Welcome Lisa Harris and Blood Covenant

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LISA HARRIS is an award-winning author who has over twenty novels and novella collections in print. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live near the Indian Ocean in Mozambique as missionaries. As a homeschooling mom, life can get hectic, but she sees her writing as an extension of her ministry which also includes running a non-profit organization. The ECHO Project works in southern Africa promoting Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way for her to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8)

When she’s not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa visit her website at www.lisaharriswrites.com or her blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com. For more information about The ECHO Project, please visit www.theECHOproject.org.

BLOOD COVENANT (Mission Hope Series) today!
by Lisa Harris
Published by Zondervan

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the explosive first pages, Lisa Harris weaves a tale of heart-stopping suspense and adventure with her second book in the Mission Hope Series. When fighting erupts between government forces and renegade Ghost Soldiers deep within the Republic of Dhambizao, thousands are forced to leave their homes. Dr. Paige Ryan, who works with Volunteers of Hope International, is sent to lead a team to set up a refugee transit site---where the immediate needs for shelter, water, sanitation, and food are critical. Nick Gilbert, a bush pilot for Compassion Air, joins the team to help fly supplies in and out of the area. With the refugee camp already experiencing overcrowding, raids, and uprisings, a group of American mountain climbers is attacked by the Ghost Soldiers. Paige's medical team responds immediately, rescuing survivors and taking them into the camp. When it's discovered that one of the trekkers is carrying an infectious disease, the harrowing conditions of the camp are forgotten. In desperate need of vaccines and the Ghost Soldiers blocking the only road out until their demands for amnesty are met, it won't be long before the disease is out of control ... and there is nowhere to run.

BOOK TRAILER


Blood Covenant Book Trailer from Lisa Harris on Vimeo.

Readers, buy your copy of BLOOD COVENANT (Mission Hope Series) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

As writers, we have the amazing job of taking pen and paper and creating three-dimensional characters who we hope will entertain, motivate, and inspire the world. But have you ever stopped and really thought about how powerful your words can be?

In the Bible, James talks about how difficult it is to tame the tongue, because from it flow words that both praise and curse. Words can express love and hatred. They can convey frustration, excitement, joy, pain and a multitude of other emotions.

As a writer, I’ve been struck over and over about the very real power of the written word. A couple of years ago, I was sitting in the Joburg airport in South Africa, waiting for a flight back to the States and started talking to the woman next to me. She began sharing with me about a novel that had completely changed her life.

She was a flight attendant for Delta and because of this book’s impact, she had just spent some time in Africa working with an orphan program (one of many trips), speaking to one of Nelson Mandela's representatives, and had even gotten Delta involved in the project. Her husband was flying in and out of Sudan as a pilot and staying extra time to work as a humanitarian there as well. As an author who wants to entertain, but also use words to challenge, inspire, and change lives, I was struck by just how powerful a "fiction" story can be.

As I promote Blood Covenant, a suspense novel set in an African refugee camp, I continue to find people who are not willing to just become "aware" of these issues facing our world, but who are finding ways to get involved in grass roots movements. This in turn will change the world we live in!

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Thank you, Lisa, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: As a reader, is there a book (fiction or non-fiction) you’ve read lately that has inspired you, motivated you, or perhaps even changed your life?

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 autographed 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.

CFBA Blog Tour - Lisa Harris and Blood Ransom

Don't forget the new 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!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Blood Ransom
Zondervan (April 1, 2010)
by Lisa Harris

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author, LISA HARRIS has been writing both fiction and nonfiction since 2000 and has more than fifteen novels and novellas in print. She currently lives with her family in Mozambique, Africa, where they work as missionaries.

From Lisa:

Have you ever noticed how God often uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things? In writing Blood Ransom, I wanted my heroes and heroines to be ordinary people, faced with extraordinary circumstances. Chad and Natalie’s lives were changed not only through the challenges they faced, but also through their reliance on God. And when they set off on their journey to the capital to save Joseph’s family, they never imagined that God would call them to a task that was beyond the scope of their own power.

