Monday, October 4, 2010

Giveaway and Author Interview: Mirrored Image

Please help me welcome author A.K. Arenz to the blog! There is a giveaway today, so be on the watch. :-)

Welcome to Writing for Christ! Thank you for being with us today.


Thank you for inviting me!

Tell us a little about yourself!
Bio:

Besides writing cozy mysteries, A.K. Arenz also writes classic romantic suspense. The first in The Bouncng Grandma Mystery Series, The Case of the Bouncing Grandma, was a finalist in the 2009 ACFW Book of the Year contest. The second in the series, The Case of the Mystified M.D., was the February 2010 book choice in the ACFW Book Club and  won the 2010 ACFW Carol Award!!!

1: How long did you write before you were published?

I’ve been writing in some form or another since I was around twelve. I started being more serious about it in the ’70s. I subscribed to WRITER’S DIGEST magazine, got many of their writing books, and did some major submitting. In the ’90s I signed with a big New York literary agency. I stayed with them for about five years. The agent split off on her own and, after a while, we parted ways. After nearly seven years of trying not to write, I joined ACFW. It was the relationships I formed in the group that led me to publication three years ago. All in all, I’d say three-quarters of my life have been spent trying to become a published author. Without revealing my age, let’s just say that it’s been a LONG haul!

2: When you held that first book in your hands, what was your first thought?

THANK YOU, FATHER! Literally. It was almost as awesome as holding a baby for the first time – almost.

3: What are you working on now?

Right now I’m trying combine the best of two versions of my novel called AN AMERICAN GOTHIC. The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek. The book is a mystery/suspense, or classic romantic suspense. The “gothic” comes from the novel the heroine is writing. At the beginning of each chapter is a paragraph or two of Lyssie’s novel. Her novel, CRAVEN, basically foreshadows the action to come in the main body of GOTHIC. You’ll end up with two stories for the price of one!

4: Where can readers find out more about your books?

You can go to my website, http://www.akawriter.com/ , or to my publisher’s site, http://www.sheafhouse.com/ .

5: What message(s) do you want to be clear to your readers?

I’m not sure if I put a message in my novels – at least not overtly. My main aim is to write for the audience’s enjoyment and to give them an alternative to books that use gratuitous sex and violence – and bad language to sell. We need to reclaim the beauty of the written word, stop writing down to people and prove that a book written with a Christian world view doesn’t have to be preachy and out of touch with reality.

6: What are two things that people wouldn't normally know about you as a writer and or person?

As a writer . . . that I would love to write something that not only scares them, but me, too – something that makes a person sit up and take notice, not necessarily something frightening.

As a person? Um . . . that I don’t always make sense, but maybe they’ve already figured that out???

Thank you for being with us today. Any final words for readers?

Thanks for having me! Happy Reading!!

Leave a comment with your email address. IF I DRAW YOUR NAME AND THERE IS NO EMAIL ADDRESS YOU WILL NOT WIN!
For extra entries:
~be a follower
~be an email subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items of said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter!
Contest ends on October 16th.

48 comments:

  1. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention! reneeasmith61 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please enter me in the drawing.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. This book sounds wonderful. This would be a new to me author and am very excited for the chance to win.

    Connieed53(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds interesting. I'm a follower and email subscriber.

    homesteading[at]charter[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm a follower and subscriber and would love to win this!

    Doreen
    priviesandprims at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Enjoyed this interview. Loved that you liked writing to scare you and the reader.

    alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am a follower!


    alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am an email subscriber!


    alekee02[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  9. thanks for the chance to read this wonderful novel :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. email subscriber :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. i'm a follower :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loved the interview.

    I am a follower and subscriber.

    Thank you for the chance.

    Wendy
    wdesirees@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Please enter me in your contest.
    I am also an email subscriber and follower.
    wsmarple/at/gmail/dot/com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Superb idea! A book within a book. I would love this. Please enter me.

    desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. The book sounds really good and I would love to read it. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. This book sounds really good!

    I am a follower.

    I am a subscriber.

    pinkdaddysgirl[at]msn[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Enjoyed this interview -- it is nice to have the choice of books that do not include a lot of sex and foul language. That has not always been the case and it is so wonderful that more and more writers are writing books that are fit to read. Thank you!

    janmarien[at]embarqmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am a follower and a subscriber.

    janmarien[at]embarqmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Another new (to me)author who has written very interesting sounding books! Please enter me in the drawing for a book. Thanks.
    I am an e-mail subscriber.
    pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd love to read!
    Ann_Lee_Miller@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sounds like an interesting book! Please include me.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  22. Follower

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  23. email subscriber

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  24. I keep seeing this one all over the place, it looks wonderful, please enter me. I am a follower and subscriber.

    Blessings
    Michelle V
    lifeinreviewblog[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm a follower.

    desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm a subscriber (pretty sure).

    desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Please enter me
    bkhabel at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I am a follower
    bkhabel at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey Casey!!
    This book sounds great : ) I'd love to be entered!

    By the way, I love the look of your background *grin*
    Talk to you later,
    Thanks!!
    Hannah
    hccelie[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  30. This sounds like my kind of book! Thank you for holding this giveaway!
    April D.
    apeygirl[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great giveaway! Please enter me.

    kate[at]parchmentgirl[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am a follower.

    kate[at]parchmentgirl[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I really enjoyed The Case of the Mystified MD. Alice's new book about a writer involved in a mystery sounds terrific also. Please include me in the drawing. Thanks!
    worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I'm a follower.
    worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'm a subscriber.
    worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  36. What a lot of terrific comments!

    Thank you all for your interest in MIRRORED IMAGE, The Bouncing Grandma series, and in my upcoming novel, AN AMERICAN GOTHIC! You're giving me big shoes to fill!!

    God Bless,
    Alice K. Arenz

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love a good mystery and enjoyed the Bouncing Grandma series. Alice is well deserving of awards and I'm eager to read Mirrored Image. Thank you for the interview and giveaway.

    I'm a follower . . .

    . . . and a subscriber.

    cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!!
    By the way, Carmen sent me.

    ~I am a follower
    ~I am an email subscriber

    I love learning more about authors whose books I haven't read, YET!

    charsaltz (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I think I found me a new author to read! Thanxs!

    frugalmdmom at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  40. I already love this story and can't wait to read. Thanks for the opportunity to enter.

    I am a GFC Follower
    I am a email subscriber

    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Please include me! thanks

    dcf_beth at verizon dot net

    ReplyDelete
  42. I'm a follower!

    dcf_beth at verizon dot net

    ReplyDelete
  43. I would love to win this, thanks!
    I am a GFC Follower
    I am a email subscriber
    cjwallace43 at gmail. dot

    ReplyDelete
  44. I'd love to read this book. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

    a(dot)long(at)tcu(dot)edu

    ReplyDelete
  45. Sounds like an interesting book. Would love to read it. Thanks for giving away a copy.
    plhouston(at)bellsouth(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  46. The storyline is soooo good and I would like to win this book.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  47. I follow by google reader.

    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  48. This book sound wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway. augustlily06(AT)aim(DOT)com.Thank you.I'm a follower!
    I am a email subscriber.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love to hear from those who traffic my blog! Have a wonderful day. :)