{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Ann Brodeur

Fun Facts Friday is a brand new feature here on the blog where authors answer questions about their characters, and then share fun facts about themselves, and / or their books!

Today we have the lovely Ann Brodeur and her contemporary Christmas story, Snowbound in Winterberry Falls.

And I just need to take a moment to say I was blessed enough to be able to work on this book during various stages of the editing process, and it's so great! It has hidden family secrets, a bit of danger, and best of all--lots of romance!

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.

I’m Ann Brodeur and I live in the beautiful province of Ontario in Canada with my husband and kidlets. I write inspirational romance, and for now it’s in the contemporary time line.

Welcome, Ann! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? What's your character's favorite color?

My heroine, Stephanie loves the color red. Her scarf and mitts are knit in that color that reminds her of Christmas, her favorite fruits (strawberries and raspberries) and the color of love.

Fun Fact: My favorite color is purple. Don’t ask me why (because I don’t really know…)

Where does your character live?
My heroine Stephanie Clark, lives in Washington D.C. where she works for an online political magazine. Although, by the end of the story we see her moving north to a little town called Winterberry Falls, nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Fun Fact: When I was in high school, I studied American History. Our school trip was down to Washington D.C. and while there, just as we were heading back to our bus from exploring the Mall, there was a shooter in the Capitol building. Many of my classmates had been there moments before he entered the building (this was well before 9-11).

What does your character do for a living?
My hero and heroine are in journalism. Jason is a photojournalist and Stephanie is an investigative reporter. 

Fun Fact: I was accepted into three journalism programs for College, but I ended up studying music instead. BUT, some of my closest friends were in the journalism program so I still got to see what a sound studio looked like and got to hang out in the radio station.

What is your character's most treasured possession?
Stephanie’s most treasured item is the Bible Jason gave to her when they were in College. Twelve years have passed since they lost contact and she still carries it around with her.

Fun Fact: I don’t really have a most treasured possession. I have jewelry that means something to me because of the people who gave those pieces to me. Each piece is special in its own way.

What is your character's favorite holiday? Why? How do they celebrate it?

Stephanie’s favorite holiday is Christmas in D.C. (not in the tourist trap town she finds herself in). She attends all the big ticket Christmas galas and dinners due to her connections to a senator and her job working for the magazine. She bakes cookies, packs shoeboxes for the less fortunate and then spends Christmas Eve with her mom and dad.

Fun Fact: My favorite holidays are tied. I love Thanksgiving (it’s in October for us Canadians). It falls on the second Monday of October and that’s when the trees in Ontario are the most beautiful with the vivid oranges and reds. It’s also the last weekend for camping so we spend the holiday in our trailer, cooking on the BBQ (have you ever had turkey on the BBQ???)

Next would be Christmas because of the time we get to spend with each other. I love having a relaxing day with my husband and kids before hitting the road to visit others. I guess this year, things will be different so I’m planning ahead and trying to make the most of it.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.

Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.

Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.

When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted? 

 

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ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.

When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee, that’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to someday drink a hot beverage in one sitting. You can find Ann on her website, Pinterest, Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub.

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Katherine Barger

Fun Facts Friday is a brand new feature here on the blog where authors answer questions about their characters, and then share fun facts about themselves, and / or their books!

Today we have the lovely Katherine Barger and her Christian young adult dystopian, Fortune's Fall.

And I just need to take a moment to say I was blessed enough to edit this book, and it will blow you away! I absolutely love everything about this story--well, almost everything (yeah, you know what part I'm talking about Katherine :-P lol)--and I hope y'all will give it a shot. You won't be sorry. Okay, enough from me... 

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.

Hi! I’m Katherine Barger, author of Young Adult Christian fiction. My book, FORTUNE’S FALL, is the first in a dystopian trilogy inspired by the lives of Daniel and Nehemiah. 

I was born in Georgia, lived in Charleston until I was eight, then spent the next fourteen years in North Carolina. I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, so I definitely consider myself a Tar Heel. Halfway through law school, I met and married a military guy, which led me to Japan for three years and then California. We recently moved with our two daughters to Mississippi, and I love, love, love that we’re surrounded by green things again! And rain! My heart is happy. My kids, however, have some adapting to do. I’m pretty sure their screams during their first thunderstorm have rendered me at least a little bit deaf. 

Welcome, Katherine! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? What's your character's greatest fear?

Nyssa (my main character) is terrified of making the wrong choice. Her life has been perfectly planned, her future is exciting. But then something happens that could—if she so chooses—throw everything off kilter. She’s terrified to step away from the plan that’s been created for her, especially knowing what could happen to her if she gets caught. 

Fun Fact: When my husband asked me to marry him, we’d only known each other nine months. Then, when we learned he would likely be moving to Japan, we decided to get married as soon as possible. I was in law school at the time and was too busy trying to—you know—not fail (!!!), so I said “Sure, let’s do this!” without giving it a lot of thought. On our wedding day, just before I walked down the aisle, it finally hit me what I was about to do, and I panicked. What was I thinking?! I barely knew this guy. Thank goodness for my amazing matron of honor. She got me down the aisle, haha! And here we are, almost ten years later. I’m pretty happy I did something I was frankly terrified to do at the time.

