A Texas Brides Collection and Hidden Dreams by Darelene Franklin Ends May 27th

Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written twenty-seven books, been published in twenty more, and has written more than 200 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont.

Where are you right now (LVR, DR, Bathroom) and what are you wearing? You have to tell the truth.
I am in my room at the nursing home, wearing a bathrobe, and watching the Thunder play the Grizzlies in the semifinals of the NBA playoffs. Where I am doesn’t matter as much as what I’m doing.

Do your characters ever give you surprises when you are writing? Can you give us an example if they do and if they don’t  do you know why?
I have a hard time making gruff men believable. They keep trying to be nice. (Example is “the bear,” Sargeant Arnold, in my upcoming Calico Brides.)  I also had a character insist her name was Becky and not Leah. I finally gave in to her.   (A book that is still in proposal stage)

Many writers will say they see stories all around them. Is there someplace you found this story?
With the two books this month, I started with a place and time: Texas Brides was seeking a ninth novella to go with four Ranger stories and four outlaw stories in the 1870s. The ideal of a Robin Hood type story appealed to me, so I made my heroine a reformed thief who is trying to help Christians do the right thing by the poor.
With Hidden Dreams, I was looking for three stories set in Vermont any time between 1890-1945.  I had a 1932 Olympic story in mind, and a story about a female mayor during WWII. When I checked Vermont’s historical timeline, I discovered the worst flood in Vermont’s history occurred in November 1927. To that I added covered bridges (perfect hiding places for muggers), Vermont’s reputation for environmental concerns, and a variation on a movie I read about. You’ll never know it to read the story!

What is your favorite material item that you own (examples: ipod, Gone with the Wind book, grandmother’s rocking chair)
That’s easy. A teddy bear that I call “Michael,” one of my last gifts from my daughter before she died.

If you could meet any person alive or dead who would that be and why? (excluding the Lord)
Aside from being reunited with my mother and daughter? For writing, I would love to meet with John Grisham to learn how he handles crossover writing so well (books with clearly Christian themes that are popular in the secular market.)  I would love to meet Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King Jr. and soak up their wisdom.

What is the most important thing you learned in school?
How to learn! I also received a solid background in Bible and theology.

What is the funniest, strangest, or most interesting thing you have learned when doing research?
My favorite story involves     going to an exhibit on Italians in Denver when I wrote Dressed in Scarlet, which featured an Italian immigrant mechanic.  While we walked through the exhibits, I heard elephants trumpeting. I learned that circus elephants helped to deliver coal during the same blizzard I was writing about, and so I added it into my story.  

Penned by an exclusive selection of Christian fiction authors—including DiAnn Mills and Kathleen Y'Barbo—this collection of nine historical romances will become an instant favorite of fans of inspirational romance. Can the lonely, the lawful, and the lawless find love in Texas?

You can find Darlene online elsewhere at http://darlenehfranklinwrites.blogspot.com/, http://mydailynibble.blogspot.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/darlene.franklin.3 .

DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING by following my blog with Powered by FEEDBURNER on the right, and don't miss any giveaways (the button with the flame). If you already follow my blog go ahead and follow by FEEDBURNER so you can be entered twice. If you're not getting an email telling you I have a new giveaway you're not following through Feedburner. Just mention that you follow through Feedburner when you leave a comment with each giveaway and you'll be entered twice.

Be sure to leave your email address. Please check your junk mail on and the day after the drawing. I've had to redraw because of no responses. Subject box will have: winner of (book title). I'll email the winner and they'll have seven days to respond. If I don't hear back I'll draw another name. USA shipping only. Thanks so much and please stop back again! Drawing will be held Monday, May 27th at 8:00 A.M. EST. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

2 COPIES of The Prodigal Son Returns by Jan Drexler ends May 20th

Jan Drexler, a recent graduate from Homeschool Mom-hood, devotes her time to the voices in her head who have been clamoring for attention during the last few decades. Instead of declining Latin nouns and reviewing rhetorical devices, her days are now spent at the computer where she gives her characters free rein.
She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband of thirty years, their four adult children, an extremely furry Husky, and Maggie, the cat who thinks she's a dog. If she isn't sitting at her computer living the lives of her characters, she's probably hiking in the Hills or the Badlands, enjoying the spectacular scenery.

Jan is graciously giving away 2 copies of her new release, The Prodigal Son Returns. Tell us an interesting history tidbit or just leave a comment for Jan to be entered.

