Taylor Bennett | Author Chat

Homeschooled since kindergarten, Taylor Bennett is the seventeen-year-old author of Porch Swing Girl, which will be released by Mountain Brook Ink on May 1st. When she’s not reading or writing, Taylor can be found playing her violin or taking walks in the beautiful Oregon countryside. She loves to connect with readers via her author website, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (her favorite!), Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Susan Mason | Author Chat

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Susan just a little at the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat as well as seeing her at the annual American Christian Fiction Writers's conference. So happy to have her on the blog today! 

Susan Anne Mason describes her writing style as “romance sprinkled with faith.” She loves incorporating inspirational messages of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness into her characters’ journeys. Irish Meadows, her first historical romance, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest sponsored by the Mid-American Romance Authors chapter of RWA.
Susan lives outside Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, two children, and one rather plump cat. She loves red wine and chocolate, and is not partial to snow even though she’s Canadian. Learn more about Susan and her books at www.susanannemason.net.

Susanne Dietz | Author Chat + Giveaway

I had the blessing to meet this sweet woman years ago when we ended up living close-ish to one another and were going to the ACFW Conferece on the same flight! I'm so happy to host her here to talk about books--especially hers!

Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she's the award-winning author of over a dozen historical romances who's seen her work on the ECPA and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama and a plate of nachos.

Bell Renshaw | Author Chat

It's December and you know what that means? Christmas movies and books ALL the time! I've got debut author Bell Renshaw visiting today and she's just released a sweet Christmas novella (which I got to create the cover for)! Check out her interview below and then go grab a copy of her release (it's only $0.99!) 

Annabell “Bell” Renshaw has always loved books and the power of a good story. She turned those passions toward writing at an early age, finding solace and adventure in made-up worlds when her mother would read to her as a kid. She’s grown up now, but still finds herself lost in those worlds. She believes in the power of a happy ending and the fact that--no matter what--love will always find a home. You can connect with Bell on her website: www.bellrenshaw.jimdo.com

Author Chat with Bell Renshaw

What prank would you play on your main character? 

In keeping with the Winter theme, I would probably find a way to ambush Hoyt with a snowball fight. Probably with a bunch of kids from Winter. How neat would it be to see him walk out of the Diner and get attacked by a bunch of children with snowballs!?

If your main characters were animals, what would they be? 

This is a tough question. I think Reba would be a horse because they are beautiful and strong creatures but can also be stubborn. For Hoyt, I think he would be a wolf. They are pack creatures (like how he loves his family) but they are also cautious and protective.

What is your favorite mode of transportation: plane, train, or car? 

While I like traveling by car and plane, I think train is my favorite. There is something very magical about slowing down and taking the train somewhere. I have a dream to ride a train cross-country and write. Fingers crossed it happens 😉

If you could morph two books together, which would you choose? 

Another tough question. I'd love to see a mashup of Sense and Sensibility and anything written by Melissa Tagg! Maybe a 6th book for her Walker Family series. (I suppose I didn't quite answer the question - teetee).

Cats or dogs or both? 

Both!

Which of your characters do you secretly have a crush on? 
I think you'd expect me to say Hoyt - and I sure do have a good-sized crush on him - but...I've got to say his brother Beau (the main character of the next novella in the series) is quickly becoming my favorite as I dive into writing his story during this Christmas season (hehe).

What's one thing you would like to impart to your readers about your books and being an author? 
This is my first release so I'm a little new to being an 'author' but I would say that the best part about all of this so far is sharing my little fictional world with the real world. Hoyt and Reba have become dear to me and to share their story with others makes my heart burst. As for my books, I always want them to be encouraging and (hopefully) something you want to share with others. This isn't about "my book" being shared, but more about the idea and the experience being shared. If someone can tell their friend about "this book they read" and then they can talk about it together, I see that as them creating community. That's really big for me. 

