Giveaway of "A Daughter's Redemption" by Georgiana Daniels

CONGRATULATIONS TO JACKIE

WINNER OF "A DAUGHTER'S REDEMPTION"

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR STOPPING BY!

Time for another giveaway. Just follow the instructions at the end of the post to qualify for a chance to win "A Daughter's Redemption" by Georgiana Daniels (slightly used as I read it:) so I know you'll enjoy it, too.  Here we goooooo.

 

From the back cover:Inheriting her estranged father's property isn't the reason Robyn Warner wanted to come back to Pine Hollow. She thought she'd make amends with her father—but his sudden death made that impossible. And when she learns the identity of the handyman fixing the run-down cabins, Robyn is ready to flee Pine Hollow again. Caleb Sloane, the cop responsible for her father's accident, just wants to uphold his promise and then return to the force. But he can't seem to walk away. After all, he understands about guilt and regret. And he'll do everything he can to help Robyn find healing, happiness and—just maybe—a lifetime of love.

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio:Georgiana Daniels resides in the beautiful mountains of Arizona with her super-generous husband, and three talented daughters. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, and now has the privilege of homeschooling by day and wrestling with the keyboard by night. She enjoys sharing God’s love through fiction, and is exceedingly thankful for her own happily ever after. She regularly blogs at http://georgianad.blogspot.com and loves for new friends to stop by and visit!

 

 

Links to purchase: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=27467

 

 http://www.amazon.com/A-Daughters-Redemption-Love-Inspired/dp/0373877927/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354384083&sr=8-1&keywords=a+daughter%27s+redemption

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-daughters-redemption-georgiana-daniels/1112126251?ean=9780373877928

http://www.christianbook.com/a-daughters-redemption-georgiana-daniels/9780373877928/pd/877928?item_code=WW&netp_id=1032291&event=ESRCG&view=details

 

HOW TO ENTER:

1) BE A FOLLOWER OR BECOME A NEW FOLLOWER

2)LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU

3)LET ME KNOW  IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE AUTHORS YOU'VE READ.

 

 

HAPPY READING!

 



Giveaway and Interview for "Autumn Changes" by Bev Nault

CONGRATULATIONS TO

KAREN K THE WINNER OF

AUTUMN CHANGES

 

I'd like to introduce Beverly Nault to my readers. Bev is a great writer and she is also my editor for "Death in Dahlonega" and "Murder in Marietta."  Let's give Bev a warm welcome and read on to learn more about her and her writing career.

 

 

 

Interview Questions

1. Tell us a little about yourself. I’ve wanted to be an author ever since elementary school when I published a story about a line who wanted to be in a parade (you read that right…a line). If you count running off copies on the mimeograph machine, and stapling the edges together “published.” In the spirit of a lemonade stand, I had a book signing, and people lined up down the sidewalk to buy copies. Well, my mom and dad came. I think my older sister had a date that night. But I was hooked.
2. Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on. “Autumn Changes” is set in a  “Mitford-esque” fictional community. Cherryvale has been called a mash up between “Desperate Housewives” and Mayberry. The first book, “Fresh Start Summer” began the series, but readers can begin anywhere. Each one has unique storylines, and as you can tell, a definite “seasonal” setting. In “Autumn Changes,” preparations for the Harvest Festival loom, but the main characters, Grace & Maggie, have their hands full with teenagers they’re mentoring, and their friendship’s strained when they can’t agree over how to tackle the various challenges.
3. Why did you choose this particular genre? To create an escape where the folks are friendly, and even though the characters are flawed like all of us, and their problems can feel real, you’ll want to return again and again to “rest” from your own worries. In Cherryvale, “the neighbors care, gardeners share, and God allows do-overs.” I sprinkle in “Kodak moments,” lots of furry pets, a touch of mystery. I believe a cozy read should provide a beautiful setting, funny moments, and encouragement for your day. Many fans tell me they purposely read slowly so they won’t finish too soon, and they’d love to move to the ‘Vale. I call them my honorary ‘Valers.
4. What was your journey to publication like? I wrote for businesses for years, and tried to throw in the odd line of dialog or scenery, but the editors really discouraged that in software manuals. C’mon, lighten up! So the creative side in me burbled for years, and when our youngest child began college, I said to myself, “Self, what do you want to do with all your spare time?” No brainer! I enrolled in the Christian Writer’s Guild What’s Your Story Apprentice program to fine tune my skills for the general market. From that excellent online course, I birthed both my first fiction and nonfiction books in the same month, March 2011. I call “Fresh Start Summer,” and “Lessons from the Mountain, What I Learned from Erin Walton” (co-written with Mary Beth McDonough) my fraternal twins.
5. What are a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now? My favorite classic books include “Gone With the Wind,” which has an actual part in “Fresh Start Summer,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which appears in “Autumn Changes.” Right now I’m reading “A Severe Mercy,” by Sheldon Vanauken, about the love affair with his wife that became their love affair with God. And Joanne Bischof’s new, lovely historical fiction, “Be Still My Soul,” is on my bedside table as well. Who can read one book at a time?