Where did your character go to high school? College? What did they study?
Nyssa is a student in the prestigious Presidential Education Program, which educates and trains the smartest kids in America. Once they graduate, they’re sent as leaders into various jobs across the country. Because Nyssa is able to interpret prophetic dreams, she’s secretly training to become the president’s dream interpreter. 

Fun Fact: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian, and in high school I got a job working with a local vet. The first time I helped with a surgery, I fainted on the cat. Then I fainted a second time. I went to law school instead. 

Is your character close with their family? If not, why?
Nyssa believes her family died when she was a child. When she learns they’re still alive, she’s desperate to reconnect with them.

Fun Fact: My brother and I look nothing alike. My favorite thing to do as a kid was to tell him he was adopted. I know, I was horrible. I finally got in big trouble for it. Thank goodness he forgave me. 

If your character could have any superpower, what would it be and why? 
Nyssa kind of has a superpower: she can interpret prophetic dreams. 

Fun Fact: When I was 4 or 5 years old, my mom made me a Supergirl costume for Halloween that consisted of a blue leotard with a red cape. I believed when I wore the costume, I’d be able to fly. (Not kidding.) I thought I should test this theory by jumping off the roof.

Don’t worry, I didn’t jump off the roof.

But I did jump off the couch, and I was distraught when I didn’t fly around the living room.

What is your character's fondest memory? Why?

One of Nyssa’s memories is when she and her roommate, Ethelind, undercooked brownies, spilled them on the rug, then grabbed spoons and ate them anyway, right off the rug. It reminds her of some of the fun times in school, before life became complicated. 

Fun Fact: This memory stems from my own memory of a night in college studying for exams with my friend, Beth. We made brownies, and just like Nyssa and Ethelind, we undercooked them. I don’t remember which one of us dropped them on the floor, but I do remember staring down at the steaming, brown mush and being so upset. So, Beth grabbed some spoons, we plopped down on the rug, and we ate the brownie soup. (Then we cleaned up the stain.)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

While her classmates prepare for elite careers across America, Nyssa Ardelone trains for her secret job as the president’s dream interpreter. But when her mentor lies to the president about the prophecy in his latest dream, Nyssa must figure out why before the lie unravels. What she learns could destroy her own future.  

Fearful of a rumored rebellion, the president has launched a gas attack on Nyssa’s hometown, and her mentor lied about the dream to protect the survivors from more harm. When Nyssa learns her parents were injured in the attack, she flees with a stranger sent to steal the antidote—a stranger who claims to know her. 

Together, they race to deliver the cure as well as an interpretation of another prophetic dream only Nyssa can provide. But a devastating loss dulls her caution, and she learns too late that not everyone is trustworthy. To survive the president’s deadly pursuit, Nyssa must break every rule she’s ever followed, learning along the way that faith is the only thing that can save her. 

 

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Katherine Barger writes stories about characters of faith in a world where faith is challenged. When she’s not wrangling kids alongside her forever-forbearing husband, she’s writing, eating Mexican food, or snuggling with her family’s two rescue pets: a dog named Queen Elsa and a cat named Princess Jasmine. Follow Katherine on her website, Twitter, and Instagram. 

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Allison Pearl

 Fun Facts Friday is a brand new feature here on the blog where authors answer questions about their characters, and then share fun facts about themselves, and / or their books!

Today we have the lovely Allison Pearl and her adult Christian romantic suspense, Sprinkled with Sabotage.

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.

I’ve lived in a lot of different places, but country roads and hills are my favorite. And preferably those hills would be covered in snow. I’m a fall and winter girl all the way. My best friend during the summer is the AC. When I’m not writing suspense, I’m reading or walking my dog, Sal.

Welcome, Allison! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? What's your character's favorite color?

Pink. And she’s not afraid to admit it. 

Fun Fact: My favorite color is also pink. One of my dreams is to have a pink MINI Cooper. But I’m not picky, I’ll take any MINI Cooper that someone is willing to give me ;)  

Where does your character live?
While Lizzy grew up in a small town, she currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA.

Fun Fact: I also spent a few years living in Pittsburgh. In fact, I honeymooned there. It’s my favorite city in the world. We are always going back to watch ball games at PNC park or take a ride on the incline up Mt. Washington. And I love an evening spent at Heinz Hall listening to the symphony or watching a show at the Benedum Center.

What is your character's favorite food? Do they like to cook?
Lizzy’s favorite food is pizza. But why would she cook when takeout is a phone call away?

Fun Fact: Unlike Lizzy, I love to cook. I think the best conversations and friendships happen over a meal. In my house, good food is always available. It’s great for parties but not so great for my waistline. 

Does your character have any tattoos? If so, what are they and where?
If Lizzy does have a tattoo, she’ll never tell us. But I’d say it’s a safe bet.

Fun Fact: Some people I know have replaced their wedding bands with tattoos around their ring fingers. I think that is so cool and not just because you could never lose it. Although, considering I lost my wedding ring last year while swimming it’s definitely something to think about.

