Maureen Lang and All in Good Time

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MAUREEN LANG writes stories inspired by love of history and romance. An avid reader since childhood, she started writing the stories she wanted to read. Before publication she won RWA’s Golden Heart and ACFW’s Genesis, and her published books have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, a Holt Medallion, and have finaled in the Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, children, and Labrador retriever. Visit with Maureen at www.maureenlang.com.

ALL IN GOOD TIME
by Maureen Lang
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dessa Caldwell has a dream:
to open Pierson House, a refuge for former prostitutes in Denver’s roughest neighborhood. But after exhausting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan. Her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins has a secret:
he owns the most successful bank in town, but his initial capital came from three successful stage coach robberies. Though he’s Denver’s most eligible bachelor, to protect his past, he’s built a fortress around his heart that no one can penetrate . . . until the day Dessa Caldwell strolls into his bank requesting a loan.

Though he’s certain her proposal is a bad investment, Henry is drawn to Dessa’s passion. But that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House . . . and about whom she can trust. One man might hold the key to the future of her mission—but he also threatens to bring Henry’s darkest secrets to light. As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God’s, between safety and love.

Readers, buy your copy of All in Good Time today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Reader's Choice

I recently listened to a debate about the merits of commercial fiction versus classic fiction. The defender of classics stated the richness of language, the depth of characterization, the detail of classic settings provided a much deeper reading experience than the shallow offerings of commercial fiction. Another way she described it was that classic fiction provided a symphony while commercial stories only offered “one note.”

While I do enjoy classics, I also enjoy a variety of commercial fiction—so obviously I disagreed with her either/or assessment. As a writer of commercial fiction, I was understandably offended. I’ve enjoyed so many commercial novels that may not go into the extensive detail of a classic, but nonetheless provides memorable characters, clever plots, vivid settings and evocative language.

On her behalf, I did understand what she was saying. I see a difference in the two writing styles—there does tend to be more time devoted to detail and exploration of settings and motivations in the classics, but I also know commercial fiction isn’t as flat as she wanted the audience to believe.

Her chance of winning an argument, at least with me, is even harder when I’m reminded that many readers today choose not to take the time to read the classics. They were, after all, written during an era when there were far fewer choices to fill whatever leisure time people could find. The classics defender admitted that her favorite, Jane Eyre, takes some time to “get into” but it is well worth the effort.

But that’s just it. In our microwave society, we want everything fast—including our entertainment. I’ve attended more than one writer’s workshop that attempted to teach us to open with a “hook.” Draw your reader in immediately, so they won’t put the book down. Today’s writer knows it’s a hard fight to keep a reader from choosing to do something else, or pick up another of the one-million-plus books that are on the market today, easily and instantly available. Readers can afford to be choosy, simply because there are so many choices—many at low cost or even free.

Our society offers to fill our leisure time in anything from movies to museums, sporting events to ballet. In my lifetime there’s been an explosion of leisure-time activities. Consider the differences in television viewing. I recall when I was a child that we had exactly four television stations, and one of those didn’t come in very well. Around midnight or shortly thereafter each channel played the Star Spangled Banner then signed off until dawn. Nowadays people have literally hundreds of 24-hour-a-day channels to choose from. I’m not sure that’s made the content any better, but it certainly does allow viewers to develop a wider taste.

As a parent, I learned that giving my kids choices made our days go a bit easier than just telling them what to eat or do. Of course, I had to make sure the choices they were given were healthy and wise, but I liked seeing them take a part in the decision. It was an exercise in free will in a good (albeit limited) way.

I celebrate that we have so many reading choices, particularly within the Christian market. Years ago, this wasn’t the case. It was a bit like watching television: we had the Bible (which remains a reading staple for growth and wisdom), non-fiction to support what we learned in the Bible, a few allegories to support biblical wisdom, and some very limited fiction choices (the classics among them). These days the Christian market offers every kind of genre imaginable, safe reads, at least, but hopefully with a nugget of spiritual wisdom as well.

Reader Questions (pick at least one): Do you take advantage of the extensive choices available these days? Do you lean toward the classics, or do you read commercial fiction as well? Do you read more than one genre—romance, mystery, contemporary, historical, etc.? Do you read only Christian fiction, or do you read some general market fiction as well?

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Thank you, Maureen, 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 autographed copy of any one of Maureen's books (you can view them at her web site). 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 contiguous US residents for a print copy and international or Alaska/Hawaii residents for an eBook copy.

Guest Blogger Maureen Lang and Bees in the Butterfly Garden

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MAUREEN LANG writes stories inspired by a love of history and romance. An avid reader herself, she’s figured out a way to write the stories she feels like reading. Maureen’s Inspirationals have earned various writing distinctions as a finalist for the Rita, Christy and Carol Awards, as well as garnering a Holt Medallion and winning the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest. In addition to investigating various eras in history (such as Victorian England, First World War, and America’s Gilded Age) Maureen loves taking research trips to get a feel for the settings of her novels. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, children, and Labrador retriever.