1. What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? Of course! I’m preparing to release Cherryvale’s winter story, “Christmas Bells.” Think “Survivor; Cherryvale.” A blizzard threatens to ruin the town’s live nativity pageant and Grace’s wedding anniversary plans as well, but in God’s awesome way, He has lessons for everyone about the real meaning of the holiday. I’m also co-authoring another nonfiction memoir about a physician’s journey raising her son who struggles with ADHD and bi-polarism. Our working title is “God Stops; A pediatrician shares her faith lessons, offering hope from her personal journey raising a child with multiple behavioral and cognitive challenges.” Heavy title, worthy stuff.
2. What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication? First, have your head examined! Just kidding (sort of), but know it can be thrilling, grueling, disappointing, exhilarating, frustrating, joy filled….ahem. OK, begin by calling yourself a writer… out loud. Then write. And share your writing with people who are ahead of you in the journey, because they understand where you are headed. Find a class, join a brutally honest critique group, go to writer’s conferences. Read in your genre, and read ABOVE your genre…figure out how it’s done right, and what doesn’t work. Think of it as a business, and then you will be able to accept input. I imagine my “one” reader, and my “One” reader. Then I write to please her, but to glorify Him.
3. Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us? I actually wrote a blog post about this, so perhaps this is a good place to mention, “Bev Said What?” where I try to behave myself, and often succeed. Here’s the post where I chat with my friend, Danny, about getting started writing; http://beverlynault.com/2012/01/25/its-complicated-part-ii-or-the-road-to-publication/  
4. Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered? I am thrilled to share that “Fresh Start Summer” just received the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild Nancy Bayless Excellence in Writing Award. I wish this was a “sense-a-blog,” because the plaque’s so new it’s still got that “new award smell.” >laughs< Also, I’m writing shorter novellas that are perfect for new readers to see if they like my style. “Hearts Unlocked, A Thanksgiving Romance Novella,” will be free for three days on Kindle, November 18-20^th. It’s a cozy read, perfect for kicking back and relaxing after tackling the turkey, and hitting those black Friday sales. Again, it’s a stand-alone story, but spoiler alert, the romance kindles a flame between two characters from “Autumn Changes.” But that was totally out of my control, I swear.  Did I mention “Hearts Unlocked” will be FREE?!
5. Please let us know where we can find you on the web. I will, and thanks for having me, Debbie!!

Website www.beverlynault.com    Twitter @bevnault  Beverly's Pinterest  Beverly's Facebook

Amazon Authorpage

 

To win a copy of "Autumn Changes" please:

1) Be a follower or become a follower

2) Follow by email

3) Leave your email address

4) What is your favorite thing about fall (must answer)

 

 

 

 

 

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON

 

"MURDER IN MARIETTA"

 

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES!


 

Trixie Montgomery’s back on the beat, facing her own spectral fears covering ghost sightings at the Marietta History Museum. With sidekick and best friend, Dee Dee, in tow, the women brave a sleepover inside the haunted museum to discover what lurks behind closed doors. When their worst fears occur and a dead body is discovered right under their noses, Trixie’s reputation both as a journalist and crime solver, are once again put to the test.  

First introduced in the acclaimed, Death in Dahlonega, Georgia Author of the Year nominee Deborah Malone presents another delightful Trixie Montgomery Cozy Mystery.  

Join Trixie and Dee Dee while they explore the charming streets, and tantalizing restaurants, along with the colorful—and sometimes spooky—characters, and find out who materializes as the culprit in Murder in Marietta.



Free E-book To Everyone Who Posts by Ann Lee Miller

THE WINNER OF

THE ART OF MY LIFE

IS ANNE

CONGRATULATIONS ANNE!

