Guest Blogger Tina Pinson and To Carry Her Cross

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TINA PINSON resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and six grandchildren, with another grandchild on the way.

Tina started her writing in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. Her WWII story Trail of the Sandpiper won third place in the Genesis in 2003. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy and When Shadows Fall (Book 1 in the Shadows Series) are available through Desert Breeze Publishers.

To Catch a Shadow, the next installment of the Shadow Series about the civil war and the Oregon Trail, will be available June 2013. To Carry her Cross released January 2013 and Then There was Grace, a September 9/11 type story, will be available Sept. 2013 and Christmas in Shades of Gray, an offbeat Dickens type tale, releases December 2013.

Web site
Twitter
Facebook

TO CARRY HER CROSS
by Tina Pinson
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Matthew has braved the war and near death with one thought in mind… Rebekah. He won her hand in marriage, and now he has a few short months to make her see how much he loves her. How much he needs her. Given the wall she's put up between them, he prays he'll have enough time.

After fleeing the war, Rebekah is determined to go west to Oregon, only to be turned down when she tries to join the train. Matthew's proposal of marriage, in name only to help her west, becomes the miracle she needs. Loving him as she does, she dreads the idea of letting him go once they reach Oregon, but how can she ask him to stay with her, to love her? How could he love her once he's found out her secret? She must guard her heart and his.

Readers, buy your copy of To Carry Her Cross today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Write Where He Wants Me

As a writer, I've been known to ask some pretty strange questions, write some unusual story lines, have some quirks, and drive people half-insane with my pentagon-type briefings about my stories, characters and information, by useful and useless, I've learned doing research.

Concerning my research, I've taken road trips for research, and interviewed morticians, lawyers, other writers and people in general. Given some of the topics I've delved into, I'm quite surprised the Homeland Security hasn't come for me yet. I'm a people watcher and some who know I'm a writer are afraid they'll become a serial killer in my next novel.

I'm a writer!

As a writer, I've also heard strange questions, received some unusual looks and have to sit through long thesis type dissertations from someone who found out I was a writer and needed to let me know about the story they've been carrying around for years, meaning to write. If they'd only sit down and do so, they'd have a best seller on their hands. Maybe I could help them.

Hmm...

I've also been told by some well meaning people, who after hearing I'm a Christian Fiction Writer, tell me I should be using my talent to glorify God more. If I'd only find myself a minister, a missionary or someone who is truly a man or woman of God and write their Real Life story instead of some fiction piece, I would truly be serving the Lord. And then, I'd give away everything I made to further the cause of Christ.

While I think those types of stories are important and can be used to reach the masses for the Lord, I don't they all do. I also don't believe those are stories I've been called to write either.

One wonders how people who say that would feel if someone mentioned that being a doctor or a banker or a mother, or a singer or whatever is not really using your gift for the Lord? You have to camp out at the church and wait for the real men and women of God to show up so you can serve them and let others know about them.

While everyone is not called to be a writer, be it fiction or nonfiction, we aren't all called to musicians, or poets or singers or lawyers… you get the gist. We are told to do what we do to the Glory of the Lord. And bloom where we are planned. We all have something we are called to do. Now, trust me, I don't always get right, and might complain over some of the paths I find myself on. But I know it's still the right one.

I feel I'm Write Where I Want to Be. Or more to the point, I'm right where I feel God wants me to be.

Fiction writers may seem a touch odd. And yes, we have been known to take day trips down the imagination freeway. But I pray about my stories. I cry and laugh over my stories. I am amazed by where this awesome imagination God has given me takes me sometimes. And hope and pray my stories touch someone's life, changes them, and helps them see God. Even mine.

I may never have a best seller. I may never make enough to retire on my writing alone, but having a love for words and stories as I do, and feeling that God blessed me and wants me to use this for his glory, I would go insane if I couldn't write. And quite honestly, I'd feel guilty for not using my gift for the Lord.

It is my hope that whatever God has given you to do, you will use it to the best of your ability to plant seeds to his glory.