BEES IN THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
by Maureen Lang
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ian Maguire is determined to stop Meg Davenport from following in her father’s footsteps. He was, after all, a thief. But considering Ian learned everything he knows from Meg’s father, he may not be able to convince her otherwise, not even when they both end up over their heads in the biggest heist of Ian’s unlawful career. In trying to gain everything, will they end up losing it all?

Readers, buy your copy of Bees in the Butterfly Garden today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Is Reading A Good Book Like Falling In Love?

Not long ago I came across this quote on GoodReads:

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love. —Christopher Morley

While that's no doubt a dramatic statement, to me it's at least slightly true. When I was falling in love with my husband, all I wanted to do was be with him (and I still count those as some of my best moments of the day!). Likewise, when I'm immersed in a good book, all I want to do is read.

When I'm reading a good book, everything around me fades into oblivion. I'm fascinated by getting to know the characters in a way that's reminiscent of when I was learning every little detail of my new love's life. When I'm reading a well-crafted book, I feel what the characters feel, I want what they want, I fear what they fear. If a novel captures my emotions, I'm there. Just as when I bonded with my husband: we took on the same or similar goals, we became a single unit.

Granted, some books that I've enjoyed over the years haven't lived up to this heart-stirring/wrenching/pulsating sensation. But enough of them have so that each time I start a new story, I hope for a repeat experience.

even read somewhere not long ago that when we're totally immersed in the experiences of a book, the effect on our brain is similar to actually having lived through such experiences. Perhaps that's why dreams sometimes take on details from the books we read.

This may be part of the reason I have something instantly in common with many other avid readers. Even if we don't like the same genre, we still have that basic understanding of what it's like to escape into another story world, a place that's separate from reality and yet believable enough to feel like we're living it.

I once read survey results that looked for personality differences between readers and nonreaders. Basically it concluded that nonreaders might be looking for higher stimulation activities, otherwise they wouldn't be reading about such things. They'd be doing them. On the other hand, avid readers tended to be the type looking for new ideas. They wanted to better understand the world and the people in it. Both are experiential, but one is obviously more hands-on than the other.

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Thank you, Maureen, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: What about you? Why do you love to read? Is your reading experience similar to mine, or do you have other reasons to love reading?

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 an autographed 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 Maureen Lang and Springtime of the Spirit

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. IF there is a book giveaway, your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MAUREEN LANG is the bestselling author of eleven books, many of which have earned various writing distinctions including RWAs Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, A Holt Award of Merit and finaling in the Christies. She is also a four-time finalist in ACFWs Carol Awards. Her titles The Oak Leaves, On Sparrow Hill, My Sister Dilly and most recently her three-book Great War Series, all published by Tyndale House, have consistently received positive reviews from such places as Publisher's Weekly and Romantic Times. Her website is www.maureenlang.com and her Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/maureen.lang

SPRINGTIME OF THE SPIRIT
by Maureen Lang
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

The winter of an unjust war is over. A springtime of the spirit awaits.

Germany, 1918

Four years of fighting have finally come to an end, and though there is little to celebrate in Germany, an undercurrent of hope swells in the bustling streets of Munich. Hope for peace, fairness-the possibility of a new and better tomorrow.

It's a dream come true for Annaliese Düray. Young and idealistic, she's fighting on the front lines of Munich's political scene to give women and working-class citizens a voice in the new government. But she's caught off guard by the arrival of Christophe Brecht-a family friend, recently returned from the war, who's been sent to bring her home.

It's the last place she wants to go.

Christophe admires Annaliese's passion, unable to remember the last time he believed in something so deeply. Though he knows some things are worth fighting for, he questions the cost to Annaliese and to the faith she once cherished. Especially when her party begins to take its agenda to new extremes.

As the political upheaval ignites in Munich, so does the attraction between Annaliese and Christophe. When an army from Berlin threatens everything Annaliese has worked for, both she and Christophe face choices that may jeopardize their love, their loyalty, and their very lives.

Readers, buy your copy of Springtime of the Spirit (The Great War) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Five Writing Myths Exploded

Facing 5 writing myths and staying realistic about getting published.

Since I’ve wanted to be a writer nearly my entire life, I’ve heard a lot of myths about the writing industry along the way. Thanks to Tiff’s invitation, I can share my thoughts here with you. Thanks for having me, Tiff!

(My pleasure, Maureen. And I LOVE the first myth...especially since I sold my first novel before I was 30 years old! I've since sold 11 novels and 1 novella, and I won't be 35 until August. Been receiving a lot of flack and scorn for it, though.)

