Anna Weaver Hurtt, Inspirational Author
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Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Bonnie Leon and "To Dance with Dolphins"

6/27/2016

20 Comments

 
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About the book:

Twenty-two-year-old Claire Murray has suffered from a mysterious disease for years. Her social circle has shrunk to a small support group for people with chronic illness and disability. But what if life could be about more than doctors, pain, and medications?

Claire and three others—old grouch Tom, hippy-holdout Willow, and moody Taylor—hatch plans for a cross-country trip to swim with the dolphins in Florida. Only a day into the trip, they unexpectedly need help. And who happens to be hitchhiking along the highway but a young, good-looking loner named Sean Sullivan? However, the last thing he wants is to be harnessed to a bunch of ailing travelers.

Though the journey proves difficult, following God’s plan might be even harder. Will they find the courage to follow their dreams and dare to live again?

Author Mini-view:

Happy last week of June, blog friends! (I can't believe we're halfway through the year already!) Please join me in welcoming the lovely Bonnie Leon to the interview table today. (Doesn't her book sound absolutely amazing?! And that cover... Gorgeous!) Let's get this mini-view 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've been writing and publishing books for more than twenty years. I love the mystery and beauty of creating stories, but what I love most about my life is my family. My husband and I have been married forty-five years. He's a good man. We have three children and seven grandchildren and we've lived in the same small town in Southern Oregon for thirty-six years.

All my growing up years I never imagined myself as a writer, though I loved to read. And then, in late 1989 I was gripped by a compulsion to write and filled up legal pads with poems, personal experiences and short stories. I played at writing until a terrible auto accident in 1991 left me unable to work or to care for my family. God in His mercy led me into writing during a time in my life when I felt I had nothing else to give. It was a whirlwind romance. I wrote my first-ever novel in 1992 and sold it to Thomas Nelson Publishing in 1993, and it published in 1994. I've been writing ever since.

I'm sixty-four now and I've slowed down a bit, but still love to write and have lots of book ideas still percolating in my mind.

I am presently working on a revision of one of my first novels. It is the second revision I've done and I've discovered that revising is much more difficult than creating. In the Land of White Nights will release in August and I am proud of the work and know that it is a much better book with a more satisfying story line. I can't wait for it to release.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

My favorite Bible verses are Isaiah 40:26 - 31. I often go to these verses to remind me of the power and hope that is in my Creator.


What have you read lately that you would recommend?

I recently finished reading A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton and highly recommend the book. She is one of those writers who is special. I know when I sit down with one of her stories I am going to be carried away and lifted up.

What book are you featuring today?

I had a story, the story of my heart, that weighed on me for years. It was always in the back of my mind, asking me to write it. I wanted to but I was busy, or the time wasn’t right or publishers wanted something else from me. For years I let it go. But it had to be heard and finally I stepped away from everything else and went to work on the story of my heart.

It wasn’t easy. It was contemporary and I’ve always written historical. The characters had to be real and quirky and fun. And the story would reveal my soul. It was risky. But I did it. And I’m hoping you will read the book of my heart. TO DANCE WITH DOLPHINS is the story of a group of friends who have given up on life and set out on a cross country trip hoping to discover there are still hopes and dreams for people like them.

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

My books reveal the heart of people, their strengths and weaknesses, and the power of God who offers hope and change for those who seek Him.

About the Author:

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Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty-one novels, including the recently released To Dance With Dolphins, the popular Alaskan Skies and bestselling The Journey of Eleven Moons. Bonnie’s books are being read internationally and she hears from readers in Australia, Europe, and even Africa.
 
She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and teaching at writing seminars and conventions and especially delights in mentoring young authors. These days, her time is filled with writing, being a grandmother and relishing precious time with her aged mother. 

Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.

You can find Bonnie at:
https://www.bonnieleon.com 
https://www.facebook.com/BonnieLeonAuthor 
https://www.bonnieleon.blogspot.com
Twitter: @bonnie_leon
https://www.pinterest.com/bonnieleon/

Giveaway!