Where are you right now (LVR, DR, Bathroom) and what are you wearing? You have to tell the truth.
-    I’m so glad I waited until mid-morning to answer these interview questions! I’m in the dining room, wearing my favorite summer dress (because yesterday was warm), and a sweater (because this morning is still a little cool!). Oh, and slippers. Camo and fuzzy.

What is the funniest, strangest, or most interesting thing you have learned when doing research?-    I learned so much doing the research for this book! I think one of the most interesting things I learned was that the Amish didn’t always have their own schools.  In Indiana, schools were consolidated after World War 2, which took children farther away from home for a public education.  That was the last straw in an ongoing battle between the Amish and the public school system, and the Amish began to establish local, private schools for their children.
-    So in my book, which takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the children attend a local public one-room school.

If you were told you were being sent back to live in the 19th Century, and you could bring one thing from today, what would that be?-    The story I’m working on now takes place in the 1840’s, and nine years before the story begins, three of the children in the family die in a diphtheria outbreak. The one thing I’d take from today is the medical knowledge to prevent and treat diseases like that.

What is something that very few people know about you?
-    I’ve always had a secret desire to be a cowboy . I love living in the west, where I often see cowboys…in line at the grocery store, walking down the street, driving through town with their horse trailers…

What is your favorite material item that you own (examples: ipod, Gone with the Wind book, grandmother’s rocking chair)-    I have to choose one?
-    One of the things I cherish is the quilt my maternal grandmother made for me when I was born. Every stitch speaks of her love.

If you could live in any time period other than the one we live in, when and where would that be and why?
-    I would love to have lived in the Black Hills of South Dakota during the 1880’s. Like I said before, I always wanted to be a cowboy! And I love this area. We’ve lived in the Black Hills for two years, and I see these ranches  - still in existence – that were established in the 1870’s and 80’s, and I wonder what it would have been like to be the first generation of ranchers.

Do you think birth order affects the way you write?
-    I think so. I’m the second born, and the youngest, and my writing tends to be quiet and nostalgic rather than assertive.

If you were writing a book about your life what would the title be?-    Rescued from the Pit
-    The most important thing that ever happened to me was when God had mercy on me and turned my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

What one novel did you read that made you want to be a part of the story?
-    Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. I try to read it every year in September – following Bilbo down along the sloping path and over the low place in the hedge at the bottom of the garden.

From her first glimpse of his big-city suit, Ellie Miller knows Bram Lapp is trouble. The handsome Englischer says he wants to reclaim the life he left long ago. Even if his smile disarms her, all of Ellie's energy must go to her children and their struggling farm…and to atoning for her mistakes.
A criminal's trail has brought FBI informant Bram to Ellie's warm and welcoming Indiana community. Now he's posing as the kind of man he once hoped to be. Someone steadfast and upright. Someone who might be worthy of Ellie. Because no matter how much she claims she doesn't want a second chance at love, he knows he's found the home they were meant to share.

DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING by following my blog with Powered by FEEDBURNER on the right, and don't miss any giveaways (the button with the flame). If you already follow my blog go ahead and follow by FEEDBURNER so you can be entered twice. If you're not getting an email telling you I have a new giveaway you're not following through Feedburner. Just mention that you follow through Feedburner when you leave a comment with each giveaway and you'll be entered twice.

Be sure to leave your email address. Please check your junk mail on and the day after the drawing. I've had to redraw because of no responses. Subject box will have: winner of (book title). I'll email the winner and they'll have seven days to respond. If I don't hear back I'll draw another name. USA shipping only. Thanks so much and please stop back again! Drawing will be held Monday, May 20th at 8:00 A.M. EST. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay ends May 13th

Christine Lindsay is an award-winning writer of Christian Inspirational Historicals. SHADOWED IN SILK is her debut novel, which won the 2009 ACFW Genesis award in the historical category. Christine, her husband, and their grownup family live in British Columbia, Canada. She loves being Nana to her 3 little grandsons. 

Christine is giving away an ebook of Captured by Moonlight. Leave a comment to be entered. Don't forget to leave your email address and let me know if you are a feedburner follower.


