October 29, 2012 by Karen Baney

Descended – Jett by Dana Pratola

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook

When a reclusive businessman takes an interest in Haven’s artwork, she knows it’s an answer to prayer. But Jett Cestone is an enigma with a disconcerting connection to the young women in his employ. He’s by far the most unusual man she’s ever met.

Haven is the most interesting woman to ever cross Jett’s path. But she’s too naïve and pure to learn what goes on in his home. Too bad he wants her more than he’s wanted anyone or anything in his life.

1. What does your family think of your writing?

LOL, I think they think I finally have a place to funnel all my strange ideas.

2. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I can’t write when I’m angry. Even if I’m trying to write a scene where someone is mad, I just get blocked. So I try to stay happy =-) Does that count as a quirk?

3. What inspired you to write your first book?

THE COVERING came about through personal experience – not with hunky bikers, lol. I often have these times where I will wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, like wide-awake. I assume God wants me to pray for someone, so I do. Sometimes I know who, other times I don’t, so I’ll pray for everyone I can think of. But I know if God wakes me up, when He knows I don’t sleep enough as it is, it must be important. The idea of covering someone in prayer isn’t new, but it is effective. I believe a covering can be “prayed in place” to prevent things, not just help in the moment, and on a number of occasions I’ve had people tell me of incidents or accidents that almost happened, usually after I had been praying.

4. How did you come up with the title?

DESCENDED is a series about four men who are descended from the angels that cohabited with human women before the Flood. The title refers to their lineage, but also to how far they’ve fallen as humans from their ancestor’s intended purpose.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in?

It chose me. No matter what sub-genre I write in, romance has to be the main focus for me or I’m just not that interested =-)

6. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

Gunnar from THE COVERING is pretty popular, and honestly, I’d love to see him again. I’m working on a book that centers around Pastor Bob’s daughter Brady (if you’ve read it you’ll know who I mean) and will, of course, feature her “uncle” Gunnar.

7. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Somewhere in my books there will be an arrow pointing straight up. I think the message in most of my stories is this: God isn’t mad at us, He wants to help. There’s nothing we can do, no depth we can fall, that He won’t be there waiting for us to take hold of His hand. That’s not to say we can live any way we want and think there won’t be repercussions, but it’s not God putting those things on us. I just want people to know the Jesus I know.

8. Can you share a little of your current work with us?

This is from the second book of the series (DESCENDED~Sebastian):

“Tell me one thing I did to make you think I’m a jerk.”

“You asked every girl at my table for their phone numbers.”

Sounded like him. “I apologize.”

“Then you asked every girl at every other table for their phone numbers. Even the ones already with someone.”

That explained the pieces of paper in his jacket pocket this morning. “Well, should I have to apologize for that? You clearly didn’t want to be bothered so I moved on.” She didn’t answer. “I apologize.” The corner of her mouth twitched, against her will, he was sure. “What else?”

“You sent me a drink.”

Sebastian raised a finger. “Ah, but only to you, no one else.”

She faced him fully now. “I guess I should have prefaced my argument with you were already with a woman. The same woman who slapped your face a few minutes ago,” she added, hitching a thumb toward the rear of the plane.

“Now I’ve got you,” he said, pleased with himself. “I can’t apologize for that because it’s not my fault she was with me. I told her to stay in the suite.”

Her eyes were blank. Then she blinked.

“It probably sounds bad—”

“Probably?”

“It sounds bad, but I just met her. It’s not like I was cheating on my girlfriend.”

She gasped. “You have a girlfriend?”

“No. No, that’s not what I mean. I mean it was just a weekend thing, no strings.”

“It that supposed to make you look less like a jerk?”

She arched one eyebrow. He could see himself in her clear blue eyes. He looked clueless.

9. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The biggest challenge is making myself do it. When I’m not distracted by a houseful of people, I distract myself. I’m a procrastinator with the attention span of a puppy.

10. As an indie author, what would you say to a potential reader who has never read anything from an indie author?

Indie authors used to get a bad rap as the writers who couldn’t get a publisher, and I’m sorry to say I have seen some examples of poor work. But now with so much competition, and many more traditionally published authors going indie, everyone has had to step up their game. Give it a chance, and whenever possible, read a sample of the author’s work before buying.

