Wishing on Wednesday!

So my "Wishing on Wednesday" post first featured just one book, but then several other Bethany House covers hit the mainstream social medial eye and I had to share them with you as well in case you've had the misfortune of not spotting them yet. I'll be reading these stories this fall!!

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Sadie Sillsby works as the assistant to the matron at the Raystown Home for Orphan and Friendless Children and dreams of the day she’ll marry her beau, Blaine. But when the matron surprises everyone by announcing her own engagement, Sadie is suddenly next in line for the job. For a young woman who was once an orphan herself, a shot at such an esteemed position is a wish come true.

But the matron of the Home cannot be married. Is Sadie willing to give up her dreams of a life with Blaine and a family of her own? Is she prepared to forego daily involvement with the children as she manages the finances and logistics of the ministry? And when it’s revealed that the Home is spending a lot more money than it’s taking in, can Sadie turn things around before the place is forced to close forever?

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The minute I saw this cover on Laura Frantz's blog, my heart gave a sigh. The little red-headed girl is a heart breaker and reminds me so very much of Sarah, Plain and Tall. When I was a young teen I read those books several times over and we own the movies. Combine that with the rockstar talent of Anne Mateer and you've got a novel that I'll be ever so eager to get my hands on.

And it's not even available for preorder yet! 

Release date: September 2013

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Made to Last is about a homebuilding TV show host out to save her career while juggling a fake husband, former fiance and nosy reporter...all under the roof of the one house she can't bring herself to finish building. It releases in September

That's all the info we've got on this story at this time, but I couldn't WAIT to share the cover for a book I'm uber-eager for!

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A desperate homesteader longs for a wife to share his burdens, but three failed attempts at mail order brides lead him to believe God wants him single. When the prettiest woman he’s ever seen agrees to become his wife, his joy turns to distress when her past keeps her from desiring anything but a marriage in name only.When a near-fatal wound shoves them closer to each other than either one can stand, will his bride cave to love or will fear keep her armored against his affections?

Release Date: October 2013 with Bethany House Publishers

I'm not sure where I have been to not know Melissa had sold to Bethany House! But I love mail order bride stories and this one is unique for it's genre. Fall will be rich with reading!!

What do you think??

Giveaway! Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott!

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

When I was eighteen and a senior in high school, I carried out a foolhardy plan of visiting New Haven, CT by myself and sleeping on the streets in the shelter of a building, with only a sleeping bag. I’m lucky I lived to tell the tale! New Haven is a rough town.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I really don’t, because I love good writing so much that a good book transcends genre. But I only love books that offer a redemptive vision. I’m not fond of bleak and hopeless stories.

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

You have to be willing to write badly, or you’ll never write at all.

5 things you love?

Well, God and my family, of course, but to be a little more specific…I love standing next to a horse at night, when no one is around, and the peace that descends over us when it lowers its head and sighs. I love to see fog roll across green fields. I marvel at the delicacy and intricacy of a single flower blossom. I relish a dry witty remark. And I love to play a board game with friends.

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. This is a great read and very unusual in its presentation of the miraculous. The story is a positive portrait of faith, which is rare in mainstream literature. The characterizations are brilliant and funny, and the main characters are young people in their teens.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

There’s more about why I write and how I write at my website, www.rosslynelliott.com. Also, I love to get new Facebook connections on my author page, which you can find under my name.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks for having me!

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

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a 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 for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on February 8th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Make That a FUN Author Interview! My Guest? Becky Wade!

It's a new feature on Writing for Christ!

Sometimes we just gotta let loose. Have a little fun.  Thus I had this crazy idea…and I’m pretty excited about it. Hope you love it and if you have suggestions for questions, leave them in the comments! :- )

The Basics:

Name: Becky Wade

Home State (complete with address so we can stalk you): Texas

Occupation: Mom and Author

Height: 5'6"

Order here

Hair Color: Blond, thanks only to my colorist.

