{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? 

 

BUY NOW!

ADD TO GOODREADS!

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.

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.

BUY NOW

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Sara Beth Williams

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 Sara Beth Williams and her contemporary Christian romance, When Hearts Collide.

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.
I’m Sara Beth, I am from Sacramento, California, and I write Contemporary Christian Romance.
Things I love: the beach, guitar, music in general, gardening, reading, writing of course. Anything that involves creating. And I love peopling! Both online and off.
Things I hate: pulling weeds. Please. No. More. Weeds.

Welcome, Sara Beth! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? Is your character religious? If so, what do they practice? Do they attend church? 

I have two main characters--Jay and Lacey--so I’ll be answering for each of them.

Jay did not grow up in church, but became a Christian later on in life. He is a new believer. Becoming a believer changed his life. He attends a Bible-based church and helps his roommate, Matt, out on Wednesday nights during the college-age church service. He also attends small group Bible studies, and church every Sunday. Being a part of the Christian Community is extremely important to him.

Lacey grew up in church and was raised by a family who claimed to be Christians. She attended church every week, until her father left their family. Her sister’s tragic death was the last straw that shattered her childhood faith.

Fun Fact: I grew up in church, and adored spending time with my friends in our youth group. I started a Bible club at my high school. But many, many people that I knew from my youth group have fallen away from Christ for lots of reasons. It breaks my heart. My faith is very important to me. While there is some sadness there, I also have some friends who weren’t believers while I was young, and are now believers because something major changed in their life later on. This, to me, is encouraging. I should think more on these stories.

Is your character close with their family? If not, why? 
Jay didn’t know his father, and his mother was very neglectful. He ended up in foster care, and was eventually adopted by his half-brother, who is ten years older. He grew up in a rather independent environment. 

Lacey had a wonderful family growing up. But then, her father left, and her older sister died tragically. Currently, all she has left – her choice, by the way - is her older brother, Joel.

Fun Fact: I adore my parents and brothers. I am extremely blessed to have a family that set a strong foundation in faith and salvation of Christ. We are not perfect. There are a lot of personality differences. As a child, I knew several children who grew up in challenging households. As a teacher, I’ve unfortunately met children who grew up in neglectful households. I’ve also met many people who grew up in non-Christian households and have grown into amazing, wonderful adults.
There are SO many different types of families, it’s incredibly humbling to think about. As I’ve matured, I have realized just how vast each person’s background, upbringing and experiences really are.

What is your character’s biggest regret? Why? 
Jay regrets getting behind the wheel of his brother’s car at all. If he’d been more conscious of his actions, then he’d not have lost so many years of his life.

Lacey strives to coat herself in a hard-shell of ‘no-regrets’ and ‘don’t-look-backs’ and ‘the past is in the past’ Deep down, underneath her biggest regret is simply not being able to somehow save her sister from such a tragic ending.

Fun Fact: I believe everything happens for a reason. The decision I make lead into more decisions and if I hadn’t done one thing or another thing somewhere along the line, then the good things in my life possibly may not have happened at all.
That said, I always wonder what would’ve happened if 1) I had majored in English instead of liberal studies 2) I had actually planned ahead and gotten my teaching credential before I had kids and the economy imploded the first time (2009) … 3) If I had waited to get married until 2009.

What does your character do to relax?  
Jay loves to exercise, and he loves to read. While in prison he devoured anything he could get his hands on in the library. He also loves to just be lazy and do whatever he wants whenever he wants.

Lacey loves bike riding, and going out with her friends. Movies, lunch and dinner hangouts, anything that involves going out with people. She also loves acting and working with the college theater department.

Fun Fact: I love creating. Writing, playing music, creating graphics, gardening, landscaping (to a degree) building things. I’m happiest when I can work in an environment where I can come up with and implement new ideas.

What is the one thing your character is most proud of? Why?
Jay is excited and proud to have gotten into college after his release from prison. It’s something no one in his immediate family – however small they were – has ever accomplished.

Lacey is proud to have built an independent life for herself. Though she lives with her brother, she has a job, is in her junior year of college, and is thrilled to be helping out in the theater department of her college.

Fun Fact: Most recently, I’m proud to have made some progress on my garden in our backyard. It’s taken a while to turn a few years of neglect into something lovely and beautiful. I’m also very proud to finally have a job in the publishing industry as a publicist – though it’s a freelance job, it’s a step in a very exciting direction! 

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

A reckless mistake landed Jacob "Jay" Mathews behind bars, but it was his inescapable guilt that led him to God. Upon his release, with the help of a spiritual mentor and friend, he strives to move forward with his life. Determined to graduate college, get a job, and follow God's word, the last thing Jay needs or wants is a girlfriend. Until he meets Lacey Bennett.

When fervent prayers for reconciliation between her divorced parents go unanswered, and her older sister tragically dies, Lacey questions how God could allow such tragedies to befall her family. Turning her back on her past and God, she focuses on her future. College and theater are her ultimate goals; falling for the one type of guy she swore to avoid--a Christian--is not. No matter how much she wants to resist, Jay is irresistible.