But while this story is fictional, the issue of a modern day slave trade is very real. It is estimated that there are currently more than 27 million slaves on the world today from Africa, to Eastern Europe … to the United States of America. The fact is, we don’t have to travel around the world to see people hurting and exploited. They’re real people we pass every day, living in our neighborhoods, and attending our churches and schools. They’re empty and broken, searching for freedom and hope in an often hopeless world.

What types of books did Lisa write when she first began her career? Continue reading below.

BLOOD RANSOM
by Lisa Harris
Published by Zondervan

ABOUT THE BOOK

Natalie Sinclair is working to eradicate the diseases decimating whole villages in the Republic of Dhambizao when she meets Dr. Chad Talcott, a surgeon on sabbatical from a lucrative medical practice now volunteering at a small clinic.

Meanwhile, things are unraveling in Dhambizao. Joseph Komboli returns to his village to discover rebel soldiers abducting his family and friends. Those that were too old or weak to work lay motionless in the African soil. When Chad and Natalie decide to help Joseph expose this modern-day slave trade---and a high-ranking political figure involved in it---disaster nips at their heels.

Where is God in the chaos? Will Chad, Natalie, and Joseph win their race against time?

Romance and adventure drive Blood Ransom, by Lisa Harris, a powerful thriller about the modern-day slave trade and those who dare to challenge it.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of Blood Ransom, go HERE.

Readers, buy your copy of Blood Ransom today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - coming this afternoon!

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

For a long time, I had a vague idea of an adventure/suspense novel set in Africa that I dreamed of writing, but none of the editors I spoke to, over a period of several years, were interested in stories set in an exotic locale.

Things changed when I met Sue Brower for the first time at a writing conference. She loved the concept behind the book and told me that the timing was finally right. It took another two years before I received that long awaited contract and the process continued with rewrites, edits, and the input of experts who helped me with medical and pilot questions. So, as you can see, the birthing process of this particular book was literally years in the making, which makes it all the more special to me.

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

After living in Africa for about ten years I have a lot of experiences that I am able to draw from, so in that sense, my life definitely influences my characters. Both Natalie and Chad work in the medical field, so these professional traits that were needed because of their work and position are all theirs. This is where help from my experts was essential.

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

Natalie and Chad are both very adventurous and are willing to take risks, so they are definitely not the vanilla type. Maybe a triple chocolate with fudge ribbons and nuts.

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

My main goal was for my readers to simply enjoy Natalie and Chad’s story. I want them to laugh and cry with the characters, and experience their journey. But I also want them to see that God can use ordinary people, like you and me, to do extraordinary things!

I am also passionate, because these are people who need hope, BUT they don’t have a voice. I find that incredible compared to all the freedoms we enjoy. I think this theme grew as the story progressed and really impacted me as the writer. It made me realize that while we can’t save every orphaned child, or rescue every woman locked in the bond of slavery, but we can make a difference by touching the lives around us.

We can support an orphan in Africa, get involved with the modern-day abolitionist movement where people are working the front lines, become a foster parent, or a big brother, or take a meal to a shut in and sit and talk with them. No matter who we are, there are people around us in our own neighborhoods and communities who need the help and hope of Jesus Christ! All it takes is lives touching lives.

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

Blood Ransom is very different from the historical romances I wrote when I started writing. This is not a romance novel, though it does contain a romance thread. Balancing the pacing is completely different as you don’t want the intensity to overshadow the characters so they come out flat. My favorite part is definitely the fast pace action even though it can be challenging to write.

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

Right now, I’m working on a slightly different paced project, a historical romantic suspense for Summerside Press’s new line. This book, Dark Continent is set both in Northern Rhodesia and New York in the early 1920’s. It’s turning out to be research intense, but also a lot of fun. It will be released in February.

I also just turned in book two in my Mission Hope series that began with Blood Ransom. Blood Covenant, that is due to be released next May. I found it an incredible challenge to write (though I loved it!) as it is set primarily in a refugee camp and yet is also a fast-paced suspense.