Does your character like to watch or play sports? Which ones and why?Hockey, obviously. Specifically, the Pittsburgh Penguins. She has a mad crush on Evgeni Malkin.

Fun Fact: I have a hard time focusing on a baseball game when it’s on TV, but I can’t get enough of going to the games in person. It’s so exciting when someone hits a homerun and the fireworks go off. Plus, at Pirates games you can get these certain seasoned fries and cheese dip that are AMAZING! 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lizzy Bennet loves life as a lawyer in the city. And not just because of the miles it puts between her and her ex. However, when she’s attacked on the street just hours after learning her identity was stolen, she tries to call home for help and ends up with the last person she expects: the very same high school boyfriend who broke her heart. He says he’s there to help, but she’s not so sure, and now, all the endless questions and regrets are clouding her judgment and preventing her from seeing the dangerous saboteur closing in.  

 

Small-town auto mechanic, Koby Knightly, is looking forward to seeing a car show in the city. But when an unexpected call from his old girlfriend disconnects suddenly, he rushes to her apartment only to find her limping and bleeding. Throwing his plans out the window, Koby makes it his mission to protect her and discover the identity of the person trying to frame her. Will he also be able to figure out what went wrong between them back in high school or will a killer get to her first? 

 

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Allison Pearl is a small-town girl who’s lived just about everywhere. She loves books, tea, chocolate, and watching old movies with her husband and black lab, Sal. To keep in touch and get updates on new releases follow her Facebook page ‘Books by Pearl’ or follow her on Twitter at @AllisonPearl5 and Instagram at @allisonnicolepearl 

Embracing Your Imperfections

For anyone who's read my YA romance, Perfectly Imperfect, you know it deals quite a bit with imperfections and learning to accept them. If you haven't read it yet--spoiler alert!--it deals with imperfections and learning to accept them :) 

In the book, Isabelle is dealing with the grief of losing her brother and the fallout that this death has caused, namely, the impact it's had on her family. Her mother has turned to alcohol to cope while her father has thrown himself into work. All of that leaves Isabelle on her own a lot. But she's much too embarrassed to admit to anyone just how much of a train wreck her life currently is. So, she hides it. She builds this carefully constructed facade to make everyone believe her life is picture perfect, while also trying to obtain personal perfection in everything that she does. 

Why? 

Because she feels like a failure, like she somehow failed her brother's memory by allowing her family to fall apart. And because she's worried people will judge her if they know the truth. At one point in the book, the boy she really likes, Grayson, says this to her:

"No one is perfect, Belle, and God doesn’t expect us to be. Every one of us is so perfectly imperfect. That’s what makes us all so unique."

That line really resonated with me on so many levels, but most of all, it made me take a closer look at myself and my own imperfections. 

We all have things we don't like about ourselves--especially right now. Hello, dreaded bathing suit season. LOL. 

 

via GIPHY

So, I'm going to be real vulnerable with all of you right now and tell you a couple of my biggest imperfections and how, since writing this book, I've been attempting to adjust my perception of them. 

1. Body Image: I've always been on the smaller side. All through high school, I was 5'4" and 110 pounds. As I got older and started having kids, my height, unfortunately, remained the same, but my weight slowly increased. Last year, I was at my heaviest ever--186 pounds. I hated how I looked and felt. So, I began a weight loss journey and dropped 52 pounds. I feel so much better, but every day when I look in the mirror, I still see all the areas where I could stand to lose another 5 or 10 pounds or places that could stand to be toned a bit more. 

To be clear, I don't for one second perceive my weight to be an imperfection. It's how I view it and myself that's my imperfection here. I'm way too hard on myself, easily forgetting that I LOST 52 POUNDS! That's a heck of an achievement, and I have to remind myself of that quite a bit, especially on the days when I'm particularly hard on myself. And as my husband so gently reminds me every time I get down on myself: "I'm a 41 year old woman who's had 5 kids and lived life. I have nothing to be ashamed of." And he's right. 

2. Perfectionism: Like Isabelle in my book, I tend to be a perfectionist. Whether I'm editing or writing or doing, well, just about anything else, I strive to do whatever I'm doing perfect the first time. And if I don't, I feel like I've somehow failed. And woo boy, talk about stress! This is a big reason I hadn't been able to finish a book in so long (prior to this year) because I was constantly worried about what I was doing wrong and fixing it rather than just getting the words on the page. It took me quite a while--and a lot of awesome writing friends--reminding me that it doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be done, and that as long as I'm giving it my best effort, that's all that matters. 

Ultimately, my goal with this book was for readers to walk away feeling better about themselves, to know that whatever imperfections they're dealing with don't make them bad or less than. They make them unique and loved. 

So, time to be honest...

What're your imperfections? How do you deal with them? 

Share your story in the comments!

Isabelle Carson is charging into her senior year equipped with a handy checklist to ensure nothing goes awry. Things she didn't account for: a hot, new guy who almost runs her over, a messed up class schedule, and a boyfriend who dumps her for one of her best friends. All of that pales in comparison to the threat of her dirty family secrets breaking free from the perfect façade she’s diligently maintained since the death of her brother.