Goin’ Deeper:

Celebrity crush: Ryan Gosling

#1 favorite pastime: Getting a pedicure.  A pedicure offers me four big benefits.  1) Pampering.  2) I read the whole time I'm there.  3) I get to escape my kids.  4) For three weeks afterward I have cute toes to enjoy!

Best book of your childhood: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Go to comfort food: Dark chocolate

Worst job you ever had: I worked at the Estee Lauder counter in a department store once.  I'm a terrible saleswoman.

Preorder here

In Ten Words or Less:

Happiest moment of your life: The first time my husband said, "I love you."

One thing on your bucket list: A trip to Paris.  The croissants, crepes, scenery, coffee, art!

Quirkiest aspect that annoys your spouse: I call my husband His Highness on facebook. (It's fitting!)

Greatest dream: To fulfill God's plans and purposes for my life.

Biggest fear: Dust mites!  I'm highly allergic.

And there ya have it! Watch for another FUN author interview next month with Nancy Herriman!

Fun Title ~ A Dangerous Stage by Camy Tang ~Review

The second book in the “Protection for Hire” series is an explosive title filled with thrilling car chases, up close and personal hostage situations and good old romantic suspense to keep the pages turning quick and the reader riveted.

            I admit, I did not easily follow all of the “suspense” in this romantic suspense. I know, my bad, and I don’t put the book down because of it. I one of those readers that loves a good suspense, but must admit, most of the time I can’t follow the story line worth a hoot.

           

However, I can say that the writing was great. Words painted pictures on the mind’s eye and were always pretty clear about what I was seeing. When “Gramps” gave up the ghost…well I admit I was a bit sad to see that car of a character bite the exhaust pipe. Point of my telling you that? There is some fun situational humor mixed into the book which definitely gives it a rare, unique flavor.

           

Things I would have liked more of? A bit more romance. And a stronger story line about Tessa’s dad. But I have a feeling the latter might be coming in another title and there was plenty going on in Tessa emotionally to be adding anything else.

            

Fun title. Would definitely recommend that you read the first “Protection for Hire” before picking up this one. Both are fun, light and snappy…good combinations for a contemporary novel.         

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

Tessa Lancaster worked for her uncle in the Japanese mafia until she was sent to prison for a murder she didn't commit. Now, after finding God behind bars, she takes odd jobs as a bodyguard to keep her distance from the family business. In A Dangerous Stage, the second book in Camy Tang's Protection for Hire series, Tessa gets caught up in the web of lies surrounding a shady singing competition. Hired by one of the contestants, she works with Charles Britton---the lawyer who sent her to prison---to discover the dark figures manipulating the contest from behind the scenes. Tessa's abilities will be tested like never before as she's forced to balance the safety of her client's family and her deepening relationship with Charles. In the midst of the chaos, she holds on to her faith to keep her safe and bring down the shadowy organization.

Giveaway! Stuart Brannon's Final Shot by The Blys'!

Welcome back Janet Bly! Since this is the third time for you to visit, I thought I would throw in some fun questions, maybe some that aren’t part of the norm in other interviews. 

If you could go anywhere on vacation where would it be? 

I'll soon be going there ... on an Alaskan cruise in a few months, that also happens to be part of a fiction writers retreat and conference. That seems like quite an adventure to me. The most memorable vacation site that my hubby Stephen Bly and I visited:   Paris and the Eiffel Tower in 2006 on my February 23rd birthday while it snowed. I like thinking about that day, but it would be too emotional and lonely for me to return ... without him.

Do you have any pets?

No, not at this time, mainly because I'm not willing to expend the effort and time for the care involved. But in the past my late husband and I have had horses, cats and various mutt type dogs. Occasional deer, wild turkeys, skunks, a black bear and raccoons do travel through my property, however.

Your favorite book that you have written?