1.    When you wrote the first book in the Twilight of the Raj series, you hadn’t been to India, and yet your description of the settings and people were so detailed and realistic. Before you wrote Captured by Moonlight (CbM), you went on a mission trip to India. What stood out the most about that trip, and how do you think it affected the writing of CbM?
India has always been a place of fascination for me, and I had done a huge amount of research while writing Shadowed in Silk, so it was thrilling to see my research come alive. Being there—feeling the heat, smelling the spices, being with the vibrant Indian people—gave me the strangest feeling though. It was like living in my own dream, or being in my own book.
One of my most treasured memories was taking a 6-hour train trip in the south of India. The missions group I was with wanted to use the ordinary train accommodations. Nothing first class. As I sat on the hard, straight up seat on the train, looking out through open windows with only bars on them, I kept feeling as though I were seeing India through the eyes of one of my heroes of yesteryear.
Dr. Ida Scudder often travelled by train on the very lines I was travelling as she visited towns and villages to treat the sick. It was one of the highlights of my life to be seeing the very same landscapes as this great American medical missionary and in a train not that much different.
Seeing India, smelling it, feeling it, only made the writing of Captured by Moonlight come alive that much easier. I was able to walk along the very beach in Chennai (what used to be called Madras) that my character Laine walks along. I’ve seen the bazaars, seen the cows, the flocks of goats, the red dirt, the banana and mango groves. It’s wonderful.
2.    Some real people show up in the story, and at least one of the main characters was loosely based on a historical figure. Can you tell my readers about these people?

I’ve already mentioned one—Dr. Ida Scudder, the daughter of American missionaries serving in India during the first half of the 20th century. This grand woman from a young age felt called to serve the Indian people, especially Indian women by becoming a doctor. She later built one of the greatest hospitals in SE Asia that is still in existence today.

The other is a great Indian Christian preacher, Sundar Singh. He had been born into the Sikh religion, but as a young man had a vision of Christ as the true Avatar (representation) of God, and lived the rest of his life roaming India and teaching people about Christ. I especially love the fresh insights from Sundar Singh about the Lord Jesus as seen through the eyes of an eastern man. We Western Christians tend to think we have a monopoly on Christianity, but God is so much at work in other countries and other cultures. We can learn from them too. 

And lastly, but certainly not least, Pandita Ramabai. This wonderful Indian woman was born a Hindu of high caste, who after her husband’s death became a Christian. Ramabai did so much for women and children in India by creating a safe compound for cast-off widows and orphans to live and gain an education. England gave Ramabai and medal, and India put out a commemorative stamp in her honor. Not only was Ramabai a beautiful Christian, but a woman who did much for women’s rights in India.  Her mission—Ramabai Mukti Mission—in India is still in existence, and my beautiful birth-daughter, Sarah, is involved with that mission in her work with Global Aid Network.

3.    What do you see as the main themes of CbM?

Eshana’s theme carries the book. When Eshana became a Christian, she turned her back on her Hindu traditions, and wore bright clothing to show her new-found joy in Christ. Her traditional Hindu uncle sees this and becomes angry. He kidnaps Eshana and forces her to have her head shaved again, and to wear course white widow garments—like funeral clothes.

As I was reading the devotional book My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, he explained that as Christians we must have a sort of funeral for our life, our ambitions, our plans, that we must wear the metaphoric white funeral garments. Once our life is dead and buried, we can allow Christ to live His life through us.

This is what Eshana’s story teaches, that we can trust God, that His plans to use our lives for His glory, are in truth more marvelous than anything we could ever devise. Even if it hurts for a while.

4.    So many stories in Christian fiction tell about flawed characters who need to learn and grow. While Eshana isn’t perfect and does have something to learn, she is a true Christian hero. What was it like writing from such a character’s point of view? Do you think it was easier writing this kind of character as an Indian rather than British or American?
It was much easier for me to write this amazing Christian as an Eastern woman who has suffered greatly rather than from the viewpoint of a North American or British person. I’m not saying that we westerners don’t suffer, but there is something about what Christians suffer in developing countries or in Communist or Islamic countries that puts us to shame. People in those lands are truly persecuted for simply being a Christian.
I wish I could say that I’m like Eshana in how bravely she stands for Christ, how she literally turns the other cheek when she is being abused. But I know that I am not. However, the lesson that Eshana learns is one that the Lord wants us all to learn—we must die to ourselves in order that He may live through us. I am learning that bit by bit. And Eshana’s story has even inspired me as the writer.
How amazed I was one day in my devotions, to have the Lord remind me of the story I had written, as He urged me to follow in the example of my own fictional character as she follows Christ.

5.    Even though the story moves through a lot of adventure and deeper psychological themes, there’s also a lot of humor, particularly from Laine. Do you consider yourself a funny person?