One Christmas In Winter 

by Bell Renshaw

Reba Farwell is finally getting a chance to live out her dreams. Sent to Winter, Montana to direct filming for a crucial, on-location shoot, she knows the next two weeks will make or break her career. And she could definitely use a break. As if that isn’t enough, she’s got a secret that none of her crew knows. All she’s asking for is two weeks of small town, Christmas beauty and a little bit of on-camera sizzle.

Five years ago, Hoyt Bradley’s heart and future shattered in one fell swoop that landed him back in Winter. Thankfully, making lemonade—or his father’s famous lemon meringue pie— out of lemons is what he does best. Running Bentley’s Diner has filled the gaps left in the wake of his heartbreak, even if it hasn’t healed him completely. Not wanting to relive memories of his rocky start in the film industry, Hoyt does his best to steer clear of the dreaded film crew, but Winter has a way of bringing people together.

After one fateful delivery and a score of icy bad luck, Reba finds herself in a bind and at the mercy of what Winter can offer. Will she pull the film together in time to salvage her name as a director? Or will the sparks flying off-camera create more of a distraction than she knows how to handle?

Come visit Winter, Montana in this Christmas Novella where the Christmas lights are always on and the snow falls most frequently when loved ones share a kiss.

Purchase: One Christmas in Winter 

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Jaime Jo Wright | Author Chat

What better person to have a coffee with for Author Chat than Jaime Jo Wright aka Writer & Professional Coffee Drinker! I'm so excited to have her as my guest and I think you're really going to enjoy her interview! 


Professional coffee drinker & ECPA/Publisher's Weekly best-selling author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Coffee fuels her snarky personality. She lives in Neverland with her Cap’n Hook who stole her heart and will not give it back, their little fairy TinkerBell, and a very mischievous Peter Pan. The foursome embark on scores of adventure that only make her fall more wildly in love with romance and intrigue.

Let's get real...

If your book became a movie, who would you cast for your main characters?
Well, I’d definitely cast Tom Hiddleston for Joel (and then I’d be sure I was on set every day). Ivy would be played by me, because otherwise I’d be really jealous of anyone opposite Tom—ahem—I mean, Joel.

Grant would be played by Ryan Eggold from The Blacklist

Kaine would be played by Italia Ricci who is currently starring opposite Keifer Sutherland on Designated Survivor.


Name three places you’d like to travel to & why...
Well I love LOVE to travel. I’ve had the blessing of traveling many places around the world but three remaining on my bucket list are: Ireland (because it’s green), Norway (because my husband is Norwegian), and Russia (because I love cold and snow)

Share one pet peeve you have.
I’m pretty flexible with stuff, so not much gets under my skin. But I really hate arriving at the office in the morning being talked to before I get my stuff in order and coffee poured. I’m sort of the proverbial morning “crank”.

Which of your characters do you secretly have a crush on?
If I had a crush on one my of characters it’d be Joel Cunningham. But mainly because the model for his character was Tom Hiddleston. *Insert swoony-sigh here

Connect with Jaime on her website: www.jaimejowright.com

Pre-Order: The House on Foster Hill  (comes out November 21)

Enter the giveaway below: 

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Lydia Howe | Author Chat

I've been a little behind on the blog recently, so sorry friends! But, I'm excited to introduce you to Lydia Howe. 

Lydia Howe (aka Aidyl Ewoh) spent her teenage years reading and writing late into the night. Now in her twenties, she has hiked the mountains of the Far East and lived in the Andes Mountain Range of South America, built life-size models of dinosaurs, taken road trips across Europe, and explored caves in North America. Lydia grew up in a 135 year-old barn and spent six months in a tipi. An enthusiastic writer of Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, she has three published books to date: Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl, Action Kids' Club, and Cool Critters of the Ice Age. She blogs regularly at Noveltea.

Lets get real...

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Some of my earliest memories are of my mom and oldest sister reading to me, so it’s no surprise that I grew up as a bookworm. Becoming a writer was a natural next step, and one that has been a lot of fun, and offered a lot of challenges, over the last decade.