It was such a delight to go on location, do the research, as well as the writing together with my hubby for The Hidden West Series cozy mysteries. The protagonists, Tony & Price Shadowbrook, were a husband-wife writing team too. So many readers commented that they sounded so much like us. We didn't intend to do that, but the similarities happened anyway. Such fun adventures those two (and we) had.

What are your favorite pastimes?

When I'm not writing or marketing or with my family, I love to either go mall shopping, read the next novel on my TBR pile, or watch old movies. In recent days, I've enjoyed reviewing Season 1 and Season 2 of the popular WW1 era British series Downton Abbey, as I've started into the ongoing Season 3.

Favorite book?

Oh, my, where do I even begin? I love so many different sorts of fiction authors ... any genre that's written well and keeps my attention. As to nonfiction, I've been enthralled recently with Randy Alcorn's book entitled Heaven. The best, most thorough and biblical treatment on the subject, I believe.

Favorite movie?

Here again, there are so many. I enjoy adventure and romance and humor. I love the classics and stars like Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, Fred Astaire and any of his female partners, as well as Tom Selleck, Sean Connery, Matt Damon, or Sandra Bullock. But that leaves out a lot. I'm a movie lover, just like most all my family. We discuss and critique them at many of our gatherings.

What people have inspired you in your writing journey?

My husband was the prime inspiration. Beyond that, writers such as Max Lucado and Karen Kingsbury, Catherine Marshall and Anne Perry. My first writing mentor was Ethel Herr, who just recently passed away.

What character in a novel you have read has stood out and seemed to stand the test of time?

Here's a few that come to mind. Anne Shirley of the Anne of Green Gables Series. Also, Scarlet O'Hara and Brett Butler of Gone With The Wind and Mr. Frodo of The Lord of the Rings.

If you could meet one person from history who would it be and why?

Eve, the day before she ate the apple. I'd do everything I possibly could to talk her out of it!

Okay, last one and a fun one for our readers today: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing, what would it be? Why?

Besides my Bible, I think I'd find a big white cotton sheet very handy ... to wrap around me for clothing or warmth, to use as a tent or shade, to strip for bandages or feet protectors or headband, to gather up bananas or other food stuffs, to soak up rainwater, as a blanket on the sandy beach. So practical in a hundred different ways.

Too fun, thanks for joining us for a third time!! It is a privilege.

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

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a 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 for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on February 1st

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Fan Fiction Friday...Let's Talk: Karen Witemeyer's Newest Cover

I blinked in surprise to see the cover change on Karen Witemeyer's latest novel, (a book I have preordered already!)

I had the chance to hop over to her lunch table at ACFW this last year when I saw her showing it off to rest of the authors at the table like a proud mama.

I honestly wasn't exactly sure...I knew I really liked it, and it's cute! And we could finally see a WHOLE FACE on her characters! I admit I'm getting tired of the cut-off-at-the-nose cover images so a full face is always a pleasure. 

BUT Bethany House wasn't done and they've changed her cover. Check it out!

The frothy pink is SUPER cute!! But I have to admit the heroine looks like a little girl to me. So I'm torn...take the uber-cute pink and fun cover with the little girl face, or the more plain style with full character features.

What say you?

Fun Loving Story! ~ A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano ~ Review

Historical novels can often have a hard time capturing and keeping a snarky, fun-loving, sarcastic heroine without making her seem too soon for her time. So kudos to “A Change of Fortune” for very much succeeding in creating a cast of memorable characters.

          

  It’s a fun loving story with characters that don’t take themselves too seriously, but also have serious situations working against them to create constant conflict. From being arrested to a little girl who speaks her mind, to a scheming match making mother, plenty of light comedy and potential for romance to go around…the story doesn’t get dull.

          

  Eliza has such a fun voice on the page. Determined to take her fortune back, I loved that as a reader, I didn’t have to watch her lie to our hero, but simply told him who she was and why she had crossed the ocean from England.

