Barbara Phinney this week/good news

Congratulations to dolls123 for winning Cara Putman's Deadly Exposure and Theresa for winning Sherri Sand's book, Leave It to Chance.

If you want to win Barbara's new book, Keeping Her Safe, then please leave a comment on the posts with your email address in it or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing will end next Sunday evening.

Keeping Her Safe (Love Inspired Suspense, June 2008):
Hunter Gordon had pleaded guilty to a crime he hadn't committed. And served ten long years in prison. All to save the family who had taken him in: beautiful Rae Benton and her father. But right before Rae's father died, he revealed his daughter was in danger. Hunter had to keep her safe. How was he supposed to get close? Rae didn't know the truth and blamed him for the loss of all she held dear. Hunter would have to earn Rae's trust—without ever telling her what really happened a decade ago.


Barbara Phinney's bio:
Barbara has lived in four countries in her life and never gets tired of traveling. But nowadays, you’ll find her in her rural New Brunswick home writing or planning some volunteer event for her church or her children’s school. The small town in which she lives provides much fodder for her stories, and she’s often threatening her friends and family that they’ll find a place in one of her books.

Barbara has had six books published, five with Harlequin, and finds the Bible to be her greatest source of inspiration. She feels it has the widest variety of people, and every one of them made mistakes, yet God loved them all. That amazes her.

She would love to hear from her readers, either through her website,

www.barbaraphinney.com,
or through the editor at:
Steeple Hill Books
233 Broadway Suite 1001
New York NY 10279

My good news is that summer is here--well not officially but school is out and I'm finished with my subbing job. I went back into the classroom to teach first graders for two months in lab classes for reading and math and the work piled up. I think I'll be spending weeks digging myself through the piles.

Also I found out that Buried Secrets won the Winter Rose Contest (tied with Molly Bull) in the inspirational category. And So Dark the Night and Once Upon the Time are finalists in the Beacon in the inspirational category.

Take care,
Margaret

Sherri Sand's interview

Don't forget to leave a message with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com if you want to be entered in the drawing for the book Leave It to Chance.

How did you come up with the characters in your book?

They came to me. When I saw Sierra, I knew she was a mom who deeply loved her kids and wanted the best for them. Elise was so fun to write with her over-the-top ways. When she drove up to Sierra’s and pushed her ooga horn, I knew I was going to love her. And Sid is such a dear and reminds me so much of my father-in-law, Art. And Ross, how could you not love him?

Do you have a horse?

No, but I love horses, and desperately wanted one as a child. I did end up with a little Shetland pony named Sundance that I would gallop through the
mint fields around our house. I spent countless hours sprawled across him backwards
reading books. One time he’d apparently had enough of the dead weight on his back and he lay down. It was a shocking end to my reading time.

Did the theme of forgiveness/unforgiveness that Sierra deals with come from your own life?

In a way it did, though I didn’t consciously implement it into the novel. Just like most of us living in this fallen world, there have been a couple significant events in my life that I had difficulty forgiving. I finally realized that if I waited until I felt like forgiving, it would never happen. And I desperately needed to forgive. The bitterness was choking the life out of me. So with God’s help and through His grace I made the choice to forgive and forgive and forgive. I wish I could say that there was instant peace and joy. Though I think that can happen for people when they forgive, I’d lived in unforgiveness for so long that I had to continually make a choice to forgive until the freedom came. And when that freedom came, it was a wow moment for me!

In the story, Sierra has three young kids, you have four children. How successful are you at trusting God with their lives?

It’s been an ongoing process for me. Maybe because I’m a writer and have such a vivid imagination, I can always come up with the most gut-wrenching conclusions to the most innocuous circumstances involving my kids. That makes it hard to let go and trust. But how much control do we actually have over every day life? I had to learn that before we can trust God with ourselves or our children, we have to get to know him first. It’s only in knowing God and His character that trust can develop. And when we truly know the God of the universe, we can trust him with everything.