The power of words, and the ability of a well-written book to drag you far into another world or era of time, has been a huge inspiration to me. I’ve learned an incredible amount from books, as well as having been endlessly entertained. The thought of being able to pass that joy and knowledge along to others has kept me writing even when things get tough.

Is there a funny story associated with writing this book?

This book is about cousins and the importance of family. When I was growing up I was incredibly close with my cousins. There were four of us: my sister, me, and our two girl cousins who were also sisters, who hung out together all the time. I had fun pulling various stories from our childhood to add into the book - like the time my older sister convinced us that vanilla extract was actually caffeine, and that if we added it to orange juice we’d get all the hyper effects of having caffeinated pop. (Apparently we were gullible.)

Were your characters easy to pin down or did you discover them along the way as you wrote the book?

The four main characters are very loosely based off of us four girls, so they came together very naturally during the first draft of the book. In fact, they were some of the easiest characters for me to write, and yet they all turned out unique and special in their own way. I also had fun creating the supporting character cast, even though they weren’t based off of anyone in real life.

What’s your favorite snack while writing?

I’ve found I work best when I have something in my mouth, so I drink a lot of water and suck on a lot of ice while concentrating. I also keep flavored lifesavers and jolly ranchers near by. But if we’re talking about an actual snack, then probably fresh fruit - yummy! Plums and nectarines have been my go-to snack recently.

What’s your encouragement for younger writers aside from “keep writing”? 

There’s no doubt about it: If you want to be a successful author you’re going to go through a lot of rejection - not just when you get to the querying stage, but when you get to the revising/editing part of writing. Early on in my writing career I had an author tell me that I would need to develop thick skin and learn to graciously listen to and accept advice that I really didn’t like. Boy has that ever been true. But, being willing to set aside my feelings and what I want to try and objectively listen to feedback has been really good for me. That doesn’t mean you should take everyone’s advice when it comes to writing, but being willing to listen to the hard stuff and make changes when needed? Well, that goes a long way.

When you get an idea for a novel, what is the first thing that you do? 

The first thing I do when I get an idea is a lot of brainstorming and praying. Generally, I spend a couple of weeks, months, or even years, developing the idea in my head and praying for clarity as I go about everyday tasks. I also have a couple of good friends that I’ll send texts to, telling them what I’m thinking of and asking for their feedback. Eventually, I get to the “writing it down” stage, but that generally takes a while to arrive there.

September is Classical Music Month so, in keeping with that theme, do you have a favorite character from a classical novel?

Ooh, that’s neat, and no, I didn’t know that! One of the books I’ve been working on has a main character who is a classical musician, so I suppose I should have come across that information somewhere in my research. :)

I’m not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I really like Mr. Knightly from Emma.

What is your favorite fall snack food?

Do s’mores and caramel apple suckers count? ;)

What are you currently reading?

Seeking Refuge by Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, and Dr. Issam Smeir. So far it’s a really informative and well-written book. I also just finished My Brother’s Crown by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould.

Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Emilie! I had fun answering your great questions.

Connect with Lydia: 

Website: www.LydiaHowe.com
Blog: www.LydiaHowe.com/blog
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7223686.Lydia_Howe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AidylEwohAuthor/
Twitter: @AidylEwoh

Where Dandelions Grow

by Lydia Howe

Cousins are forever, or at least they’re supposed to be.

What happens when your world falls apart and your dreams are mocked by those closest to you?
Destiny’s idyllic childhood full of laughter and cousins abruptly ended when her mom uprooted the family to move them across the country with strict instructions to never talk about Swallow Ridge again. Eleven years later Destiny moves back to her hometown, determined to find her cousins… and answers. 

Plagued by generations of bitterness and manipulation, Destiny hides her life-long goal - unwilling to let anyone else trample her fragile dreams. But living in the cozy town full of dandelions teaches Destiny there’s more to life than what she’s been taught. 

