Preslaysa

Contest Alert!! Jill is giving away a copy of From Darkness Won! To enter, leave a comment here with your email in this format: yourname(at)youremail(dot)com Winner announced on June 11th!

And now, the interview…

I’m excited about our interview today with novelist Jill Williamson. Jill is a 2010 Christy award winning writer for visionary fiction. Her latest book From Darkness Won, the third book in the Blood of Kings trilogy, released last month with Marcher Lord Press.  

*Welcome to The Literary Mama, Jill. Tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Alaska with no electricity. Thankfully it was the land of the midnight sun. In the summer I could stay up late and read by the daylight that wouldn’t go away. But in the winter there was nothing better to do than daydream I was somewhere—or someone—else. I think both these hobbies set me up to be a writer.

 *What is From Darkness Won about?

Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek’s place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must confront?

Vrell has her own agenda of serving Prince Oren as a healer, but when she is stormed and lost to the Veil, Achan does all he can to bring her back. His conversations with her are strange, though, as if she has no memory of who he is.

In a land consumed by Darkness, the fate of Er’Rets hangs in the balance as Achan endeavors to take the throne and end the reign of Darkness.

 

*How did you come up with the concept for From Darkness Won and the Blood of Kings trilogy?

I was walking with my son one day in Burbank, California, and we came upon a burned-down house. I stopped to look at it and noticed a tree in the front yard. The part of the tree that hung over the fence and above the street was leafy green, rocking and rustling in the wind. But the branches of the tree near the house were charred and stiff.

I stared at that tree for a long time, then took off for home, pushing that stroller at top speed. I went straight to the computer, opened Adobe Photoshop, and made the image of the tree that is the header on my author website. I couldn’t wait to write a story about this tree—about a land that was half-cursed in darkness.

(Preslaysa here: Intruiging!! What a powerful imagination!)

 * What are your favorite books? Who are your favorite authors?

I have too many favorites to single one out. Author-wise, in no particular order, I love Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Lisa Samson, Robert Liparulo, Caroline Keene, C.S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, Jenny B. Jones, Rick Riordan, Brandilyn Collins, J.R.R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Michael Crichton, Cathy Gohlke, Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Cooney, John Grisham, Megan Whalen Turner, Melody Carlson, Nicolas Sparks, J.K. Rowling, Francine Rivers, Randy Ingermanson. The list goes on and on. I enjoy stories that make me laugh, cry, or stay up all night because I can’t put the thing down.

 *What led you to become a writer?

I wanted to speak to teens. I discovered that sometimes, people hire speakers based on articles written by the speaker. So I looked into writing articles. Then the new Harry Potter book came out, and a new barrage of debates within the church community flared up as to whether or not the books were bad for Christians to read. The debate inspired me to write my own teen novel that all Christians would love. Yes, I was a bit naive. I have since learned that no one likes every book. But that’s how I got started. I was inspired to try and write blockbuster-style stories for teens that glorified God.

When a writer’s conference came to town, I signed up right away. I couldn’t believe how much I had to learn. When I got home, I did everything that the conference speakers had recommended. Being teachable has really helped me, I think.

 *What is your favorite bible verse and why?

I can’t pick just one! But here is one that is really important to me. Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 *What other new projects do you have in the future?

My next novel, called Replication, will release from Zonderkidz in January of 2012. It’s a young adult story about a girl who discovers her biologist father is covering up multiple secrets—all of which are named Jason.

I’m also working on a new weekly podcast through my blog in which I’ll be reading By Darkness Hid, the first book in the Blood of Kings trilogy to listeners. People will be able to subscribe in iTunes until they download the entire novel—free. Check my website for more information. This is coming in June 2011.

 *What is one thing people may be surprised to know about you?

I once started my own wedding gown business called Lugano. My first dream in life was to be a fashion designer. Once I became fed up working in the industry, and before I started writing, I designed a line of nine better wedding gowns and went to the Chicago Bridal Market as a vendor. It was a tremendous amount of work, especially considering I hate to sew.

