We will be giving away books so be sure to pay attention about how to enter. To enter for a chance to win, you MUST leave a comment WITH your EMAIL and you MUST ask one or more of the authors a question you’d like to know about them, their writing, or their books.
We are looking forward to getting to know you better and hope you’ll get to know us better, too!
Be sure to drop by the Facebook Party (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1770933813056488) for a chance to mingle with the authors, and nab even more great giveaways!
The party is today from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Eastern Time.
An orphan left with the responsibility of raising her younger siblings falls for a mining engineer with adventure on his mind. Another steps in with an untenable solution. Is making a bad choice better than making no choice at all? And can God really turn even the worst situation to good for His glory?
Roxy Silva is completing her mail route in her small Florida town, when a sinkhole suddenly opens up and drains a retention pond, revealing the hiding place of the damaged car used in her husband’s unsolved murder. Roxy - determined to find her husband’s killer - turns amateur sleuth and uses her amazing photographic memory to piece together clues. Her relationship with Kyle, the town’s handsome detective, heats up as they uncover shocking secrets. When the killer takes Roxy captive, she must use her wits to survive.
She’erah is an architect determined to leave her mark in a man’s world. When tragedy ravages the camp, it's up to her to continue the build despite her clan's prejudice. Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help. Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?
Can a thief and a lawman find happiness? Orphaned as a child, Beryl Atherton has lived on the streets of London as long as she can remember. Reduced to stealing for survival, she is arrested. During her incarceration one of her cellmates shows her a newspaper ad for an American mail-order bride agency. But all is not as it seems, and moments after landing in Boston, she must run for her life. Will things be no different for her in the New World?
Through the ages, men have told many stories about Mary, Joseph, and the birth of the Messiah. Stories of shepherds and sheep, kings, angels, and stables. But one story no one has ever told. One story hidden in the fabric of time. The story of The Swaddling Clothes.
Donna Wichelman worked as a communications professional before turning to full-time writing. Her short stories and articles have appeared in Focus on the Family Magazine, Standard Publishing, LIVE Magazine, and a devotional for mothers and daughters. She has two indie-published contemporary suspense books, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor and contributes her monthly blog to Heroes, Heroines and History. Donna lives in Colorado with her husband of thirty-nine years, and they serve in ministries at her local church. They bike, travel, kayak, and love spending time with their grandchildren.
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A hybrid author, Donna Schlachter writes squeaky-clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers’ groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript.
Mary Dodge Allen has won a 2022 Christian Indie Award (First place, Mystery/Suspense), a 2022 Angel Award and two Royal Palm Literary Awards. She enjoys writing fast-paced adventure with humor and heart. She and her husband live in Central Florida, where she has served as a volunteer with the local police department. Her Minnesota childhood sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors. She has worked as a Teacher, Counselor and Social Worker and as a USPS mail carrier during a college break. Her quirky sense of humor is energized by both coffee and chocolate.
Author of Biblical fiction, avid reader, pastor's wife, Naomi Craig loves reading the Bible and imagining how things were at the time. When she’s not serving in various areas at church or trying to stay on top of mountains of dishes, you'll most likely find her enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. Naomi co-hosts #BehindTheStory on YouTube and helps facilitate Biblical Fiction Aficionados Community on Facebook. When not writing or trying to wrangle social media, Naomi attempts to get her rescue dog to be cute on command for the many pics she takes throughout the day.
Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.
Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest." She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish people.
My question is for Donna. I love reading historical fiction. I am new to your books. Is the a particular time period that you like writing about? What has been your favorite? lisastifler014@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! Thank you for asking about the era I like to write in. Though I am fascinated by the seventeenth century, I am currently querying agents for a completed manuscript that takes place in the mining community of Georgetown, Colorado during the Gilded Age, 1872 - 1878. But I'm also conducting research for a split-time novel that will have two timelines--one in the contemporary world and one during the Nazi occupation in France. In fact, I return to France in October to meet with people and explore the city's archives. I find both eras to be intriguing for different reasons. Let me know if you have other questions, and I'd be happy to answer them.
DeleteWow! There is such a variety of subject matter in these books! I think the one that is most out of my typical reading subject is Naomi Craig's book. I know you have blogged on this recently. What was most surprising to you as you researched this book? bcrug2020ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteIn case it can't readily be seen, there's a question in the above comment for Naomi Craig.
DeleteHi Connie! I actually called up a guy from a limestone quarry in Indiana. Once we got over the fact that I am in Arizona, calling about the landscape in the Israel area, I got a lot of information about if limestone could be built upon as a slab, if it crumbled easily it could be mixed with hot water to create lime which could be used a mortar! Gave a bit more authenticity to the story!
DeleteI guess research provides strange partners. One time when technology helps!
DeleteMy question is for all the authors. Favorite vacation. cheetahthecat1982ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteHi Kim! I have lots of favorites, but the trip that topped the list was when my husband and I traveled to England. I had set quite a few books there, but had not visited. To be able to stand and walk where my characters had been, and to see up close and personal the places my characters had seen was a moving experience; one I hadn't anticipated.