Ann has graciously said she will give one free e-book of her book "The Art of My Life" to someone who leaves a comment. She will also give away an e-book of her first book "Kicking Eternity" to anyone who requests a copy. You don't want to miss out on this fantastic giveaway.

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Author Ann Lee Miller

Giveaway: Anyone who leaves a comment with their e-mail address will receive a free e-copy of prequel: Kicking Eternity. Or you may request your free copy at AnnLeeMiller.com.

 

·         How much of your real life experiences show up in your fiction?

As a writer, I’m a vulture, feeding off the carcass of my life and other peoples’. Usually, it’s just bits and pieces—an experience here, a personality trait there, a deeply etched emotion, a pivotal relationship.

·         For example?

In The Art of My Life Henna shows up as a secondary character who grows pot in the back yard and has obviously smoked one doobie too many over the years. She is a loveable, comical character who fractures clichés much like my mother did in her waning years with Altzheimer’s. I use a funny story that actually happened. Mom insisted that while she was in the grocery store someone stole eighteen pair of her panties out of her laundry basket which was setting in the passenger seat of her car. And the would-be thief replaced her pristine grandmamma undies with eighteen ratty pair.

Starr, who has a more predominant role in the story is a repressed ballet teacher. I took ballet as a child to correct my inward-turning feet. I also struggle with repression. Starr and I rebelled from bohemian upbringings into conservatism. Starr’s hyper-critical attitude toward her son, however, I borrowed from my father’s personality. Both Starr and I heard from our fathers, “I’ll give you something to cry about,” when we cried.

Cal went to jail, had a love affair with marijuana. Close relatives have done the same. Aly fights my leftover Catholic guilt. Fish holds grudges like I do. Aly falls overboard like I did as a kid. Leaf and my late father were Willie Nelson look-alikes.

I, like my characters. have always inhabited the bottom rung of the middle class. We all drive beater cars my kids call POSes (Ahem, you’ll have to figure that one out yourself).

Because I am a spiritual person, my characters wrestle or refuse to wrestle with issues of faith.

·         Are there recurring themes from your life you revisit in fiction?

In The Art of My Life I focus on an adult child overcoming diminished self-esteem due to a critical parent, forgiving people who have deeply hurt us, overcoming self-condemnation when we breach our personal moral code—all issues I have dealt with.

·         The Art of My Life features a male main character. Where did you draw your insight from?

 

I’ve been surrounded by guys my whole life. My closest relationship growing up was with my father, toxic though it may have been. My only sibling is male. Three of my four children are guys. My husband grants me access to dive in and poke around in the male psyche. But I’m still learning. This year’s big discovery is that most guys could care less about matching—they don’t really give a flip whether they walk out the door with brown pants, brown shoes, and a coordinating shirt. Just last week my sons told me you have to “train” a beard. Who knew?

·         Tell us a little about The Art of My Life.

Here’s the back cover:

Cal walked out of jail and into a second chance at winning Aly with his grandma’s beater sailboat and a reclaimed dream of sailing charters.

Aly has the business smarts, strings to a startup loan, and heart he never should have broken. He’s got squat. Unless you count enough original art to stock a monster rummage sale and an affection for weed. 

But he’d only ever loved Aly. That had to count for something. Aly needed a guy who owned yard tools, tires worth rotating, and a voter’s registration card. He’d be that guy or die trying.

For anyone who’s ever struggled to measure up. And failed.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-My-Life-ebook/dp/B009BICC2G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347838604&sr=8-7&keywords=The+Art+of+My+Life

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-my-life-ann-lee-miller/1112910892?ean=2940015675597

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/230031

 Bio: Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.

AnnLeeMiller.com

Blog: http://the-art-of-my-life.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @AnnLeeMiller

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnLeeMillerAuthor

 

 

Chapter 1

 

July 15

Ever have a painting you’ve stared at for years—and loved? Then, one day, you see something which alters the way you view the piece forever. And you have to decide whether the art has been irreparably marred or merely deepened.

Aly at www.The-Art-Of-My-Life.blogspot.com

 

 

Cal walked through the tinted glass jail doors into the loamy scent of Bermuda grass, pine bark, and freedom. The surf shorts and T-shirt he’d worn three months ago when the cop clamped metal on his wrists hung loosely, misshapen, like a life that no longer fit.