*How can readers get in touch with you?

Readers can email me through my website: www.jillwilliamson.com

 Thanks for stopping by today!

Thanks for having me!

You can order From Darkness Won at Marcher Lord Press or on Amazon. And if you prefer the Kindle version, click here. For the Nook version, click here.

Contest Alert!! Penny is giving away a copy of her novel: Kaydie. Leave a comment on this blog post with your email address to enter. Winner announced on May 30th.

I’m excited about our interview today with novelist Penny Zeller. Penny writes inspirational historical romance and her latest book Kaydie, the second in the Montana Skies series, releases this month.

*Welcome to The Literary Mama Penny. Tell us a little about yourself. It is an honor to be here, Preslaysa! Here is a bit about me in third person (to borrow your words)

Penny Zeller is the author of several books and numerous magazine articles in national and regional publications. She is also the author of the humor blog “A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author” (www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com). She is an active volunteer in her community, serving as a women’s Bible study small-group leader and co-organizing a women’s prayer group. Penny devotes her time to assisting and nurturing women and children into a closer relationship with Christ.  Her passion is to use the gift of the written word that God has given her to glorify Him and to benefit His kingdom. Kaydie follows McKenzie in Montana Skies, her first series with Whitaker House. When she’s not writing, Penny enjoys spending time with her family and camping, hiking, canoeing, and playing volleyball. She and her husband, Lon, reside in Wyoming with their two children. Penny loves to hear from her readers at her Website, www.pennyzeller.com.

*As a wife, mom and author, how do you balance it all?

Actually, Preslaysa, I’m still working on figuring that out *grins* But really, I think prioritizing is one of the biggest challenges of being a writer, especially since I work from home and have a family. I have posted my writing hours on my office door, not so much for visitors, but for myself.  It reminds me that if I don’t set time aside for my writing, it will be spent doing a host of other “necessary” things.

I have to be deliberate about putting aside time for my writing.  I work while my children are in school and then quit for the day when they come home.  My husband and my children are my main ministry, so they are the most important. I also do a lot of volunteer work. In order to keep my priorities in perspective, which is critical, I spend a lot of time in prayer seeking God’s guidance in using my time wisely.  

*What is Kaydie about?

I am thrilled about the release of Kaydie. Here is a short blurb –

 Kaydie is haunted by memories of her abusive husband. As she awaits her baby’s birth, she builds a protective wall around herself.

Deserted by his mother at a young age and despised by his father, Jonah has few close relationships. But there’s something about Kaydie that draws him to her and makes him question his decision to remain a bachelor.

Will Kaydie and Jonah trust God to guard their hearts in the arms of each other?

*How did you come up with the concept for Kaydie? 

When Whitaker House contracted me for a three-book series, I was thrilled to be able to tell Kaydie’s story, as it is such a touching story of hope, love, and dependence on God.

It always amazes me how God inspires and uses us to write about things that can touch the life of another. I once worked as a caseworker in a branch of social services. While I didn’t deal directly with victims of violence, I did see the end result of it in many of my cases.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.” I am thankful that more awareness has been brought to this atrocity and I wanted to give hope to any woman in an abusive marriage. God does care and He is there to be a refuge – an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

In the 1800s, there was nowhere for a woman to go if she found herself in an abusive marriage. Her choices were limited. The story of Kaydie takes place in 1882. While Kaydie felt so alone and helpless at times while being married to an abusive man, she sought the Lord through prayer. Though she didn’t yet have a personal relationship with Him, she did know that God would hear those prayers and that He would help her. God is not unaware of what goes on in the world He created and His heart breaks at the painful experiences His children go through at the hands of another. In Psalm 139 we are told “before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” God knew Kaydie’s choice in a husband had led her to a life of manipulation and abuse, and He loved her, cared for her, and protected her and her unborn child.