Is it possible Swallow Ridge not only holds the answers Destiny so intensely searches for, but also the hope?

Lauren H. Brandenburg | Author Chat

It's coffee and chat time here on the blog today! I'm so excited for today's chat with Lauren! She is the sweetest and I'm so glad to introduce her to you all!

Lauren H. Brandenburg is a speaker and advocate for home education, as well as author of the middle-grade series The Books of the Gardener and creative writing curriculum, The Engaged Writer. Her novels are recognized as a “Top Safe Read” and “Top Read Aloud” for young readers in the homeschool community. As a former English teacher and now homeschooling mom, Lauren combines her love of “the what if” with her spirit of adventure and faith to delight and encourage readers young and old. She currently teaches creative writing in her homeschool community and to young writers nationwide.

Although Lauren and her husband, Jamie, live in Nashville, Tennessee with their children Kensington and Jackson, she will always consider Kentucky her home.

Let's get real...

How many words do you write a day?
I can usually write about 2000 words a day. I try to write Monday to Friday (sometimes Saturday), and almost never on Sunday.

What is your favorite mode of transportation: plane, train, or car?
I love to travel by train—it feels so old fashioned.

What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you?
On a normal day I wake up around eight, make breakfast, homeschool with my kiddos while jumping back and forth to work on any book marketing and tossing in a load of laundry between subjects, fix lunch while doing dishes, more laundry, write for two to three hours, then off to mixed martial arts—I take classes with my oldest, I have to be there anyway, so why not get some exercise! On non-marital arts nights we play games or watch a few of the shows we follow on Netflix. After tucking in the kiddos, the hubby and I snuggle up for a night of reading or television. Go to bed, wake up, repeat J

What actor/actress would play you if your life were a movie?
This is a fun question! I always imagine what it would be like to have the dating college days of my husband and I turned into a musical—like Grease meets Legally Blonde (except I’m not blonde or a lawyer). Jack Black would be the obvious choice for my husband. It would have to be someone super short for me . . . like Isla Fisher with dark short hair! I’m open to suggestions on this one.

Name three places you’d like to travel to & why
England—because, sigh . . . I’m pretty sure my parents are British, moved me to the US to hide me from my true identity as somebody perfectly lovely and important, and left me with a burning desire to return to my homeland. Peru—to climb into the Andes mountains and spend a night in Machu Picchu, and because Paddington is from Darkest Peru, and I so adore Paddington. Lastly, France . . . not so much Paris, but the countryside to stop and breath in the fragrances of Provence.

What’s one of your favorite books?
Little Women – My dad brought me a beautifully bound hardback edition on a return trip from D.C. I have loved the book and the story ever since. Not too long ago me I realized that I am living my childhood dream, to be be a writer like Jo March.

Coffee or tea?
Tea for sure! Coffee is a deceiver . . . it doesn’t taste at all like it smells.

Purchase: Orlo The Created
Visit Lauren: http://laurenhbrandenburg.com/

Amy Williams | Author Chat

Welcome my guest Amy Williams to the blog. We're sitting down with a beverage of your choice and chatting about real life stuff--embarrassing stories, normal days, books, and even a nickname you will not believe! So, without further ado, may I present you with Amy Williams...

...a novelist, freelance writer, founding member of Crosshair Press LLC, and professional nerd. You can find most of her work under the name A.C. Williams, but she also writes young adult fantasy (The Legend of the Lightkeepers) under the pen name Kimberly McNeil. Amy is single and lives in her family’s 100-year-old farmhouse on five acres in the middle of the Kansas prairie. She loves cats and drinks far too much coffee.

Let's Get Real

Would you rather live in a story world you’ve created for a year OR live three days in a story world someone else has created? If second option, which story world?
I would absolutely choose to live in the world I’ve built for my YA Fantasy series, The Legend of the Lightkeepers. No contest. It’s full of adventure and beauty and talking fox-people, and the local cuisine is Indian. I’d eat chicken korma with basmati rice every day and never get tired of it. And I’d learn how to fight with a laser sword too. I’d probably chop off my foot accidentally, but I’d have fun until then.