Grayson Alexander is on his fourth school in as many years. Lakewood Valley High is exactly like all the others, with one shiny exception: Isabelle Carson. She’s smart, funny, beautiful— the perfect package. But Isabelle is hiding something, and Grayson is determined to do whatever it takes to win her trust, except step foot in another hypocritical church.

As Isabelle’s life spirals out of control and her carefully crafted, picture-perfect image begins to shatter, Grayson does what no one else can: he makes her laugh and allows her to be imperfect. With rekindled faith, Isabelle sets out to right all the wrongs in her life. But Grayson has been damaged by his own family secrets, and Isabelle will have to decide if the boy she’s falling for more and more each day is a right or a wrong.

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{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Laurie Wood

Fun Facts Friday is a brand new feature here on the blog where authors answer questions about their characters, and then share fun facts about themselves, and / or their books!

Kicking off this feature is the lovely Laurie Wood and her Christian romantic suspense, Northern Deception.

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.
My name is Laurie Wood, and I live in Winnipeg, Canada, which is the geographical centre of North America. How’s that for a Fun Fact? It’s true! It’s the exact geographical centre. And I write inspirational romantic suspense although I have some ideas on branching out into time-slip and/or thrillers. Too many ideas, too little time to write them all! I’m writing my third book for Anaiah Press, and they’re all set in Churchill, Manitoba which is 1000 kilometres north of Winnipeg, on the border of our Canadian arctic tundra.

Welcome, Laurie! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? What does your character do for a living? 

Kira Summers is a polar bear research scientist which is why she lives in Churchill, Manitoba. She’s just moved up there in my book NORTHERN DECEPTION, and she’s studying their migration route and keeping track of the bear population via their satellite collars. It’s her dream job as a scientist.

FUN FACTS: A female polar bear was tracked swimming nine days straight in the Beaufort Sea, for 426 miles, which is the equivalent of going from Washington, D.C. to Boston. Canada is home to about 15,000 polar bears. Adult males measure about 8-10 ft in length and females measure 6-8 feet in length. An adult bear’s foot is about 12” across and their claws are 3” to 5” long.

If your character could have any superpower, what would it be and why? 

I think if Kira could have any superpower, it would be telepathy so she could hear what the bears are thinking and understand them. I realize telepathy is usually a superpower reserved for other humans, but in this case I’ll make an exception and give it to polar bears!

FUN FACTS: Polar bears have a keen sense of smell and can detect seals nearly a mile away and buried under three feet of snow and ice. Their hearing is as acute as a human being and their eyesight is also good at long distances up to two miles. How’s that for some superpowers?

What thing annoys your character the most? Why? 

People interfering with animal habitats and not believing in climate change which is affecting the Arctic circle. This is referenced in NORTHERN DECEPTION. For some reason, Churchill was built right on top of the polar bears migration route out to Hudson Bay and the Arctic ocean. This means the bears tromp through town beginning in July and ending early December. 

FUN FACTS: In Churchill, it’s the law that your vehicle MUST be unlocked so that anyone can jump into it if they meet a bear coming on the street or out between buildings. When walking they can go around 6 km/hr. When they run, however, they can reach up to 40 km/hr!

What are the top three items on your character’s bucket list?

Hmmm, Kira’s got an adventurous spirit so here goes:

1) Because she works in such cold weather, a trip to Bali would definitely be on her bucket list.

2) Having children with her new husband Lukas, is on her bucket list too.

3) Traveling to Paris and seeing the Louvre museum and Versailles palace if she can convince Lukas to go – that would be her ultimate 15th anniversary trip!

FUN FACTS: I’ve never been to Paris or Bali and absolutely HATE flying, but the beauty of being an author is you can make your characters as brave or adventurous as you like. The only place I’ve been in Europe, was to Edinburgh, Scotland when my husband graduated with his MBA from Heriot-Watt University.

What is your character’s favorite holiday? Why? How do they celebrate it?

I’d have to say Kira’s favourite holiday is Canadian Thanksgiving. You have all of the special food: turkey, sweet potato casserole, gravy, dressing, pecan or pumpkin pie, without the pressure of gift-buying and decorating to the nines. All the yummy food without the snowy weather that often prevents family from visiting each other at Christmas time.

FUN FACTS: In Winnipeg and Churchill, there’s usually snow on the ground between Canadian Thanksgiving (the second weekend in October) and Halloween. Most kids trick-or-treat in their parkas with their costumes on top. And in Churchill, the Park Rangers and police officers are on patrol to prevent any children coming into contact with bears wandering through town. They also set up a perimeter of “bear monitors” on snow mobiles around town to prevent the bears from even entering town. They use “cracker” shells which emit a loud booming noise to scare them away.

Does your character have any children? How many? Gender? Ages? Names?

Kira’s husband Lukas has a three-year-old daughter named Sophie. She has Down Syndrome and is the light of their lives. Kira and Lukas will also have other children (someday) and if the series were to go on – and on, and on – then there might be a book about their offspring at some point. 