DeleteHi Kim, My favorite vacation was our trip to England, where we visited a former WWII - U.S. Air Force B-17 bomber base in Rattlesden (near Cambridge). This is the base where my Uncle Gordon was stationed in 1944 - he flew 35 missions as a B-17 pilot. It is one of the few bases left intact - and is now a civilian airport for gliders. I thought of my uncle and was very moved as I stood on the viewing platform at the top of the base HQ Bldg. - looking out at the gliders taking off and landing on the runways. I am currently writing a sequel to my current book, incorporating a diary of my uncle's wartime experiences in the story.
DeleteHi Kim!
DeleteIt is really hard to pick a favorite, because I've had the privilege to travel quite a bit. I guess I would have to say my favorite trip was the second time we went to Israel. The first time was so overwhelming, so I think I absorbed more during the second trip. Everything was just so amazing and every square inch of that land has history.
My favorite vacations are those I've done in Europe to do research around the Waldensians in France and Italy, and then Ireland about the days after the Great Famine. In October, I'll go back to France to do research for a slip-time novel during the WWII era.
DeleteHi Kim! I love to travel! I went to Mongolia with Teen Mission Int'l and traveled all over the states and parts of asia with Covenant Players Drama Company. I'm also not good at voting. Haha. We just got back from a vacation to Cortez Colorado (in the four corners area) it was super nice and beautiful! We got to see Mesa Verde (again for me), Four Corners (Don't get your hopes up). a small lake in utah. The most beautiful part was the durango Silverton train ride (we rode into the canyon--not all the way to Silverton)
DeleteMy first question is for Mary Dodge Allen: I find your book intriguing. I also see you volunteered for the local police department. What did you do? My second question is for Linda Shenton Matchett: I see you have a mail-order bride story, which I enjoy. I do find so many mail-order brides are out there and wonder how you make yours stand out?
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie, I volunteered for eight years at our local police department. I worked in reception and the records dept., where I entered the handwritten traffic accident reports and traffic citations (tickets) into the police computer system. I also participated as a volunteer in SWAT team drills - acting as a dispatch operator, while the riot situation unfolded. I met some great officers, and I learned a lot about police procedure and investigation that helped me in writing my book.
DeleteHi Tammie: I try to add a bit of intrigue to my Mail-Order Bride stories. For example, Dinah's Dilemma, Dinah becomes a mail-order bride to escape Baltimore as sort of a witness protection scenario, and in Beryl's Bounty Hunter, the bride agency Beryl uses is a front for criminal activity, and her friend is kidnapped.
DeleteForgot my email above: teshawATsbcglobalDOTnet
ReplyDeleteHello authors! Blogger is being naughty and not letting LICHA HANEY leave a question, so this is on her behalf: Who has been your hardest character to write about and why was he or she?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! I would say that writing Archibald "Archie" Heron from my book A Doctor in the House is the hardest thus far because he's a bit unlikeable in the beginning of the story. I didn't want to make him so awful that readers hated him, but I needed him to be snooty and difficult to get along with. It was challenging to balance his traits.
DeleteWhat a great question! The hardest character for me to write is actually one I'm writing right now. He's a young preacher from a privileged family who survived the Titanic. His life experiences are much different than mine, so I'm finding him a bit difficult.
DeleteThe hardest character I had to write about was a German Military Man in the nineteenth century who was the hatchet man for my villain. He was such a despicable character that I hoped he would die when he tried to kill the love interest for my protagonist. But, alas, he didn't die. But he did get what he deserved!
DeleteHi Licha, so far the hardest has been She'erah from She'erah's Legacy. Have you seen Heartland or Dr Quinn Medicine Woman? She'erah is a determined woman who knows exactly what she wants.... just like Lou or Dr Mike. Where I DO like things nice and neat and in their place, I'm not a big dreamer and I'm pretty adaptable. It was a challenge for me to get inside She'erah's head
DeleteHowdy Fabulous Authors!
ReplyDeleteDoes your writing schedules change with the seasons?
psalm103and138atgmaildotcom
Hi Caryl! Because I work a regular full-time job, my schedule pretty much stays the same no matter what the season. I write for about an hour and a half before work, then several hours Saturday mornings. I typically get more written when we go away for vacation because I'm an "early bird," and I write before my husband rises for the day.
DeleteHi Caryl,
DeleteMine doesn't really change with weather seasons, but with life seasons. I used to get up early or stay up late to write. Now I carve out time in the middle of the day while my toddler is napping.
I don't have a writing schedule, as such, but I carve out the time I need to write. The best time for me to write each day is in the afternoons. (Wish I was a morning person, but I am not).
DeleteNot really. Though I love this career I've chosen, it's still a job I need to attend to. However as my husband has just retired last week, I'm not sure how that will impact me.
DeleteHi Caryl, yes most definitely. I'm also highly involved in our small church. Summers are busy with Church stuff (VBS) and my daughter is theater, and then the last three years I've been preparing for my book launch and turning in my next book. This is the first year I've been able to NOT write during summer, so I can focus on all the fun!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see all of these books! I hope that it's ok to have questions for three authors today.
