Shellie Neumeier ~ Interview + Giveaway!

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

Today author Shellie Neumeier is telling us about her new book, Driven. She has offered a copy of her book to one lucky commenter. (The directions are a little different this time, so please read at the bottom of this post for specifics.)

Tell us about your book.

It’s about a girl, Robyn, who loves her friends, enjoys her youth group, and looks forward to hanging with the new guy, Caleb Montague. But a caustic news reporter challenges her school’s prayer team, forcing Robyn to choose between defending the group’s right to meet on campus and pray for whomever they wish or back down at the principal’s request.

She must learn what God wants her to do. And learn fast, because there’s a supernatural enemy, a demon named Sebastian, whose sole mission is to stop her—no matter the cost.

Who did you write your book for?
I wrote the book with my 17 year old daughter in mind. I’d been reading a series she got hooked on, just to see what it was like and it was so discouraging. I mean life is discouraging, but to leave someone there, just seemed depressing. That’s when I decided I wanted to write something for her. Something that would lift her up and encourage her.

Why a young adult Christian novel?
That’s easy. I still think like a kid. Always have. Young adult is a world of possibilities. They’re willing to go places the adult reader just isn’t so it makes the adventure more unpredictable. And since God is the director of my life, it had to be Christian. One way or another, He was in.

What inspired you to write this book?
What inspired me to write this book was the desire to encourage the next generation. To let them know that God does have a plan for them and it’s a good one, even though it may not seem that way right now. This generation of young adults has almost unlimited access to their world with the ease of travel and the internet. They have the amazing opportunity to change their world unlike any previous generation, but they’re also bombarded with harsh realism and even harsher dramatized “realism” at a very young age. It would be very easy to forget that they have a purpose and it comes from God.

When you write, which comes first, the story, the characters, or the setting?
Definitely the characters. When I start a story, I look at who the characters are, what are their personalities like, how would they interact in real life, How would they react in certain situations, right down to what type of parents they had and what job would they get when they’re older. That way I know how they react when things get tough. And things do get tough.

If you could compare this book to any book out there, which book would it be?
Reviewers have compared it to Frank Perretti’s This Present Darkness and C.S Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. Mostly because of the glimpse into the spiritual world.

What’s next for you?
I’m finishing a MG written with my youngest two children and working on a 4 in 1 novella, co-authored with a Lisa Lickel. We’re also considering a sequel to Driven.

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**USA addresses only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win a copy of Driven!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). ALSO include which version of the book you want if you win: pdf or a physical copy. 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.

+2 Read my interview with Irene Hannon about her new book, Fatal Judgment, and leave an encouraging comment for her on that post. :)
**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 (February 28) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 3). 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 4th, 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.