He scanned the weather-bleached asphalt, the smattering of cars roasting in the Daytona Beach summer. Sun glinted off the windshield of a silver Honda—Aly’s?—blinding his eyes, yanking her last words to him into the whiteness. I love you, John Calvin Koomer. Usually he blocked out Aly’s admission, but in jail the video had played over and over—the certainty in her eyes, the tremor in her voice.

He squinted at the Honda. Sweat slicked his armpits and tickled the side of his face.

Maybe he should have slept with Aly when she offered. He shook his head, dissolving the idea. No. It didn’t matter that protecting her from another guy taking what he wanted had earned him two and a half years of looking at the back of her head. It had been the right thing to do.

He’d smoked weed to forget her, crammed Evie into Aly’s place inside him, but going to jail had ripped away everything but the truth.

He loved Aly. Always had. Always would.

And it was time to do something about it.

The rumble of an engine pulling into the lot jerked his head around. His mother’s minivan puttered toward him, mowing down the stubble of his hope.

He glanced back at the Honda. No college graduation tassel dangled from the mirror. No silhouette of the Virgin Mary was rusted into the right front bumper.

The car was empty. Like he felt inside.

Mom angled into a parking space, her maneuvering as precise as everything she did.

His flip flops scraped the blacktop as he shuffled toward her. As his hand closed around the chrome door handle, heat branded his palm. He climbed into the stream of the air conditioning blowing from the dash, and the door clunked shut behind him.

Mom reached for him, and his breath stuttered.

When was the last time they’d touched?

She wrapped awkward arms around him. “I—I’ve wanted to hug you ever since the first day I visited you at jail.”

His hand lit on the fabric stretched across her dancer’s back. He sucked in gulps of human affection and the talcum scent of childhood while his mind tried to solve the puzzle of his mother. He coughed, searched for words to fill the silence, and found none. For a heartbeat he was ten with tears pricking the backs of his eyes.

 

To enter for the giveaway:

1) be a follower or become a follower

2) sign up to recieve blog post by email

3) Leave a comment about the interview and your email address

4) to recieve your copy of Ann's "Kicking Eternity" please email her directly and I'll pick a winner for "The Art of My Life"

 

HAPPY READING!

 



Giveaway for "Ricochet" by Christy Barritt

CONTRATULATIONS TO
RUBY THE WINNER OF
RICOCHET



 

 

Danger in the Dark

 

 

When Molly Hamilton returns to her beloved summer camp, she finds nothing but trouble. First she hits a dead body in the road before arriving. The she discovers the camp director is missing. If that isn't stressful enough, Molly's new boss is none other than Nick White, the man who one broke her heart. Nick and Molly know there's something dangerous going on at Camp Hope Springs. But as the former teenage sweethearts try to uncover the mystery, they discover even more hidden secrets - about the camp and themselves. Saving the camp may not be safe, especially for their hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She’s only won one contest in her life–and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay… actually she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery for her book Suspicious Minds also). Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like former First Lady Barbara Bush.

When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.


TO WIN A COPY OF RICOCHET PLEASE:

1) be a follower or sign up to become a follower

2) sign up to follow by email

3) leave an email address

4) tell us your favorite genre

HAPPY READING!



 



The Book Club Network! Celebrate With Giveaways In August



 

Celebrate the BirthdayBash at The Book Club Network where we will be giving away 10 books a day the whole month of August.Winners will be picked once a week and announced once a week!

Here is the link: http://www.bookfun.org/

TBCN INTERVIEW w/Nora St.Laurent

Nora Stlaurent’s Bio: Nora is the CEO of The Book Club Network Incorporated. Nora and her husband run The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org She runs two book clubs near Atlanta, Ga., Former ACFW On-Line Book Club. Nora currently writes a Book Club column for the Christian Fiction OnLine Magazine and is a Book Club Talk Columnist for Novel Rocket. You can read author interviews on her Finding Hope Through Fiction blog, located at http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com, and reviews around the web at The Christian Pulse Mag, Title Trakk, Novel Reviews, and Suspense Zone.

What inspired you start TBCN?

The Book Club Network was born out of a desire to share Christian Fiction authors with other book clubs, share book club ideas with other leaders and to encourage the authors who are writing such amazing books. The economy has been really tough for a few years and people are not parting with money like they used to. Through TBCN they can take their time and find the right book or win it. We have give away opportunities each month. ALL of our contests are from the 19^th – 21^st of the month.