ReplyDeleteDonna Wickelman, you're a 'new to me' author and Light Out of Darkness looks great! I was excited to see that you've written for Standard Publishing because our church has used its curriculum for years. Did you contribute to the Sunday School material or was it something else?
Naomi Craig, how did you decide that She'erah would be an architect? This book cover is amazing!
Linda Shenton Matchett, I always enjoy mail-order bride tropes. Did you devote a lot of research to help you send Beryl from London to Boston?
Connie
cps1950ATgmailDOTcom
Hi Connie! I didn't have a lot to do because I've already researched London/England heavily for other books I've written. And I was fortunate to visit in 2015. I always have to be careful to look up what sort of "technology" was available during the year I set the book, and sometimes things are available in one country but not the other. I live about 90 minutes outside of Boston and have visited the city many times, so am very familiar with the layout, etc. It was a matter of making sure a building existed in 1875 or confirming street names.
DeleteConnie, thanks for being a part of the Mid-Month Madness FB Party! I had a lot of fun meeting you and answering questions. I wrote a couple of Sunday School pages for Standard Publish--one was a short story called The Christmas Gift, and the other one was called God's Greater Plan. Both were published in May and December 2008. Oddly enough, God's Greater Plan was a piece about how God had met me when I was at my lowest alone Italy while conduct research in the Waldensian Valleys for Light Out of Darkness. Thanks for asking your question!
DeleteHi Connie, Great question! 1 Chronicles 7:24 says "his daughter was She'erah, and she built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen She'erah." That passage jumped out and then we are right back to the begats. I wanted to know how /why this woman was able to build in a patriarchal society. How did everyone react to her leadership? Two of those towns are still standing today. Thank you I love the cover too! Lynnette Bonner designed it.
DeleteGood evening, everyone. This a wonderful variety of Christian historical fiction books. My question is for all the authors. What is your favorite part of the writing process, and what is your least favorite?
ReplyDeleteLuvthotsATgmailDOTcom
Hi Roxanne!
DeleteMy favorite part is coming up with the initial story concept. That part to me is so fun. My least favorite part are the boring edits, where you're there to fix small things like commas and word order.
Hi Roxanne! I agree with Amber. My favorite part is developing the initial concept. I also love the word-smithing, especially when it comes together and I can say, "Ah, this is really good."
DeleteThe hardest part is when I can't get the essence of a character in my head.
Hi Roxanne! I'm with Amber and Donna, I love devising the story idea, then outlining the book. I find proofreading/editing tedious.
DeleteHi Roxanne, My favorite part is the process of writing each scene, once I have them outlined. My characters often surprise me with dialogue or actions I hadn't consciously planned - leading to interesting twists in the plot. My least favorite part is doing the outlining and plotting.
DeleteHi Roxanne, I love the research. It is so rewarding when Historical records Corroborate with the Biblical account. Sometimes the Bible person is extensivly listed, and it makes a clear arc of the story (Like in Ezekiel's Song) sometimes the Bible only says 5 verses about the family, so there has to be deeper digging. But with She'erah, by my research she is Joseph's Granddaughter. I think you can learn a lot about a person by their family. If I learn about Joseph, I have a better picture of who his sons and his grandchildren are
DeleteHello, my question is for Amber: what time in history do you like best?
ReplyDeleteMy next question is for Mary: Where do you get the ideas for your plots?
ReplyDeleteHi Lauraine, what a great question! I get my plot ideas from my own life experiences, from the lives of others (research, interviews - especially when I worked at the police dept.) and from reading. I tend to be observant - watching people and things happening around me. And I love learning new things... taking classes, researching a subject that interests me. Sometimes, I get snatches of funny dialogue from overhearing conversations around me in stores or restaurants. (I try not to eavesdrop - but sometimes voices carry). :)
DeleteHi Linda who did your cover for this book it's magnificent!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love it. My husband designs most of my covers, and he did this one.
DeleteHi, have you all always enjoyed history?
ReplyDeleteMy email is charissawisler@gmail.com . Thank you
I've always enjoyed the stories of history, but unfortunately in school it was often about dates, places, winners, and losers. For our honeymoon we visited historical sites in Pennsylvania and several of the places had reenacters or docents who dressed in period costumes and told about the people in history. That's when I got really hooked.
DeleteYes! I think more for the interesting facts. I had this coffee table book that mentioned random bizarre history tidbits, and loaned it out. I was so sad when our families parted ways. We really enjoyed them, (*Whispers* but there was a tiny bit of me that is sad because of not getting the book back)
DeleteAbsolutely! I loved history as far back as I can remember, and it was my favorite subject in jr. high and high school.
ReplyDeleteFor Amber: what mad you think of the origin of the swaddling clothes? I always thought they were kept handy in case of a death in the family. lauraine1951@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteA question for Donna: Have you always wanted to write mysteries? lauraine1951@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThank you for your question, Lauraine. I've always enjoyed reading suspense, so most of my novels/manuscripts have included suspense. Even my current historical romance that I'm pitching to agents includes a murder and a villain, which causes the protagonist and her love interest to join forces to smoke him out. So the answer is yes, suspense will always play a roll in my writing. :)
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