Writing Myth #1 - You must be “mature” (i.e. old) to write a book.

While I do believe age enhances our experience level and can give us a broader perspective, I heartily disagree that one has to be over 35 to write a book and to do it well. What a writer needs is a perception radar system, one that picks up on what’s going on around them. Someone who can separate the chaff from the wheat of everyday life. An observant writer is one who is curious to know the reasons behind real-life activity, so they can add authenticity to their stories by understanding motivations and actions on a personal, universal level. If someone has this power of observation, this curiosity to understand the underlying reasons and can transfer this knowledge to create believable, interesting plots and characters, this kind of perspective can make up for years of experience.

Writing Myth #2 - Write What You Know.

When I was a young, aspiring writer this myth depressed me every time I heard it. I just wanted to tell an entertaining story, I didn’t have anything to say or an underlying agenda. Little did I know that in creating my entertaining stories, I was saying something anyway. I didn’t need to travel to ancient history to write about it, to feel first hand what it was like—but I did have to research my subjects, and learn to research thoroughly. As alluded to in Myth #1, the power of observation is vital to writers, so if we’re in tune to why people behave the way they do, or why certain things happen, coupled with a willingness to investigate everything that pertains to your novel, all of that equals writing what you know.

Writing Myth #3 - Writers can’t get published without an agent, and can’t find an agent without being published.

It seems like a catch-22, doesn’t it? But the truth is first-time authors break in somehow. A few gain writing credentials through writing articles, some create their own following by working to establish a popular blog or build a network around them that will allow them to get their work on an editor’s desk. All of that can work, but there are other ways of attracting agents and editors. Entering contests is relatively inexpensive, if you keep in mind the results are so subjective it may take as much persistence to gain notoriety through this route as it’ll take to get published. Going to conferences is another way to connect face-to-face with agents and editors, although it’ll take time out of your schedule and often cost more than a bit, particularly if there are travel and hotel fees added to the cost of the conference. I’ve heard of some success through The Writer’s Edge or online services like that, as well as the tried-and-true, old-fashioned way of a completely unpublished aspiring writer contacting agent after agent until finding a good fit. It can happen, just not overnight.

Writing Myth #4 - Writers make a lot of money.

There are just enough successful books out there to make everyone think all writers make a lot of money. The truth is, some polls suggest less than 10% of writers can even make a living at writing and as few as 1% make what is considered “a lot” of money. So don’t go into publishing for the love of money, but do go into it for the love of storytelling.

Writing Myth #5 - Being published will make you happy.

While having a dream come true does seem as though it should be fodder for happiness, happiness is a temporary feeling even when connected to long-held dreams. It’s true there are few more thrilling things than to hold your own book in your hands, but it’s also true that the publishing world is just unpredictable enough to bring challenges of its own. Between bad reviews, competition in the market place and worries over burnout, a wandering muse and sustaining or increasing sales there is still a hefty dose of reality connected even to this dream. But then, if this were the answer to happiness we really wouldn’t need God, would we?

So those are just a few of the writing myths I’ve come across. Have you heard any other myths associated with the publishing world you’d like to share? Or have you had experience with any of these you’d like to add?

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Thank you, Maureen, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Have you heard any other myths associated with the publishing world you’d like to share? Or have you had experience with any of these you’d like to add?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question(s) 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.

Spotlight on Maureen Lang and My Sister Dilly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MAUREEN LANG has always had a passion for writing. She wrote her first novel longhand around the age of ten, put the pages into a notebook she covered with soft deerskin (nothing but the best!), then passed it around the neighborhood to rave reviews. It was so much fun she's been writing ever since.

Eventually Maureen became the recipient of a Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America, followed by the publication of three secular romance novels. Life took some turns after that, and she gave up writing for fifteen years, until the Lord claimed her to write for Him. Soon she won a Noble Theme Award from American Christian Fiction Writers and has since published several novels, including Pieces of Silver (a 2007 Christy Award finalist), Remember Me, The Oak Leaves, and On Sparrow Hill. Her most recent release is My Sister Dilly, a contemporary women's fiction (with a touch of romance!.

Maureen lives in the Midwest with her husband, her two sons, and their much loved Lab, Susie. Visit her Web site at www.maureenlang.com.

MY SISTER DILLY
by Maureen Lang
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hannah Williams couldn't get out of her small hometown fast enough, preferring the faster pace, trendy lifestyle and beauty of California's Pacific Ocean coast.

But when her sister makes a desperate choice that lands her in prison, Hannah knows she never should have left her younger sister behind.

She learns she can never really go back, only to accept the forgiveness God has already extended —to both her and her sister. She only hopes she hasn't learned it too late to keep the love of the man she risked leaving behind.

