Author Interview Series: Writers’ Quirks Featuring Charissa Dufour

Today on Writers' Quirks, I'm interviewing author Charissa Dufour. 

Thanks for joining me, Charissa! Let's get to some quirky questions....

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters? 
In my book Torn, a medieval fantasy, I’m completely enamored with Sir Erin Caldry. He is a ruthless man, with the skills of a true warrior. Perhaps the reason I love him so is that I know how the story ends. Though my readers haven’t gotten to see his arch, I know what it will be. And boy is he worth loving by the end of the story. I hope that doesn’t give too much away!

What is the best place for dreaming up your storylines?

It is so aggravating. I get my best ideas as

Author Interview Series: Writers' Quirks Featuring RB O'Gorman

Today on my author interview series called Writers’ Quirks, I'm interviewing medical thriller writer R. B. O’Gorman, author of Fatal Rhythm.

Thanks for joining us, R.B.! Congrats on the Suspense Magazine award for Fatal Rhythm, by the way. 

Now to the quirky questions...

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?  
Not fully.

What is the best place for dreaming up your story lines? 
My bed, as I’m falling to sleep. I like to visualize my characters and dream about what they’re doing.
 
What is your favorite snack while writing? 
Buffalo wings

Author Interview Series: Writers’ Quirks Featuring Brenda S. Anderson

Today on Writers' Quirks, I'm interviewing author Brenda S. Anderson. Brenda and I were once signed to the same publisher and I've always admired her grace-filled interactions within the author community. 

Welcome, Brenda! Tell us what you've been working on lately.
My latest release is Pieces of Granite, the Coming Home Series prequel. I’m currently working on Memory Box Secrets, Book 2 in the Coming Home series.

I've got a few quirky questions for you, so let's jump right in!

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters? 
Oh yes! Richard Brooks is the lead character in my Coming Home series. Yes, he’s tall, dark, and handsome,

Guest Post and Book Spotlight: Aging Gracefully with the 23rd Psalm by Dr. Sharon V. King

What inspires someone to write a book about aging? Well, how about getting older—as old as you thought “old” was when you were a kid. When I was fifteen, fifty sounded really old. When I turned fifty, fifty sounded like, maybe, middle age. Oh, how our perspectives about aging shift when we’re the ones getting older! My inspiration for my new book, Aging Gracefully with the 23^rd Psalm, came from two sources: 1) my 50^th birthday celebration and

Author Interview Series: Writers’ Quirks Featuring L.N. Cronk

On today's Writers’ Quirks, I'm interviewing L.N. Cronk.

Hi L.N. Thanks for joining us! 

What is your latest project?  
I am currently working on The One I Trust – the first in a new series, which is a spin-off of my original Chop, Chop series.

Sounds fun! Now for some quirky questions...

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters? 
I love most of them, but I especially love Marco from the first stand-alone book in my series, entitled What I Want. Marco was

Uncharted Inheritance Book Three in the Uncharted Series by Keely Brooke Keith

I saw the cover art for Uncharted Inheritance (Uncharted, Book #3) beside the other two books for the first time today. This gives me a huge sense of completion!

Author Interview Series: Writers’ Quirks Featuring Lia London

Today I begin a new author interview series called Writers' Quirks! I'm so excited to roll out this series by featuring the fabulous Lia London. Lia is the author of the recently released sweet romance Her Imaginary Husband. 

Welcome, Lia! Let's get to some quirky questions! 

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?
Does hero worship count? I suppose it’s more likely that I’ve brought the things I love into the characters, so they become

New Author Interview Series Coming Soon!

In February I'm rolling out a new author interview series called Writers' Quirks. 

As an author, I love being interviewed, but I've noticed I get asked the same questions. Not always, but often. I decided to start interviewing other authors here on my blog, but I'm going to ask more quirky questions. Who cares how many weeks, months, years they spent writing their novel? I want to know about the shameless marketing stunts they now regret, if they've ever fallen in love with a character, stuff like that. Sound fun?

Writers' Quirks was originally going to be a once per week series, but I received 46 interview requests from authors today alone, so I'm going to post interviews on Wednesdays and Fridays and see how that goes.

So look for the new series to roll out next month. Comment on the posts, ask the authors questions if you like, and maybe you'll find your next favorite author!

Keely

Uncharted Redemption Cover Reveal!

I love cover reveals and often participate in them for other authors. YA Bounds Book Tours has organized the cover reveal for Uncharted Redemption, the second book in my Uncharted series, and today is the day! So I join them in presenting the cover art for Uncharted Redemption!

 Another beautiful design by Najla Qamber!

About the book... 

From the author of The Land Uncharted comes the second book in the Uncharted series, Uncharted Redemption. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, Uncharted Redemption continues this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land.

Title: Uncharted Redemption

Author: Keely Brooke Keith

Release Date: February 24, 2015

Publisher: Edenbrooke Press

Description: Levi Colburn, resentful of his father, haunted by his mother’s tragic death, and pained by his love for the unattainable Mandy Foster, breaks from the Land’s tradition and begins to build a life of his own. When rebels tear through the village of Good Springs, Levi vows to deliver justice and restore the woman he loves. As tradition stands in the way of redemption and threats from the outside world begin to appear, Levi must learn his greatest battles cannot be fought with his fists. Romantic, suspenseful, and filled with adventure, Uncharted Redemption weaves dramatic new layers into life in the Land.

Pre-order Links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

Pre-order signed paperbacks: Uncharted Redemption

Add Uncharted Redemption to your shelf on: Goodreads, Shelfari, FictFact, and LibraryThing

Have your ebook of Uncharted Redemption signed via Authorgraph

Uncharted Redemption is the second book in the Uncharted series. If you haven’t read The Land Uncharted, it’s best to start here: The Land Uncharted

Book Spotlight: Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco

Blue Hydrangeas, An Alzheimer’s Love Story 
by Marianne Sciucco

What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn’t remember your name? 
A nursing facility is everyone's solution for what to do about Sara, but her husband Jack can't bear to live without her. He is committed to saving his marriage, his wife, and their life together from the devastation of Alzheimer’s disease. He and Sara retired years ago to the house of their dreams and operated it as a Cape Cod bed and breakfast named Blue Hydrangeas. Jack has made an impossible promise: He and Sara will stay together in their beautiful home no matter what the disease brings. However, after nine years of selfless caregiving complicated by her progressing Alzheimer’s and his own failing heart, he finally admits he can no longer care for her at home. With reluctance, he arranges to admit her to an assisted living facility. But on the day of admission, Sara

Thank You for a Wonderful 2014!

On this final day of 2014, I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you who have supported me and my writing this year. My family, friends, fellow writers and authors, my blog subscribers, and all who have read The Land Uncharted. 

This year was truly uncharted territory for me. I had no idea all of this could or would happen at all, let alone in one year, and I'm living in a state of humbled, giddy shock. I don't freak out as much when I think about people reading my work, and for that I thank all of you who send me messages and post reviews and comments about how much you enjoy The Land Uncharted. Thank you.

There is more to come. Uncharted Redemption will be released in February 2015 and Uncharted Inheritance is scheduled for release in May 2015. I hope you enjoy these books in the new year, but more than that: I hope in 2015 God reveals Himself to you in ways you never imagined. 

Keely 

#NoFilter: Guest Post by Krysten Lindsay Hager

#NoFilter: Guest Post by Krysten Lindsay Hager

I’ve always been told to be a writer you have to be willing to share all of yourself, the good, bad and the ugly, in an attempt to get to the truth. I learned from writing teachers and mentors about humiliation essays and how to expose the inner workings of your mind and soul on paper (or the screen). But how does someone do that in the day and age of the flawless Instagram filtered image of life? No one else seems willing to share their less than perfect moments. In fact, more than half of the Facebook statuses I see on a daily include the phrase, “Fun day/night out with friends,” accompanied with a happy smiling shot of two faces squeezed together in a picture with perfect hair. So I’m the only one who needs to take five selfies to get one halfway decent one and threaten people not to tag me in photos without approval? I have to admit the idea of the filter does freak me out a little. After all, I don’t want someone to see me in person and ask, “What happened?” And I don’t photo shop my pictures, but is that because I’m too stupid to know how to or just not that vain? Well…a little from column A and a little from column B.

However, it’s one thing to be yourself in a picture, it’s another to share the ickier part of life with not just family and friends, but strangers. Although, sometimes I find the biggest critics can be those closest to you. But I’ve always tried to keep my personal life to myself and I would basically pick and choose what people knew about me. Then I was asked to do a blog about writing for a website. I had planned to write about preparing for a book release, but then my dad was hospitalized after an accident and things went south from there. I was sitting in the hotel room (the ICU had weird visiting hours) and thinking about the upcoming deadline for my post. Then it hit me: I should include the real life occurrence in my post. After all, not everyone has all ups and no downs, right? And to write anything and not mention how part of my life was spiraling out of control would have been less that truthful. So I wrote about finding time to write even during the chaotic times in life. What I didn’t expect to happen was for people to privately contact me on different social media sites to share their own private stories. In some way, my opening up about a difficult time made it okay for them to share their own as well and I ended up making several new friends through shared (painful) experiences. While I do wish I (and my family) never had to experience this on-going heartbreaking experience, I am grateful that in sharing my story it helped other people to open up about their own. We’re taught to put on a happy face, but sometimes the best thing you can do is to be honest and you might just help someone feel less alone.

True Colors by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Summary: Landry Albright just wants to be one of the interesting girls at school who always have exciting things going on in their lives. She wants to stand out, but also wants to fit in, so she gives in when her two best friends, Ericka and Tori, push her into trying out for a teen reality show modeling competition with them. Landry goes in nervous, but impresses the judges enough to make it to the next round. However, Ericka and Tori get cut and basically "unfriend" her on Monday at school. Landry tries to make new friends, but gets caught up between wanting to be herself and conforming to who her new friends want her to be. Along the way she learns that modeling is nowhere as glamorous as it seems, how to deal with frenemies, a new crush, and that true friends see you for who you really are and like you because of it.

Available now!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords | Amazon UK

Author bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. True Colors is her international bestselling debut novel from Astraea Press and the first book in the Landry’s True Colors series. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite TV shows. She received her master’s in American Culture from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Connect with Krysten:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Author talk show interview

Pinterest

Instagram

Goodreads

Book Trailer

Guest Post: Lee Tobin McClain on Turning Failure Into Success

Turning Failure Into Success

Greetings! Lee Tobin McClain here, talking about turning failure into success.

I’ve been wanting to write Christian romance ever since Harlequin came out with their Love Inspired line about 10 years ago. In between teaching, adopting a daughter, and publishing four teen novels, I kept submitting manuscripts to Love Inspired.

And kept getting rejected.

Finally, I got in the door. I’m about to sign my second contract with Love Inspired and I am completely thrilled. Hooray for persistence!

But I had, um, a LOT of manuscripts on my hard drive that were Christian category romances, too short for other CBA publishers. And floating around the writer-world was new vocabulary like “indie publishing” and “hybrid author.” I pulled up my old manuscripts to figure out whether it would be worthwhile to publish them myself.

Job one, according to all my research: make them into a series. But how could I do that with standalone novels? The answer came to me in one of those flashes that I attribute to God, though others might attribute it to their muse. All of my heroes came from disadvantaged backgrounds. They were bad boys. And they all matured into men with hearts for helping others and doing good in the world.

What if they’d all spent time at the same place—a school for young hoodlums, the last stop before juvie? And what if that school were run by a forty-something believer who needed romance in his own right? And what if their mentor talked them into making a pact to be forces for good in the world?

I wrote A Christmas Bond, taking four of my rejected heroes back to their teenage years and having them spend a Christmas at the Covenant School. Voila! Their plot lines didn’t even have to be tweaked much to make it work. I rewrote madly, added cell phones and GPS technology, and had the boys form the Sacred Bond brotherhood, sealed with a tattoo.

I can’t tell you how exciting it is to watch my old, beloved manuscripts take off as the Sacred Bond series! I’d be honored if you’d check out book one, His Baby Bond, which is free on all platforms. And I’ll give away book two, The Bride’s Broken Bond, to a random commenter today, so jump in and share your own rejection-to-success story!

Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. When she not writing emotional, faith-infused love stories with happy endings, she’s probably driving around a carload of snarky teen girls, playing with her rescue dog and cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

Connect with Lee: 

Website | Blog | Facebook

A Christmas Bond (prequel novella)

Romance between enemies  . . .

War hero John Moretti sees the delinquent boys he mentors as the sons he never had, and he wants to give them every opportunity to reform. Crime victim Annie Bauer views them as dangerous threats to her elderly grandma, who lives next door to the boys’ residential school. When the Baby Jesus is stolen from Grandma’s yard nativity scene, the boys’ potential involvement may send them straight to hard-core juvie, and break the fragile connection that’s building between Annie and John. Until the so-called delinquents join together to make a sacred bond . . .

His Baby Bond: Sacred Bond Series Book 1

Poor-but-proud Kendra Forrester doesn’t need an arrogant millionaire to tell her how to raise her sister’s baby. But when handsome Zeke King arrives at her Colorado cabin demanding custody of his brother’s child, strategy dictates that she let him stick around. Battling mountain weather and the baby’s illness brings these two opposites together, but their own insecurities, their dead siblings’ secrets, and a jealous former boyfriend threaten their tentative bond. Only the Lord and the Sacred Bond Brotherhood can help Kendra and Zeke form a family for their baby.

The Bride's Broken Bond: Sacred Bond Series Book 2

As the wedding music starts playing, poor little rich girl Hope DeMille learns that her husband-to-be loves someone else, but her domineering, high-society father won’t let her back out of the expensive wedding he’s funded. Enter Rock Anderson, a former inner-city kid mentored by Hope’s parents, who’s always wanted Hope. After helping Hope escape, Rock gets her a job at his urban mission and helps her find meaning in her life. But when Hope’s powerful father seeks revenge and one of the inner-city kids goes missing, it’ll take the best efforts of the Sacred Bond brotherhood to help this opposite-sides-of-the-tracks couple overcome their differences and commit to love.

Author Marketing Tips Before Book Launch

Iola Goulton, owner of Christian Editing Services, asked me to participate in a book launch case study where authors talk about what marketing they did prior to launch, how they did it, what help they got from their publishers, and what they would or wouldn't do next time. To read about my launch of The Land Uncharted, follow this link to Christian Editing...

Guest Post: Author Regina Tittel

Hello everyone! I'm Regina Tittel, author of The Ozark Durham Series. My writing career started as a desire to serve the Lord on a larger scale. I was already homeschooling our two children but knew I had more to offer.

I remember telling the Lord, “I’m very happy with the job of homeschooling the kids, but I feel I can do more.”

So he gave me the gift of writing. I didn’t catch on right away. I had to be corrected a lot in a writer’s group. I joined ACFW, but I was willing to be criticized for the sake of His calling. Because through my books God is able to help women understand Him as their Heavenly Father even when they’ve lacked an earthly example (Unexpected Kiss), He opens the eyes of chosen readers to those hurting overseas (Cherished Stranger), and still, teaches others how to pray (Devoted Mission).

When this first started, I wasn’t passionate about writing. In fact, I never thought I could. However, I was passionate about communicating God’s desire and love for His people. Thus, through the gift of writing, I’m able to do that and receive spiritual fulfillment.

If you’ve been restless in your walk with the Lord or perhaps don’t know what your gifted area might be, then take David’s advice in Psalms 4:4, “… commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” Search your heart to find out what you enjoy doing most. What are you passionate about? Share with God your desire to serve Him then ask how He can use your passion to further His kingdom.

Thanks for stopping by Keely’s blog. Your support to writers like us keeps us encouraged. Please feel free to leave a comment or question you might have. I hope I’ve inspired some of you to take that step you’ve been wanting to, or maybe I’ve helped clarify something you’ve been contemplating. Either way, it’s been a joy to share with you!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Thank you, Regina!

Check out some of Regina Tittel's books:

Connect with Regina Tittel
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Guest Blogger Regina Tittel grew up outside a small rural community in S.E. Missouri with an older sister, and a younger sister and brother. With parents fully dedicated to one another and God, she describes her childhood as idyllic. With a couple dogs, a cat or two and several horses to cover their sixty acres, she was blessed with a creative atmosphere . . . but never imagined becoming a writer.
 

It wasn't until after the birth of her second child that she began to devote herself to her first novel. What started as a drive in the country, spurred the makings of the first volume of The Ozark Durham Series, Abandoned Hearts.  

Regina still resides in S.E. Missouri with her husband and their two daughters, one dog, several chickens and a couple of bunnies.

How To Set Up a Blog Tour

Today I'm writing over at Combined Book Exhibit's new CBE Author site. CBE Author offers free marketing advice and DIY tutorials for authors. I wrote about my experience setting up a blog tour. Read more here: CBE Author

Uncharted Redemption ~ Book Two in the Uncharted series

I have an advance copy of Uncharted Redemption on my shelf! It's the second book in the Uncharted series.

Here is the blurb:

Levi Colburn, resentful of his father, haunted by his mother’s tragic death, and pained by his love for the unattainable Mandy Foster, breaks from the Land’s tradition and begins to build a life of his own. When rebels tear through the village of Good Springs, Levi vows to deliver justice and restore the woman he loves. As tradition stands in the way of redemption and threats from the outside world begin to appear, Levi must learn his greatest battles cannot be fought with his fists. Romantic, suspenseful, and filled with adventure, Uncharted Redemption weaves dramatic new layers into life in the Land.

You can download a 20% sample in EPUB and MOBI ebook formats here: Smashwords

Or add Uncharted Redemption to your To Be Read shelf here: Goodreads

Pre-order links will be live soon!

There is a Time for Everything

There is a Bradford Pear tree living in a tiny swath of soil in the middle of the paved parking lot in front of my building. I can see this pitiful tree from my desk, and I call it pitiful because it is currently blooming... in November. This isn't new. It has bloomed out of season every year for the past six years.

Confused and excited bees swarm the ill-timed white blossoms. People point at it as they park beneath it. The tree is living and doing what it was made to do, but it is not doing it in time with nature and it is, therefore, to be pointed at and given strange looks and pitied.

See, there is a time for everything. The writer of Ecclesiastes penned that thousands of years ago. There is a time for fruit trees to produce fluffy white flowers and there is a time for its leaves to blaze with the colors of fall.

I understand the pitiful little tree because I have been that unseasonable tree.

There is a time to remodel a house. There is a time to go back to school. There is a time to have babies. There is a time to start a business and buy a new car and write a novel. But those times are not at the same time. It took me most of my twenties to figure that out.

How about you? Are you trying to do the right thing but at the wrong time? Or are you trying to do everything at once and therefore fail to do anything? Think of the tree with frostbitten blossoms, my friend, and do what is right in this season.

Uncharted Redemption

Are you loving The Land Uncharted and wondering what happens next? Uncharted Redemption, the second book in the Uncharted series, will be popping up for pre-order on bookseller sites soon! I adore the cover art and can't wait to show it to you, but in keeping with book release tradition, we bloggers are doing the cover reveal thing together in January. 

Here is a little about the book:

Title: Uncharted Redemption

Author: Keely Brooke Keith

Release Date:  February 24, 2015

Publisher: Edenbrooke Press

Description: Levi Colburn, resentful of his father, haunted by his mother’s tragic death, and pained by his love for the unattainable Mandy Foster, breaks from the Land’s tradition and begins to build a life of his own. When rebels tear through the village of Good Springs, Levi vows to deliver justice and restore the woman he loves. As tradition stands in the way of redemption and threats from the outside world begin to appear, Levi must learn his greatest battles cannot be fought with his fists. Romantic, suspenseful, and filled with adventure, Uncharted Redemption weaves dramatic new layers into life in the Land.

The Land Uncharted Released Today!

The Land Uncharted

Summary:

Lydia Colburn is a young physician dedicated to serving her village in the Land, a landmass in the South Atlantic Ocean undetectable to the outside world. When injured fighter pilot Connor Bradshaw’s parachute carries him from the war engulfing the 2025 world to her hidden land, his presence threatens her plans, her family, and the survival of her preindustrial society. As Connor searches for a way to return to his squadron, his fascination with life in the Land makes him protective of Lydia and her peaceful homeland, and Lydia’s attraction to Connor stirs desires she never anticipated. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, The Land Uncharted weaves adventure and love in this suspenseful story of a hidden land.

Available Now:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | iTunes

Have your ebook of The Land Uncharted signed via Authorgraph!

Advance Praise for The Land Uncharted:

"Not only is Keely's writing beautiful and full of vivid detail, but the story and characters are incredible! I love the way she crosses genres and how well it all blends together.” 

-Christina Yother, author of Reverie

“The Land Uncharted captured my interest from the opening lines. Keely Brooke Keith skillfully weaves an engaging story that explores the possibilities of a simple, peaceful existence in a society set apart from a world ravaged by conflict. Equal parts suspense and romance, this debut novel is a compelling read.” 

-Heidi McCahan, author of Unraveled

Author links:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest

Add The Land Uncharted to your shelf on Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, or FictFact.