favorite hike was in Zion National Park where my family and I hiked The Narrows, walking continuously in very cold waters. The Narrows is a river stream where the canyon sides are vertical all around you, and the only way in or out is in the water. I never walked so carefully in all my life!

What are you working on now or going to write next?
My next work is in the investigation stage: I’m considering writing about mother/daughter relationships.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I am on facebook: A. Onarecker Wood, also a facebook page for my book: Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge.

I can be reached at anita@anitaonareckerwood.com

Blurb:

I am happy for this opportunity to share about my first published book, Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge.

Millions of people know Don Piper’s story, 90-Minutes in Heaven, and of a man named Dick Onarecker who approached the crushed car, and saw a dead man—Don Piper. Dick felt God’s Spirit compel him to pray two ways: that the man live, and that he have no internal injuries, and that is exactly how God responded. I was there with Dick and Don that morning, as we all traveled from Trinity Pines Conference center after a meeting for church planters.

I believe God wants people to know the background of this miracle, so all His children will see that God uses anyone willing to obey Him, and follow His direction. I am not extraordinary, but God is. He used me and Dick in a way that has become known around the globe since 2004, as 90-Minutes in Heaven is translated in more than 40 languages, and continues to be a New York Times bestseller. Now readers have opportunity to know the “rest of the story” of how the miracle on the bridge occurred. It was a result of God’s activity for a lifetime.

I wrote Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge in chronological order to show how God used us, two ordinary people of no acclaim, to glorify Him. I share life challenges, choices, and decisions that brought us to meet Don that January morning. This is our story of God’s miracle and extraordinary answered prayer.

Much has happened for the three of us since: Don has had repeated surgeries, yet goes around the world telling this miraculous story of life, and approaching the gates of Heaven. Many have come to Christ. Dick is IN Heaven now, having died in 1996. God knew then who would dare to pray, and who would be alive today to tell the story.

Divine Appointment will encourage believers to see their life counts for God. Church planters, and men and women in ministry, will be encouraged seeing the work is never easy, but God is always faithful. Women’s groups will enjoy discussing the struggles, decisions, and challenges of this example of faith.

Is there anything you would like to add, or tell your readers?
As a self published author I receive much direct feedback. I’d like to share a couple with you:
“Unlike Don Piper's book, this is not a story about heaven. It's a story about the things we go through during our journey on this earth. . .and how those things can shape us into faith-filled history-makers. And I dare say, it's worth the price of the book alone just to get the bonus feature at the end of the book. Dick's "sermon" (really more of a life message) sent shivers down my spine.”

A 20-year-old college student said, “This is such a beautiful picture of what it looks like to make sacrifices in an effort to live for something larger than you. It depicts the struggles of living for Christ specifically in a ministry setting and how the Lord mysteriously and miraculously provides for our needs when we chose to obey Him. Allow yourself to be challenged.”

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

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

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 AND your email address.

*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.

Read and leave a comment on one of my recent book reviews.
+2 So Over My Head

**You can earn a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above entry options. 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 (July 30) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (August 5). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner either directly after choosing him/her or on Friday the 6th, 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.