FUN FACTS: Down Syndrome occurs about 1 in every 800 births everywhere in the world. It doesn’t discriminate between race or gender although there tend to be more boys than girls born with Down Syndrome. With the advances made in modern medicine, education, and society, people with Down Syndrome can live productive and happy lives in their communities with a life span well into their sixties. Only a generation ago, their life span was early thirties.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Reunions can be deadly.

After a savage attack in university, Kira Summers fled to the safety of northern Canada and her work as a polar bear scientist. But when her whistleblower brother dies in a mysterious car crash, she must return home to bury him and pack his belongings. Unaware she’s carrying explosive evidence someone’s willing to kill for, she has no choice but to rely on the one person she never thought she’d see again.

Lukas Tanner, a widowed single father of a special needs toddler, moved to Churchill five years ago. As the proud owner of Guiding Star Enterprises, a wilderness tour company, he and his daughter lead a simple life. But when Kira comes crashing back into his world, he realizes God has other plans. Now, Lukas and Kira must confront a merciless killer as their past and present collide in a deadly race—a race they must win if they have any hope of a future together.

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Laurie Wood is a military wife who’s lived across Canada and visited six of its ten provinces. She and her husband have raised two wonderful children with Down Syndrome to adulthood, and their son and daughter are a wonderful blessing to their lives. Over the years, Laurie’s books have finaled in prestigious contests such as the Daphne du Maurier (twice), the TARA, the Jasmine, and the Genesis. Her family lives in central Canada with a menagerie of rescue dogs and cats. If the house were bigger, no doubt they’d have more.

Website:  https://www.lauriewoodauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriewoodreadersgroup

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LaurieJeanWood

Thank you for having me on your blog, Kara for Fun Facts Friday! I’ve got an e-book copy to give away of NORTHERN DECEPTION to one lucky commentator today.

{TEASER TUESDAY}: The Impossible by Joiya Morrison-Efemini

Teaser Tuesday is back!! I'll be sharing snippets from my own books--both published and works-in-progress, along with inviting other authors to stop by and share exclusive excerpts of their own books.

Today, I have the lovely Joiya Morrison-Efemini sharing an exclusive excerpt from her book, The Impossible!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Now,

Sofie’s skin was the color of a French baguette, and also 
the color of her Ma’s homemade bread, which her Ma 
called loafs, and so they gave her the nickname
Loafy.

They spoke it at first as teasing siblings, and then 
progressively, as witches, conjuring curses so vile that
if Sofie closed her eyes, her skin would actually sizzle 
like arrows, alight, arched
rained down upon her.

She was the lightest one in a place and a time when the 
color of one’s skin sent a message…
As if there has ever been a time when it didn’t.

She was impossibly light.
Ma and Pa were as dark and dry
and fine as the cocoa powder her Ma used to bake 
that rare chocolate something.

They were both long of leg and finger and neck; 
they sat and stood erect, even under the incredible strain 
of farm and family, and default.

Sofie often said that she always knew she could never be 
like the rest of them – 
working fields, enveloped by the scorch of Georgia’s heat,
hands and feet 
callused, 
scabbed,
bloodied, 
and scarred.
Bodies rail thin, burnt, and weary from slaving 
without ceasing.

Yet, ending up in more debt each year, paying for 
scraps for a lifetime, and never owning anything but
your name. Even that stolen long ago and replaced.

She could see, even as the smallest child that her people 
worked the land the white folks owned, and the white 
folks took all the money, rationing it out to her kin in 
portions so small they were forced onto their knees, but 
just enough to make them stay there, begging for more.

She would never beg white folks for anything…
It’s a poor dog that don’t even have his own bone!

And because she believed it so exhaustively, she made 
her Ma believe it too, 
and her Pa had no opinion; he didn’t ever 
seem to have an opinion when it came to Sofie.
She never did work like them, thus, more curses conjured.

Even after she reached six - the age when all the other children 
were sent to the fields - she stayed in the house with her Ma.

She asked her Ma question after question,
And Ma, who had spent most of her life being talked at,
took a liking to being talked to.
Up to a point.
And a wooden spoon taught
Sofie when to shut up.

In a household where no one could read, 
Sofie trained herself by memorizing the Lord’s prayer.
And having the preacher show her where it was in the Bible exactly
she matched words on packaging around the house
to what people called the items inside them.

At ten she started doing the cooking alone
Instinct turned her Ma’s once bland meals, meant to 
sustain, into feasts that filled and made them all flourish, 
despite themselves. 

She cleaned, and their stubborn little house with more inhabitants than walls, 
which had never held tidy,
reluctantly obeyed her.

Items previously left askew idled in their places; the
once steady stream of tracked-in red clay and rusty mud;
Dust,
Kitchen grime,
Roaches…
All 
reversed in their tracks.

Her Ma, 
whose autobiography was thought complete, 
was relieved to live out the rest of her life in direct 
contrast to how she’d written it. 
Now she could be found out in her garden, 
or sitting on the old rocker Pa had made her, 
feet up on the battered trunk that doubled as a whiskey table, 
mending some item of clothing and 
yelling to Sofie every now and then to 
see to some chore that Sofie had already seen to 
two chores ago.

