Guest Blogger Jocelyn Green and Wedded to War

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOCELYN GREEN is an award-winning author and freelance journalist recently turned novelist. Her love of history, story-telling and the drama of the human experience combine in her new series, Heroines Behind the Lines: Civil War. She loves to research as much as she loves writing. Her favorite things include Mexican food, Broadway musicals, Toblerone chocolate bars, the color red, and reading on her patio. Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two small children in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at JocelynGreen.com.

WEDDED TO WAR
by Jocelyn Green
Published by RiverNorth Fiction (Moody Publishers)

ABOUT THE BOOK

She fought to get her place, and she fought even harder to keep it.

In Wedded to War, tending the Union army’s sick and wounded would mean leaving Phineas Hastings, the man Charlotte Waverly’s mother, Caroline, approved of, for an existence Caroline could not understand. To honor the father she lost to Cholera, Charlotte chose a life of service over privilege—just as her childhood friend, Caleb Lansing, had when he became a military doctor. She quickly discovers that she’s combating more than just the Rebellion by working in the hospitals. Would the two men who love her stand by and watch as she fights her own battles? Or would their desire for her wage war on her desire to serve God?

Readers, buy your copy of Wedded to War today! The ebook is only $1.99 for a limited time!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

The Work of Imagining

I had been a journalist and the author of nonfiction books for several years before I ventured into writing fiction. But I had never done as much research for one book as I did for my Civil War novel, Wedded to War!

When I share this with people, I usually get puzzled looks, and a comment along the lines of, “But you’re writing fiction. Can’t you just…you know, make stuff up?”

Margaret Culkin Banning said it best: “Fiction is not a dream, nor is it guesswork. It is imagining based on facts, and the facts must be accurate or the work of imagining will not stand up.”

In other words, yes, we can make up the fictional characters and the plot twists, but everything must be rooted in facts, or the story won’t be believable. My depiction of medical care during the early Civil War would fall completely flat if I had the doctors using equipment that hadn’t been invented yet. And my characterizations wouldn’t hold true either, if I didn’t thoroughly understand the cultural and gender roles of those living in Victorian Age. Even my settings would seem like only cardboard backdrops, rather than characters themselves, if they weren’t rounded out with accurate detail and description.

To research my novel, I visited historical societies in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland, and Fort Monroe and other places on the Virginia Peninsula. But the Internet and old-fashioned library books were my best friends, too! Here are just ten of my most useful resources.

From Contemporary Historians:

Adams, George Worthington. Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1952.

Bacon, Georgeanna Woolsey and Eliza Woolsey Howland, edited by Daniel John Hoisington. My Heart Toward Home: Letters of a Family During the Civil War. Roseville, Minnesota: Edinborough Press, 2001.

Garrison, Nancy Scripture. With Courage and Delicacy: Civil War on the Peninsula, Women and the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press, 1999.

Giesberg, Judith Ann. Civil War Sisterhood: The U.S. Sanitary Commission and Women’s Politics in Transition. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2000.

Lee, Richard M. Mr. Lincoln’s City: An Illustrated Guide to the Civil War Sites of Washington. McLean, Virginia: EPM Publications, Inc., 1981.

Schultz, Jane E. Women at the Front: Hospital Workers in Civil War America. Chapel Hill: The University of North Caroline Press, 2007.

Wilbur, C. Keith. Civil War Medicine. Guilford, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press, 1998.

Primary Sources available online:

Documents of the U.S. Sanitary Commission No. 1-60: http://bit.ly/JWoIqD

Outlines of the Chief Camp Diseases of the United States Army http://bit.ly/ruyA0W

Medical Recollections of the Union Army http://bit.ly/LMIsl8

For a more complete list of my resources, and for character sketches, a timeline of events, maps and photographs from the early Civil War, check out the new Web site for Heroines Behind the Lines at www.heroinesbehindthelines.com.

When writing historical fiction, my mantra is “the better the research, the better the story.” My only problem is knowing when to stop the research an start writing the book!

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Thank you, Jocelyn, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: As a reader, is it important to you that an author has done his/her homework—whether he/she has written a contemporary or historical novel? How do you react when you read something that seems out of place for the time period or context of the story?

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 North America residents only, but includes APO/FPO boxes too.

Welcome Vickie McDonough and Long Trail Home

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICKIE MCDONOUGH is an award-winning author of 25 books and novellas. Her books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards. Vickie is the author of the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series from Barbour Publishing. Watch for her new books from Moody Publishers, Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series, in which she partners with Susan Page Davis and Darlene Franklin to write a 6-book series that spans 50 years of the Morgan family. The first three books release this fall. Also, next year brings the release of another new series from Guidepost/Summerside, Pioneer Promises, set in 1870s Kansas.