Ross worked hard in his landscaping business in an attempt to prove his value. Do you struggle with that?

It’s difficult not to get caught up in that. Our world is performance driven. How often do we praise others without attributing it to something they’ve done? Even with our children, we praise how well they unloaded the dishwasher or drew a picture or minded us. It’s difficult to find the words to value people for who they are, apart from anything they do. For most of my life, performance colored my relationship with God. I could not wrap my mind around the concept that He loved me despite less than perfect behaviors. Recently I glimpsed His grace from a new angle. Sin does create anger, but God’s anger was satisfied at the cross. So rather than His anger at our sinfulness, we have His pleasure in us. That has done wonders with my ability to be myself with Him, to honestly let His light shine on all parts of me—the good and the unsightly. When you bring your faults to God and discover He isn’t angry, you can fully experience His compassion and love.

When you’re not writing or parenting, how do you spend your spare time?
Reading or running. (An occasional bubble bath with book and treats–door padlocked, of course!) With four kids, seven to eleven and a half years old, spare time is a rare commodity in our home!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Hmmm. . . probably the ability to see where my kids will stumble the most painfully so I can help develop their characters more diligently in those areas.
For you, what was the most difficult part of the process of writing this book?
The editing. I wrote and rewote and rewrote and then my agent sold it to David C. Cook who hired an amazing editor to reshape it. It was tough. Spent a lot of time sending up SOS prayers!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An author. Then as I got older an Egyptologist, then an accountant and finally in college decided to become a psychologist. God had other plans. Ones that I love!
Where will you be headed next?
I’ve started a collaboration series that I’m really excited about. I met with my agent and another writer a couple weeks ago to brainstorm and do some character development. It’s going to be a lot of fun to write.

Cara Putman's interview

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email included or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com if you want to be entered into the drawing for Deadly Exposure, Cara's Love Inspired Suspense for May 2008. The drawing ends Sunday evening.

1. What made you start writing?

I’ve always loved reading and tried writing novels as a young teen. I’d always hit a point where the history or the plot would stymie me, and I’d stop. Then I started college, career, got married, went to law school, and started a family. Didn’t have much time for writing, but the dream wouldn’t die. A few years ago I went to a book-signing and after talking to an author for awhile, my husband leaned into the conversation and asked if I’d told Colleen I wanted to be a writer. That jump-started the process, and I’ve been writing every since.

2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

I started writing again after meeting Colleen Coble in April 2005. I sold my first book at the ACFW conference in September 2006 – it was a quick process, and I’m so grateful for the way God has guided me and chided me when I need to spend more time with my fingers firmly attached to the keyboard.

3. How do you handle rejections?

Take a deep breath and start writing again. I’ve been fortunate because most of my rejections have fallen in the category of, “While we’d like to, now is the right time” or “are you willing to change this in your book?” So they feel more like a delay than an actual rejection. I have to choose whether to make the suggested changes, but I’ve found the changes only make the books stronger. I’m sure the day is coming when there will be a flat out no, though.

4. Why do you write?

Because I can’t imagine not writing. I’ve always journaled, written letters, etc. So even if there weren’t a contract, I’d still write. It just wouldn’t be in 50,000 or more word chunks.

5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?

I love to read, scrapbook, hang out with friends and my family.

6. What are you working on right now?

This summer I’m writing the Complete Idiots Guide to Business Law and the first book in an Ohio World War Two series. I also have some legal and romantic suspense ideas I’ll try to flesh out between these other two contracted projects.

7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

I do. In fact I posted a review I received on Deadly Exposure from a friend who has known me since I was in diapers. She picked up on so many elements of me that got wound into that book. It’s my first, so that didn’t surprise me, but each book has something of me in it. I love suspense. World War Two is my favorite time period. My heroines are often strong women facing challenges to their faith and lives. I can relate to all of that.

8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.