          

  Dialogue is a blast. The simple writing of it keeps the book filled with giggle moments and also moments of pure seriousness. When a character starts waving a gun around…yeah it might be time to cut the humor. It’s a really good blend of comedy/romance/suspense/historical. I think it will easily appeal to lovers of historical fiction, but also those who enjoy the contemporary comedies.

          

  Enjoyable. Cute. Humorous. Good writing. It’s a combination for a memorable debut and leads the way for what I hope is a great series.

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiancé, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London. 

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone. 

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence. 

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

An Ode to the Interstate of Books

I have loved meeting new friends through blogging. But why does the
fun have to stop with just me getting to know them?? So each month
I'll bring a special guest that I have come to know
Today...I welcome Rachelle Rea to my blog.

___________________________________________________________________________

The day I read the lovely Casey’s invitation for me to guest post on her blog, I went book hunting.

It was New Year’s Eve and in the week since Christmas Eve, I had completely blown away anything even close to resembling a schedule. It was bliss. It was chaos. It was a very real vacation just before I’d start this second semester of my junior year.

So on the last day of 2012, when people gathered in Times Square or prepared for parties in which champagne would flow and clocks would gong …I took my truck to the Interstate in pursuit of paperbacks.

I blared the radio high, merged with confidence, and accelerated too slowly for the humongous eighteen-wheeler behind me. Think me crazy, but I love the Interstate. I used to not love it. (That may have something to do with getting stuck on the shoulder one time while still learning how to merge. I just laughed at my computer screen because I can still oh-so-clearly remember my mother saying emphatically to her friend that she had to get off the phone because her daughter was stopped on the Interstate and she’d call her right back. Memories.) Now I have this endearing fascination with the Interstate and all its possible potential.

The Interstate can take me up or down the East Coast if I want it to. The Interstate has taken me across state lines to visit a friend. The Interstate takes me to this adorable little tucked-in-a-corner used bookstore in the city (my destination for the day before New Year’s).

I’ve never been the type of small-town girl sung about in the country songs I adore who wanted out, who wanted the interstate to lead her up, up, and away to a big city with bright lights where she could be free. That’s not for me.

But sometimes my own wanderlust scares me.

My affection for following the white line wherever it leads me has gotten me into trouble before. Once I drove right past the exit I usually take to go through town to get home. Then I drove right past the next one that I knew would take me the back way to my house. On purpose.

I kept going and wondered for a while what it would be like to keep going and not stop until I got tired or hungry or needed to fill my gas tank. Yes, sometimes my own wanderlust scares me. (I eventually took an exit. I meandered my way through back roads and the next county, but I made it home just fine and had a blast.)

I think that’s why I read and write. Because I know in the lifetime I’ve been given, I’ll never be able to see it all. I could puncture my passport with stamp after stamp but I’ll never see it all. Yet within a book I can go wherever—and whenever—I want. Opulent New York City ballrooms during the Roaring ‘20s. Sweltering 19^th century Africa where missionaries carried their coffins with them. Curry-scented India or jewel-laden Turkey. Boston Common which hosted the shot heard ‘round the world. Medieval convents where nuns sing Psalms. The Wild West where spurs jangle. Nashville (I did warn you of my undying loyalty to country music earlier, right?).

There is an Interstate even bigger, wider, longer than the one outside my little town and I can hold it with one hand. Yes, that is why I read and write. Because I can go anywhere, see anytime, and be anyone within the pages of a book. Then I can close the book, come home, and be the better for the sights I’ve seen and the people I’ve met.

On New Year’s Eve, that quaint used bookstore proved a worthy adventure. I went home with a stack of books new to me, the promise of potential permeating from each page. And my own wanderlust looking a little less scary.

Learn more about Rachelle on her website!

Giveaway! Love Comes to Paradise by Mary Ellis!

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

Goodness, Casey, something interesting about me? That’s a tough one. I guess it would be that I dream so vividly, I can’t watch anything violent or too intense before bed or I will wake up dripping with sweat. I often run for miles and hide from bad-guys for hours, depriving myself of desperately-needed beauty sleep!