You can find out more about Vickie and her books at www.vickiemcdonough.com.

LONG TRAIL HOME
by Vickie McDonough
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

A weary soldier returns from the War Between the States to discover his parents dead, his family farm in shambles, and his fiancée married. Riley Morgan takes a job at the Wilcox School for Blind Children and tries to make peace with God and himself. When a pretty, blind woman who cares for the children reaches through his scarred walls and touches his heart, he begins to find renewed faith and hope for the future. But when he discovers Annie feigned her blindness just to have a home, will his anger and hurt drive him away and ruin all chances for a future filled with love, faith, and family?

Readers, buy your copy of LONG TRAIL HOME today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Critique Groups – Life or Death to a Writer

I can say without a doubt that I’m published today because of the help I’ve received from my critique group partners. They’ve encouraged me when I wanted to give up on writing. They taught me to show, not tell. I learned point of view from them, and they’ve become my friends. Most of my experience with critique groups has been positive, but that hasn’t always been the case.

I nearly quit writing because of the harsh comments I received in my first critique group, when I was a brand new writer and green as a pickle. The critiques from one member made my manuscript pages look like bloody road kill. I cried many tears over her harsh comments on my many mistakes and lost confidence in my ability to write. Looking back, she was probably right in her assessment, but at the time, I wasn’t ready for such in-depth critiques.

As a more experienced writer now, I crave those detailed assessments. Tell me what’s not working in my story. Did a section leave you scratching your head in confusion? Does the dialogue of the children in my story sound like real children or is it too mature? Is my bad boy hero too unlikable? I want to know what works and what doesn’t.

You may not be at the stage where you want such detailed critiques. Maybe you only want help with grammar issues, or maybe you want help with your dialogue or someone to help you brainstorm a new story. The important thing is to find a critique group that fits your needs.

So, how do you find one? Most online and local writers’ clubs have critique groups you can join. I also did a Google search and discovered there were eighty-two pages of critique group listings! Wow! There are ones for any genre: non-fiction, short stories, all types of fiction, and even children’s books.

There are critique groups that submit weekly, others twice a month, and some monthly. Some groups submit a chapter at a time, while others have a page limit. Some groups are a mixture of writers of different genres, while others are genre-specific.

So why do you need a critique group? Besides the fact that you are networking with other writers, you will learn a lot, especially if you’re a newer writer. Often the more experienced writer just needs another set of eyes to look at her story before it’s shipped off to an editor. A critique group is also a good place to ask questions and to brainstorm.

Some of the key things you want critiquers to look for in your manuscript are:

• Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors – Be sure to submit your best work, not your rough draft. Critiquers will tire out quickly if you use them as a spellchecker.
• Continuity issues – Does your heroine have green eyes in the beginning of the story and blue eyes at the end? Did you accidentally change your hero’s name? Does your widow heroine have two children at the beginning of the book and one at the end?
• Overused words – just, really, that, etc.
• Point of view problems
• Author intrusion
• Too many –ly words instead of strong verbs
• Telling instead of showing
• Too many dialogue tags – he replied, she murmured
• Inconsistencies in storyline or character’s behavior
• Clichés
• Stereotyped characters

Of course there are plenty other things to watch for, but these are the main issues. The most important thing to do is to point out the positive along with all that needs fixing. I like to put happy faces or LOL at places that make me smile or somewhere that the writing is especially nice, but remember, it’s called a critique group for a reason. It’s not to make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but rather to give you beneficial advice on how to improve your story.

You’re sure to find the right critique group if you get out there and hunt for it. You might kiss a few frogs before finding a group that’s a good fit, but it’s well worth the time and effort. You’re writing will improve greatly under the tutelage of a few good critiquers.

* * * * *

Thank you, Vickie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Have you ever been a part of a critique group? More than one? Were they helpful or not? Why? If you're not a writer, have you ever been part of a group supposed to help you in some way toward a specific goal? Was it successful? How so?

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 your choice of ANY book on Vickie's web site. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

The contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Christina Berry and The Familiar Stranger

This is part of a multi-site blog tour with multiple chances to win books! More details all the way at the bottom. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHRISTINA BERRY is a single mother and foster parent who carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers. Find her at www.christinaberry.net and authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com.

THE FAMILIAR STRANGER
by Christina Berry
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise...if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, discover dark secrets. What will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

Readers, buy your copy of The Familiar Stranger today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

In the summer of 2006, two stories appeared in the newspaper. One was a huge, national story; the other a smaller, local-interest item. I wondered what it might look like if those two stories conceived a child. Boom! I had the entire plot for The Familiar Stranger. It will be interesting to see if readers can figure out which stories inspired the book.