In May I have two books releasing. Sandhill Dreams is a historical romance set at Fort Robinson, Nebraska during World War Two. With her dreams shattered, will Lainie Gardner allow God and a soldier at Fort Robinson to breathe life into new dreams that will bring her more joy than she imagined? Deadly Exposure is my first romantic suspense with Love Inspired Suspense. With a stalker closing in, will television journalist Dani Richards trust her former love and police investigator Caleb Jamison to help her and God to rescue her?

9. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find and join an organization like American Christian Fiction Writers. I have learned so much from this organization of authors. Also attend conferences, like ACFW’s, where you can learn the craft, and meet the editors, agents, and authors who might be able to help you get to the next level. But most of all, sit down and write. Then write some more. 500 words a day equals a book by the end of the year. You can’t edit and refine a blank screen.

10. How important is faith in your books?

Critical. I couldn’t write without faith. Some plots the faith element is more blatant than others, but the reality of God who is active in the lives of His followers runs through each of my books.

11. What themes do you like to write about?

Finding a place when life is crazy and unexpected. That seems to run through most of my books at this point.

12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

Wow, this is a hard question. I love each of them for different reasons. Deadly Exposure was the first book I wrote and it is a thrill to see it in print. Canteen Dreams tells some of my grandparents’ love story as well as highlights an amazing homefront story of sacrifice. Each book has to capture me in some way or I wouldn’t have the patience to write it through to The End.

13. What is your writing schedule like?

I write most nights between the hours of 9 and midnight. If I’m under deadline, you will find me writing during those hours and more.

Thanks so much for having me, Margaret!

Cara Putman and Sherri Sand this week

Congratulations, Cindi. You are the winner of Colleen Coble's book, Anathema.

This week I have two authors featured. The first one is Cara Putman with her first Love Inspired Suspense book, Deadly Exposure. Isn't that a wonderful name for a suspense story? If you are interested in being in the drawing for this book, please leave a comment this week with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing ends Sunday evening. Check out her web site at www.caraputman.com.

My next author is Sherri Sand. She will be featured on Friday, 5-23-08. The book she is giving away is Leave It to Chance. If you want to be entered in the drawing for that book, please leave a comment this week with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing ends Sunday evening. Check out her website at www.sherrisand.com.


Below are their bios:
Cara Putman:
Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. For years she asked God if this dream was from Him. Her life was full. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), moved to the Washington, DC area, married the man of her dreams, worked in the non-profit world, went to George Mason Law School at night while working, and then started having children. While her life was far from empty, the dream wouldn’t die. Then she followed her husband to Indiana. Talk about starting over!

In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, was history. There she met Colleen Coble. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, Cara’s been writing books.

Heartsong Presents is publishing a three book series of World War Two romances: Canteen Dreams (October 2007), Sandhill Dreams (May 2008), and Captive Dreams (September 2008). Love Inspired Suspense published her first romantic suspense in May 2008. Now she’s working on the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Law (don’t ask!) and the first book in an Ohio World War Two series.

Cara is also an attorney, lecturer at a Big Ten university, women's ministry leader, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband and her kids that is.

Sherri Sand:
Sherri Sand is a wife and mother of four young children who keep her scrambling to stay ahead of the spilled milk. When she needs stress relief from wearing all the hats required to clothe, feed and ferry her rambunctious brood, you’ll find her sitting in a quiet corner of a bistro reading a book (and surrounded by chocolate). Then to elude that calorie consumption you might see her running on the trails throughout Eugene, a city considered to be the running capital of the world. Sherri is a member of The Writer’s View and American Christian Fiction Writers. She finds the most joy in writing when the characters take on a life of their own and she becomes the recorder of their stories. She holds a degree in psychology from the University of Oregon where she graduated cum laude.

Colleen Coble's interview

Don't forget if you want Colleen's most recent book, leave a comment with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing ends on Sunday evening.