Amy and her cat Amelia Pond

Share an embarrassing story. (Come on, we know you have one!)
Oh, do I have to? The most recent embarrassing story from my everyday life happened at a conference. While I was there, I made friends with a wonderful older woman. She was just incredible, and she was also blind. Since we hit it off so well, we decided to go for ice cream after dinner. I got her down stairs, out of the hotel, up stairs, across the street, and helped her purchase the ice cream she wanted. Then, we went back to the hotel, and everything was great until we were getting out of the elevator on her floor. And, well, long story short, I kind of let her walk into a wall. I could have curled up and died right there. But fortunately she was gracious, and she still wanted to be friends!

Share about a failed meal you’ve made.
I had a bright idea to make cheese soup some time ago because someone had given us a huge bag of cubed cheese. But I’d never done it before. So I got a recipe offline and gave it a try. Yeah, the cheese didn’t melt. It cooked. And turned into rubber. So the soup was more like chewy orange plastic with salt broth. Nasty.

What’s one thing you must have/do in the morning?
Coffee. Someday I’ll be spiritual enough to say Jesus. But for now, it’s coffee. ;-)

What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you?
I’ve just recently started a new schedule, so I can answer this one pretty easily. I get up around 6:30 a.m. every weekday, and while I’m drinking my coffee I have quiet time and write in my prayer journal. Then, I walk two miles and take a shower, because I smell terrible afterward. I eat breakfast and usually get started on my work around 9:30 a.m. Then, I work for 50 minutes at a time and take a 10 minute break until lunch, which is around 1 p.m. And I start up again at 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. The only weekday that’s different is Wednesday, which is a “town day.” The city is 45 miles away, and I go in to meet with clients and drain the local coffee shop of its caffeine stores.

I try to write for 7 to 8 hours every weekday, whether it’s on a novel, an online training course script, a client copywriting project, or blog posts.

Crosshair Press LLC Founders Katie Phillips, Amy Williams, and Amy Davis

Name three places you’d like to travel to & why...

• Japan. I have always loved Japanese culture, so Japan has been at the top of my bucket list since early high school.
• Alaska. I love the wild, rural areas of the world. Honestly, I’d love to drive to Alaska, up through Canada and back home again. What an amazing trip that would be!
• San Francisco. My YA Fantasy series The Legend of the Lightkeepers is partly set in San Francisco, but I’ve never been there! So Frisco is on my must-visit list for 2018.

Do you have a nickname? Care to share?
I got my nickname, Whirlygig (or just Whirly), when I was a freshman in high school. Those summers, my brother and I would go over to my best friend’s house every Wednesday afternoon and play video games on their N64. The game we defaulted to was Goldeneye. The only character I liked to play was the Helicopter Pilot, but he needed a name. So I named him Whirlygig. My best friend at the time was also named Amy, so to avoid confusion, the nickname stuck. To this day, half the people I know still call me Whirly. 

From @CreateExploreRead Instagram

Which of your characters do you secretly have a crush on?
Jim Taylor. He’s one of the main characters in Meg Mitchell and The Secret of the Journal, and I love everything about him.

Connect with Amy: 
Facebook: @AmytheStoryteller
Twitter: @AmyStoryteller 
Instagram: @AmytheStoryteller
Website: www.amycwilliams.com

Meg Mitchell and The Secret of the Journal
Kimberly McNeil (aka A.C. Williams)

Raised in an alien world by adoptive parents, Meg Mitchell fights Centaurs, trains as an Andai warrior, and chills in her favorite willow tree. But when she discovers her birth father’s journal, Meg learns that she and her brother and sister have a lost cousin. Together, the Mitchell kids leave the world they know to return to San Francisco.