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

NEW!! Readers, find the question buried somewhere in the spotlight and answer it in the comments, then leave your email address for your chance to win a FREE copy of Blood Ransom. If you do not answer the question, you will not be entered.

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.

Spotlight on Lisa Harris and Baker's Fatal Dozen and Final Deposit

This author comes to visit you all the way from southern Africa. She's frequently won the 'farthest traveled' award at ACFW conferences. :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LISA HARRIS is a wife, mother, and author who has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for the Christian market since 2000. She and her husband, Scott, along with their three children, live in Mozambique as missionaries. Lisa's published/sold works include over fifty articles, short stories, and devotionals as well as ten novels, four novellas, and three novel compilations.

Visit her blog.




BAKER'S FATAL DOZEN
by Lisa Harris
Published by Barbour Mysteries

FINAL DEPOSIT
by Lisa Harris
Published by Love Inspired Suspense






ABOUT THE BOOKS

BAKER'S FATAL DOZEN - Get ready to cook up a second helping of Pricilla Crumb and her hilarious schemes to serve up justice. When Reggie Pierce, who runs Pricilla Crumb's favorite bakery, is found dead, Pricilla finds herself hot on the trail of another sticky scandal that begins with murder.

FINAL DEPOSIT - In 2006, the Internet Crime Report showed growing criminal activities targeting Americans had resulted in an estimated loss of almost two hundred million dollars. Thousands of people were scammed in such infamous con games like the Nigerian scam, fund transfer scams, and mail-order-brides.

Imagine finding out that your father has fallen victim to one of these long cons. After disposing of all his stocks, mortgaging his house, and maxing out his credit cards, George Taylor flies to Europe to meet with the man who promised him millions for his help in expediting funds out of West Africa. It's a fortune he will never see.

When Lindsey Taylor tries to save her father from losing his life savings to the Internet scam, she discovers that losing everything you have isn't the worst thing that can happen.

Buy Your Copy of Baker's Fatal Dozen and Final Deposit Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for these stories?

First of all, for my cozy mystery series with Pricilla Crumb, her character showed up one day and wouldn't leave. She's in her mid-sixties, a widow, and retired once, but gave that up to work at her son's lodge in the Rocky Mountains. She's also quirky, impulsive, and a whole lot of fun. I wanted her to discover that life isn't over just because you're "over the hill." Even when it comes to love.

Regarding Final Deposit, I've always been intrigued by how scammers can weave themselves into the lives of an individual without the victim realizing, or at least acknowledging what has happened. I wanted a story that dealt with someone struggling with this very situation. In this case, my heroine's father has been taken in by an internet scam, but his choices end up affecting more than just him as his daughter has to fight for her own life to save him.

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

Thankfully, I've never been involved in a murder investigation or even a scam, but I know that a part of my life always ends up woven into the fabric of my characters. Sometimes it's what I want to be more of--strong and capable. Other times it's what I want less of--fear and vulnerability. In using my own emotions, I can get deeper into the head of my characters so their motives and action ring true.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what he/she be and why?

Pricilla would have to be double fudge brownie with caramel, nuts, and a dash of whip cream, because her personality is complex, layered, and fun. In Final Deposit, my heroine Lindsey would be Rocky Road ice cream. She's an ordinary person, faced with extraordinary circumstances, and in the process her life is changed not only through the challenges she faces, but also because of her reliance on God.

4. What themes exist in Baker's Fatal Dozen or Final Deposit that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Baker's Fatal Dozen deals with finding our strength in God when the world seems to be falling in around us.

In Final Deposit, I want the reader to realize God's amazing gift of forgiveness. Often one of the hardest things to accept in life is the consequences of other people's mistakes. Especially when those mistakes affect our own lives. This is exactly what happened to Lindsey. Her father's decision to trust the wrong person not only wiped out his finances, but put her own life, and those around her, at risk. In the end, Lindsey is faced with the reality that granting forgiveness can keep her from turning bitter and ruining her own life.