This week, Bonnie is generously giving away a copy of "To Dance With Dolphins" to one of my blog subscribers! (The winner can choose between a paperback copy and e-book copy.) Just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below to enter! (If it doesn't show up in the email, click here and go to http://www.annaweaverbooks.com/giveaways to enter from the website.) Giveaway ends 7/5. Thanks for participating and God bless!
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Author Mini-view and Giveaway: Michelle Ule and  "The 12  Brides of Summer"

6/20/2016

10 Comments

 
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About the Book:

​Meet 12 adventurous Victorian era women—a beekeeper who is afraid of bees, a music teacher whose dog has dug up a treasure, a baker who enters a faux courtship, and six more—along with the men they encounter while making summertime memories. Will these loves sown during summer be strengthened by faith and able to endure a lifetime?

Author Mini-view:

Hello, blog friends! Sorry for the hiatus this month... With a family wedding, two road trips, and increased hours at my job, this summer has begun with a bang here. I'm pleased to introduce Michelle Ule, our author interviewee and giveaway queen for the day. :) 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’ve been a professional author since 2011, but have a degree in English from UCLA where I trained as a newspaper reporter back in the dark ages. I’ve written forever—including a massive family history that’s in the Library of Congress.
I got my start towards publication at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in 2003 when it seemed like God gave me a promise that if I put Him and His plans first in my life, someday I would be published. More to the point, I needed to focus on my daughter’s teenage years. I got my first contract the very day we drove her to college. You can read about that here:  http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/dreams-come-true-at-mount-hermon/
I’m the published author of five novellas and a rogue Navy SEAL novel; three of the novella collections made best seller lists, including The New York Times for A Log Cabin Christmas Collection.
I’m currently writing a biography called Mrs. Oswald Chambers, which is the story of Biddy Chambers, an intrepid Victorian stenographer who married the noted Bible teacher and compiled My Utmost for His Highest. It releases in fall 2017 from Baker Books.

What is your favorite Bible verse? 

I like all of Romans 12, but the one I’ve clung to in these social media days as a Christian is Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (NKJV)

What have you read lately that you would recommend? 

I really enjoyed Lori Benton’s A Flight of Arrows. I love all of Lori’s books, but this most recent one has such an interesting presentation of how God works in the lives of all people—no matter their culture. Several of my novellas examine how Jesus is expressed between cultures—and how he is the meeting place for people who see life in such different ways.
I’ve written about Lori’s book and my reaction to her presentation of the Gospel here: http://michelleule.com/2016/04/29/native-americans-gospel-flight-arrows/

What book are you featuring today? 

My featured book today is the latest novella collection, The 12 Brides of Summer. Twelve different inspirational romance writers teamed up to write a first collection: The 12 Brides of Christmas and now have written sequels to their stories in the summer book.
The Sunbonnet Bride tells the tale of a young seamstress in 1874 Fairhope, Nebraska, who has to choose between a pristine banker or a sweaty teamster after a tornado rolls through town. Which man deserves her heart more? One who works with his mind or one who works with his hands? And however will she choose?
Hint: reed flutes, a blackberry pie and sunbonnets make the difference.

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

Truth can be stranger than fiction and often is more interesting. See my novella in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, A Gold Rush Christmas—which fictionalizes the true story of the day most of the prostitutes in Skagway, Alaska, fled.


About the Author:

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Navy wife Michelle Ule is a graduate of UCLA and the author of five novellas and a novel. She lives in northern California with her family where she works at a literary agency, teaches Bible study, plays in a woodwind ensemble, and writes.
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Michelle is a long-time lay counselor in both crisis pregnancies and budget counseling. She loves to travel and is an accomplished genealogist. You can learn more about her at www.michelleule.com.

Giveaway!

​This week, Michelle is generously giving away a copy of "The 12 Brides of Summer" to one of my blog subscribers! (The winner can choose between a paperback copy and e-book copy.) Just fill out the Giveaway Tools form below to enter! (If it doesn't show up in the email, click here and go to http://www.annaweaverbooks.com/giveaways to enter from the website.) Giveaway ends 6/28. Thanks for participating and 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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