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I love to read Amish inspirational romances, historical fiction, and romantic suspense. And I’ve been fortunate enough to be allowed to write all three.

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

Don’t be afraid to make changes to your manuscript. Nothing is set in stone until it hits your editor’s desk. I was so afraid I’d “lose the flavor” of my first manuscripts, that they still remain on my computer, unpublished.

5 things you love?

I love the beach in winter, snowstorms when I have nowhere to go, eating by candlelight in the dining room, grazing on finger food instead of a meal, and lying on my back to watch the clouds during daylight or the stars at night.

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

I just read Amanda Flower’s mystery, Maid of Murder, while on vacation. I loved it, especially since it was set close to my hometown.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

www.maryellis.net

www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Thank you for being with us today!    

No, thank you!

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

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a 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 for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on January 25th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Great Guilty Pleasure Read ~ Vanished by Irene Hannon ~ Review

It’s a mystery that is vanishing into the dark of night and the evidence left behind is more baffling than the crime itself.

           

Suspense is my guilty pleasure (I think I might have said this before, so this should come at no surprise) and I thought the novel’s back cover copy would fit the bill (er…craving) quite nicely. A dose of romance against the suspense element had great balance and worked well throughout the entire story.

           

The best part of this book? We knew who the villain was basically from the very beginning. I know that sounds like it wouldn’t have the “kick” you would expect in a suspenseful novel, but in putting the reader in the villain’s point of view. Knowing his name and profession and where he was in relation to our hero and heroine put a great edge to the story that I absolutely loved.

          

  The crime of this novel is an odd one and it gave me great curiosity into what makes this villain tick. So often I can feel jipped when I’m “told” at the end of the book why the villain did what he did, but this one took us there. Great element!

          

  Overall I was quite pleased with my latest novel find and have already passed it on for other family members to read.

          

  This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review,

           

**Available January 2013 from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing** 

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More about the novel...

Reporter Moira Harrisons is lost. In the dark. In a thunderstorm. When a confusing detour places her on a rural, wooded road, she's startled by the sudden appearance of a lone figure caught in the beam of her headlights. Though Moira jams on her brakes, the car careens across the wet pavement--and the solid thump against the side of the vehicle tells her she hit the person before she crashes into a tree on the far side of the road. 

A dazed Moira is relieved when a man opens her door, tells her he saw everything, and promises to call 911. Then everything fades to black. When she comes to an hour later, she is alone. No man. No 911. No injured person lying on the side of the road. But she can't forget the look of terror she saw on the person's face in the instant before her headlights swung away. The person she hit had been in trouble. She's sure of it. But she can't get anyone to believe her story--except a handsome former police detective, now a private eye, who agrees to take on the case. 

From the very first page, readers will be hooked into this fast-paced story full of shocking secrets from fan-favorite Irene Hannon. "Vanished" is the exciting first book in the Private Justice series: Three justice seekers who got burned playing by the rules now have a second chance to make things right.

Why Are We Allowing Ourselves to be Enslaved?

Photo Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net

Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins. To save us from enslavement.

So why do we allow ourselves to be set free only to return to slavery? 

This comment hit me. between. the. eyes. I live with enslavement every single day. By allowing emotions to have control of my attitude or my heart or my outlook on the day, I am allowing myself to be enslaved.

By fearing retribution from anyone with supervision over me, I allow myself to be enslaved. Why did God send His only Son to die a violent death and set me free if I just turn right back around and walk into slavery?

We all have our forms of slavery. Slavery to money, worry, nerves (yep, that's a big one for me) jealousy, anger...the list can go on and on and be perfectly specific to who you are. 

My #1 enslavement? Nerves. Every morning I go into work, I get nervous. Why? I shouldn't be. I should be confident in what I'm doing. Exacting in my knowledge. I've been working there for a year and I should have a pretty good handle on things. Instead... I let nerves enslave how my day might go. I might do something wrong. I might forget to do something. I might, might, might.

Nothing I just said is absolute. So why do I let nerves enslave me? Because I worry too much. I've given myself over to the enslavement of nervousness and worry and when I do that, I take the power away from what Christ did on the cross and give it over to my arch enemy. 

As I sat in church, listening to this lesson, I thought to myself: "I don't have anything that enslaves me."

Then I inventoried my day and realized. Yes, I do. And it's debilitating. Consuming. Enslaving.

I can pray for help, but unless I want release, I have to loosen the fist that is clutching my chains and set them free. Let Christ break my bonds. 

Everyone is enslaved differently. What enslaves me could have absolutely no bearing on you. But what are you allowing to enslave you?

Turn it loose. Put a note by your computer, or some place that you spend the most time and read these words: If Christ gave me freedom, why am I giving myself permission to be enslaved?

It's time to take freedom back.

Giveaway! Treacherous Skies by Elizabeth Goddard!

Welcome back to Writing for Christ Elizabeth Goddard, I am excited to have you here for a second time. :)

What has changed in your writing life since you were last here?

Well, thankfully things haven’t slowed down in the least—I’m writing more books and faster than ever. In the fall of 2012 I contracted for three books with Heartsong Presents now under Harlequin, and two more books with Love Inspired Suspense (also a Harlequin imprint)—the sequels to TREACHEROUS SKIES—to release in 2013. So I’m busier than ever doing what I love. Life doesn’t get better than that. On a more personal note, since I was last here on the blog, I moved from my home-state of Texas to central Louisiana. Believe me, the people and the landscape inspire many stories.

What recent read stood out to you as truly spectacular?

Mother of Pearl by Kellie Gilbert is a gripping story. Definitely a must-read by a new and rising star in the Christian publishing world.

Do you have favorite authors?

We’re so fortunate to have such a large selection of Christian fiction that I sometimes struggle to decide on favorites. I’ve already mentioned Kellie Gilbert, and I look forward to reading more of her work. Lisa Harris is a stellar writer and I can’t wait to read her newest romantic suspense series releasing with Revell in 2013. Lynn Gentry’s is also an amazing writer with Tyndale. Some other favorites are Tamera Alexander and Tracy Higley—I read every book they write.

What do you find the most enjoyable part of writing?

The most enjoyable part of writing for me is the excitement that comes when a new story idea begins to click—I’m talking inside my head before the actual plotting or writing. We writers have to let the idea simmer for a while. The hard part is getting what’s in your head on paper and it doesn’t always work out like you want.

What do you find the most ideal atmosphere for writing? Do you ever get those surroundings? :)

 I’m not one of those people who can go to Starbucks or an internet café and write.  Maybe if I tried it a few times I would get comfortable with that environment but I’m too conscious of what is going on around me. The perfect environment for me—the place where I can become completely immersed in the story—is a quiet office with no distractions. I can write fast that way, and I’m more aware of the nuances of the story. In our new home in Louisiana, I have my own office where I can go when I need to focus and accomplish a lot. But before we moved, I was stuck in the middle of the chaos. I’ve discovered as I get older that it’s much harder to write with my kids frolicking around me.

Okay, something fun for those writers out there: In what point of your writing career did you surprise yourself by writing the most words ever in the shortest amount of time?

Ha! That one’s easy enough. The answer is at the beginning of my career. When Tracy Peterson requested my full manuscript for Seasons of Love, I hadn’t written a single word. I’d only submitted a short synopsis. I didn’t want the opportunity to pass me by so I got busy and wrote the book in a month. I hit 13K on my best day. But those writing days are behind me—the best day I’ve had in recent years is 8k and that was a few weeks ago. Normally I’m doing well to write a thousand words or maybe two in a day.

Thanks for being here again! It has been a joy and we wish the very best with your novels. 

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

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a 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 for said prize.

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

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com