1. What made you start writing?

I’d always wanted to write but didn’t start the process until I lost a younger brother in a tragic lightning accident. It was a wakeup call that if I ever wanted to follow my dream, I’d better get on it because none of us know how long we have.

2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

I began that first story in 1990 but didn’t sell it until 1997. That’s seven, count ‘em, SEVEN years. God’s number, perfection, so I tell myself that’s all right! LOL

3. How do you handle rejections?

In the early days, I’d cry for a while, then I’d rework the book and send it out again. Some might see the editing process as rejection of how they wrote the book, but I love that part of it. I crave the feedback from my editor. It’s a team effort and we both want the best for the book!

4. Why do you write?

Writing helps me make sense of the world. The spiritual themes that make their way into my books are often truths that I’ve learned or am still learning.

5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?

I thought this was supposed to be a FUN interview, Margaret! If you took away my writing, you’d take my reason for living. LOL Oh wait, do you mean free time in between a book? Is there such a thing? If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about the next book. Or the one after that. Or working on promotion. Can you say obsessed? ☺


6. What are you working on right now?

I just turned in a new Rock Harbor book. I’ve told myself I’m taking off the entire next month but I have a sneaking feeling I won’t be able to do it. Already the characters for the next book, a psychological suspense set in the Charleston area, are whispering to me.

7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

All the time. Every character, even the villain. Isn’t that a scary thought?

8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.

It’s called Anathema and it’s an Amish romantic suspense. A young Amish woman comes home from a secret tryst to find her family murdered by strychnine. She runs from the thought of forgiving the killer by marrying her beau—a terrible decision when he turns out to be abusive. After escaping him, she’s forced back to her Amish family to find out the truth about a child she thought was dead.

9. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Of course! ☺ Read extensively in your genre, attend at least one great conference a year (the ACFW one comes to mind) and never give up. Never give up. NEVER give up!

10. How important is faith in your books?

Faith is at the core of who I am. My books are written from my worldview that God exists and cares about us. That believe doesn’t usually come out in a heavy-handed way, but it’s woven through there if you look.

11. What themes do you like to write about?

I often start out with a theme but I find I’m writing about forgiveness before I know it. ☺

12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

Oh wow, that’s like asking me which of my two children do I love the most! LOL I love each one when I’m writing it. I can tell you that my Rock Harbor books are the ones READERS email me about over and over again. Something about that search dog Samson. . . But then again, I get a lot of mail about the Aloha Reef series and Nani the dolphin. ☺

My new book Anathema is my current darling though. I have some Amish friends I dearly love. I feel such peace in their home so it was fun to visit there through the few months I wrote the book. And forgiveness is the beat of my heart so that made the journey even more enjoyable.

13. What is your writing schedule like?

Hectic! I write every day from about 9-4. Okay, I admit I do a lot of email in that time too. Okay, okay, maybe MORE than a lot of email. LOL I try to pound out the first, rough draft in about 6-8 weeks so that it’s easier to see how it’s all coming together. Then I spend more weeks polishing and honing, often changing entire plots. And yes, sometimes even changing the villain. ☺

Colleen Coble this week

Congratulations, Melody. You are the winner of Christy Barritt's Suspicious Minds: A Novel.

This week I'm hosting Colleen Coble. She will be giving away her new book, Anathema. If you want a chance to win this book, please leave a comment with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing ends this Sunday.

Bio:
Author Colleen Coble's thirty novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best awards. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.

Check out her other books at her web site.

An Amish Romantic Suspense Novel from Million-selling Award-winning Novelist Colleen Coble.

Editorial Description from Amazon of Anathema:
Hannah Schwartz slipped away from her Amish family to meet with her beau, Reece Ericson. When she returned, she discovered her parents murdered and their handmade quilts stolen.

Years later, a shunned Hannah returns to the scene of the crime in hopes of restoring her family and her faith. But while much has changed in Hannah's life, the danger at home now threatens with a vengence.

