Monday, May 5, 2014

Giveaway! Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg!

Welcome to Writing for Christ, Melissa Tagg, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

Well, I’m your typical always-wanted-to-be-a-writer girl. I loved books as a kid, still do, and at some point had this realization as a child that, whoa, people could write stories for a job. I decided that needed to be my job one day. It was nice because it made things like answering the question “What do you want to do when you grow up?” and picking a college major really easy. 

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

Eek, just one?? Since I just finished reading this book for the second time in a month, I’m going to have to go with Jonathan Merritt’s new book, Jesus is Better than You Imagined. Hands-down one of my favorite nonfiction reads ever and I couldn’t have read it at a better time. I’d been feeling spiritually and creatively blah…wrung out, really. And that book got me stirred up in a really good way.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?


Ooh, another great question. Frankly, there’s not a ton that I’d actually do over…because even the missteps proved to be amazing learning experiences. But one thing I’d tell myself, for sure, is to trust God. Which sounds so simplistic, I know. But I feel like more and more I’m realizing life and faith are about trusting God. Either I trust him or I don’t. I want that living, breathing sort of trust that says, “I don’t have to know what’s going to happen next year or next month or even tomorrow. All I have to know is God is good. He loves me. And it IS going to be okay.”

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out?
Homemade if it’s someone else doing the making! LOL…

Email or snailmail?
My dad works for the USPS so snail mail forever! :-)

Online shopping or Black Friday deals?
Online shopping. No question. Not that I don’t like to venture out on Black Friday now and then. But if I’m going to go out on Black Friday, I care more about laughing at the hyper-intensity of deal seekers rather than actually trying to get a good deal myself. It’s too stressful to be a serious shopper on Black Friday.

Books or movies?
This is too hard. Too hard, I say! I love both so much. So I’m going to totally cheat and take ALL classic movies out of the equation. If we were going solely with current moves versus books, then I’d say books. But shoot, then I’d miss out on Thor and any movie Benedict Cumberbatch is in…sad.

Note-taker or memorization?

                Note-taker—it’s the former reporter in me. But actually, if I have to memorize something, then note-taking is how I do it. Once I write something down, it tends to stick in my head. That’s why I still write appointments and reminders on post-it notes rather than solely relying on a Google calendar.

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

Oh man, that’s difficult. I honestly don’t know. In many ways, Made to Last will always have a special, special place in my heart simply because it was the first one published. Here to Stay, though, challenged me in a huge way. I feel like I dug deeper as I wrote that one—there were definitely personal nuggets in Made to Last, but even more in Here to Stay. So at this moment in time, Here to Stay is my fave.

Of course, if I ever get book three finished, it’ll probably be favorite. Then same with book four… :-)

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Twitter: @Melissa_Tagg
G+: plus.google.com/+MelissaTagg
I’m also on Amazon, Goodreads, and YouTube…and even make occasional appearances on Pinterest.


Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, enter to win Melissa's book here!

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 May 16th
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 

27 comments:

  1. This cover art is so warm and inviting -- I love it! I enjoyed the interview. I'm a movie/book lover too, and know how difficult it is to choose between the two. lol

    Follower and subscriber
    nicnac63 AT hotmail DOT com

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  2. I would love to read Melissa's new release. It sounds great!
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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  3. I'm a follower
    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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  4. I'm a subscriber
    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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  5. Casey, thanks so much for having me here today and for all the fun questions. :) Love your blog!

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  6. Following!
    digigirl_fl@hotmail.com

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  7. Thanks for the giveaway! "Made to Last" was great & I have really been looking forward to reading this book! :)

    Aerykah
    crazybooklover7 [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  8. And I'm a subscriber. :)

    Aerykah
    crazybooklover7 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved the interview. It would be hard to choose as well.

    Jill Twigg
    twiggj118@yahoo.com

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  10. Congratulations on your second book, Melissa. I haven't read Made to Last yet, but it's on my list of books to purchase. I'd love to be the recipient of Here to Stay. (If I don't win, I'll be picking this up at Amazon, as well)
    cindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. I'm a subscriber Ü

    cindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. I enjoyed Melissa's first book and can't wait to read this one. Ellen Gray steveandellengray@yahoo.com

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  13. Looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
    candicervaldez at gmail dot com

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  14. Thank you for hosting this giveaway! couponmoseley at gmail.com

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  15. I have been interested in this book since it came, but haven't been able to read it yet.
    Thanks for the great opportunity! I enjoyed reading the Melissa Tagg's interview.
    I'm a follower and subscriber.
    dixiendottie at ymail dot com

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  16. Thanks for the interview and giveaway. I am a follower and subscriber.

    mo1202007@yahoo.com

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  17. I haven't read either of Melissa's books as yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so. Thank you for offering the opportunity to win her latest book.
    may_dayzee(at)yahoo(dot)com
    I am a follower and subscriber (different email address)

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  18. Made to Last and Here to Stay both look good. Nice, not so young, couple look happy and in love. I'm a nurse and have a patient who is a mail lady and she's always asking me to pay my bills by mail! I enjoyed your comment about the USPS and your dad. Sharon, wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
    I followed on FB and subscribed to your emails.

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  19. I've been very eager to read this book, as I've heard nothing but lovely things about it! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win a copy! I follow via GFC under the name Bethany. Have a blessed day!
    Bethany
    bethanydaughteroftheking(at)gmail(dot)com

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  20. What a great interview! I have heard only good things about this book as well and look forward to reading it! Thanks for the giveaway!

    cyndilou83(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Oh! And I get updates to your blog via email on my gracelib(at)bellsouth(dot)net address.

    cyndilou83(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. I'm looking forward to Melissa's latest! Follower and subscriber. :)

    gwen(dot)gage(at)gmail(dot)com

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  23. I wold love to read Here to Stay. I love the book cover. Melissa is a new author to me. Great interview Casey!
    I am an e mail subscriber
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  24. Melissa's books are on my list to buy, so I love this giveaway. Thanks!

    rolltide_04@yahoo.com

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  25. Very nice interview. I have not read any of Melissa's books but they sound very good and I'm going to look for them when I'm book shopping!
    I am a follower.
    I am a subscriber.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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  26. I've not read one of Melissa's books yet but I bet they are great!

    thecarmans@gmail.com

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