Giveaway and Author Interview: Avery's Crossroad

Welcome to Writing for Christ Deanna Klingel, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

An interesting fact about me that most readers wouldn't know is I live in a dog-love-dog-world. I danced in canine freestyle competitions with my dogs for a few years. Loved it! Had so much fun. We often used some of their smaller moves to entertain when we did therapy dog visitations at nursing homes and hospitals. The experiences we had with therapy dog led to our first book, Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog. I operate a lovely dog park in my community and I'm an event planner (something else most people wouldn't know) providing the community with a summer event, Paws on Parade. My life is a dog's life and it's wonderful.

 Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

My favorite genre to read and write must be historical fiction. Cane River, Devil in the White City, and Undaunted Courage are favorites. Oh, and remember the John Jakes Bicentennial series? That's probably what hooked me to begin with.  My own historical fiction, Avery's Battlefield and Avery's Crossroad, involved a lot of research, but I enjoyed every moment of it. Even the marketing was fun as it involved visits to our national battlefields and historic sites during the sesquicentennial commemoration. I love getting the young readers involved with their history.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

A small nugget of writing advice which completely changed how I view writing is a simple statement I heard at a conference: If you want to be viewed as a professional, don't treat it as if it were a hobby. So much for lounging about in pajamas in front of the computer. I am up, showered, dressed and fed before clocking in. I have phone time, writing time, marketing days. Every bit of it charged with professionalism. I keep my appointments and I'm dressed like I expect it to be a business appointment, rather than a get-together with writers. I keep good records, and invest in future success.

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

What I enjoy most about being a published author is meeting the young readers and talking to them about the importance of writing and reading skills. I like hearing what they are reading and I'm so amazed and impressed with them. They are so smart! I've been surprised that they all have asked questions about the cover. They're interested in the process of book designing. I've had to get educated in that process so I can answer their questions. Definitely meeting and talking to the YA readers has been the highlight of being published.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I have a website, www.BooksByDeanna.com. This is interesting for a person who is inately shy. I blog usually one time a month for another writer's blog. My publisher Journey Forth has a website at www.BJUPress.com, and that has the Avery books, and I think something about the author. Friends tell me they google my name and find all kinds of things about me. That's a bit unnerving, but I guess it's true. I don't have any secrets really. I have 7 kids and 11 grandkids, so it'd be hard to keep any secrets for long.

Thank you for being with us today!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Deanna's book!

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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 for said prize.


Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on November 18th.