If you ask Dana what is the most important thing she ever learned, she’ll tell you it’s how much God loves us. Through her stories, she endeavors to share that love with others. Though her books are Christian Romance, they’re not what you might expect. They don’t contain explicit sex scenes, but her characters have real desires, struggles and choices to make. A lot of the time they make the wrong ones. No subject is prohibited but good always triumphs.

Dana lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. She loves to walk in the woods and watch old movies.

Visit Dana at her website:

www.danapratola.webs.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

July 2, 2012 by Karen Baney

Kicking Eternity by Ann Lee Miller

Genre: Romance

Format: eBook, paperback

Buy: Kicking Eternity

Fresh from college, Raine scores a teaching job at New Smyrna Beach Surf and Sailing Camp. A crush on the camp rebel/art teacher threatens to derail her plans to teach orphans in Africa. The broody recreation director spots her brothers meth addiction and Raine’s enabling. Raine believes she is helping her brother–until lives are threatened.

“Ann Lee Miller writes stories straight from the heart with characters who’ll become friends, remaining with you long after you turn that final page. You won’t want to miss Kicking Eternity!”

Jenny B. Jones, Author of the Katie Parker Production Series from Think and The Charmed Life Series, and other single titles from Thomas Nelson

1. What is the coolest, wackiest, or riskiest thing you’ve ever done?

My father spent several years building a forty-foot sailboat in our backyard. We launched it in the Miami River and lived aboard at Dinner Key Marina when I was eleven until I turned thirteen. At the time I didn’t realize how unusual it was to live on a boat and ride my bicycle down the dock each morning to attend school. All my friends at the marina did the same. After school every day, I tossed my books onto my bunk, shimmied into a swim suit, and jumped overboard. Sailboats show up in all my books thus far.

2. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I detest plotting, but consider it a necessary evil. I plot every scene for the whole book before I actually write the book. It takes… forever.

3. Can you tell us a little about your book?

Kicking Eternity is all about chasing dreams—our dreams, God’s dreams, and the mixed-up tangle of both. Here’s a blurb about the book:

Stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camp pay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble: Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spies in his rebel armor will derail her.

The artist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her would caterwaul him into his parents’ live. No thanks. The girl was self-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full.

Rec Director Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler. He is so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex.

Raine’s brother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will she figure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?

4. How many books have you written, and how many of them have been published?

I’ve written four books over the past ten years and am plotting my fifth. Kicking Eternity debuts June 1, The Art of My Life on September 1, Avra’s God on December 1, and Tattered Innocence on March 1, 2013. Atlantic spray and the grit of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, texture my coming of age stories that are littered with romance, regrets, and renewal. I straddle the fence between young adult and adult—sort of an Ann Brashares, (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) with a Christian perspective.

5. Who designed the covers?

I used Robin Roberts at RedRedDesign.com. He did three rough sketches for me to choose from, or he was willing to start over if nothing caught me. Next came a detailed pencil sketch. I made suggestions. He painted an oil painting (which I get to keep!), and e-mailed me a photo of the cover with text. I told him I wanted more girly looking text. He wasn’t satisfied with the color of the ocean and fiddled with the painting. The next day he sent me a new shot of the cover. I approved the new cover and noted that the ocean really did look better. He had to let the oils dry for several days before the painting could be scanned and a final cover jpg e-mailed to me.

6. What was your journey to publication like?

I wrote my first novel fifteen years ago and have been writing full-time for ten years while trying to break in to traditional publishing. Last summer my agent let all her unpublished authors, including me, go. In the midst of my despair, God nudged me to indie e-publish. So, I swallowed a hairball of pride and walked down the self-publishing road. I feel a surge of joy and gratitude that my books are finally being read. The part of me that clamors for validation still hopes for a traditional publishing contract. But how can I go wrong obeying God?

7. As an indie author, what would you say to a potential reader who has never read anything from an indie author?

In the past self-published authors were looked at as people with oversized egos and undersized talent. That’s probably why we prefer to be called indie authors. The popularity of e-books has changed the entire book market, much like downloading songs from the internet transformed the music industry. True, there are under-edited indie books out there, but many authors are attracted to indie publishing because they receive a much larger slice of the profit pie. Higher quality and well-edited books are plentiful among the self-published ranks today. Vetting systems are springing up to help readers find high quality books. Try an indie book or six. The prices are so low, you’ll still come out ahead even if five of them are toss-worthy. Live dangerously.

Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives. Her novel, Kicking Eternity, won 1st Place Long Contemporary 2009 Romance Writers of America Faith, Hope, and Love Contest.

Visit Ann at her website: http://www.annleemiller.com/, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

January 30, 2012 by Karen Baney

Cowboy by Staci Stallings

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Format: ebook, paperback

Buy: Cowboy (The Harmony Series)

Life has done its best to knock Beth McCasland to the ground, and the truth is: it’s done a pretty good job of keeping her there. Stuck in a minimum-wage job with a young daughter counting on her, Beth does her best to stay standing under the weight of it all because she knows God is on her side. Then one night she gets the chance to be an angel to another of life’s weary travelers. For once hope has never looked so real.

Cowboy is a grace-filled story about the power of giving everything to God and how a simple act of compassion can change lives forever. Emotional, soothing, and heart-wrenching, Cowboy is infused with the message that no matter who we are and no matter what life has thrown at us, we never have to walk alone.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Cowboy by Staci Stallings and wanted to share this great contemporary romance with my readers. If you’d like to see my review, please visit Goodreads. Welcome, Staci!

1. In the beginning few chapters of Cowboy, the scenes are shorter and bounce back and forth between Ashton and Beth. I think it’s a great approach for relaying important parts of the story. Can you share what motivated you to write like this?

When I quit teaching to have my family in 1995, I got super bored really quickly. At home all day with a small baby and nothing to do will do that to you. This was before the Internet, before DVD’s, and before Satellite–when I got 3 channels plus PBS (hello Letter Lion!). So first I read. Danielle Steele, Frank Peretti, and John Grisham, but I’m a really fast reader so I was spending a mint on books. I also watched soap operas because I couldn’t go to the movies and there was literally nothing else to do. I liked the soaps mostly because they were stories (in fact, years before, that’s what my grandma called them “My stories”). I liked the intrigue and following characters and trying to figure out what was going to happen. However, the drama, drama, drama got old. Finally I got a book by Anthony Robbins which said you should do what you loved. What did I love? Writing! (and romance!)

When I sat down to write, however, the only background I had was the single POV stories I had read growing up (hello, Sweet Dreams romances!). The thing was, however, that since then I had read Grisham, and I really liked how his stories kept you involved and in the action. You were in Mississippi and then in New York and then in Idaho, and you knew as you went that all of these different characters were somehow tied together. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle that you watched him put together one or two pieces at a time. I loved it. So when I started writing, I took a little bit of all of that experience and put it together.

2. Both of the main characters have suffered grief—it’s what gives them some common ground. Is there some part of your own life that you drew on to create the depth of emotion the characters faced?

I often say that real life is emotional if you really pay attention. The teacher with too many papers to grade and a husband waiting at home. That’s emotional. The new father up at night with a sick child that he doesn’t know how to mend. That’s emotional. Add in some back story about why he feels like he should be able to control this, or how he feels like an utter failure because he can’t, and voila! Emotional writing.

As for my life, when I wrote Cowboy, I had a few grief experiences to draw from like my oldest child being born three months early and the shock and determination to get through that. Since writing Cowboy, I have had numerous and ever-deeper chances to learn what real grief does to a person. I lost my church to a fire, my older brother to suicide a month later, my brother-in-law to suicide 18 months later, and my trusted writing partner to surgical complications less than 9 months after that. I don’t know that any of that really changed the emotions that I write with, they all more deepened my understanding of how things and people can look so good on the outside and be hurting so deeply on the inside. And they taught me how very fragile and temporary this life is. I think Cowboy was kind of an intuitive understanding of all of that long before I was given the chance to learn it so concretely.