Her Ma loved all of her children in the way of all 
life-guarding mothers back then
raising cream and brown and black children.
She hurled harsh words and 
painful insults at them in continuous waves, 
intending to smooth them like ocean rocks, to buff them so slick 
that the hatred hailed down at them 
from the world they lived in
would slip right off and not impale them.

She needed to pressure wash any defiance off them;
any audacity that might push back against the unjust 
wickedness, 
and get them maimed, or killed.

Occasionally, between the tides, a painful gentleness 
broke through unannounced and unwelcomed; 
she struggled against it, thinking that it would harm them.
She had no notion that it actually resuscitated them;
preserved them against those brutal, relentless waves.
Gave them hope.
A bright light of promise just beyond the dark.
Perhaps. Possibly. Just maybe.
Within reach?

Their Ma was hard and impartial enough that the 
siblings concentrated on blending into their duties.
They were always safe in the camouflage of hard work. 
Not one had the energy to maintain rivalry. 
Except against Sofie, who was drenched by a steady 
flow of envy from all of them. 
Sofie, thrown overboard,
yet maintained her buoyancy.

In an attempt to stitch the gash that separated her 
children, Sofie’s Ma often remarked to herself, but 
loud enough for all to hear, of Sofie’s virtues. 
Her siblings preferred to see her as…
lazy, 
pampered, 
favored,
(whispered) Illegitimate.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Does God put discouragers in our path to create discomfort? Can the disquiet of not belonging be of Him, to spur us into forging ahead to places unknown? Can He use the illiterate to build empires? Can He restore broken hearts and enable forgiveness for the most crushing of transgressions? What could happen if we believed God was in the midst of it all? Once upon a time, a simple girl and a simple boy fell in love. This was back in the time when marriage did not succumb to suffering or unkindness. It survived pride and envy. It was not expected to be perfect. It bore and believed and hoped and endured. The girl  opened herself up to the boy and he propelled into her love. And they bound to one another and multiplied. They fled from a world of hate and settled someplace safer. But evil found them. And they fell. They forget for just an instant, about love. They couldn’t feel it, so they thought it was dead. They mistakenly understood it to be buried under the hate they’d tried to escape. It was still there. Merely disguised in pain and fear. The girl and the boy limped through life, defenseless. But He whispered… This is their story…  

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joiya Morrison-Efemini is a Christian wife and mother of four fantastic kiddos. She is the author of two other publications, a lyrical collection of short stories entitled THE NOTES THEY PLAYED (2017), and a Young Adult novel entitled PETRIFIED FLOWERS (June, 2020). She lives in Marietta, Georgia.

Follow Joiya on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

Looking Back on 2019...

2019 was an...odd year for me, so much so that I'm not even sure what word to use to describe this past year. LOL. Professionally, in terms of my writing and publishing, it wasn't so great. But, it was really great in a lot of personal areas. Let's take a look back on the year and see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2019.

My original 2019 goals included: 

• Rewrite/revise/write all three books in my Georgia Corbins Series.
• Write Eternal Bond, the second book in my YA paranormal romance series. 
• Write an untitled project for a potential editor. 
• Officially launch FireChicken Press, LLC. 
• Read and blog.

I didn't do any of this! 

I know that sounds horrible, but there's a good reason I didn't do anything I'd set out to do. This was the year that my life changed drastically...

In May, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. If you want to read all about my journey to that discovery, you can do so HERE. This diagnosis has led to a complete lifestyle change. I've started going to the gym 5 days a week, sometimes more, and I was on the Keto diet. I've since gone off that because I lost quite a bit of weight, and I'm happy where I am now. And seriously, the weight loss has helped tremendously with the pain management. 

This was me in April, with my daughter on her prom. I was 186 pounds. (Isn't my daughter beautiful, though??)

This was me on Christmas day, at a much healthier 137 pounds!

I feel like a completely new person.  

But, trust me when I say that none of this was easy. Far from it. There were days when I wanted to say "screw it" and go back to the way I used to be, to eating whatever I wanted and sitting on the couch. And there were days when the pain was just too much, and I spent all day in bed. It's taken almost all year for me to figure out what does and doesn't work, what my physical, mental, and emotional limits are, and how to say no without feeling guilty. I've had to learn to listen to my body and slow down when needed. It's been a year of self-discovery for sure. 

Naturally, all of this resulted in me not being able to work as much as I normally do, and I've had to learn that's okay, too, that self-care is more important than how many words I write, or how many books I edit. But, to make myself feel slightly better, and to prove I'm not a total slacker, here's what I did do this year:
  

PROFESSIONALLY:

• I wrote a total of 112,475 words on various projects.
• I wrote 25K of the first Corbins book, and then decided making it Christian fiction just wasn't working. So, now I'm back to the secular version, which will require another revision, but I'm excited about where it's going.
• I wrote 35K of Eternal Bond, and I have two handwritten pages of plot notes, so I know exactly where the story is going. 
• David and I revised, and then signed, Warped Remains with Anaiah Press. We spent several months in edits, and the book is now set to release on January 21, 2020. 
• I wrote an entirely new book from start to finish!! Perfectly Imperfect is a contemporary YA Christian romance. It's set to release via Anaiah Press in May 2020. I love this story so, so much, and I can't wait to share it.
• Between here and the Anaiah Press blog, I blogged a total of 5,784 words.
• For Anaiah, I edited 5 full-length novels and 4 novellas.
• I freelance edited 3 full-length manuscripts.
• I took on a slightly new position at Anaiah Press. While I'm still the Editorial Director, I have a host of new responsibilities that I'm really enjoying. 
• I've outlined a couple new YA projects/ideas, many of which will be co-written with the lovely Rosie Somers. 