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

Any character has some aspect of my personality, for better or worse. I can only write what I know. I've seen a richness develop in my writing as I've grown in my faith and walked through some valleys in the last decade.

Denise and Craig's story is based on the lessons of forgiveness God taught me when my marriage fell apart...the first time. Accordingly, many of the emotions Denise goes through correspond to what I felt, though our situations differ. However, I also wanted to really understand the male perspective, so Craig had parts of me in him as well. The path away from God and following temptation is something we can all recognize and, unfortunately, identify with.

During the editing process and years after my husband and I reunited, our marriage of thirteen years unexpectedly ended. The words I had written as a happily married woman ministered to me in my singleness. My heart's hope is that this book will lead people to Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly!

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

My hero would be Double Fudge. Hidden secrets means he's lying in both his professional and personal lives, but he has the potential to be delicious. Oh, and lots of women are attracted to him, which tends to be true of chocolate. ;)

Denise I would describe as a lemon sherbet. She's blonde, a little bit tart while still refreshing, and worried about calories!

4. Are there any themes in The Familiar Stranger that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

If reading The Familiar Stranger makes even one man or woman be more honest with his or her spouse or delve into trust issues in a healthy way, I'll consider it a success. The recent changes in my life—losing my husband, facing finding a "real" job, selling my home—have done nothing but solidify what I hope to be the theme of the book and my life: Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly. Maybe there's a hurting heart that can find a new path to forgiveness because of the story.

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

Most difficult part to write: I was in the middle of revisions when my marriage fell apart. God orchestrated it so that I was beefing up a "struggle with forgiveness" scene in those first few weeks of singleness. While aspects of that were hard to deal with, the very words I thought would help someone else ministered to me.

Favorite: I have a scene involving a Krispy Kreme donut that was particularly tantalizing to write. I laugh every time I read it. Also, I had to take a research trip to Multnomah Falls in the gorgeous Columbia Gorge. Using the beauty of that place in a scene was a lot of fun.

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

I’m about 1/5 of the way through my next manuscript, Unafraid, a story about a girl's kidnapping, and how her life unfolds because of the trauma. One of my characters is a PI, so I’m having loads of fun with the research.

The humor Sherrie Ashcraft (my sometime co-author and always mother) and I display in our infrequent, humorous newsletters has garnered the attention of an editor. You just might see a funny, non-fiction cooperative work from the Ashberry Ladies at some point in time. You can sign up for that newsletter at www.ashberrylane.net/update.aspx. By signing up, you will be entered to win a 4GB iPod Shuffle or free books for the life of my writing career.

Oh, and I have a funky TV-based devotional a house is interested in. Busy, busy, busy!

* * * * *

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Familiar Stranger.

Christina will be doing TWO drawings for two TEN-BOOK GIVEAWAYS. The first will take place on September 30th, her birthday. She will draw 10 names, then repeat the process on October 31st. You could be 1 of the 20 winners!

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.

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 the winners are announced each time.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

* * * * *

BLOG TOUR LIST

Tuesday, 9/1
Jennifer AlLee http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 9/2
Tiffany Amber Stockon http://amberstockton.blogspot.com

Thursday, 9/3
Cara Putman http://carasmusings.blogspot.com

Friday, 9/4
Writing Career Coach Blog http://writingcareercoach.blogspot.com

Saturday, 9/5
Sherrie Ashcraft http://www.sherrieashcraft.blogspot.com

Sunday, 9/6
Edwina Cowgill http://musingsofedwina.blogspot.com

Monday, 9/7
Nikki Raichart http://beinggratefullygrounded.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 9/8
Patricia Woodside http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 9/9
Jody Hedlund http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com

Thursday, 9/10
Dawn King http://momofkings.wordpress.com

Friday, 9/11
Grace Bridges http://splashdownreviews.blogspot.com

Saturday, 9/12
Laura Hilton http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com

Sunday, 9/13
Bette Bantz http://bantzbooks.com/Blogspot-Review.html

Monday, 9/14
Stormi Johnson http://bookblogs.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=ladystorm30

Tuesday, 9/15
Michelle Shocklee http://michelleshocklee.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 9/16
Robin Johns Grant http://dimensionsartandeternity.blogspot.com

Thursday, 9/17
Novel Journey http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com

Friday, 9/18
Tracy Ruckman http://www.pixnpens.com

Saturday, 9/19
Karin Beery http://therehastobeabeginning.blogspot.com

Sunday, 9/20
Glynn Young http://faithfictionfriends.blogspot.com

Monday. 9/21
Sharon Ball http://www.sharonball.com

Tuesday, 9/22
Cathy Bryant http://wordvessel.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 9/23
Roseanna White http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com