3. Is there a message you would like readers to grasp?

Yes. That our God is not a fair-weather, only-when-things-are-good God. Sometimes it takes hitting bottom and being completely out of control to really begin to grasp that. Just like Ashton. He had a great life–mega work success, a beautiful wife, a wonderful home, and when his wife died, it threw him into a complete tailspin. The details may be different for all of us–maybe it’s being laid off, or someone close to us getting sick. Maybe it’s a parent’s death, or losing a child. It could even be something far less dramatic like having an injury that will heal but takes some time or not getting something we thought we had to have. All of those and so many more can point out to us that we are not in control, and we’d better learn to grab onto the One Who is. He can and will get us through whatever life throws at us, and as I’ve learned–some of that stuff ain’t easy to get through. But He will be there, and He wants to help more than we will ever know. I often say that what Beth gave Ashton was not so much herself but God. I just wish more of us could do that.

4. Many romance authors decide how far characters will go in their physical relationship and what level of detail to use in describing the attraction. A friend of mine recently observed that even Christian novels aren’t so tame any more. What’s your approach when writing the romance scenes?

I think, for me, when my husband and I were dating, there were lines I would not cross in real life. Those are the lines I try really hard to keep in my writing. Some may think that goes too far. Some may think those lines aren’t being realistic. A long time ago people used to tell me that you should “write what you know.” Well, the God-stuff and the physical lines are what I know so that’s what I write.

5. What is the most challenging aspect of being an indie author? What the most rewarding?

I think the most challenging has been people in the industry wanting to change my writing to make it “good enough.” They didn’t read the story. They saw how I broke “the rules,” and used that as a reason to put down my writing and me. It was really hard for a lot of years to believe in myself and my writing when so many people wanted and tried so hard to put it in a formula box. In fact, I’ve been told because I was indie (when it was still called self-pubbed) that my writing must be full of holes and need a lot of editing and that it surely wasn’t as good as it could be if I had real editors read it. I was told by the editors I got along the way that I had to write their way or they wouldn’t accept it (and they didn’t because I didn’t change). I was told in a couple of contests that my characters were emotional messes that no one would want to spend any time around. In fact, some people went so far as to say I was not listening to God by going that route, that I was being selfish and willfully disregarding God’s Timing. That hurt. It really and truly did. But God showed me through it that the world is ALWAYS going to tell you that you’re doing it wrong (yes, even Christians). They will do everything in their power to make you question yourself, your commitment, your ability, and even where God put you. But if you will hold onto Him and listen to Him, no matter what others are telling you, He will bring you to the place you were always meant to be.

What’s the most rewarding? Ah, that’s easy. Being able to give what I’ve found with God to other authors–whether they are indie-pubbed or not. I love helping them to come to realize that God’s got this and all they have to do is to get really good at listening and being willing to take the steps He’s asking them to take. That’s what I like the most–watching God set others free of the chains the world tries to put on them.

6. Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Right now, I’m about 25 pages from finishing my 31st full-length novel. It’s about a dyslexic writer. The companion book to that “Something’s Not Right” details our family’s struggle with my dyslexic son. The really cool thing about this is, I started writing the first book “More Than This” before we found out what we were facing with my son. As God has walked me through the trials with my son, He has given me the insights to write the novel. It was only as I started talking with others about my son’s struggles that I became convinced to write the non-fiction companion that because of the number of novels I have available to put out will probably come out well before the novel. That’s okay. It’s just fun to watch God put the pieces of my life together in ways I never could have imagined.

7. Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

You know, like Beth in Cowboy, we all have moments every day in which kindness will change everything about everything. So often we choose to be too busy or too caught up in our own lives and our own drama to recognize them. But the fact of the matter is this world is filled with hurting people just like Ashton. They may not be Country Music Mega-Superstars… but then again, they might be. In my own life small kindnesses I’ve extended have lifted people who were really struggling in the mire of daily life and set them on a path for good that have taken them to heights they never in a million years dreamed of reaching. Is this a perfect science? No. Will your efforts sometimes seem to make no difference at all? Yes. That doesn’t mean you should give up and stop trying, just that you need to ask God for His strength to do it anyway. When you do that, miracles happen!

Read the first chapter of Cowboy right now!

http://spiritlightworks.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/cowboy-chapter-1/

A stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side, Staci Stallings has numerous titles for readers to choose from. Not content to stay in one genre and write it to death, Staci’s stories run the gamut from young adult to adult, from motivational and inspirational to full-out Christian and back again. Every title is a new adventure! That’s what keeps Staci writing and you reading. Staci touches the lives of people across the globe every week with her various Internet endeavors including Spirit Light Books–The Blog http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com/ among others.