I have to giggle here, as I admit, a lot of Laine’s voice and phrases are my phrases. I’m not the sort of person to remember jokes. But I am Irish, and there is a certain amount of down-to-earth humor that laces much of what I say. Lots of Irish phrases and homespun wisdom pops out of my mouth at all times. And I like people. I think it shows in my characters.

6.    What’s next on your writing journey?

I plan to start the third and final book to my series Twilight of the British Raj which will take the reader up to the Partition of India and birthing the new country of Pakistan. This will include many of the characters from the first 2 books and will be released by WhiteFire Publishing n 2014.

I also plan to start a brand new series set in Ireland and England during the Edwardian era. This will include my own spiritual and emotional journey—that of relinquishing my first child to adoption. But I plan to put this into a fictional series.  The spiritual theme for that will be the motherly aspect to God’s love in that He never forgets us.

7.    What do you like doing most when you’re not writing?

Be with my husband and our grown up children and grandchildren. Nothing I like better than a nice long road trip with my husband, David. Who by the way is the inspiration of every hero I write.

8.    What are the best books (one fiction and one non-fiction) that you’ve read in the last year?
I just recently finished reading Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke and really loved it. She seems to write in a similar vein, taking a difficult subject (hers the white slavery of young women in 1900’s New York) and showing what Christians can do to help in those unspeakable situations. Much like Christ wants us to do.
The best non-fiction book I’ve read this year has been the devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. An oldie but you can’t get better than this.

9.    What is the one thing you most want to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as a loving wife, a loving mom—a person who puts other people first. Someone who loved the Lord with all her heart and her neighbor as herself.

10.    Is there anything you would like to add?

The only reason I write novels is the chance to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ. Each day I pray that those who read my books will hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit between the lines. Blessings on you.

Captured by Moonlight

Prisoners to their own broken dreams…

After a daring rescue goes awry, the parched north of India grows too hot for nurse Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana. The women flee to the tropical south…and run headlong into their respective pasts.

Laine takes a new nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that her former fiancé is the owner…and that Adam has no more to say to her now than he did when he crushed her years ago. Why, then, is she still drawn to him, and to the tiger cub he is raising?

Eshana, captured by her traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of mourning, doubts whether freedom will ever again be in her future, much less the forbidden love that had begun to whisper to her. Is faith enough to live on? Or is her Savior calling her home?

Amid cyclones and epidemics, clashing faiths and consequences of the war, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?

Christine Lindsay

Newest Release, Feb. 15, 2013: Captured by Moonlight ~ Book 2 in the Twilight of the British Raj series----Click here to view Captured by Moonlight Book Trailer

Amazon purchase link for Captured by Moonlight

• Captured by Moonlight Barnes and Noble
  
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  Captured by Moonlight Ebookit

Drop by Christine Lindsay's Author Face Book Page and let her know you like her page.

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Subscribe to Christine Lindsay's Blog to be encouraged. SHADOWED IN SILK, WhiteFire Publishing, Gold winner of  the 2009 ACFW Genesis for Historical, Winner of the 2011 Grace Award, finalist in the Readers Favorite 2012 and Book One of the series, Twilight of the British Raj.

 

Hope you'll drop by my website  www.christinelindsay.com

DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING by following my blog with Powered by FEEDBURNER on the right, and don't miss any giveaways (the button with the flame). If you already follow my blog go ahead and follow by FEEDBURNER so you can be entered twice. If you're not getting an email telling you I have a new giveaway you're not following through Feedburner. Just mention that you follow through Feedburner when you leave a comment with each giveaway and you'll be entered twice.

Be sure to leave your email address. Please check your junk mail on and the day after the drawing. I've had to redraw because of no responses. Subject box will have: winner of (book title). I'll email the winner and they'll have seven days to respond. If I don't hear back I'll draw another name. USA shipping only. Thanks so much and please stop back again! Drawing will be held Monday, May 13th at 8:00 A.M. EST. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Rekindled by Tamera Alexander and Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard TODAY ONLY

Day 7 of our release party for Kathleen L Maher! Wow I can't believe the week is almost over. It's been so much fun! I want to thank you all for coming by and celebrating with us. Today I'm giving away Rekindled by Tamera Alexander and Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard.

I want to share some reviews from some ladies who've read Kathy's novella. I've been raving all week about Bachelor Buttons and today I want you to hear it from some other friends and very talented authors. 