Thursday, 9/24
Ashley Weis http://blog.ashleyweis.com

Friday, 9/25
Brenda Anderson http://spirereviews.blogspot.com

Saturday, 9/26
Krista Phillips http://reflectionsbykrista.blogspot.com

Sunday, 9/27
Debra Ullrick http://christianromancewriter.blogspot.com

Monday, 9/28
Chila “Maggie” Woychik http://msghomeschoolauthors.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 9/29
Lyn Cote http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 9/30
Cindy Loven http://cindystamps.blogspot.com

Thursday, 10/1
Patty Wysong, Part 1 http://pattywysong.blogspot.com

Friday, 10/2
Patty Wysong, Part 2 http://pattywysong.blogspot.com

Saturday, 10/3
Jeannie Campbell http://charactertherapist.blogspot.com

Sunday, 10/4
Christa Allan http://christaallan.com/blog

Monday, 10/5
Jaime Wright Sundsmo http://thejaimereports.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 10/6
Miralee Ferrell http://www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 10/7
Martha Rogers http://marthasbooks.blogspot.com

Thursday, 10/8
Delores Liesner http://www.examiner.com/x-8081-Milaukee-Christian-Living-Examiner

Friday, 10/9
Ann Shorey http://annshorey.blogspot.com

Saturday, 10/10
Lil Duncan http://www.examiner.com/x-12639-Cleveland-Christian-Books-Examiner

Sunday, 10/11
Winter Peck http://www.rodeosuspense.com/?page_id=5

Monday, 10/12
Lisa Lickel http://lisalickel.com/cgi- bin/blog

Tuesday, 10/13
Mara Kim http://marakim.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 10/14
Jodie Bailey http://jodiebailey.blogspot.com

Thursday, 10/15
Deborah Vogts http://www.deborahvogts.blogspot.com

Friday, 10/16
Susan Reinhardt http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com

Saturday, 10/17
Annette Irby http://annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com

Sunday, 10/18
Beth Wiseman http://blog.bethwiseman.net

Monday, 10/19
Tammy Bowers http://writesteps.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 10/20
Margie Vawter http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 10/21
Lynette Sowell http://myslicesoflife.blogspot.com

Thursday, 10/22
Trish Perry http://trishperry.blogspot.com

Friday, 10/23
Jude Urbanski http://judeurbanski.blogstream.com

Saturday, 10/24
Brenda Jackson http://bkjackson.blogspot.com

Sunday, 10/25
Kristen Johnson http://adventuresofhistorygirl.blogspot.com

Monday, 10/26
Carla Stewart http://carlastewart.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 10/27
Jean Kiney http://kystorywriter.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 10/28
Angie Breidenbach http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com

Thursday, 10/29
Linda Rondeau http://lindarondeau.blogspot.com

Friday, 10/30
Camy Tang http://camys-loft.blogspot.com

Saturday, 10/31
Rose McCauley http://rosemccauley.blogspot.com

Spotlight on Debbie Fuller Thomas and Raising Rain

One day late, but better late than never, right? :) I'll do my best to pick the winners from the past 2 spotlights by tonight. Going out of town for the weekend, so want to have this all done before then.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEBBIE FULLER THOMAS writes contemporary fiction from a historic Gold Rush town in Northern California. When she’s not working on her next book, she enjoys singing with Colla Voce of the Sierras with her husband and spending time catching up with her two adult children. Her debut novel, Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon is a finalist for the 2009 Christy Award and the 2009 ACFW Book of the Year.

RAISING RAIN
by Debbie Fuller Thomas
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

Four college roommates joined forces in the radical 60's and 70's to protest the war and champion the rights of women. But they had no way of knowing the impact their choices would have on Jude's daughter whom they all helped to raise in their off-campus apartment. Now a 30-something single woman, Rain wants to trade her career for a baby and her significant other has taken off for greener pastures. As one who has come to know God intimately, Bebe feels especially responsible because of a choice she made and a secret she kept. Is it too late to make things right for the young woman whom she considers a daughter?

Readers, buy your copy of Raising Rain today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

With the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this August, I wanted to explore the mistakes that many women have had to live with since that turbulent time. In particular, I read What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us by Danielle Crittenden which addresses the impact that 2nd wave feminism has had on a younger generation of women. Too many have put off childbirth until their late 30’s and are left to struggle with infertility and its many moral complications alone.