When her sister is kidnapped, Meg enlists the help of teenage detective Barb Taylor and her genius little brother Jim. Following clues dropped by a mysterious benefactor, they embark on a cross-country adventure to rescue her sister and find Meg’s cousin.

Family is everything to Meg, but not all is as it seems. In her quest to reunite her family, she may lose more than she ever imagined.

Purchase: Meg Mitchell & The Secret of the Journal

Ralene Burke | Author Chat

Emilie here: I am beyond excited to have my dear friend and fellow speckie (as in: speculative fiction lover/writer) Ralene Burke on the blog today! This woman is beyond sweet, caring, and funny. Grab you coffee or tea and join the chat.

Whether she’s wielding a fantasy writer’s pen, a social media wand, or a freelance editor’s sword, Ralene Burke always has her head in some dreamer’s world. And her goal is to help everyone SHINE BEYOND! She has worked for a variety of groups, including Realm Makers, The Christian PEN, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and for several freelance clients. Her novel, Bellanok, is available on Amazon, and her next one from Elk Lake Publishing will be out September 2017!

When her head’s not in the publishing world, she is wife to a veteran and homeschooling mama to their three kids. Her Pinterest board would have you believe she is a master chef, excellent seamstress, and all around crafty diva. If she only had the time . . .

Let's get real...

What’s one thing you would like to impart to your readers about your books and being an author?
The tagline for my writing and the rest of my business is SHINE Beyond. My whole purpose in life and writing is to help others to learn to shine beyond their circumstances, their experiences, their mistakes … to stand out and be more than they ever thought they could.

This theme shows in my books, my social media encouragement, even in the way I edit for clients.

How many words do you write a day?
My goal is 1,000 words a day. Most days I could easily make this in less than an hour … it’s getting up early enough to find this hour that seems to be my problem lately! If I don’t get the words in first thing, then writing doesn’t happen at all!

If your book became a movie, who would you cast for your main characters?
In September, Armor of Aletheia will release from Elk Lake Publishing Inc! This YA fantasy has 2 main characters: Karina, an orphaned queen and priestess, and Tristan, a bounty hunter. Karina would be played by Katie McGrath (think of her role in Merlin, but as the heroine, not the villain); and Ian Somerhalder would play Tristan—cause … yeah. 😊

What does a ‘normal’ day look like for you?
I’m not sure life has a “normal” around here. I’m a work-from-home mom who homeschools our 3 kids. I write, I edit, I mange social media for clients on top of daily domesticity and teaching my kids reading, writing, and math. We’re lucky we survive without burning down the house most days!

Okay, so an ideal day (during the school year), looks something like this:

• Up early, 5:30 a.m., for Bible study. Then it’s on to a couple of hours of writing, followed by a couple more hours of social media fun.

• At 10, I put everything away, and we start in on our homeschool day. We work in chores and lunch between school subjects and experiments and other fun. More than one school day has included board games! We also typically have a random bunch of appointments and sporty stuff (like Tae Kwon Do and gymnastics) throughout the week during this time—if I can keep it in this time frame.

• After dinner, it’s back to the office for editing client manuscripts and more social media creativity. It’s usually my goal to quit working about an hour before bedtime to give me time to read and decompress so my brain will actually shut off for sleepy time.

Would you rather live in a story world you’ve created for a year OR live three days in a story world someone else has created? If second option, which story world?
Oh my goodness, as much as I love my fantasy worlds, I would love to spend 3 days in Middle Earth! With the elves! And Aslan … whoops, wrong world. Traveling Middle Earth with Aragorn and Legolas and Giml would be so amazing.

Name three places you’d like to travel to & why.
The 3 I’s!
Italy: Gorgeous architecture, lots of history
Ireland: Hubby’s ancestry, plus BEAUTIFUL landscapes and castles and yay!
Israel: Being a Christian, I would just love to see such history and culture in real life, you know?

What is the strangest food combo that they actually enjoy?
Hahaha … Doritos with soft-serve vanilla ice cream (used as a dip).

So, this started out as a dare in high school. We were playing Truth or Dare at lunch, and a friend dared me to try it. I think he was running out of ideas … Anyway, I tried it, loved it, made everyone else try it. And it became a tradition of sorts for someone to buy the bag of Doritos and another person to buy the ice cream, then we’d all share.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?
I used to think I’d want something cool like telekinesis or to be able to fly. However, as the super-busy woman that I am, I would want SUPERSPEED!

1. I would get more done quicker, so I’d have more time to spend with family and friends.
2. Could you imagine the number of books I could read!?!?!
3. I could eat anything and everything cause I’d be burning all those crazy calories! Chocolate anyone? Cake? CARBS!!!

--> Connect with Ralene on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website.

Purchase a copy of her book Bellanok HERE.

Bellanok
by Ralene Burke

A haven for myths and legends . . . until evil discovers a way in.

With evil darkening the mountains to the north, the fairy queen, Fauna, must journey from the island realm of Bellanok to the modern world to find the man the Creator appointed to save their kingdom. A man she has been dreaming of her whole life.

Brian is a down-on-his-luck pastor on the verge of giving up on God. He's tired and frustrated--a failure. No sooner does he make a decision that jeopardizes his career than an unusual blonde woman shows up and tries to convince him he is some kind of savior.

Fauna must open Brian's eyes to a different reality, and Brian needs to embrace the haven's secrets. If neither of them succeeds, Bellanok will succumb to evil and the world will lose all trace of innocence.

Jeanne M. Dickson | Author Chat

You may recognize this lovely authors name from my Monday New Novel News post about her first and new release of her book Grounded Hearts. I am so excited to give you all a deeper look into the author of this lovely novel. So, grab your beverages and let's get to know author Jeanne M. Dickson!

Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family, the only girl surrounded by four brothers. Her grandmother lived with them and was a constant source of stories about life in Ireland and the saints and ancestors long gone from this earth. She credits her mother, her aunts, and her grandmother with her love of storytelling.

Perfecting her craft, she attends many writer’s conferences and over the years, she has won and finaled in numerous RWA romance writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Maggie Award, The Molly, The Tara, and she was the overall contest winner of Launching A Star.

Today she lives in Coastal San Diego with her fabulous husband, her two wonderful girls, and a dozen disobedient rose bushes.

Let's get real...

What’s one thing you would like to impart to your readers about your books and being an author?
We’re all human therefore we’re all sinners. But His forgiveness and amazing grace is offered freely upon our asking.

Share an embarrassing story. (Come on, we know you have one!)
During a ballet performance of Les Patineurs, my partner lifted me up and my costume went down. Truly a Lucille Ball moment but that pretty much sums up most of my ballet career.

If you were forced to do karaoke what song would you pick?
You’ll Be Back from Hamilton.

Two truths and a lie:
A)I lived in Ireland when I was a child.
B) I lived in France when I was a child.
C) I lived in Germany when I was a child.

Any weird habits you have when writing or plotting?
Dressing my Barbie dolls in new outfits to reflect my cast of characters, then placing them on my desk. Here is the cast of characters from my work in progress, Eire Ever After.

If your book became a movie, who would you cast for your main characters?
Saoirse Ronan and Henry Cavill.

Name one song/artist you're embarrassed you like.
Death Of A Bachelor by Panic! At the Disco.

Which of your characters do you secretly have a crush on?
My pilot, Dutch. Of course.

Connect with Jeanne:
Website - http://www.jeannemdickson.com/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/Jeanne-M-Dickson-660226910801814/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jmdickson1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jeannedickson/

Grounded Hearts
by Jeanne M. Dickson

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O’Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she’s taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she’ll face imprisonment.

Still, something compels Nan to take in “flyboy” Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection—and an unbreakable bond.

But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband’s death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

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Answer: B was the lie.