Buy Your Copy of My Sister Dilly Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

My sister-in-law told me about a friend of hers who had recently been sentenced to a number of years in prison for trying to take her disabled daughter's life—and then trying taking her own life as well. She failed on both attempts.

I was horrified, as anyone would be, especially since this woman was someone my sister-in-law knew personally. A nice person, she said, so helpful to others, and above all such a good mother. So how could something like this happen? Since my sister-in-law and I both have children with disabilities, we experience on a deeper level some of the elements involved with such families—how hard it is on the primary caregiver, usually the mother. Still, how could a mom let herself get so desperate as to try such a thing?

As my sister-in-law told me some of the details, I recall thinking almost immediately that this could be developed into a compelling novel. Not one that I wanted to write, though. The idea absolutely scared me. But the longer I thought about it, the more I felt God nudging me. Maybe, since I'm also a mom to a handicapped child, I was supposed to write it.

But I didn't want to tell such a serious, depressing story. I realized almost immediately that I needed a buffer—another main character without such a dark past. That's how the sister element entered. And of course a romance would have to play a part. Romance can lighten just about anything, and my core belief in that notion didn't let me down.

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

As I mentioned, I'm the parent of a child with a disability (Fragile X Syndrome) so I came to this story with my own experiences in that arena. The child in My Sister Dilly suffers from a seizure disorder and cerebral palsy, more medically challenging than my own son. Still, I know how easy it is to isolate, to stay home, not to burden our friends or family with our child's unpredictable behavior.

I also have two sisters, so I know little about how sisters can be. The best intentions of helping can sometimes feel like a battle for control, even when there's a solid foundation of love and affection.

But I'm the youngest of the sisters in my family, so Hannah as the oldest and the main protagonist really is her own character. As far as Dilly's experiences, I've never known the kind of desperation she must have felt (praise God for that!). So while everything my characters think, say and do is filtered through my experiences, their stories are definitely their own.

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

Oooh, what a fun question. And I just found a new flavor by Edy's that I think would fit Dilly. She sweet, a little naive, and wishes she could please others. So her flavor would be Take The Cake, with vanilla because she's a down-home sort of girl, but with the added sweetness and youth of cake, frosting and multi-colored sprinkles.

Now Hannah, the older sister, is a little trickier. She's not so sweet, because she carries a chip on her shoulder. So I guess she would be chocolate chip ice cream.

4. What themes exist in My Sister Dilly that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

There are two main themes I hope to convey—the most important being that Christ's work on the cross covers every sin, no matter how heinous. God loves us no matter what we've done, what we've been tempted to do, or mistakes we've made. And two: isolation is never a good thing, and we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. Or afraid to give it. We were made to live in community with others.

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

There were actually a number of things I found difficult to write in this book. Right off, I wondered if I could sympathetically portray a character who'd tried to kill her precious child. I didn't even want to visit that part of her life, let alone take my readers there. And even though I knew it would be backstory, it's still part of who this character is. Bringing out a sense of guilt would help, but there had to be more. That's when it seemed obvious to me that the thing she wanted most—to be reunited with her daughter—couldn't happen, at least not very easily.

Another thing that was difficult might not seem like it should have been. This story is set in a small town. I've never lived in a small town. However, my husband grew up in such a setting, and even though it made research easy because I get to visit such places when we see his family, it was intimidating to think about getting the details right. I didn't want to let my suburban upbringing show by getting the small town tone wrong. Plus Hannah had intentionally left behind the small town life. So how could I portray her character's disdain for rural Illinois without offending everyone who lives in a small town (including so many people I love)? It was a balancing act, that's for sure.

As far as my favorite parts...well, true to my romance-writing heart, any scene with Mac was just downright fun.

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

My next book will release next year around September (also from Tyndale) and is the beginning of a series taking me back to the First World War. This time the setting is a small town in Northern France. I'm having so much fun with it, mainly because there is plenty of angst and conflict. I'm actually just starting the revision stage, which is a favorite part of the writing process for me.

To give you an idea of the storyline, the hero is a wealthy young adventurer of the early 1900's who decides it's time to grow up and become responsible—and quite possibly a hero—now that war embroils his chosen home in Europe. But when Belgium and Northern France are overrun by the German Imperial Army, he discovers he's too late to volunteer his services. The reality is he must either hide or be captured—or even killed as an enemy combatant.

When he takes refuge in a small town church, he knows he must find a way to escape occupied territory and stop endangering the people who've been hiding him—especially the woman he's grown to love. Yep, there's definitely a romance in there!

Thanks for having me, Tiff!

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Thank *you*, Maureen, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of My Sister Dilly or any other book of Maureen's. If you prefer one other than the one featured, please state that 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 anyone worldwide.

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