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

I went to college in the mid-seventies, so some of the culture has been pulled from my own experiences, but I attended a Christian college and that’s where the similarities end. My husband and I suffered three miscarriages and were childless for nine years, so I definitely drew from those experiences in Rain’s story.

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

I would have to say Rainbow Sherbet because ‘Rain’ is short for ‘Rainbow,’ and the fact that they tell her she has an ice cream named after her.

4. Are there any themes in Raising Rain that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

A strong theme is forgiveness for the past, both for ourselves and others. We have all made really big mistakes somewhere along the line and need to forgive ourselves. Often those mistakes affect the ones closest to us. Recognizing the need for healing and asking for it is also a theme that develops as the story moves along.

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

The most difficult parts for me were the ones where Rain’s mother was recovering from her cancer treatments. I am a 12-year breast cancer survivor and still vividly remember those treatments and recovery. Like Jude, I knew I was getting distance from a treatment when I craved salsa, but it wasn’t always a good idea to indulge.

My favorite parts were the flashbacks of the four college students who helped to raise Rain when she was a baby. I could hear Jude, Bebe, Mare and Toni all talking in my head at the same time. They were all so very different, and the dynamics of their relationships could be volatile.

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

Raising Rain debuts September 1st, and I’m working on my next proposal.

* * * * *

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Raising Rain.

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.

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.

Spotlight on Donn Taylor and Rhapsody in Red

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DONN TAYLOR led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. Afterwards, he completed a PhD at The University of Texas and taught English literature at two liberal arts colleges. He is the author of two novels, The Lazarus File and Rhapsody in Red, as well as a book of poetry, Dust and Diamond: Poems of Earth and Beyond. He is a frequent speaker for writers' groups and conferences. He and his wife live and attend church near Houston, Texas, where he writes fiction, poetry, and articles on current topics.

RHAPSODY IN RED
by Donn Taylor
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

"That Wednesday, two weeks before Thanksgiving, was a bad day to find a corpse on campus." Preston Barclay is a self-made recluse (and he likes it that way). Teaching college history allows him time to grieve the loss of his pianist wife and find relief from the musical hallucinations that have been playing in his head since her death. But when he and a headstrong colleague, Mara Thorn, discover the body of another instructor on campus, Press's monotonous solitude is destroyed.

When the preliminary evidence singles out Press and Mara, they must take some chances (including trusting each other) to build their own defense---by bending the rules just a little bit.

They choose to form an unlikely alliance to stay ahead of the police, the college's wary and incompetent administration, and whoever is trying to get away with murder. Otherwise, they both might end up unemployed, behind bars, or worse...

Buy Your Copy of Rhapsody in Red Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Several things. This didn't happen in a hurry. I liked Raymond Chandler mysteries and thought I'd try my hand at a mystery with a cranky protagonist. I'd taught twenty years in small denominational colleges, so I set this one on a college campus. That gave the opportunity for light satire of college life. Then I read a newspaper article on musical hallucinations: a few people have a constant torrent of music in their minds, and they can't turn it off. (It's said that Beethoven and Schumann had these.) So I made my protagonist a history professor with musical hallucinations. For the faith theme, I've long been fascinated by the problem of evil in the world. How do we explain it? So all of that gradually coalesced into the premise for "Rhapsody in Red."

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

First of all, I don't put any personal experience or anyone I've ever met into a story. The college and its faculty are entirely fictitious, and my former colleagues can read it without fear of finding themselves there. But I did put in the conflicts that I'd seen exist on college campuses. I gave my protagonist the characteristic of actually saying what many faculty wish they could say but don’t dare. That's why he stays in trouble. The only thing that translates more or less directly from me is that my professor's specialty is Renaissance history of ideas. My specialty was Renaissance literature, but viewed from the perspective of history of ideas. Other than that, the characters' traits are completely their own.

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

The hero, if you can call him that, would be Neopolitan—a mixture of many flavors. As a history professor, he accepts Matthew Arnold's view of culture—the best that has been thought or said in all ages. The heroine would be Homemade Vanilla that's been frozen with a hard exterior. After a bad teenage marriage, she's clawed her way up to a PhD in comparative religion and is determined to continue succeeding on her own with no help from anyone. But she has sweetness under the icy exterior.

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

First of all, I have a problem with people who write fiction to prove a point. If that's the objective, they should write nonfiction and make their point through evidence and reasoned argument. Fiction proves nothing: it can only illustrate. That said, there are some realistic themes in Rhapsody. The college does accurately illustrate the usual conflicts of commercialism vs. academic standards, education vs. indoctrination, and secularism vs. religious orientation. And there’s a straightforward treatment of the problem of evil. I don't think the book contains any other—except possibly the inadvisability of always saying what you think.