Review by MaryLu Tyndall
FIVE STARS
Wowza! Great debut novella!!   
I'm not sure how this author packed so much good stuff in one tiny book, but only Kathleen Maher's exquisite pen could pull off such a feat. There's so much history here, plus incredible romance, then add action and suspense and you've got a perfect getaway on a hot summer's night. Another fun fact is that Kathleen modeled the romance and story after real life events of her great, great grandmother!! How cool is that. I love the romantic triangle too, and the great details she added from her great, great grandmother's life like the way her two suitors ran a race for the opportunity to take her out. A very sweet, fun, adventurous and engaging story you won't want to miss! 

Review by Carrie F. Pagel
FIVE STARS 
Fantastic debut!

Kathy Maher is a fantastic new talent with a lovely voice full of sweetness and hope as well as determination. What a fresh take on the Civil War--I'd never heard about the riots in New York over the draft during that time! I had the privilege of critiquing this manuscript. You'll not read about people getting blown apart in the battles, in this book. Instead, you get a slice of life in a 1863 Irish borough of New York City. Inspired by Kathy's real-life ancestor, Rose is a sweetheart torn between two suitors. Excellent characterization and a unique fascinating story combined with a gorgeous voice--this novella has it all! This is Volume 3 in Murray Pura's Cry of Freedom and readers will be blessed by this story! For a longer review check out Carrie's blog.

Review by Debbie Mitchell
FIVE STARS
Wonderfully entertaining story!
Kathleen L. Maher has written a wonderfully entertaining story. First of all I must say that I simply love the title and cover of this novella. I also love that the main characters are based on Kathleen's own ancestors.
Miss Rose Meehan, a young woman with two suitors, is a delightful character. She had me smiling at times...a race comes to mind... But, alas, you must read the book to know to what I am referring. Her suitors William and Ian are on totally opposite ends of the scale. I found myself cheering on one and feeling sorry for the other.
Not only does Bachelor Buttons give you laughter and entertainment, but it also gives a glimpse into the uglier side of people during this time....rioting and bigotry. I was totally impressed how Kathleen was able to balance this story out. While reading about a riot going on, I couldn't help but wonder about another scene going on somewhere else....my mind was all over this story and in the end I was totally satisfied. This may be a short story, but I savored every morsel. Well done, Kathleen.  

Review by Jocelyn Green
FIVE STARS
Fascinating history, sweet romance!
I knew I would like this novella even before I opened it because it dares to set the story against a very tumultuous piece of American history: the New York City draft riots of 1863. That's why I started reading it in the first place. But what kept me reading--and what made me LOVE it--was Kathleen Maher's commitment to history (even the parts we're not proud of), and the sweet romance that unfolded against the backdrop of war. Having researched this time and place myself, I found myself nodding and mentally applauding the author for capturing cultural nuances and delivering them to us in such an intriguing package. I can't wait to read more from Kathleen Maher.

Today I'm giving away a copy of Before the Season Ends and Rekindled by Tamera Alexander. Leave a comment to be entered. Don't forget to leave your email address and let me know if you follow through feedburner. 

Tomorrow morning I'll be drawing for the grandprize. For 7 entries be sure to comment on all 7 of our party posts.

GRAND PRIZE:

Trader Joe's bag filled with goodies. Tea cup with strainer, tea bags, loose tea, coffee, cake candle, decorative candle large Better Homes and Garden Candle, 2 pads of paper, pen, Family Guardian by Laurie Alice Eakes, and a pink necklace and earrings from Dressbarn! Everyday you leave a comment gives you one entry. A possible total of 7 entries! Grand prize drawn May 6th. AND a pdf copy of Bachelor Buttons! 

DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING by following my blog with Powered by FEEDBURNER on the right, and don't miss any giveaways (the button with the flame). If you already follow my blog go ahead and follow by FEEDBURNER so you can be entered twice. If you're not getting an email telling you I have a new giveaway you're not following through Feedburner. Just mention that you follow through Feedburner when you leave a comment with each giveaway and you'll be entered twice.

Be sure to leave your email address. Please check your junk mail on and the day after the drawing. I've had to redraw because of no responses. Subject box will have: winner of (book title). I'll email the winner and they'll have seven days to respond. If I don't hear back I'll draw another name. USA shipping only. Thanks so much and please stop back again! Drawing will be held Monday, May 6th at 8:00 A.M. EST. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.