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Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Debra E. Marvin and "Austen in Austin"

1/25/2016

36 Comments

 
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Hello, blog friends! I hope everyone is doing well this week! We're back with another author mini-view and giveaway this week and joining us today is the lovely Debra E. Marvin. Let's get this interview started!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing. (How did you get started? How many books have you written? Where are you on your writing journey?)

Like many authors, I've been writing on and off for decades. Austen in Austin has actually been around for years since it was first a lively discussion among my Inkwell Inspirations blog-mates (back when most of us weren't published--we all are now, so keep at it!). Though I have written one contemporary novel (unpublished), my heart will always be in historicals, leaning toward British settings and mystery and I have multiple manuscripts that are quite unlike the playful tone of Alarmingly Charming and Desert Duet, my Christmas novella.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

My favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:38-39:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ...As our world swirls down, ever faster, ever deeper toward chaos, this verse calms me. It's good to remember on pleasant, sunny days too!

 What have you read lately that you would recommend?

I'd recommend Lisa Karon Richardson's The Peacock Throne. It's all the things I like in a story: British, suspenseful, well-written--perfect for fans of historical romance without the bodice-ripping.

What book are you featuring today?

Today I'm thrilled to bring Austen in Austin to your blog. Four novellas (with four more coming later this year) are set in a (British) finishing school in Austin, Texas in the last two decades of the 19th Century. Each novella is a take on an Austen plot and heroine, and though they can be read as stand-alones, we enjoyed incorporating the same setting, and revisiting characters throughout 20 years in Austin history. I think it will be a delightful read for lovers of Austen, Cowboys and historical romance. Here's our 'blurb':

Discover four heroines in historical Austin, TX, as they find love--Jane Austen style. Volume 1 includes:

If I Loved You Less by Gina Welborn, based on Emma
A prideful matchmaker examines her own heart when her protégé falls for the wrong suitor.

Refinements by Anita Mae Draper, based on Sense and Sensibility
A misguided academy graduate spends the summer falling in love . . . twice.

One Word from You by Susanne Dietze, based on Pride and Prejudice
A down-on-her-luck journalist finds the story of her dreams, but her prejudice may cost her true love . . . and her career.

Alarmingly Charming by Debra E. Marvin, based on Northanger Abbey
A timid, gothic dime-novel enthusiast tries to solve the mystery of a haunted cemetery and, even more shocking, why two equally charming suitors compete for her attentions.

If you could tell people who are going to read/have read your books one thing, what would it be?

I hope readers can anticipate what fun we had with the plots. I had a bit of a challenge with Northanger Abbey, but I grabbed it because of my old love for gothic romance. (Yes. It's true!). Catherine Moreland might be the silliest, most naive of Austen's characters, but I focused on her big heart and kindness and wrote an intelligent bookworm heroine who, like so many of us, doesn't see just how strong she is until she's tested. And, I tried to write it all in a very light-hearted way...a parody, if you will, of Austen's own parody of the gothic novels of her time.

Thanks so much for allowing me to be part of your busy blog, Anna!

I'd love for your readers to follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraEMarvin

About the Author:

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Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides...the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She'd like to live a wee bit closer to her grandchildren, but is thankful that God is in control, that He chooses to bless us despite ourselves and that He has a sense of humor.

Other than writing light-hearted romances and gritty gothics, she has rather normal obsessions such as fabric, peanut butter, vacations, British dramas, and whatever mystery series she's currently stuck on.

http://debraemarvin.com/
http://www.inkwellinspirations.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/debraemarvin/
https://www.facebook.com/Debra-E-Marvin-433266640199533/
https://twitter.com/DebraEMarvin

Blurb:

As travel companion to her condescending cousin, Philadelphian Kathryn Morton dreamily anticipates a week in the Wild West as the best cure for meekness. After a long rail journey and a steady diet of gothic dime novels, she shivers, despite the Texas heat, at the ghastly tales of the Austin Axe Murderer. Kathryn has little time to fret, given the competing attentions of quiet rancher Harmon Gray and elegant gentleman Jonathan Wellington. With her new-found confidence and her boundless imagination, she sets out to solve the mystery of Hyde Park Cemetery before another student flees Austen Abbey. Only then can she return home to her English-born parents as an independent American woman. A woman in love. But on the stormiest of nights, Kathryn learns that solving the mystery may destroy a future with the man she’s fallen for in a big Texas way.

Giveaway! 