As their relationship deepens, Jay struggles with Lacey's unresolved anger and her unwillingness to even discuss faith. All he wants to do is reveal how God changed his life, but doing so would mean revealing his status as an ex convict. Finally, as she begins to rekindle her faith, past secrets collide, threatening to destroy everything they've built. Now, Jay must rely on his faith more than he ever has before. Can they learn to forgive--or is their relationship fractured beyond repair?

BUY NOW!

Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a lovable old lady

pit and a spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. She lives in Northern California. When she's not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers!

Find her on her website/blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Carol Underhill

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 Carol Underhill and her Christian holiday romance, Angelica's Christmas Wish.

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 Carol Underhill. I’m a mom to 3 adult children and a spoiled Lab. I live in a small village in rural Michigan with a stoplight and a convenience store famous for their large hand-dipped ice cream cones. I write Christian romance. My first published work was my Christmas novella.

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

Forest green. She receives a purse in that color as a Christmas gift to replace the one stolen from the accident scene.

FUN FACT: My favorite color is maroon. When I went away to college, I took my ten-speed bike. It was silver and maroon. When I bought my first car, it was silver with maroon interior. Later, when my husband and I were able to buy our first good car, it was maroon, because he knew it was my favorite color. The van I drive now is also that color.

Where does your character live?

Chicago.

FUN FACT: One year I planned a trip to Chicago in February to celebrate our anniversary. We took our kids with us. We walked around downtown to see some of the sights and nearly froze. It was in the days before Uber, and besides, we didn’t have a cell phone with us if we’d wanted to call for a ride. I decided that if we take another trip to Chicago, it will be in the summer, when we can walk around downtown without freezing.

What does your character do for a living? 

My character is a legal assistant.

FUN FACT: My first real job was as a receptionist in a law firm. I had no previous secretarial experience. In high school my timed typing speed was only 21 words per minute. I had studied Spanish in Mexico, and was hired to work for a bilingual attorney. With practice, I became faster and more accurate at typing, and I transitioned from receptionist to legal secretary.

Is your character religious? If so, what do they practice? Do they attend church?

My characters are Christians, but their faith has been weakened by the tragedies in their lives. They attend a Christmas Eve candlelight service because the little girl is singing in the children’s choir.

FUN FACT: The scene from the candlelight service is based on a similar experience in my life. When our children were little, we took them to a candlelight service one Christmas. We didn’t think anything about our kids taking a candle to hold, until we had to pass the flame. Talk about a nervous parent!

What is your character’s favorite food? 

Biscuits and gravy.

FUN FACT: I was first introduced to biscuits and gravy when I was a young adult. My family stopped at a popular breakfast place when we were on a trip. I didn’t understand the draw then. I ordered a sausage sandwich, which I ate with ketchup, of all things. A few years later, I visited the restaurant and ordered the popular biscuits and gravy. I was hooked. It’s one of my favorite breakfasts foods now.

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

When Serena Cole sees a car careening toward a little girl, she jumps in to save the child with no thought for her own safety. Later, Serena wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. Everyone calls her a hero, but she doesn’t recall anything—not even her name.

Mark Harper, the child’s widowed father, isn’t looking for romance, but the beautiful stranger who saved his daughter’s life captures his interest. But when no one steps up to identify her, he brings her home with him. He doesn’t realize that his decision may make his daughter’s Christmas wish come true.

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I’m one of five siblings raised on a farm. I have a large extended family. We attended a little country church where I learned Bible verses and songs that have carried me through life. I’m widowed with three adult children who inspire me to chase my dreams. Our household includes a spoiled black Lab and several rescued cats. My favorite things are reading, spending time with family and listening to music. I like quiet mornings with a cup of hazelnut coffee.

You can follow Carol on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. 

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Wounded Heart by Colleen Hall

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 Colleen Hall sharing an exclusive excerpt from her historical Christian romance, Wounded Heart!

And to make today even more awesome, the book is ON SALE for only $0.99. Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heart-Colleen-Hall-ebook/dp/B081QL76YR/