Visit Staci at her website: http://spiritlightbooks.wordpress.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

December 26, 2011 by Karen Baney

Lonely Hearts by Amanda Stephan

Genre: Christian Romance

Format: eBook, Paperback

Buy: Lonely Hearts

Three men. Two scheming children. One single mother.

Becky Callis is the widowed mother of two trying to make ends meet.

Moving to a new town, things get a little complicated for Becky Callis when her mischievous children try to entangle her with the man they each like best. Jen thinks her mother would be better suited to the preacher of the local community church who just happens to be an old friend of Becky’s. Jeff on the other hand, likes handsome cowboy, Scott Boone.

However, the desire of Becky’s heart seems to be aloof ranch owner Pearce Morgan, who is reluctant to become emotionally attached to anyone after being abandoned by his adulterous ex-wife, Michelle, leaving him to raise their young daughter alone. Things don’t always work out as planned, especially when Pearce’s beautiful ex-wife arrives back on the scene to steal him away.

Can these two reluctant heroes learn to put their past behind them and look forward to a future together?

1. When and why did you begin writing?

I can honestly say that I’ve always written. Whether it was silly little tidbits that didn’t even resemble words, or full-length novellas in my teen years that I hid away, I wrote. I remember the first time I wrote an actual story was during my early teen years. I went to the library and all the books I wanted to read were checked out. I couldn’t stand it, so I wrote my own book. I wouldn’t consider it a great work of art, but I still have it to this day, hidden in our attic where no one can see it. I found writing to be a release for me. It was, and still is, a wonderful way to get my emotions under control as well as my thoughts. My family laughs because I’m always hopping around in a different direction or, as I like to call it, channel surfing when I talk. They find it comical that I can write a complete book, yet I get so sidetracked that I often forget where my keys are.

2. What inspired you to write Lonely Hearts?

My latest work of fiction was inspired by my love for, and the antics of, my children, as well as my husband. I’m a huge family person and I often wonder how people can completely miss the point of being a parent and being in love with their kids. You only have those children for a few short years before they fly the coop (or in our case; nuthouse!) ~ treasure it!

3. Why did you choose to write three male roles?

Ah, what an interesting question! I thought it would be appropriate to write different choices into male leads. Everyone has a choice. You may have been given a rotten deal at life, bad things may have happened to you, but you can choose to make the best of things. That would be Pearce. Next, you can mistake an overwhelming feeling of friendship or lust for the real deal ~ that is Jack. (Not saying that he was lustful, just misled.) Then, you have the wild oats sower. One day, you’ll reap what you grow out of those wild oats. That’s Scott.

4. In the book description, it says that Becky’s children pick a man for their single mom. Do you have children? How has this impacted how you wrote the children’s role in the novel?

Yes, I have two of the most adorable, wonderful, crazy, and sometimes annoying children God could have gifted me with. I patterned both children after mine, and more than one of those scenes were pulled out of our everyday lives. There’s never a dull day at our home!

5. What are you currently working on?

At the moment, I’m working on a series of Christian romance/suspense books that I fondly call the Slade Saga. It’s a series of three novels, with a possibility of a fourth. I have the first two books finished, and am working on the third.

6. Do you have anything else you’d like to say to readers?

Don’t take today for granted. I heard someone say once that today is called the present because it is a gift, and it really put things into perspective. Love much and forgive often to keep your regrets as few as possible.

Amanda Stephan is just a normal, everyday country girl. Residing in Middle, TN with her husband and children who closely resemble several of the seven dwarfs, (Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy/Happy), three cats, (only because hubby refuses to get one of his own so she must share,) one dog, and multiple roosters that love to roost under their bedroom windows. She loves to laugh and have a good time, and she loves to read a good book.
Amanda finds writing to be an opportunity to share God’s love for others in a fun and entertaining way. Her first novel, The Price of Trust, was published in May of 2010, her second novel, Lonely Hearts was released at the end of October, 2011.

Not quite a recluse, Amanda’s rather camera shy, doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, and absolutely LOVES to have her feet tickled. But she would say her most interesting accomplishment is that she laughs like Scooby Doo.

Visit Amanda at her website: http://www.booksbyamanda.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.