Debra is generously giving away either a print copy or an e-copy (winner's choice) of "Austen in Austin" to one of my awesome subscribers! Just fill out the GiveawayTools form to enter. (If it doesn't show up in the email, click here http://www.annaweaverbooks.com/giveaways to enter from the website.) Giveaway ends 2/3. God bless and have a great week!
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Author Mini-view and Giveaway:  Ane Mulligan and "Chapel Springs Survival"

1/19/2016

9 Comments

 
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Hello, blog friends! I hope everyone is doing well this week! We're back with another author mini-view and giveaway this week and joining us today is the lovely Ane Mulligan. Let's get this interview started!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing. (How did you get started? How many books have you written? Where are you on your writing journey?)

I’d been a published playwright (over 50 scripts) and turned to novels in 2003. I began going to committee by 2004, but God kept all the doors firmly shut. When the acquiring editor retires and the company wipes her hard drive clean—the one with your book on it—you realize God is saying, “Not now. Not here.” My debut novel hit the shelves in 2014, and at the moment, I have 3 books out with another coming in May this year.

I’ve written 7 novels, 1 novella and a short story. All but one will eventually be published. My first written manuscript dwells beneath my bed. Only the dust bunnies have read it.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

My life verse is Phil 1:6 - “Of this I am certain, that the same God who began a good work in you, will continue it until the day Christ Jesus returns.” To me that says God is at work in me, and will keep on refining me until Jesus returns. Then, I’ll be miraculously finished! It gives me hope when I mess up.

What have you read lately that you would recommend?

Summer at Hideaway Key, by Barbara Davis. I loved the book. It isn’t often that a plot takes me by surprise. This one did. If you like Southern beach books, this is great. The other one is Five Brides, by Eva Marie Everson. A great story inspired by real people.

What book are you featuring today?

Chapel Springs Survival, my own “inspired by real life” story. Our eldest son got himself a modern-day mail order bride from Columbia, South America. Without us knowing until she was here, a year after they got married. I told him for that, it was going in a book. I have to tell you, we adore our daughter-in-law. She’s the best thing that ever happened to our Michael. But that wouldn’t have made a good story, now would it? Here’s the back cover copy:

Chapel Springs Survival

A mail-order bride, a town overrun with tourists, and illegal art.
How on earth will Claire and Chapel Springs survive?

Claire Bennett's Operation Marriage Revival succeeded and life is good. That is until the mayor's brother blabs a secret: Claire's nineteen-year-old son has married a Brazilian mail order bride. When Claire tries to welcome her, she's ridiculed, rebuffed, and rejected. Loving this girl is like hugging a prickly cactus.

Lydia Smith is happily living alone and running her spa—then the widow on the hill becomes a blushing bride. Then her groom's adult son moves in—on everything.

From the first sighting of a country music star in The Painted Loon, Chapel Springs is inundated with stargazers, causing residents to flee the area. When her best friends put their house on the market, Claire is forced to do something or lose the closest thing to a sister she’s got. With her son's future at stake and the town's problems to solve, it's Claire's who needs a guardian angel.

If you could tell people who are going to read/have read your books one thing, what would it be?

Faith, friends and family are what make life worthwhile.

About the Author:

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Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Novelist and playwright, Ane is the executive director of Players Guild@Sugar Hill, a new community theater and president of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket. She resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a dog of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane at her website at www.anemulligan.com and on social media.

Snippet:

Like shot pinball, Claire Bennett pinged against, around and between hordes of straw hats, bikinis, and plaid shorts. All along Sandy Shores Drive, shoulder-to-shoulder throngs of people crowded the sidewalk and spilled into the avenue. A party atmosphere—with noise level to match—permeated the quiet morning and their once peaceful village.

What had they done? When she and her friends envisioned the revitalization of Chapel Springs, it was a nice, controlled rise in tourist trade—not this craziness.

One bruised elbow later, Claire reached the door of her art gallery, The Painted Loon, and turned her key in the lock. A heavy hand grasped her shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat. Was she about to be robbed?

Hold on. In broad daylight? With this crowd watching? She may not be the brightest color on the palette, but she did possess a little common sense. Her gaze traveled up the beefy arm to a scraggly-bearded face with beady eyes. A rolled red bandana wrapped around his forehead, held back salt-and-pepper hair. Beside him stood a bleached-blonde motorcycle mama, dressed in a halter-top and the skimpiest shorts Claire had ever seen. Strings hung from their ragged edges and drew attention to the lumpy cellulite dotting the back of her thighs. Who was this woman trying to kid? She was fifty if she was a day.

"You're the loon lady," Motor-mama said. "We want to see your pots."

Giveaway!

Ane is giving away either a print copy or an e-copy (winner's choice) of "Chapel Springs Survival" to one of my awesome subscribers! Just fill out the GiveawayTools form to enter (If it doesn't show up in the email, click here http://www.annaweaverbooks.com/giveaways to enter from the website. Giveaway ends 1/26. God bless and have a great week!
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Author Mini-view and Giveaway:  Sandra Ardoin and "A Reluctant Melody"

1/12/2016

19 Comments

 
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Hello, blog friends! I hope this post finds you doing well. I've spent the past week setting up author mini-views, book reviews, and giveaways for the rest of the year and I just have to tell you... It's going to be awesome! I have a record-breaking amount of fabulous authors that I'll be featuring here this year and I'm so excited about it. :D

Joining us today and kicking off the 2016 Author Mini-views, is the lovely Sandra Ardoin. Let's get this interview started!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing. (How did you get started? How many books have you written? Where are you on your writing journey?)

I'm a wife and mom to one ... each :) ... and have been writing and publishing small projects since 1986. I didn't begin writing novels seriously until 2008 when I believe God said, "Go ahead." Until then, it never seemed the proper time.

It's been quite a journey, sometimes disheartening, sometimes encouraging. I have a number of completed manuscripts, but A Reluctant Melody is my first published novel. Its predecessor, the Christmas novella The Yuletide Angel, released in 2014. I'm so thankful to my incredible editor Ann Tatlock and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas for taking a chance on this mostly-unknown writer.

2. What is your favorite Bible verse?

I have two (technically, three) favorite scriptures. For me, they go together. The first is Jeremiah 29:11. God does know what is best for us if we’ll accept it. The other is Isaiah 55:8-9. Those verses never fail to remind me of WHO God is and His omniscience and love. So how can He not know what will give us hope and a future?

3. What have you read lately that you would recommend?

I review books on my blog on Tuesday. Today’s review is for Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden. Recommend? Yes. I also loved The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz. For romantic suspense, I recommend the latest series by both Lisa Harris and Lynette Eason. Oh, I could go on and on, but check out my blog at sandraardoin.com for recent reviews.

4. What book are you featuring today?

Yesterday, my inspirational historical romance A Reluctant Melody released. Today from 12-2 EST, we’re partying on Facebook! I hope you’ll make plans to join us!

Set in 1892, A Reluctant Melody is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances. It is romance mixed with blackmail and murder.

When I wrote the Christmas novella, I created Kit Barnes as the brother to my hero Hugh. Both men had been at odds for over five years due to Kit’s alcohol-fueled lifestyle and his dalliance with Joanna, the woman Hugh believed he would marry. By the time I was finished, I knew I wanted to tell Kit’s story and I wanted to bring him back together with Joanna. Now, he’s a changed man who works to help others defeat the lure of alcohol. You’ll find a little more in the back cover copy. I hope you’ll check it out.

5. If you could tell people who are going to read/have read your books one thing, what would it be?

I would tell readers how grateful I am for their time and interest in my work and how much I appreciate the reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. My hope is that each story not only entertains but encourages them in their Christian walk.

About the Author:

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Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. She’s the author of The Yuletide Angel and A Reluctant Melody. A wife and mom, she’s also a reader, football fan, NASCAR watcher, garden planter, country music listener, antique store prowler. Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Join her email community to receive occasional updates and a free short story.

A Reluctant Melody is available on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/A-Reluctant-Melody-Sandra-Ardoin/dp/1941103677

and The Yuletide Angel at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Yuletide-Angel-Inspirational-Historical-ebook/dp/B00OH01X50

Book Blurb:

Kit Barnes’ alcoholism ruined more lives than his own. Now sober, he wants to make amends by opening a mission for drunkards. But the most suitable location belongs to Joanna Cranston Stewart, a love from his sordid past.

Friends of her late husband blame Joanna for his death. Although eager to flee from the rumors, she will let the walls of her rundown property crumble around her before she allows Kit back into her life.

When a blackmailer threatens to reveal Joanna’s long-held secret, will she risk losing everything she owns to Kit … including her heart?

Giveaway!

This week, Sandra is generously giving an e-copy of "A Reluctant Melody" to one of my awesome subscribers! Just fill out the GiveawayTools form to enter (If it doesn't show up in the email, click here http://www.annaweaverbooks.com/giveaways to enter from the website. God bless and see y'all next week!
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Review: The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

1/6/2016

0 Comments

 
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Book Blurb:

A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.

A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.

Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.
​

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?

My Review:

What a beautiful story! This was my first book by Melanie Dickerson, but it won't be my last!

"The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest" is a combination of "The Swan Princess" and "Robin Hood," following the story of the fair and brave Odette as she poaches deer from the margrave's forest to feed the poor. Add Jorgen Hartman, the handsome and capable forester who has been put in charge of capturing the poacher, and you have a recipe for disaster... Or romance!

I loved both of the main characters. They seemed to leap off the page. I feel like I connected with both of them immediately.

I really enjoyed the subtle intrigue of this story, with several who-done-its planted throughout the story to keep things interesting.

5 stars for an excellent, sweet, adventurous read!

(I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.)

Amazon Link:

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January Author Newsletter (2016)

1/6/2016

9 Comments

 
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Life Stuff/Writing  Stuff:

Hello, my lovely blog subscribers! Happy New Year! I hope it finds you doing well. This will be a slightly abbreviated version of the monthly  author newsletter, but just wanted to give you guys a quick update. Also, I wanted to thank everyone who commented on December's author post. I didn't get to answer all the comments, but thank you so very much for sharing pieces of your holidays, thoughts, and reading lists with me! :)

Hubbins and I (and the dogs) spent Christmas week with my parents, brother, and niece in Tennessee, and we had so much fun! Life has been getting busy for me again now that the holidays are over. I'm working more hours at my new job in order to pay off some credit card debt before Hubbins gets out of the military later this year. Prayers are definitely appreciated as we figure out what we are supposed to do in this next season of our lives.

In the writing world, I'm getting back to the edit/rewrite for my work-in-progress, "Hazardous Conditions," which had to take a back seat for the past few months. Again, prayers are always appreciated, especially in the time management area. :P

How about you? How were your holidays? What's new in your lives?

Reading Stuff:

Here's my reading list from last month. Did you have time to read over the holidays?



​And I'm currently reading:

Prayer Request Stuff:

Here is the list of prayer requests that were shared with me since the last author update:

Penny M. - Prayers for all in need this Thanksgiving and beyond. God Bless

Kathy A. - Asking prayer for my daughter who is pregnant. She has been sick so much and having a difficult time. 

Sally D. - My new baby granddaughter was born 10 weeks premature, weighed 2 lb 11 oz. After 4 months, she's over 10 lbs! I am very thankful for this miracle, praising the Lord!

Me - I requested prayer for Heidi T., who was battling cancer and in hospice. Heidi went to be with the Lord a week before Christmas. I was able to visit with her a few days before she passed and she was full of faith, hope, and peace. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Last month's requests:

My heart is very heavy for a friend of mine right now. Heidi T., who has been on the prayer list several times this year, has been fighting cancer and was moved to Hospice this week. Please keep her and her family in your prayers during this difficult, heartbreaking season. - UPDATE: Heidi T. went to be with the Lord a week before Christmas. I was able to visit with her a few days before she passed and she remained full of faith and peace til the end. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Me - (Praise) I am really enjoying my new job, which God provided at the perfect time so that I could move away from my last job, which was extremely stressful. 

Me - Please pray for my dad, who had some unexpected health issues last week. Also, please pray for my family as they travel and minister.

​Heidi R. - My brother in law needs prayers for the blood clots stuck in his lungs.

Kathy A. - I have been notified by my doctor I had an abnormal mammogram. Praying for peace and discernment during the coming days.

Sharon T. - My husband & I have been missionaries for 15+ years - please pray for God's favor regarding our support - our last paychecks were $1,100 short - thanks so much!

Joan A. - Please pray for my 13 year old granddaughter with iritis.

Sandra P. - My daughter-in-law is fighting cancer. Her name is Chris. Please pray for healing for her and a peace for her and my son about God's will for their lives. 

Becky I. - Please pray for my family.

Thank you for your prayers, my friends. Sometimes when we feel helpless, it's the most important thing we can do. Thank you for lifting each other and myself up in prayer.

Bible Reading Stuff:

In December, I spent most of my Bible reading time working through Beth Moore's Bible study "Children of the Day," which I've been enjoying a lot. :)

With the Bible app on my phone, I finished up 1st Kings and am working my way through 2nd Corinthians.

What have you been reading lately?

Last Month's Winners:

We had several giveaways last month and here are the winners:

The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert - Melinda Dean*


The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson - Kim Amundsen*

Wait for Me by Jo Huddleston - Kathleen Burnop*

A Shenandoah Family Christmas by Lisa Belcastro - Vicki Geslak


Random Acts of Scrooge by Christy Barritt - Morgan Parson*

All winners have a month to reply to my emails or I will draw a new winner. * = winner has claimed her prize. Prizes will be mailed within a month.

​Be sure to check back soon for this month's giveaways and reviews. God bless!
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    Inspirational author. Newbie Air Force wife. Jesus Follower. Recovering musician. Dachshund mama. Coffee addict. Book reviewer/giveaway-er.

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