Christy Barritt's interview

Don't forget if you want the book, Suspicious Minds: A Novel, from Christy Barritt please email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com or leave a comment with your email address in it. The drawing ends Sunday evening, May 11th.


1. What made you start writing?
I’ve always loved stories and I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a writer. I studied communications at college and worked at a publishing house after graduating. Today, I don’t just write books… I’m also a stringer for my local newspaper and a freelancer for a couple of magazines. I love to tell stories!

2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?
I actually wrote a couple of books in high school and a couple more in college. One of the books I wrote in college I submitted to a publishing house, which requested a full manuscript. It was ultimately rejected. After college, I worked for a publishing house. After I left that job, I pursued writing seriously. Three years later, I got a contract with a small (very small) house. I’ve continued to move up to bigger houses since then.

3. How do you handle rejections?
I still struggle with rejections. Some are harder than others. Last year, I had a particularly hard rejection, one where the publisher requested several rounds of revisions before taking the book to pub board. He rejected it by saying, “I think another publisher will buy this. It’s a great story… I really love it. But we have to pass.” That rejection really knocked the wind out of me. The pain from rejection eventually fades and you have to keep writing despite the disappointment.

4. Why do you write?
It may sound cliché, but I can’t not write. Believe me, I’ve tried before. Stories are just a part of me. There’s always one spinning in my head.

5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?
I’d probably be focusing on my music more. I used to play and sing a lot for coffeehouses and churches. That’s taken a backseat currently.

6. What are you working on right now?
A couple of projects, both lighthearted mysteries that have yet to find a home. I’m also working on the third book in the Squeaky Clean series, about crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire. I just love that girl and writing the book is like visiting with old friends!

7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
Absolutely. I think my best books are the ones that help me to explore issues about myself through the story. As I wrote Suspicious Minds, my newest release, I realized my main character struggled with loneliness. The book helped me to express some of my feelings about being alone and feeling disconnected. This past year was especially hard in that regard, but I learned a lot about myself in the process. I can be much to “work focused” sometimes, and I know now that I need to get out and be around people.

8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.
In Suspicious Minds, crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire takes a mold remediation job to make ends meet. While in the crawlspace of a dilapidated old house, she finds Elvis—dead and still wearing his blue suede shoes. Gabby can’t resist sticking her nose into another investigation! Along the way, she tries to figure out her love life, her spiritual life and the wacky world of Elvis impersonators!

9. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep at it. Publishing isn’t easy. Write what you believe in and let the rest of the details work themselves out. If you ever start writing simply for the market or just to get published, your joy will dissipate. Write the story of your heart.

10. How important is faith in your books?
Faith is a vital part of my life. I try to be subtle when I write about spiritual themes—I don’t want to write sermons disguised as fiction. I think the best spiritual threads are the ones growing organically from the story. In the Squeaky Clean series, my crime-scene cleaner—who’s a forensic scientist wannabe—struggles with the concept of faith verses science. That formed naturally based on my character’s personality.

11. What themes do you like to write about?
Whatever is near my heart. I try to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prodding. I want to be authentic with whatever I’m writing about—even the most devout Christian sometimes struggles with his or her faith. I try to be honest and vulnerable. And I never, ever want to sugar-coat Christianity. Christians are flawed and imperfect. God’s grace is amazing.

12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?
My favorite book has never been published. It’s called The Good Girl and it’s about a girl who follows all the “rules” of religion, yet her life goes terribly wrong. The book also has a mystery element. I’m a lot like the main character—I like following the rules, but I learned a long time ago that following the rules doesn’t mean God loves you any more. Accepting God’s grace is a concept I’ve struggled with.

13. What is your writing schedule like?
It’s more sporadic now than it used to be. I have a two year old who keeps me on my toes. My mom keeps him two days a week for me so I can work—which doesn’t mean just working on my books. I write for the newspaper and I’m a worship leader at my church. I almost always end up working a couple evenings a week and always—always!—during nap times. ☺