Tammy Barley ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 6 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Tammy Barley is telling us about her new book, Faith's Reward (The Sierra Chronicles #3 -- January 2011). 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, Tammy! Tell us a little about yourself.

I have lived in twenty-seven places in eight states (so far) and have visited nearly all. When I'm not writing? I judge a number of top writing contests and love my work as a manuscript editor and biographer. I am also Mom to two sons, one daughter, a rescued American Eskimo dog, sixteen parakeets*, and an aquarium full of fish. The children I homeschool; the dog I taught to sit. She also barks at parked cars.

In my spare time, you're likely to find me baking, gardening, behind a camera, or hugging a horse.

Are you a spontaneous writer or a scheduled writer?
Both! I schedule my work hours, but if an idea for a scene strikes in the middle of the night, me and my bunny slippers hurry to the keyboard.

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
I always see the cloud’s silver lining. When I learned I had suffered kidney failure, I thought, “Well, at least I won’t have to get up anymore in the middle of the night and run to the restroom.”

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be?
My writing style is unique. My novels will carry you back in time to the far reaches of the American West, place you into the saddle of a running horse, and slip you into the cool water of a purling river on a sweltering summer night. I write that you may experience it all firsthand, the stories unfolding around you, so that you feel you are there.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Links to my Facebook, ShoutLife, Goodreads, and other pages are all at my Web site: http://www.tammybarley.com/index.html (where you can also enter the drawing to win The Day of Your Dreams contest)

Book blurb:

The year 1865 starts out as a nightmare come true for Jessica Bennett. The cattle she and her husband, Jake, fought to save from drought the summer before now face the threat of freezing to death. Her fears worsen when Jake contracts pneumonia.

Springtime brings trials of a different kind—the snowmelt causes the ranch to thrive so much that Jake must sell off the last of their cattle to make room for their horses and the young foals to be born. In the meantime, Jess endeavors to recover her rightful inheritance, which mysteriously disappeared from the bank. When she discovers a link between the banker and a group of murderous Unionists, who continue to target Southerners even though the war is over, Jake launches an undercover investigation.

The conspiracy runs deeper and wider than either of them could have imagined. Jess must put her life—and the life of her unborn child—at risk to stop the ringleader and save the lives of many others. Yet, Jess refuses to give up hope in the God she serves—a God of love who often provides above and beyond our greatest dreams.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?The woman on the book cover is the perfect Jess, and Hugh Jackman is the perfect Jake.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter or an excerpt of this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Faiths-Reward-Sierra-Chronicles-V3/dp/1603741100/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b#reader_1603741100

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**This giveaway is open to anyone**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Faith's Reward!

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.
+1 GFC follow my other blog, Christian Book Giveaways.
+1 Subscribe by email to my other blog, Christian Book Giveaways.

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

**You can earn a total of 6 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 (January 21) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (January 27). 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 28th, 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.

Love's Rescue by Tammy Barley ~ 4/5 stars

Love's Rescue

Tammy Barley

The Sierra Chronicles, Book 1

Whitaker House- Publisher

About the book:

A Dividing Conflict
In 1863, the War Between the States is dividing more than a nation. To escape the conflict, Jessica Hale and her family flee their Kentucky home and head for Nevada Territory. Her brother, Ambrose, committed to the Confederates, rejoins his Kentucky militia and is disowned by his father. But the worst is yet to come.

A Heroic Kidnapper
When Unionists presume the family to be Confederate sympathizers, they set a devastating fire to their home. All alone and then “kidnapped” by cattleman Jake Bennett, Jessica is taken to a ranch deep in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. Can she overcome her resentment toward Jake for failing to save her family?

The Depths of Love
When Jake launches a plan to help Jessica’s brother escape from prison camp, she sees him for the honest, good-hearted Christian man that he is and now knows the depth of his love for her. Through the lingering smoke and smoldering ashes from her ruined home and murdered family, will Jessica see a future with Jake?

 
My review:

I really enjoyed this one! All the ranch happenings were really fun to read about and didn’t get so detailed that you were bored. The way Tammy skipped long periods of time was very well written. Since this book takes place over a few years, she couldn’t include all the day-to-day occurrences; I think she wrote the book in a way that the gaps weren’t missed and it was still easy to follow the storyline. The civil war era is one of my favorites to read about, and this book didn’t disappoint. I loved the way Tammy wrote the cowhands! They are now some of my favorite characters. I especially loved how gentle and protective they were with Jess. It was too sweet! I’m now very anxious to read book two. ;) Congrats to Tammy Barley for this great read!

Love's Rescue ~ Winner!

I'm announcing the lucky winner of Tammy Barley's book, Love's Rescue!

And the winner is:

popstardiva228!

Congrats! I will contact you today for your mailing address. I hope you enjoy the book!