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

The most difficult part was chapters two through about five. That's where a lot of essential information and backstory had to be worked in, but it had to be balanced with moving the story forward. I must have blocked those out four or five times and rewritten them more than that. My favorite part? There's a chapter where a suspect tries to bribe the hero with a kiss. He gets lipstick on his teeth, and that gets him in trouble with the heroine, who thinks he's been playing around while she took dangerous risks in their investigation. They have an encounter with a lot of wordplay: "She burns incense." "In what sense was she burning?" Etc.

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

It's not contracted yet, but it's a sequel to Rhapsody in Red. It's another murder mystery with the same hero and heroine. It's set on the same campus but with a very different crime problem. Thematically, it deals with the problematic relationship of imagination to reality and with the problem of slander. But it's also light-hearted, with a good bit of comedy.

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Rhapsody in Red.

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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Spotlight on Cathy Gohlke and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting today's author in the bookstore where I worked at the time and introducing her to ACFW. Now, she's won a Christy Award for her debut novel and is seeing her 2nd book released. It's exciting to share in the successes of friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CATHY GOHLKE'S first novel, "William Henry is a Fine Name," won the Christy Award. She has worked as a school librarian, drama director for adults and young people, and as a director of children's and education ministries. Cathy lives with her husband in Elkton, Maryland.

I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE WATCHFIRES
by Cathy Gohlke
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

As Civil War rends his family and the nation, seventeen-year-old Robert vows to rescue his estranged mother and the girl he loves from behind enemy lines. Unwittingly entangled in a prison escape, left for dead and charged as a spy, Robert must forge his anger and shame into a renewed determination to rescue his family. Confronted by an enemy and a war he no longer understands, Robert finds that the rescue, and its results, may not be up to him.

Buy Your Copy of I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

This is a stand-alone sequel to my first novel, William Henry is a Fine Name (which took place in 1859 and dealt with thirteen-year-old Robert's involvement in the Underground Railroad). So, it was natural to ask what became of those characters, of that family, so torn and divided on the issue of slavery, once the Civil War (1861-1865) began.

I've always wondered where God is in the midst of war—a question as relevant today as it was in 1861, and that, along with questions of "who is my neighbor and who is my enemy" are issues with which Robert struggles.

I've also long known a story handed down in my step-mother's family: an aristocratic Confederate lady met and challenged the dreaded Union General Sherman as he burned his way through South Carolina. This ancestor was a feisty lady, and although my story is not the same as the actual occurrence, I certainly received inspiration there.

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

Like Robert, I've struggled with questions regarding war and politics—which side is God on? Does He take sides? Am I seeing the big picture—the picture that God sees? What does He know that I don't know and what does God grieve over? How do I respond when the law of the land acts outside of God's law? And most importantly, am I on God's side? Like Robert, I have had to learn to surrender my plans and determinations to the Lord, knowing that He knows—everything—far better than I, and peace exists only when I let His will prevail.

I think I had more in common with Robert in my younger years than I do now. When the story begins Robert sees everything in absolute terms—no shades of gray: He believes that the Union is completely right and that God is fighting on its behalf. He becomes disillusioned when he visits Fort Delaware and finds that Union soldiers are men and boys, with all the faults and failings, the good and bad of regular men. He is astonished when he finds both cruelty and compassion among Confederate soldiers and civilians. Robert struggles with separating the idea of war and the issues fought about with the people living through the chaos and carnage. This is an "education" that continues for Robert throughout the war—on both sides, north and south.

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

Maybe lime sherbet—with a bite—that goes down smoothly at last. Robert is a natural, but young and naïve—a little like the green of lime sherbet—but he has some sharp edges that surprise. In the end he is renewed, somewhat mellowed, and the palate is refreshed.

4. What themes exist in I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."--It is what Jesus did for us, and it happens a number of times in different ways in this book. The theme is also very strong that God has a plan and a purpose far greater than what we can see in front of us, and only when we release ourselves and surrender our plans to Him can we find peace and the fulfillment of His love and plan for us. That surrender may be a "growing thing" or the realization for its need may flash upon us suddenly. And finally, the thing that changes us forever—consecration to the Lord—to be forever His and to know we belong to Him. I hope the reader sees these things.

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

The most difficult part for me to write was Col. Mitchell's recounting of the battle of Gettysburg. The research was heart wrenching. The carnage and mass waste of human life angered and grieved my heart so writing became difficult for a time.

There were many parts I loved writing. One of my favorites was the exchange between young Hezekiah, on the floor, and Robert as Robert lay, hidden, face down between mattress and bed ropes. Hezekiah also helped Robert escape the Home Guard determined to catch him by telling him to hide in a giant coffee pot outside the tinsmith's shop. I'd grown up on a legend that a Civil War soldier had hidden in that 12 foot coffee pot. It was great fun to write it into this story. And, of course, I loved writing the epilogue—which you'll have to read on your own. I dare not give away the ending!

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

I'm researching a new novel with new characters, set in England, America, and France in the years just prior to and including WWI. I spent two weeks researching in England this spring—mainly in war and maritime museums and cemeteries—with a day trip to Calais, France, "getting to know" my characters, their history, falling in love with their story, culture and setting. This is Michael's story, a survivor of Titanic, who is given a life, a hope and a future through the sacrifice of a friend. And it is Annie's story, who struggles with bitter loss of someone dear to her, the challenge to forgive, and to love as Christ loves us. How will they respond to such amazing grace? And when the Great War calls on them to sacrifice, how will they respond?

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires.

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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Spotlight on Sara Mills and Miss Fortune

I will be returning home late tonight from the AMAZING ACFW conference in Minneapolis this year. As I posted last week, we had a massive book signing at the Mall of America featuring over 125 authors, panels, interviews, and a host of tables where shoppers and fiction loves stopped by to chat with us and get their books signed or pick up freebies and enter contests.

Today's spotlight author just happened to be my table buddy...at least for the 30 minutes she actually stayed there. :) Her mother and another family member appeared and she went shopping. But, we had a lot of fun at the start of the signing. Sara's written a very unique debut story that I'm featuring today. If you're a fan of FILM NOIR, you'll love this!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SARA MILLS is a freelance writer, wife, mother of three, and motorcycle racing enthusiast who lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Alberta, Canada. She has two novels coming out with Moody Publishers in fall 2008 and spring 2009.

Sara collects swords, raises Golden Retrievers and has a house full of hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles and puppies. Sara loves swords, motorbikes, film noir, Humphrey Bogart and The Maltese Falcon.

MISS FORTUNE
by Sara Mills
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

They call her the P.I. Princess

It's 1947 and Allie Fortune is the only female (and perhaps the best) private investigator in New York City. But she's kept awake at night by a mystery of her own--her fiance disappeared in the war and Allie is haunted my by the unknown than by finding out the worst. Her work is a welcome distraction, and she's just been hired by a client who isn't telling the whole truth. Mary Gordon's claims of innocence don't fit with her ransacked apartment, being shot at, and the two Soviet agents hot on her trail.

Meanwhile the FBI is working the case because a legendary and mysterious treasure has gone missing...again. The only catch for Allis is her new 'partner' Jack, an attractive single agent who knows how to make her smile.

As Allie and Jack chase after the gold, they must contend with the Soviets who also want the priceless treasure back--after all, they stole it fair and square.

Buy Your Copy of Miss Fortune Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I've loved Humphrey Bogart movies since I was a young teenager. My two favourites, Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon are watched regularly at my house. My husband just sighs and walks away when he sees me reach for those cases, but there's something about movies from the era before special effects and Arnold Schwarzenegger that speak to me. Without relying on explosions or martial arts, movies had to be smart, the characters had to be sharp, dialogue witty, and most of all, the stories had to be stellar.

So one night I was watching The Maltese Falcon in the middle of the night (I occasionally suffer from insomnia) and I started to wonder how different the story would be if Sam Spade had been a woman. She'd never have fallen for Miss Wunderly's charms and lies. She'd have been smart and tough and she would have solved the case in half the time it took Sam because she wouldn't spend all of her time smoking cigarettes and calling her secretary Precious.

I paused the movie and sat in my darkened living room thinking about how much fun a female Sam Spade could be. Intrigued but not yet ready to dash to my computer, I changed disks and put on Casablanca. The sweeping love story, a tale full of hard choices and sacrifice was what finally made the whole idea click in my mind. If I could just combine the P.I. detective story of the Maltese Falcon with the love story from Casablanca, and make Sam Spade more of a Samantha, I could have the best of all worlds.

That night Allie Fortune was born, and right from the first, she took on a life of her own.

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

Allie Fortune suffers from chronic insomnia and that's an issue I used to have, once going for a week on three hours of sleep. Like Allie I have a deep independent streak that can occasionally lean towards pig-headedness. On the other hand I am not generally an observant person and I could never pull off the little trick Allie plays on all of her blind dates. (You have to read the book if you want to understand that last bit, I can't give it away. Sorry.) Also, for the record, my mother is a lovely woman, nothing, nothing like Allie's mother.

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

Jack O'Connor would be York Peppermint Pattie. He's all rich and chocolatey with a cool minty center.

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

I think the strongest theme is that God's love is not shown through the circumstances of life, but is shown in the gift of salvation at Calvary. Circumstances change, God's love never does.

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

I actually loved writing Miss Fortune all the way through. I think I had the hardest time with trying to suck the reader into New York in the 1940's. I spent a lot of time trying to get the details right so that reading Miss Fortune feels like watching a black and white movie.

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

Miss Match, Book 2 in the Allie Fortune mystery series is coming out in March of 2009.

FBI agent Jack O'Connor receives a letter from Maggie, a woman he used to love, saying she's in trouble in Berlin. The FBI refuses to get involved, so Jack asks Allie Fortune to help him investigate. Allie and Jack pose as a missionary couple who want to bring orphans back to the United States. A child finds important documents that everyone in the city-- Soviets and Allies alike -- want for themselves. Maggie refuses to tell Jack what the documents are, saying if things go wrong they are better off not knowing. Through the course of the search Allie's past is brought back to her, half a world away from home.

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Miss Fortune.

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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Spotlight on Debbie Fuller Thomas and Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Fuller Thomas has contributed to story collections such as 'Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul' and 'But Lord, I Was Happy Shallow.' As a breast cancer survivor, she recently celebrated her ten-year anniversary. Debbie and her husband have two adult children, and enjoy life in a historic gold rush town in Northern California. 'Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon' is her first novel.

TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE BLUE MOON
by Debbie Fuller Thomas
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Marty Winslow's daughter dies of a devastating genetic disease, she discovers the truth--her child had been switched at birth. Her actual biological daughter was recently orphaned and is being raised by grandparents in a retirement community. Marty is awarded custody, but Andie refuses to fit into the family, adding one more challenge for this grieving single mom that pushes her toward the edge, and into the arms of a loving God. For Andie, being forced to live with strangers is just one more reason not to trust God. Her soul is as tattered as the rundown Blue Moon movie drive-in the family owns. But Tuesday night is Family Night at the Blue Moon, and as her hopes grow dim, healing comes from an unexpected source--the hurting family and nurturing birth mom she fights so hard to resist.

Buy Your Copy Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your first novel. Congratulations! What gave you the inspiration for your story in this anthology?

Thank you! I saw a story in People magazine about two babies who were switched at birth, and since we often took our children to an old drive-in movie theater on Sunday nights (for cheap), it seemed like an interesting match. I had purchased the magazine for a road trip to Disneyland. My family sat in a loaded car in the parking lot of the medical center waiting for me to finish my final radiation treatment for breast cancer, and once we got on the road, I started jotting down scenes. After the 8 hour drive, I reluctantly had to put it aside and head to the park, but the story kept going in my head.

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

While I enjoy baking, Marty's baking mania was purely her own. Baking is such a homey thing to do, making the house smell wonderful and bringing comfort to the family, and it personified her desire for her family to be whole while giving her an outlet for her stress. I have never lost a child – that's Marty's experience alone. Winnie is an amalgam of many wonderful children I meet in my 'day job', which is managing after-school programs and day camps. They are sweet, loving, and remarkably resilient and forgiving, and some are incredibly needy for being so young. Although I have occasionally taken long drives in my car and fantasized what it would be like to be someone else without my frustrations, I've never driven as far as Marty or stayed away as long. Like Marty said, I guess every mom has done that at some point, but we always go back. I'm glad to say that I don't know any Deja's personally. Bluegrass music reminds me of my dad.

3. What themes exist in Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

A major theme for the book is that restoration and healing are possible with God. But the main theme, which I think unfolds gradually and Marty realizes at the end, is that we are God's children, switched at birth in a broken world, and that God wants to reclaim us as the rightful birth parent.

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

One of the hardest parts to write was the anniversary of Ginger's death. The family attends church together and Andie comes to the realization that Marty is truly her biological mother and that she has a part in the anguish that Marty is experiencing. And then, of course, they go to the cemetery. But it helps Andie to be a little more sympathetic to the family and makes it a bit easier to accept her place in it.

My favorite part was writing the confrontation between Marty and the health inspector at the farmer’s market. I interviewed a local health inspector about the scene and he mentioned that there hadn't been a health inspector as a romantic interest since "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." He was happy to help. It was gratifying to have Marty 'toss' that cake—or did she drop it?

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

My next book will be released in September 2009, and the working title is Raising Rain. It's about Rain, a 30-something single career woman who longs for motherhood at any cost, and Bebe, one of four college roommates from the radical 60's who raised her. As one who has come to know God intimately, Bebe must help Rain navigate the maze of her unorthodox childhood while revisiting her own turbulent past, raising doubts about God's--and her own--willingness to forgive.

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

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon.

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) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. 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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