I also wanted to show throughout the pages of Kaydie that wounds from an abusive marriage do not heal overnight and there is no “quick fix.” Such painful scars from the physical, emotional, and mental turmoil take time to overcome. But with God’s unconditional love and help, revealed through the people He placed in Kaydie’s path, she would ultimately find peace and healing.

I would also like to mention, that while the subject of domestic violence is a difficult one, the story of Kaydie does not include any graphic descriptions and can be enjoyed by adults and teens alike.

*How much research do you undertake while writing historical fiction?

I love the mid-to-late-1800s, so I actually enjoy research. I spend a lot of time researching books and also online. As a visual person, it really helps me to have a picture of the setting, the house, and other items, such as the tin cookie cutters Kaydie used to make gingerbread cookies in the book.

*How did you know you were called to write?

I have had a love for writing since I was in second grade and rewrote Bible stories in my own little second grade commentary.J Throughout my school years, I would write stories and “publish” numerous stories in homemade cardboard books. In high school, I wrote stories where my friends were the main characters.

Fast forward several years to November of 2000 when I surrendered my writing to the Lord. I quit my fulltime job with a social services governmental agency so I could stay home with my infant daughter. That was the start of my career, beginning with writing magazine articles. Writing is my ministry and my passion and I pray I will glorify Him with each word I write.

*What is your favorite bible verse?

I have so many favorite Bible verses, but if I had to narrow it down, I would say it’s a tie between Psalm 19:14 and Psalm 91.

*What other new projects do you have in the future?

 I just finished the third and final book in the series, Hailee, which is scheduled for release in September. I’m also working on a second historical romance series that takes place in the Post-Civil War Era. I recently finished book one in the series and have started writing book two.

*What is one thing people may be surprised to know about you?

Hmmm, let’s see…when I was 10, I made up this romantic suspense series in my mind where the main character was the handsome and fictional police officer, Josh McClain. Everyday, my younger sister and cousin would excitedly ask me what was going on in Josh’s life (and in the life of the main female character) and what crimes Josh had solved.

I loved telling them my sister and cousin stories about Josh McClain that I had made up in my mind from the night before (usually when I should have been sleeping!) and leaving them at a cliffhanger until I could make up some more details the following night.

*How can readers get in touch with you?

I love to connect with my readers at my website www.pennyzeller.com,

my blog www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com,

on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pennyzeller, and

on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny-A-Zeller/96391560959?ref=ts

Thanks for stopping by today! Thank you again, Preslaysa, for graciously allowing me to be your guest!

You can order Kaydie at (links to be inserted) everywhere books are sold, including Amazon and CBD.

Contest Alert!! Christine Lindsay is giving away a copy of Shadowed in Silk. To enter, please leave a comment on this blog post with your email address in this format yourname(at)youremail(dot)com to prevent hackers. One lucky winner will receive an e-copy of the book from White Fire Publishing. If the winner prefers a paperback copy, they will receive a copy by October 2011. Winner announced on May 25th!!

I’m excited about our interview today with award winning novelist Christine Lindsay. Christine won the 2009 Genesis contest in historical fiction for the novel Shadowed in Silk (formerly titled Unveiled), which releases this month as an e-book this month and will be released in September in paperback.

*Welcome to The Literary Mama Christine. Tell us a little about yourself.*

Thank you Preslaysa for having me as a guest. What a gorgeous name you have. (Preslaysa here: Thanks Christine!!)  I’m a pretty ordinary mama for sure. I adore my husband and family. We have 3 grown up kids, and I also have a good relationship with my birthdaughter—the child I relinquished to adoption when she was 3 days old. She and I reunited 20 years later. So, the Lord has blessed my empty arms over and over with children. I have learned that you can never out-give God.