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

I've enjoyed learning the subtle differences of writing both mystery and suspense side by side. In a romantic suspense, the difficulty is balancing the romance line with the suspense line, while in a mystery, it's essential to throw in a handful of red herrings as well as real clues that in the end will leave the reader satisfied in the outcome. These are always a challenging balance.

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

Chef's Deadly Dish comes out in March of 2009 and is the third and final cozy mystery in my Cozy Crumb series. This time, Pricilla finds herself involved in a murder mystery at a national food competition where she is the emcee.

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of EITHER Baker's Fatal Dozen or Final Deposit. Your choice if you win. Feel free to state your preference along with your comment.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

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

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Spotlight on Lisa Harris and A Matter of Trust

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Harris and her husband, along with their three children, have been working the past four years in Southern Africa as church planters. She speaks French and is currently learning Portuguese for their move into Mozambique next spring. Life is busy between ministry and home-schooling, but she loves her time to escape into another world and write, and sees this work as an extension of her ministry. She's currently working on an international suspense series set in Africa that mixes suspense and romance into a fast-paced adventure across Africa.

Besides writing, Lisa loves to travel. She and her husband have visited over twenty countries throughout Europe and Africa. She's also spent time in Japan and Brazil. One of her favorite pastimes is learning to cook different exotic dishes from around the world.

http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com

A MATTER OF TRUST
By Lisa Harris
Published by Heartsong Presents

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. Your hero has lost his love and now has to win her back. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I wanted to have a story where the hero and heroine had a past that they had to work through, and Ty and Kayla definitely have some serious matters to work through. Once engaged to be married, Kayla found out that Ty wasn't the person she thought he was. Then a year later, he returns to her home town claiming to be a changed man wanting to win her back. But when the law steps in and fraud charges are brought up, Kayla has to decide who's telling the truth.

This was actually one of the first stories I ever wrote, and DiAnn Mills graciously helped me. As a new writer, though, I still had so many things to learn. A few years later, Lena Dooley, Beth Goddard, and I decided to turn in a proposal to Barbour's Heartsong Presents line. I still loved this story line and decided to rework the story for the proposal. I added a stronger suspense line and strengthened the story over all.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the characters of Kayla and Ty?

I think it's impossible not to put some of who I am into a story, but I work hard to make each character unique. I've never gone through what Ty and Kayla experience, but I have had to come to the point where, like Ty, I had to make a conscious decision of whether or not I truly believed that God was in control of every part of my life. Even when things went very wrong.

3. What themes exist in A Matter of Trust that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Like the title suggests, for both Ty and Kayla, it becomes a matter of trust for them. Spiritually, the stakes are high as well. When Ty's life begins to unravel, he's forced to question his faith like I mentioned above. We all have had to wonder at some point why bad things happen to good people. And why God allows these things to happen.

I want the reader to walk away from the book with a deeper assurance that God is in control no matter what is happening to them around them. It's a matter of faith. Of trusting God no matter what happens. A tough lesson sometimes to learn, but one I know is crucial.

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

Writing is a lot of work, there's no way around it. But as I work to put down on paper the story and characters that are running through my mind, the difficult process becomes worth it. I love the happy ever after endings, the spiritual victories, and simply trying to write an unforgettable story that impacts the reader long after the book is put away.

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

My next book is titled Recipe for Murder, a cozy mystery coming out with Barbour's new line. In this new series, Pricilla Crumb's guest list has just turned into a suspect list...for murder. Pricilla never expected to be involved in a real life mystery, but that's exactly where she finds herself when she joins her son at his hunting lodge in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Laced with a spiritual message and a sprinkle of romance, Pricilla follows one lead after another, dishing up laughter and suspense along the way.

This is book one in a three books series. I also have a Love Inspired Suspense coming out later in the year about internet scams.

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Thank you, Lisa, for being in the spotlight. Readers, leave a comment for your chance to be entered in the drawing for a FREE copy of A Matter of Trust. If you don't wish to be entered, but still wish to comment, say so when you post. This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.