I run two face to face book clubs one at the Christian Book Store I work at and the other at the church I attend. It’s a position I never imagined I’d be in since I didn’t read for pleasure much before I started working in a Christian book store 11 years ago.

But since I love talking with people and the main thing to talk about in a book store is books I started reading Christian Fiction (publishers sent ARC copies to our store and I started checking them out) The first book that rocked my world and got me hooked in Christian Fiction was a book by Linda Nichols called Not a Sparrow Falls her next book did me in and I couldn’t stop talking about it, At the Scent of Water was her next book that prompted me to contact the author and let her know how much her book touched my spirit.

After reading these two books and telling customers about these reads I had a reason to read.  These books spoke to me because I wasn’t expecting it. It reminded me of the stories in the bible. Jesus is the greatest story teller and He knew a story could change a life or prick our spirit and move us in a direction we never thought we’d be in.

I tell you all that to say I’m dyslexic and I have not been a fan of reading. Movies were more my thing. I could watch a movie of a book and have a lot more fun. Reading Christian Fiction changed my life in more ways than one.  I wanted to tell everyone about the greatest book I read, and I’d do that at the book store.  It was possible to talk about the new book I read and loved for about a month or more but when At the Scent of Water and Not a Sparrow Falls were not on the shelf anymore, I had to find some other books to talk about at work.  I’m not a very fast reader so; discovering the next new book was a challenge. Would I get the book read before it disappeared from the shelf?  How long do books live on a book shelf? The shelf life of a book was a mystery to me and still is.

I was whining to my husband Fred about my problem. How can I get the word out about great books for a very long period of time??? Being a man who likes to face challenges head we began to talk about how we could do this and the fact that I can’t read books fast enough to keep up with it’s shelf life at the store.

I also told him as a book club leader I wanted to promote great books and share them with other groups. Not everyone has the advantage of working at a book store and see what new books hit the shelves each week. Another struggle I had was if I had an author speaking at my book club I wanted to share them with other book clubs in the area. How could I do that? Where are book clubs meeting?

Our answer to many of these questions and more was the birth of The Book Club Network - TBCN. Connecting authors to book clubs and readers to their books; it’s also a network of book clubs as they post what they’ve read and how the meeting turned out.

It’s a place to find where a book club is located. We have a member map where you can find a book club near you. Message them and see if they are accepting new members. I envision it to be similar to be similar to the Weight Watchers program (don’t laugh Grin) you can go to a meeting anywhere in the country right? All you have to do is look on line and get connected. This is my hope for the future of TBCN.

Have there been any surprises for you @TBCN? What benefits have you seen by bringing readers and authors together?

I’ve been encouraged and fascinated by our growth. I can see there were other people out there like me wanting to connect with other book club members.

I’ll tell you what has surprised me is the author/reader interaction each month. This is something I didn’t foresee as I’ve watch the authors are having a blast interacting with the readers and visa/versa. The beauty of this discussion is it’s there forever for all to read no matter when you join TBCN.

The authors have done a great job coming up with questions for reader to answer that give them a peek into their book – create interest and then the discussion helps book club leaders connect with the author. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the amount of authors that want to be featured @The Book Club Network. It’s been a great thing.

The interaction with the authors is almost like having a book club meeting on line. It’s a huge benefit for both the authors who’ve wanted to ask clubs questions and readers who want to get to know authors. The authors are catching on. Our sponsors have loved the interaction as well. Members have told me that they love the author interaction from the 19^th-21^st as much as having a chance to win all these books. It’s hard to know if a book will be a fit for your group so these interaction times are helpful for that and so much more. Another thing I love about TBCN members is the fact they are not afraid to share what they think in a good way. I’ve learned so much and laughed out loud in some discussion where the questions lead to sharing funny moments.

My hope is that book club leaders and/or members participate in the discussions and make that book connection with the author and their book. I want TBCN to be a tool for them in picking out their books. Maybe invite the author to speak to their book club on the phone. It’s my hope. The discussion will be there forever. No worries about a books shelf live here @TBCN. So, everyone has time to get to know each other!! It’s a beautiful thing!

How can readers join in the anniversary celebrations?

It’s easy to sign up to be a member of TBCN.  We ask a few questions for you to answer and for other information that helps us keep spammers and other information seekers out of the network. It’s also FREE. You have opportunities to win lots of books. For our BIRTHDAY BASH we are giving away 10 books a day and announcing winners once a week. You’ll have all week to enter the daily featured contests. 

Do you have any other comments for my readers?

 If you are avid reader this is the place for you to learn about the latest in Christian Fiction and interact with the author each month.

Are you a book club leader? Well this is the place for you to find your next book club pick. We’d also love for you to set up your Book club page at our site for others to see. It’s a place to share your latest featured book. Post pictures of your club and the field trips you’ve taken. The authors you’ve met and the book fun you’ve had. Learn from other book clubs that have already set up their pages.

Want to start a book club but felt it was too overwhelming? You can learn from other experienced book club leaders, and you can start right away making your book club list!

Do you like to win books? This is the place for you. You’ll have a chance to get to know the authors and their books and read genre’s you normally wouldn’t. We’ve been giving away about 100 books a month and for our birthday bash it’s going to be 10 books every day; starting August first. Winners are picked weekly and announced each weekly.

THANK YOU! You’ve been a grand host to have me here and let me talk about The Book Club Network and our Birthday Bash!! I hope to see you there @TBCN www.bookfun.org

 You are a Blessing!!

Nora :o)

The Book Club Network CEO





Everybody Wins: Interview and Giveaway of "Kicking Eternity" by Ann Lee Miller

ANN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A GUEST ON

BUTTERFLY JOURNEY. THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

AND EVERYBODY WAS A WINNER THANKS TO ANN!

KICKING ETERNITY BY ANN LEE MILLER

BACK COVER

            Stuck in sleepy New SmyrnaBeach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about herdruggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away fromteaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinksshe spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

            The artist inCal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklersbehind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ live.No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimonylike vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

            Rec DirectorDrew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzesback to his ex.

            Raine’s brothertweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what tofight for and what to free before it’s too late?

BIO

 Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’lives.

INTERVIEW WITH ANN

Ann Lee Miller, author of Kicking Eternity

1st Place Long Contemporary 2009 RWA Faith, Hope, and Love Contest

Note: Anyone who leaves a comment with an e-mail address (JaneReader[at]msn[dot]com) will receive a free e-book copy of Kicking Eternity.

1.      Tell us a little about yourself.  I write full-time in Phoenix, but left my heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where I grew up. I love speaking to young adults and guest lecture on writing at several Arizona colleges. When I’m not writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find me hiking in the Superstition Mountains with my husband or meddling in my kids’ lives.

2.      Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on.   Kicking Eternity is all about chasing dreams—our dreams, God’s dreams, and the mixed-up tangle of both. Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ live. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.

Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?

3.      Why did you choose this particular genre?  I love reading romance and coming of age stories.

4.      What was your journey to publication like?   I wrote my first novel fifteen years ago and have been writing full-time for ten years while trying to break in to traditional publishing. Last summer my agent let all her unpublished authors, including me, go. In the midst of my despair, God nudged me to indie e-publish. So, I swallowed a hairball of pride and walked down the self-publishing road. I feel a surge of joy and gratitude that my books are finally being read. The part of me that clamors for validation still hopes for a traditional publishing contract. But how can I go wrong obeying God?

5.      What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?   I like anything written by Charles Martin. I’ll always be a little bit in love with Joe in Francine Rivers’ The Atonement Child. Most recently I read and loved Ann Brashares’ (best known for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) The Last Summer.

6.      What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?   Atlantic spray and the grit of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, texture my coming of age stories that are littered with romance, regrets, and renewal. Kicking Eternity debuts June 1, The Art of My Life on September 1, Avra’s God on December 1, and Tattered Innocence on March 1, 2013.        Page 1 from Kicking Eternity:

Raine pushed the beads on her African bracelet back and forth like the balls on an abacus. Her stomach kneaded, gurgled. She could almost feel sweat dampen her upper lip.

Drew’s forehead creased as he stared at her. Fluorescent tubes hummed overhead in the night air. Shouts and back-slapping ricocheted around the Canteen porch in the sticky-sweet scent of orange blossoms. If she wasn’t fighting to keep her dinner down, she’d tell him where they’d met.

His frown melted into a smile of recognition. “Rainey. Hey. Welcome to Triple S Camp.”

She bristled at the nickname her brothers used to irritate her. “It’s Raine.”

 “I remember you as Rainey from the skit you did in junior high youth group. You cried all over the place—a pun on your name.”

“That was my total acting career… and ancient history. Better off forgotten. Please.”

“Sure, Rainey, whatever you say.”

“Drew!”

“You remember my name.”

“You weren’t exactly low profile either.” She, like every girl in the youth group, had spent way too much time mooning at the high-school-Drew hunched over his guitar.

Jesse, the camp director, gave a shrill blast on his whistle. “Welcome to New Smyrna Beach Surf and Sailing Camp orientation.”

The noise ratcheted down. Thirty staffers in aquamarine shirts settled onto the benches lining the porch.

Raine swallowed and unclenched her fingers from the camp handbook. She refused to heave like she had at college orientation four years ago. Her thumb ran over the ridges in her palm where the spiral wire had dug into the flesh. Why had she never been to camp like any normal kid?

A guy in surf shorts and flip-flops came up the steps laughing with the girl beside him. Sun-white cords of hair, crimped like he’d worn braids, brushed his thick shoulders. He caught Raine staring. The interest crackling in his blue gaze jolted through her.

She let her chin-length hair fall like a dark curtain between them. A guy was one complication she didn’t need this summer, not when Africa was nearly in her grasp.

7.      What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?  Keep learning how to write better. Keep writing.

8.      Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?   I’ve always got a craft book open. I tend to read them multiple times. Some, like Donald Maass’ The Fire in Fiction, I am wearing out, particularly Chapter 8 where he discusses creating micro-tension. I’m also a huge fan of Maass’ Wrtiting the Breakout Novel, Jack Bickham’s Scene and Structure, and Sol Stein’s Stein On Writing. 

9.      Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?    Readers who enjoy Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) may like my books. I aim for her fast pace, depth, and passion.

I was thrilled to receive an endorsement from Jenny B. Jones, author of the Katie Parker Production Series from Think and The Charmed Life Series, and others from Thomas Nelson:

“Ann Lee Miller writes stories straight from the heart with characters who'll become friends, remaining with you long after you turn that final page. You won't want to miss Kicking Eternity!”

10.  Please let us know where we can find you on the web.

AnnLeeMiller.com

Twitter @AnnLeeMiller

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Lee-Miller/356653761022022

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kicking-Eternity-ebook/dp/B0082GF8CE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337363292&sr=8-2

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kicking-eternity-ann-lee-miller/1110908265?ean=2940014441759

ANN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VISITING BUTTERFLY JOURNEY.

1. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOUR EMAIL SO ANN CAN SEND YOU A FREE E-COPY OF "KICKING ETERNITY." YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS CHANCE

2. IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP AS A FOLLOWER PLEASE DO - I ONLY NEED SIX MORE FOLLOWERS TO HAVE 300. ALSO PLEASE SIGN UP TO RECEIVE MY BLOG BY EMAIL AT THE TOP RIGHT HAND PAGE.

HAPPY READING

 

CELEBRATE WITH A BAG OF BOOKS

I'M NOW UP TO 299 READERS!!!! I COULDN'T WAIT UNTIL 300

TO DRAW FOR THE BAG OF BOOKS - I WAS JUST TOO EXCITED.

THE WINNER IS LADY JO!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO LEFT A COMMENT AND SIGNED UP

TO FOLLOW BUTTERFLY JOURNEY. I'VE HAD SO MUCH FUN OVER

THE PAST THREE YEARS BUILDING MY BLOG AND HAVING GIVEAWAYS.

DURING THIS TIME I'VE SEEN MY DREAM OF BEING PUBLISHED COME TRUE.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

I'm happy to annouce that I'm almost up to 300 followers.  I'm offering a bag of books (and the bag) to someone who leaves a comment. There will be a few ways you can have a chance to win, but I don't want to make it too complicated. Please share this with your friends on facebook and your favorite message boards.  Help me make that elusive 300 followers. I appreciate all of my followers and the support they show for my posts. Below is just a few of the books and the bag that goes with them.

WAYS YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN

1. Become a follower.

2. If you are already a follower sign up to receive my blog by email.

3. Share about this on your facebook.

4. You can win an entry if you bring someone over to become a follower - tell them to let me know you sent them.

Please leave an email so I can contact you. Just use one comment post to tell me what you've done (unless you do them at different times). I'm looking forward to hearing from my old followers and my new followers!

HAPPY READING!