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!!

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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.

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Contest ends on October 16th.