PERSONALLY:

• I turned 40!
• In May, I saw Twenty-one Pilots in concert--again--with my daughter. They seriously put on the best show ever!
• In June, I went to NY to see my second daughter graduate high school. She's now in college and working. I'm so incredibly proud of her. 
• In July, my husband and I went to NY and moved my parents to MI. I'm SO thrilled to have them living close again. 
• In August, I went to the Jackson County Fair to see Boyz II Men with my friend, Emily. It rained like crazy, but we had a great time.
• In October, I saw Luke Bryan in concert for the second time, but this time I was with Emily. (She's my person. I love her!)
• Thanks to all the time I've spent at the gym, I was able to catch up on several TV series: The Vampire Diaries (all 8 seasons), The 100 (6 seasons, and now impatiently waiting for the 7th and final season), Stranger Things (I'm going crazy waiting for season 4!), and now I'm on season 4 of Supernatural. 

Despite everything going on, I did manage to read a bit this year, too:

1. Price of Silence by Staci Stallings
2. The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson
3. Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout
4. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
5. Opal by Jennifer Armentrout
6. Origin by Jennifer Armentrout
7. Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout
8. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
9. The 100 by Kass Morgan

So, once again, I didn't publish a single thing in 2019, and I didn't snag an agent, but that's okay. Moving forward, I'm focusing on staying healthy and in shape, spending more time with my family and friends, and just enjoying life. As for the future of my writing and publishing, well, stay tuned for my annual goals post :)   I 

Going in a New Direction

As you can see, the blog has gotten a face lift. So has my website. Why? Well, because I've made another decision about my career. I know, I'm doing a lot of this lately. I'm still planning to write young adult--that hasn't changed, and it won't in the foreseeable future. However, I'm firmly committing myself to Christian YA, specifically contemporary.

I've been working in this market for years, and I had mentioned in my 2019 Goals post that I'm reworking my Georgia Corbins series into Christian fiction, so this decision really isn't that big of a leap for me. I also started a new book on January 1st--another contemporary Christian YA romance--and I passed 33,000 words yesterday. The story is flowing! Once it's beta read, revised, and edited, I'll begin querying Christian agents.

So, what does this mean for my paranormal romance? Nothing. While it's not Christian fiction, it is "clean" in that there's no cursing, excessive violence, or sex. And my main character does believe in God and heaven, so it certainly has Christian undertones. I'm still waiting for replies from the agents who have it, and if they choose to offer rep, I'll do my due diligence and make a decision that I feel is best for my career. If they all reject, that's okay, too. I'll release it via FireChicken Press.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stuck around through all my ups and downs and direction changes. I wouldn't be where I am without each and every one of you :-)

Stay tuned for upcoming publishing news!

New Year's Goals: 2019

via GIPHY

It's that time of year again!!! GOALS!!! I love setting goals. So, I won't even waste anymore time on anything else. Let's do this.

Finish What I've Started

After taking an inventory of my current half-started projects, I have a lot of stuff to finish. There's also a couple of series not included in my tally that I'd like to finally complete. So, here is the official list of books I'm going to attempt to finish writing this year:

1. The Georgia Corbins, Book 1. I started a total rewrite of this in November 2018, and I've been steadily making progress. I have less than 30K left to write, which will easily be completed by the end of January. While it still has all the same characters, the plot is taking a slight detour away from the original love triangle and it will now have a present faith element. My plan is to publish the entire series via Anaiah Press.

2. The Georgia Corbins, Book 2. I have a complete draft of this written that will need to be heavily revised to be consistent with the changes to book 1, so I plan to do that this year.

3. The Georgia Corbins, Book 3. This is a maybe at this point, because I'm not even sure there will be a book three now. It will all depend on what happens in the first two books.

4. Eternal Bond. This is the sequel to Eternal Curse, a young adult paranormal romance.

5. Untitled, unknown project. Okay, so an editor who rejected my paranormal romance said she loves my voice (which, for you non-writers reading this, that's a HUGE compliment) and that she feels I'm very well-suited to writing YA. She then asked if I had other projects I could pitch to her. So I did. If she likes any of them, I will focus on working on whatever she wants. And, if she doesn't like anything I pitch, I have a super-fun new Christian YA that I'll work on.

Officially launch FireChicken Press, LLC

I have a "work-in-progress" website for FireChicken Press, LLC (FCP, LLC). I'd like to release, at the very least, one book under FireChicken Press in 2019. Right now, it's looking like it will be a YA thriller I'd co-written a couple years ago, but that could very well change depending on what happens with other things.