I'll leave you with a couple of questions:

Reader Question: When you don't use the gift and talents God has given you how does that make you feel? OR How has Christian fiction touched your life?

Blessings on your journey. Remember wherever it takes you, you don't walk alone when you walk with Christ.

* * * * *

Thank you, Tina, for sharing with us today.

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name [at] domainname [dot] com) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a free eBook copy of Shadowed Dreams. And to celebrate the release of To Carry Her Cross, Tina is also giving away a cross pendant and earring set. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the drawing is open to anyone worldwide, but the cross is for USA residents only. If you aren't a US resident, you will receive a gift card for one of Tina's books.

Guest Blogger Dave Bond and Sweet Music

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVID BOND  is blind. He lost his eyesight due to diabetic complications in 1988, less than two years after getting married. He was previously involved in different areas of the construction industry, from manual labor, to project management. One of his jobs involved drafting, in the days before CAD. He graduated from Reading Area Community College with an AS in Technical Illustration, and later, after losing his sight, graduated from Lancaster Bible College with a BS in Bible and a minor in Biblical Counseling. He was the Program Director for a ministry to victims of crime for five years until 2000.

David has been involved in writing since the early 2000’s. He was first published in an anthology, but began learning the craft of fiction following that. Authors like Gilbert Morris, and Richard Paul Evans, and a wide variety of authors have helped shape his style over the years.

David’s Christian faith is an important component in his writing. His stories involve characters who struggle with real-life issues, and who ultimately realize the God of the Bible is able to help them.

His stories are not meant to preach, but to model. Christians, or people unsure about Christianity, will find entertainment, emotional conflict, and resolution in his books. But always, Biblical principles and Godly character are demonstrated in the lives of his characters.

David lives near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, along with his wife and teenage son. They have a beagle who loves peanut butter, and can chew up any toy on the planet!

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE: BOOK 2 (SWEET MUSIC)
by David Bond
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Keith Weaver (Jessie’s brother from The Attaché), now a construction contractor, is hired by Allison Albright’s parents to remodel their house. Keith faces difficult financial and personal issues, with choices in front of him with no easy solution. Allison is engaged to a wealthy land developer. After postponing their wedding, setting a new date isn’t high on her fiancé’s priority list. Then, a diabetes diagnosis rocks Allison’s world, but so does Keith Weaver.

Readers, buy your copy of Sweet Music today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

The Life Of A Fiction Writer—Lonely, Arduous, and Rewarding!

First, the rewarding part: For new authors like me, which is a nicer way of saying, an unknown author, or an author nobody has heard of, the rewards aren’t much to brag about. I call the infrequent royalty checks, “pizza money.” The last check actually was enough to buy a pizza and a bag of chips! The real rewards for me are the satisfaction of knowing I’ve plotted out a story, created characters and a story line, and been able to type, “The End” at a given point in time!

Of course, I do hope to attain to a higher financial plateau some day. I have a plan, based on what some other new authors have done, which will hopefully translate to more exposure. Which, is the key for new authors. No matter how good our writing is, how well developed our stories are, without exposure in markets like Amazon, very few people are going to buy our books.

Okay, now onto the arduous part of the life of a fiction writer. The above embodies some of the struggles we face, but you can also add the ever-dreaded writers’ block phenomenon. Along with finding that in chapter 14, you failed to incorporate a vital element into the story, forcing you to rewrite scenes, and even previous chapters. Perhaps one of the worst things is losing chunks of work. I had just finished chapter 22 in an early novel I was working on, and accidently deleted chapters 21, and 22. Some authors have learned to bounce back from this, but this was early in my writing journey. The loss of this text was so devastating, it took me away from writing for over a year.

The film, “Finding Forrester,” featuring Sean Connery as an eccentric, reclusive writer, isn’t too far off the mark for some writers, including me. Although, I know many of my fellow writers like to take their laptops to a Starbucks WIFI capable shop and spend an hour or two writing, I could no more do this than walk a tight wire across Niagara Falls! A perfect writing day for me is when my wife is at work, and our son is in school. I don’t even listen to music, despite my love of music. Quiet, isolation is the formula I need to be able to concentrate. Since I don’t work from a detailed outline or plotting diagram, but mostly from the seat-of-the-pants, I often sit in my chair and think for long periods of time. My wife has stopped asking me when she sees me doing this, knowing I am thinking through a scene or plotting the next scene or chapter.

I’m pretty sure most writers of fiction land on a certain “formula” they’ve discovered works for them. And just as we have preferences in our writing environment, we also have differences in our goals and our motivations. One fellow writer has been writing a novel for years, and may still have years before the manuscript is finished. I am coming down the home stretch as I work on book 5, of 6 contracted books. I’ve had to keep to a tight schedule to complete a novel roughly every 4-5 months. Because I am disabled and unable to work in a regular job, I have the time to keep to this schedule. Which, is another aspect of my particular writing experience, and one I may perhaps expound on in some future post.

* * * * *

Thank you, Dave, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: We authors sometimes get hung up crafting main characters, heroes and heroines, who are all but perfect. How do you as readers feel about characters who are not perfect, not always beautiful or handsome, not always slender or well muscled? Maybe even disabled?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a free eBook copy of the book featured above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Guest Blogger Jude Urbanski and Nurtured in Purple

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jude Urbanski writes women's fiction featuring strong inspirational romance elements. She invites you to stories of heroes and heroines who spin tragedy into triumph with help from God. First published in nonfiction, Jude now has two electronic novels, The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing Series, offered by Desert Breeze Publishing. She is a columnist for Maximum Living, a magazine focusing on spirituality and wellness for women. Jude has a Master’s Degree in Nursing. She is a member of national and area chapters of American Christian Fiction Writers and National League of American Pen Women. Jude and her husband live in Indiana.

NURTURED IN PURPLE
by Jude Urbanski
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nurtured in Purple, Book Two in The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing, continues the now-married love story of Seth Orbin and Kate Davidson of Joy Restored, Book One, but nemesis' Willard Wittenberg and Elizabeth Koger come center stage still pursuing personal vendettas against Seth and Kate.

Seth again faces potential loss of wife and child with Kate's life-threatening pregnancy complication, while Willard maneuvers to ruin Seth's business. Willard and Elizabeth, once lovers, engage and marry, but her flame for Seth has never died. Married life proves ragged.

Late-blooming love comes to Ninville Cornelius and Margie Craig and new characters of Ruby Moody, alcoholic wife of a deceased Vietnam vet, and her small son Bobo are introduced.

Can Seth and Kate, modeling God's grace and forgiveness, bring hope and light to Willard and Elizabeth and Ruby and Bobo, all so needy of God's redeeming love?

Readers, buy your copy of Nurtured in Purple today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

What a Writer Looks Like

Years ago, I remember a lovely friend who bopped into my house and announced she had just gotten her dream job in a doctor’s office and she asked me, in sincerity, how she could become a nurse in one easy lesson.

I just looked at her. It took me eight years after high school to earn my nurse practitioner credentials and she wanted me to tell her in K-mart terms and in one easy lesson how to be a nurse. I’ve never forgotten Irene’s request.

As much as we may want to, we cannot wish ourselves or beam ourselves up to be writers. We can’t learn all we need to know in one easy lesson. Yes, I know, we can debate whether the ability to write is a God-given gift, and hence, nothing else is needed. I won’t deny a few souls fit that category, whether God is the blame or the credit.

Some of us are more gifted or talented than others. All brains are not equal, but writing is a craft that can be learned. Whether we’re good or mediocre, we can hone our craft and become better, always better.

Why else, are there writing conferences, on-line classes, books written on the craft? Do they know something we do not? I don’t think so. They only know that to be better, we need to study our craft. Writers embrace this concept.

How do you feel when someone, who is not willing to invest in what it takes to learn writing skills, expects success overnight? A little charitable? Not charitable at all? Our best answer is that we should want to mentor them, to share what we’ve learned, to bring them along. They simply do not know the writing industry at this point in their journey.

This willing-to-share scene is just what I see in the writing loops to which I belong. It is really a precious thing. I see seasoned writers taking the time to respond, with infinite patience, to beginners’ questions. Before long, beginners realize their responsibility to dig into those books, to join groups and to educate themselves as much as possible on their chosen craft. Very soon, they know they can’t continue to be spoon fed, don’t even want to be, and instinctively learn to write from their own secret place, in their own voice and for their own reasons.

So, friends, here is what a writer looks like. Give me a little editorial liberty, please. A serious writer has made a decision to write. For whatever reason, they are committed. They learn everything they can about the field. They buy needed books or they use the library. They devote time each day or each week to this quest. They do as much as their life circumstances allow (if they are a young mother or father with heavy responsibilities, there is a special place in writer’s heaven for them!), but they desire to write. Quickly, they glean the point is not just to write, but to rewrite.

A writer never looks at a film or book in the same way again. Their mind studies not just films and books, but seizes every encounter with expectant eyes for writing snippets. One writer said she saw her hero at Wal-Mart. Love this! We always carry pen and paper. We even sleep close to it. Writers’ spirits resonate with one another.

Writers quit comparing their skills to others and write their best. They accept rejections as part of the game and learn all they can from them, knowing rejections mean activity. This is not to say writers can’t or don’t suffer self- doubt. We all do, but press forward. We all get writer’s block, but press forward. We know publication doesn’t validate who we are as a person.

We celebrate with one another, knowing our time is coming. Joy shared is joy doubled.

* * * * *

Thank you, Jude, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Have you ever thought an author leads a glorious life full of acclaim, abundant royalties and money, or fame? What led you this belief? Has any of your perception changed as a result of this blog post?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE digital copy of the book featured above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US residents only.

Welcome David Bond and All Things are Possible

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVID BOND is 56 years old and blind. He lost his sight in 1988 due to diabetic retinopathy. He earned a BS in Bible from Lancaster Bible College in 1995 and served as program director to a ministry to victims of crime until 2000. Since then he's pursued several avenues searching for a job or career, and discovered he enjoys writing fiction. He has been married since 1986 to Kimberly, and they have a 16-year old son Nathan. Along with a beagle puppy. They live near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
by David Bond
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jessie Weaver narrowly escapes the North Tower on 9/11 and sets out to find her destiny. She owes her life to a man, and his tattered attaché. Zach Brenner believes he is doing something productive for once by going to Iraq as a private contractor, but ends up losing his eyesight. Jessie is convinced the attaché is her link to a man she believes she could love. But when she takes a job working for his family business, now owned and managed by his blinded brother Zach, she must come face to face with a new destiny. Will Zach find his footing in a suddenly dark world, and will he ever find his purpose in life? What if Jessie never sees Joel again? Only a Divine power could have placed two people going in opposite directions on a collision course with destiny, and each other. Yes, miracles do happen.

Readers, buy your copy of All Things Are Possible today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

I'm not a blogger, but here's my blog article:

One thing I've come to realize in the nearly 10 years I've been learning the craft of writing is, very few of us write in the same way. What I mean is, some, if not many writers, have "real" jobs. These writers have limited time to devote to writing and I think I admire this group of writers the most.

I am blind, and I don't have a regular job. My job is full-time writing. IF I did the math, my pay rate is probably about $.03 per hour! And that's probably on the high side!

I recently told someone I wouldn't have gone into writing had I not lost my sight. Although I am gifted with artistic and creative abilities, prior to losing my sight at age 33 (23 years ago), writing was definitely not the area I would have chosen to make use of this gift.

But I am now a published author with my debut full-length novel released this past January 1 (2012). And I consider myself a writer in every sense. The one thing I find interesting is how creativity is not a fixed substance. Where it served me in the past in visual ways, such as when I was a draftsman, or when I used to render house plans for a general contractor I worked for, my God given creativity slid easily into this new mode of fiction writing. And I am enjoying it thoroughly!

The funny thing is, at least in my situation, my blindness actually opened doors for me. Looking back, my previous jobs held little future potential. Although I’ve often said I might have ended up shifting from the old-style drafting to modern day CAD, I don’t know that for sure. The important issue is, am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing now? My sight loss wasn’t an accident in God’s plan for me. Do I see everything from this God perspective? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is, well, yes too!

I plan to reflect this sediment in my novels. In my debut, The Attaché, the main character loses his eyesight. He is a man who does not believe in God, believing his ordeal was simply an accident—he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Throughout the novel, he comes to realize there may be other answers. But it’s not a message I pound into the reader’s head. I won’t do that to a reader.

My current tag line is: “To entertain, encourage, and edify.” Inspirational fiction these days must accomplish these essential objectives, in my opinion. And I place a lot of emphasis on the first one—entertainment. Readers have millions of books to choose from, and in the world of fiction, if a reader is not entertained, then what’s the point? Educating, uplifting, even inspiring readers will come on the heels of a good read. And that’s my ultimate goal: to write books that are good reads!

* * * * *

Thank you, Dave, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Is it hard to do research? And how do you type? Does your computer talk to you at any time?

ENTRY RULES Readers, IF there is a book giveaway, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE e-copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on K. Dawn Byrd and Killing Time

Don't forget the rules of the spotlights here. Random questions will be inserted in each spotlight for you to find and answer in the comments in order to be entered. So, be on the lookout!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance. Queen of Hearts, a WWII romantic suspense released in April and was Desert Breeze Publishing's bestselling novel for the month. Killing Time, a contemporary romantic suspense released August 1, also with Desert Breeze Publishing. She is an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com , most of which are signed by the authors. She's also the moderator of the popular facebook group, Christian Fiction Gathering.

When not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 14 years, walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home, and plotting the next story waiting to be told.

Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Publisher: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-103/k-dawn-byrd-killing/Detail.bok (there will be links in August at this site to purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the Sony ebook store and others)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ncljBid61g


KILLING TIME
by K. Dawn Byrd
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Not too many years ago, I worked as a counselor in a jail. I've always been an avid reader and wanted to try my hand at writing one day. I began to jot down notes about the jail setting, thinking that I might use it eventually in a book. It wasn't long until characters formed in my head, begging me to tell their story.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

Of course, I'd experienced my heroine's setting because I worked in a jail. My heroine loves hot cars and Nancy Drew just as I do. She also suffers from migraines, which unfortunately, plague me from time to time.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Mindy would be strawberry ice cream. She's sweet, innocent, and a little old fashioned.

4. Are there any themes in Killing Time that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Readers should see that Mindy is a strong Christian, but she's not perfect. She becomes angry with God when incarcerated and eventually comes to the point that she has only God and can't make it without Him. Readers should see that even though she's in her darkest hour, God is with her.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The most difficult part to write was the show down toward the end of the book. I wanted to bring Mindy's emotions into the reader's heart as she's held against her will by a murderer. I rewrote that scene several times in an attempt to make it more real for the reader.

My favorite scene is in the classroom at the jail when the counselor Mindy's fallen for begins to see her as the beautiful woman she is. She believed that she'd never have a chance with him because when she became an inmate, she became everything he was against.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

I'm working on my fifth novel right now. Desert Breeze has novels one and two. I've not yet decided where I'll place three and four. An agent is looking at those and I plan to take his advice.

* * * * *

Thank you, Dawn, for being in the spotlight with us.

NEW!! Readers, answer the question associated with the spotlight in the comments, then leave your email address for your chance to win a FREE e-book copy of Killing Time. If you do not answer the question, you will not be entered.

Question from Dawn: I've told you what aspects of myself went into my heroine's character. If you were to write a novel, what aspects of yourself would you attribute to your heroine?

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.