*Tell us about your journey to publication.*

The journey was a lot, lot, longer than I thought it would be. I took creative writing courses and attended writer’s conferences.  Through ACFW I met critique partners who helped me polish my writing. Entering contests brought me some exposure. But even winning the ACFW Genesis didn’t guarantee publication. I’d written a book with a unique setting and a slightly edgy topic, so the major CBA houses passed on it.  About 2 years ago I thought my dream to write fiction was dead, and my agent was leaving the business. But a year later, the call came from a small press, WhiteFire Publishing. And now I’m a believer—that God enjoys doing great BIG things through small people who hold out to Him the small things in their hands—like a loaf of bread, a few fish, a few smooth stones, a book. 

  *What is Shadowed in Silk about?*

SiS is about women who feel invisible. After the Great War, Abby Fraser returns to India with her small son, where her husband is stationed with the British Army. But Nick has become a cruel stranger.

Major Geoff Richards, broken over the loss of so many of his men in the trenches of France, returns to his cavalry post in Amritsar. But his faith does little to help him understand the ruthlessness of his British peers toward the Indian people he loves. Nor does it explain how he is to protect Abby Fraser and her child from the husband who mistreats them.

And then there is Tikah, a young Muslim woman, who is Nick’s mistress, and whom he mistreats. And it’s about Eshana, a former Hindu widow who is now a Christian and who leads Abby to the Lord.

 The personal lives of these characters are set amid political unrest, inhospitable deserts, and Russian spies. Tensions rise as the Indian people cry for the freedom espoused by Gandhi. And Geoff and Abby, caught between their own ideals and duty, stumble into sinister secrets . . . secrets that will thrust them out of the shadows and straight into the fire of revolution.

 *Who are your favorite characters in Shadowed in Silk and why?*

I am in love with my hero Geoff. To me a good book has to have a man I can swoon over. Yes, Geoff has his faults, his vulnerabilities. He needs to learn to have the courage to embrace joy again. He also needs to lighten up and love the woman God brings into his life, even if she’s not as pure as the driven snow like his first wife was. But Geoff is the strong, silent, stiff-upper-lip Englishman who will lay down his life for the men of his regiment, or for a houseful of orphans. He’s such a softie when it comes to children and to his cavalry steeds, Samson and Goliath.

I also love my heroine, Abby. She’s flawed, and at the start of the book doesn’t believe in a personal relationship with God. But she’s honest, and tries to sort out her own life, only to mess it up further . . . like a lot of us have done.

*What type of research did you do while writing Shadowed in Silk?*

Tons of research. I read autobiographies of British Cavalrymen, Famous Englishwomen who went out to British India, and that of lowly Christian missionaries. I read books on Indian life, Indian flora, fauna, cooking, culture, politics. The life story of Gandhi, Neru, etc. And I also enjoyed reading cookbooks written by Englishwomen who lived in British India. That’s where I learned that a favorite of English children in India was a chapatti spread with marmalade.

*What do you hope readers walk away with knowing from Shadowed in Silk?

I want them to understand that no matter how small and insignificant they may feel, that a loving God sees them and hears them in whatever struggle or hardship they are experiencing. I also want them to learn that the only one who can lift the veil of sin from us is Jesus Christ. He alone enables us to see God face-to-face.

*Where do you see yourself in five years?*

If it’s God’s plan, I hope to still be writing encouraging and adventurous stories in some format, even if it’s just on my blog. And I hope to continue to teach and mentor other writers as I edit and critique their work.

*What other new projects do you have in the future?*

I’m currently finishing a Historical Romance set in Washington State circa 1910. I call it Sofi’s Bridge. It’s about a young woman who puts her duty to her family first and is afraid to pursue the artistic dreams she has inside her. In her case—designing bridges—not something you saw too much in a woman in 1910.

*What is one thing people may be surprised to know about you?*

Prince Philip patted me on the head when I was a baby. He and the Queen were visiting Northern Ireland where I was born, and I was sitting in my pram when they came out to speak to the commoners at some function.

*How can readers get in touch with you?*

I’d love to hear from you. Email me at Christine.lindsay.writer@gmail.com

Or drop by my website www.christinelindsay.com

*Thanks for stopping by today!*

You can order Shadowed in Silk at Amazon