Read and Blog

These two items are always on my goals list, but this year, I'm combining them because I've decided to be better about reviewing the books I've read. So, as you'll see across the top of this blog, I've added a new tab: BOOK CRAVINGS. This is where I'll be sharing all my bookish thoughts.

Persistence: Slow & Steady

Last year, my focus was on staying positive. While I'm sad to admit I didn't adhere to that as much as I would have liked, there were key moments when I did cling to positive thoughts to get me through. I will continue to do that this year, too, but I'm adding persistence as well. What many of you don't know is that I'm very hard on myself. If I don't write "all the words" every day, I feel like I've somehow failed. So, in 2019, I'm giving myself permission to do less more consistently. Instead of binge writing 5k in a single day and then not writing for a week after, I'm going to pace myself -- 2k a day everyday. After all, slow and steady wins the race, right?

What will you accomplish in 2019? 

Share your goals in the comments!

A (minor) Revelation and a FREE Book!

As you can see, I've reverted to the old blog layout and branding. You're probably wondering why. Well, I'm glad you asked :-)

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been doing more thinking and soul-searching and looking at all my half-started projects, and I've realized something important -- All of my books have romance in them! Regardless of which age category I choose to write in, all of my stories have some sort of love in them. Whether it's love of ones self or friendship or family or significant other, love is a common theme, and I don't want that to change. While I still have no intentions of writing in the adult secular romance genre, (adult Christian romance is still undecided) my young adult books will always have some element of romance. And as my blog header says, "At the heart of every story, love waits." That's still true!

All right, now for the BIG announcement....

DANGEROUS LOVE IS FREE ON AMAZON!!!

That's right! For the first time ever, you can get Dangerous Love for absolutely FREE!

Check it out HERE!

He’s fighting to forget his past while she struggles to remember hers…

Doctor Josh Parker lives with guilt about his wife’s death every day. He believes himself incapable of ever loving again, but when a mysterious woman arrives in the Emergency Room, brutally beaten and left for dead, he starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in far too long: hope.

Alessandra Matthews has no memory of the events that led to her being hospitalized. Worse, she has no idea who hurt her or why. Although she’s uncertain of who she is, she is fully aware of one thing—she’s falling for her doctor.

Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you… 

As Josh and Alessa work to solve the mystery surrounding her past, she soon realizes just how much danger she’s really in, but Josh refuses to let her face the darkness of her memories alone. With each of them struggling to put their pasts behind them, theirs is a DANGEROUS LOVE.

GET IT FREE HERE!

{COVER REVEAL}: Jaded Love

I have been waiting for this day forever! I can FINALLY share the cover for Jaded Love with all of you!!!!! Be sure to scroll all the way to the end of the post for a chance to win a copy of Dangerous Love, Book 1 of The Mending Hearts Series.

Okay, enough chatting. Here it is....

They can pretend they're fine...

Moving to NYC is supposed to be the fresh start Kristy Andrews so desperately needs, but she can't seem to shake the after-effects of having been kidnapped last year.

Detective Jackson Reed never meant to kill an innocent man, but knowing that doesn't change the guilt he lives with every single day.

But they can't hide forever...

When Kristy and Jackson meet, the connection is instantaneous, but neither is ready to open up about their pasts. Can love and trust conquer their demons?

In order to have a future, they'll have to face their past...

When Kristy starts receiving threatening messages, her anxiety kicks into overdrive, but the last thing she wants is Jackson worrying about her.

Jackson may doubt his ability to return to active duty, but he has no doubts about his instincts concerning Kristy. Someone is trying to hurt her, and he refuses to let that happen, even if it means going back to work; something he wasn't sure he'd do.

As the threats increase, Jackson shows Kristy that strength doesn't mean facing her fears alone, and Kristy shows Jackson that forgiveness starts from within. Can they save each other before it's too late? Or will the past come back to haunt them?

PRE-ORDER

ADD TO GOODREADS

About the Authors:

Kara Leigh Miller combines her knowledge and prior editing experience with a passion for the written word and a love for all things romance. Represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency, Kara is a multi-genre published author, and an avid reader with eclectic tastes that range from the tame to the taboo. She currently lives in Michigan with her husband, three kids, three pit bulls, and two cats. When she's not busy writing romance novels that leave readers swooning, she's spending time with her family. Find her anytime at: www.karaleighmiller.com

Jody Holford lives in British Columbia with her husband and two daughters. She is a fan of Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis, Rachel Gibson, and Rainbow Rowell. In reading and writing, she likes characters who are flawed, but driven toward the pursuit of love and happiness. In November 2013, she published A Not So Lonely Christmas with Short Fuse Literary. In December 2014, she published Forever Christmas through Kindle Direct. In 2016, Damaged and Falling for Home will be available from Penner Publishing. Find her anytime at: http://jodyholford.weebly.com

GIVEAWAY  ~  GIVEAWAY  ~  GIVEAWAY!

The below giveaway is sponsored solely by Jody Holford and Kara Leigh Miller and is in no way sponsored by Anaiah Press, LLC. Furthermore, all prizes will be awarded by the authors directly to the chosen winners. The giveaway starts today and will end on Sunday, December 20, 2015. Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter and will be notified by email no later than Monday, December 21, 2015. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway