Laurie Alice Eakes ROCKS as an historical novelist!

CONGRATULATIONS to Pamela Williams, who won a free copy of Better Than Gold!


I am so excited to have my good friend Laurie Alice Eakes as my guest for these next few days. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOUR EMAIL ADDY SO YOU CAN BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING FOR HER LATEST RELEASE!



1. Laurie Alice, what book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

Better than Gold, Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing. It's been released to the book club this month and is available from the publisher. 1876 Iowa.

2. How long had you been writing seriously before you got “the call” that you were going to be published? Tell us how you heard and what went through your head.

This is always a difficult question to answer. My writing has taken many twists and turns over the years with long hiatuses for things like grad school and work schedules that left no time for writing. So I tend to say two years from when I finished grad school and when I got "The Call". I'm ashamed to say that my reaction was, "It's about time." Not that I wasn't ecstatic, but I was also relieved.

3. What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

If you want to be published, sit in the chair and write.

4. What’s something you wish you’d known earlier on that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I could write whole books on this, except I think people have. Probably make sure your agent knows the genre for which you are writing. Or make sure you know the genre for which you are writing.

5. Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

6. What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

My master's thesis novel, True as Fate. It's complex both in plot and character emotion, and sometimes I think I managed to pull off that which I set out to do—create a novel that readers couldn't put down. Ironically, I haven't yet tried to sell it. (Louise speaking now. I must add that this as an awesome, exciting novel!)

7. Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

On my favorite kind of writing days, of which I get too few due to other commitments, I get up at 4:00 in the morning, write for three hours, then go to the gym for 30-45 minutes, eat breakfast, shower, nap, then put in another two-three hours of work. Since I live in the city, I love the early hours when everything is quiet. No one is Iming me or calling me or wanting me to do something. And my brain is fresh. Later in the day, if I don't have a nap, I just can't get that energy up to be creative.



8. If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

The answer to this question can be found at http://www.inspirationaleditor.blogspot.com/

And visit Laurie Alice at her Web site and blog: http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com/

Lena Dooley's Artful Novels

CONGRATULATIONS to Margaret Chind for winning Carolina Carpenter Brides!!

Welcome, Lena. Here are some questions readers would love to have answered.

1. How do you come up with the ideas for a story?

I spend time with the Lord. I believe He gave me the imagination, so I could write, but spending time with Him often sparks another story idea. Sometimes I see something in the newspaper in real life that sparks one, too.

2. You write both historical and contemporary books. Do you like writing one more than the other? If so, why?

I enjoy both. Some stories work better as historicals, others as contemporary. I’ve sold more historicals, but I also love to write about the present, too.

3. If you were planning a party with contemporary Christian authors, what six people would you invite and why?

I just love to get together with people and have fun.
Tosca Lee – where does she come up with her stories? And she’d add a touch of glamour
James Scott Bell – we need at least one male, and I love his stories.
DiAnn Mills – Her novels about the Sudan should be read by everyone.
Linda Windsor – She’d keep us all laughing.
Nikki Arana – She’ll keep us in touch with what’s going on in some areas we might not visit.
Robin Caroll – I love her Bayou suspense books.

Actually, this was hard. There are so many others I’d want to invite, too.

4. Now let’s do that for a party for historical Christian authors, what six people would you invite and why?

This won’t be any easier, but here goes.
Kathleen Y’Barbo – Have you read Beloved Castaway? Where did she get her ideas?
Terry Burns – The masculine member. Besides he writes wonderful westerns
MaryLu Tyndall – Pirates, pirates, and more pirates
Tricia Goyer – No one else has gotten me to read war stories and like them. Quite a feat.
Tracey V. Bateman – Her soul series was just too good to pass.
And I’d ask you, Louise, I loved your Ahab’s family series.

5. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

Just like unpublished authors and newly published authors, I have to submit proposals to see more books. Right now, I’m working on several proposals. It takes a lot of work to present new fresh ideas.

6. Tell us about the featured book.

My story in Carolina Carpenter Brides is titled Can You Help Me? It contains misunderstanding and learning to trust someone who has withheld vital information. Set in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, the story starts in a home improvement superstore.

7. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Actually, I’m several places. My web site is: http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
My blog, where I interview authors, is: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
I’m also on Shoutlife: www.shoutlife.com/lenanelsondooley

I give away free copies of my books on my web site and free copies of the other authors’ books on my blog.

Thank you, Louise, for having me.

LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF LENA'S Carolina Carpenter Brides.

DiAnn Mills' Awaken My Heart

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF DiAnn'S BOOK: Susan K. Marlow!


When I was a kid, I used to get spanked for lying. Now I get paid for it! Ah, such is the life of a fiction writer. Hi, I’m DiAnn Mills, and I’m excited about Awaken My Heart, my new historical novel published by Avon Inspire.

I live in Texas, the Lone Star State, where history and adventure are carved out of ordinary people and presented in novels and across the screen. Texas provides the perfect setting for tales of adventure. Here you can find cowboys and rodeos, deserts and mountains, bluebonnets and cactus, rattlesnakes and alligators, trail rides and space exploration. The romance and intrigue of those who helped build this State weave powerful stories. You name it, and Texas has it. But it’s the stories about the courageous people who stand tall and make this state what it is today that capture the readers’ attention.

If you’ve ever thought about writing your own novel, remember that characterization is the key to a dynamic and unforgettable story. Spend time getting to know your protagonists and antagonists, because well-written characters will make your manuscript stand out from others when you are looking for a publisher.

Now, let me introduce you to my February release and its cast of unforgettable characters!

Awaken My Heart is set in 1803, when Texas was Tejas, a colony ruled by Spain. Indians, Mestizos (native-Spanish lineage), and the elite ruling class of the Spanish lived and died here. The priests living in the Catholic missions helped educate and train the people in various crafts and how to serve God. From this culture was born my story of forbidden love.

Which brings me to one of my favorite heroes—Zorro. Who can forget the handsome, daring masked man who championed the poor and fought the injustices his people faced? His flashing sword, generous smile, and chivalry would bend the strongest woman’s resolve. It also helped Zorro’s cause to be portrayed by Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005).

Is it any wonder that I call Awaken My Heart my Zorro book? My hero, Armando Garcia, is passionate about the cause of his poverty-stricken people, but his passion also extends to Marianne Phillips, the daughter of a wealthy Texas rancher. The wealthy and the peasant. The Diablo and his angel. And her daddy ain’t happy. Oops! I mean Marianne’s father is out for blood.

When mestizos kidnap Marianne, they hope that her father will trade land for her freedom. But rebel leader Armando Garcia is enchanted with this young woman whose faith is so strong---and arranges for her escape. How much will Marianne and Armando risk to give their love a chance?

This isn’t the first book I’ve written about historical Texas. The Texas Legacy Series was set in the period of the Old West when lawlessness reigned and unscrupulous characters crawled out from under rocks and attempted to claim the state. I chose unlikely heroes and heroines who made a courageous stand for what they believed in.

Hop into the saddle and grab the reins. This ride will keep you up all night.

http://www.diannmills.com/ Let me hear from you!

Leave a comment and win a copy of Awaken My Heart.

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON K. SOUZA

Author of Every Good and Perfect Gift

1 . Your debut novel Every Good & Perfect Gift is releasing this month from Nav Press. Can you tell us a little about the book?

DeeDee and Gabby have been friends since the sixth grade, when headstrong and courageous DeeDee began mapping out their lives. But after twenty years with her husband DeeDee changes her plan. Nearing forty years old, she wants a baby - now! Two years of infertility, prayers, and outrageous behavior finally results in the birth of DeeDee's demand.
Gabby is present for all of it, noting the increasingly strange behavior of her lifelong friend after the baby's birth. Then comes a diagnosis that threatens to shatter their world. Gabby must find the strength and faith to carry DeeDee and herself through the dark unknown, but is she up for it?

2. What inspired you to write Every Good & Perfect Gift?
I wanted to write a book about a "Jonathan and David" type friendship between two women, knowing that I was ultimately going to tell the story of a young woman who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. I have a close friend who, at the age of 42, began to exhibit many of the symptoms portrayed in the book. Since completing the book I've learned that another close friend has been diagnosed with EOA. What are the odds? In determining what course the friendship between Gabby and DeeDee would take, I asked myself: What is the greatest way one woman can express friendship to another? The answer: By helping her have a child if she's unable to, which one character is willing to do if it comes to that.

3. You've incorporated two major issues in Every Good & Perfect Gift: infertility and Early Onset Alzheimer's. Why not focus on one or the other? Why both?
The theme of Gift is extraordinary friendship. The foundation for the friendship is established between the characters in their childhood, tested through the issue of infertility, and exemplified through catastrophic illness. Infertility was the catalyst to get to that level of friendship expressed because of the illness. One character's growth was accomplished because of infertility, while the other character's growth came as a result of the Alzheimer's.

4. Why did you use humor to tell a story with such serious issues?
It's exactly because the issues are so serious that I chose humor to tell the story. Our life experiences are heavy enough without adding to them as we read for pleasure. That's not to say there aren't serious moments in the book, but hopefully the reader is buoyed by the lighter sections, rather than overloaded with the weightier ones.

5. What are your feelings about egg donation and other modern solutions that help women overcome infertility?
There are some things I might not personally opt for, but infertility was never an issue with me. If it had been I might have been willing to try anything. As it stands, I'm not opposed to in vitro fertilization or sperm donation, things of that nature. I don't find anything in Scripture that would cause me to be against it.

6. What are your feelings about a couple's decision to intentionally not have children?
Again, that wasn't my experience. I had three babies in quick succession and would not have done anything differently. But not every adult is cut out to be a parent. If an individual or couple realizes that they aren't equipped for parenthood, or if they feel their lives are full as they are, I don't' believe it's a sin not to have children. In fact, I think it's wise. That's not to say a person's feelings may not change in time, like it did for DeeDee. Then it's up to the couple to make the choice that's right for them.

7. What do you want your readers to take away from this book?
I spent several years in my early adulthood without a close friend. When the first one came into my life, I realized what I had missed and truly saw her as a gift from the Lord. But beyond that, I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: ". . . there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His provision. That's been the case in my life over and over.

8. Do you base any of your characters on real people?
The concept of the story was based on a real situation in regards to the Early Onset Alzheimer's. But the characters are not based on real people. I do typically use people I know/have known and then take their personality traits/quirks to extremes--almost like a caricature--in order to make the character as interesting as possible. Almost always my daughters will recognize something of themselves in my make-believe world. It makes for fun conversation.

9. If the characters are primarily fictional, what about the setting? Is that someplace known to you?
I actually wrote the entire story in a fictional setting, without ever naming it. I just placed the town in the San Joaquin valley. My editor suggested I nail down the location, even a fictitious one. As we talked back and forth, I decided to use my real "home town" of Lodi. I grew up in the Sacramento area, but have lived in or around Lodi since my husband and I got married. There's some debate about whether or not "our" Lodi is the subject of the 1969 Credence Clearwater Revival song, "Stuck in Lodi." Right or wrong, I choose to think it is. But not for a minute do I feel stuck. I love Lodi.

10. What is your purpose in writing inspirational fiction?
I've had well-meaning friends ask why I write fiction at all. If I want to share the Gospel, why not write "the truth." Two answers come to mind. First, that "burning fire shut up in my bones" (Jer. 20:9) finds its release in fiction. Second, when Jesus wanted to get a heavenly truth across, He didn't deliver a three-point sermon. He told stories. My desire in writing inspirational fiction is that women who read my books will find them easy to share with other women who haven't yet come into relationship with Jesus, and that those women will be directed to the One who loves them with an everlasting love.

Sharon K. Souza is available for speaking engagements or futher interview