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

Wild Wind came to a standstill a dozen feet from Shane and addressed him in the Cheyenne language. Shane lowered his rifle and replied. A rapid exchange followed. When the conversation concluded, Wild Wind raised one hand and motioned. Half a dozen Dog Soldiers rose from behind rocks and hillocks and converged on the warrior.
Shane pivoted and strode toward Della. She met him at the cleft between the two boulders at the entrance of the cul-de-sac. He brushed past her without a word. She followed him to his gelding’s flank, where he rummaged in one of his saddlebags.
“What are you doing? What are you and Wild Wind up to?” she demanded, fists propped on her hips.
“Wild Wind has challenged me to a fight.”
She caught her breath. She raised one hand and clenched his bicep. “What kind of fight?”
“Knife.”
“A knife fight. Why?”
“The winner gets you.”
Fear and fury boiled in a wild tumult. “The winner gets me! I’m not a prize that you men can fight over. Don’t I have a say in this? I won’t let you fight your own brother for me!”
Shane pulled his moccasins from his saddlebag and faced Della. She glared at him. He stared back at her, resolute and silent.
“I’ll talk to Wild Wind, then. If you won’t stop it, I’ll see that he does.” She spun and took one stride toward the exit before Shane grabbed her arm and whirled her back. She collided with his chest. He held her in an unyielding grip and dipped his head to bring his eyes level with hers.
“Stay out of it. Don’t shame him before his men.”
Della stared back with a determination that matched his and tried to jerk her arm free. Shane didn’t loosen his hold.
“You can’t stop this, Della. This is bigger than you.” With sudden gentleness, he loosened his hold on her arm. Sitting on a rock near the back of the cul-de-sac, he removed his boots and shoved his feet into his moccasins. Shane stood and moved to her side, so close she felt his body heat. “If it makes you feel better, we’ve agreed not to fight to the death. Only to disarm or incapacitate.” He strode out of the cul-de-sac, leaving Della to follow or not, as she chose.
Not wanting to see two men she cared about engage in combat yet unable to resist watching, Della drifted from the protection of the cul-de-sac. She eyed the combatants. The brothers were evenly matched. Both men were in their prime, equal in height and weight. They’d stripped down to their buckskin trousers and moccasins. Now, supple muscle rippled beneath smooth, gleaming skin.
One of the Dog Soldiers stepped forward and threw two knives down between the rivals. The lethal blades sank deep into the soil.

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

Della Hughes longs for adventure and for freedom from the strictness and austerity of 1870s Boston society. When her uncle and guardian, General Clint Logan, uses his fortune to purchase property in Colorado and set up a horse ranch selling remounts to the western army, Della decides she must accompany him and his family to the West. Along the journey, Della encounters more adventure than she bargained for.

Rustlers, Indians, and rattlesnakes add danger to the trek. A persistent cavalry captain who believes Della would make him the perfect wife and a Cheyenne chieftain’s son who tells her she’s brought sunshine to his heart complicate her life. And the handsome army scout who ramrods their wagon train guards a secret from his past that makes him believe he’s not worthy of loving Della. She must meet the challenges of the West and convince the man of her heart that love is worth risking everything to gain.

ON SALE FOR ONLY $0.99!

BUY NOW!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Colleen Hall is a displaced New Englander who came South to attend college. There she met and married her husband, who is a Southerner. She never returned to New England and has lived in the Upstate of South Carolina ever since.

In her historical books she combined her love of writing with her love of history. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, horseback riding, reading, and browsing antique stores. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and family, two horses and two spoiled cats.

Follow Colleen on her website and Twitter. 

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Sara Beth Williams

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 Sara Beth Williams and her contemporary Christian romance, A Worthy Heart.

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.
I’m Sara Beth, I am from Sacramento, California, and I write Contemporary Christian Romance. I love creating. Throughout every job I’ve ever had, creativity is at the core of where I find enjoyment. I’m happiest when I can work in an environment where I can come up with and implement new ideas. I love playing guitar, reading, gardening as of late, teaching little kiddos, and being with my family.

Welcome, Sara Beth! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? Who is your character’s best friend? 

I have two main characters, Joel and Serena – so I will be answering for both of them.
Joel’s closest friend is Matt, an older Christian who holds the position of college worship leader at their church. He acts as a mentor to several characters in my series. Their personalities are very similar. Many times he approaches Matt for advice, or just to hang out throughout A Worthy Heart, and you’ll notice the same trend of friendship in my 3rd book releasing next year.

Serena’s best friend is Lacey, Joel’s brother. They met in their first year of college at the campus coffee shop when they both began working there at the same time. 

FUN FACT: In my 20s, I applied to work at Starbucks at least 5 times with nothing to show for it :( Also bonus: all 3 colleges I attended (yes, I attended a junior college, a private university, and then a state university for one year afterward) have on-campus coffee shops with different names. I decided to create a generic one in my books. But they’re always very busy, and full of students eating, studying, socializing etc. At my private university, they had live music nights. Ironically, the state campus coffee shop was tiny in comparison to the one at my private university. *shrugs*

Is your character close with their family? If not, why? 

If you’ve not read book one, When Hearts Collide, this may present some minor spoilers, but I’ll try to minimize it. You should read #1 to find out more!

Joel and Lacey’s father leaves the family, and later their sister dies tragically and the repercussions of these events affect Joel and Lacey in vastly different ways. Joel attempts to pull the family together, while Lacey runs and hides and suppresses everything. Suffice to say, Joel is the glue that keeps the family from splintering in every direction for good.

Serena is close with her family for the most part – they are very involved in her life. However, she feels significant pressure to succeed throughout A Worthy Heart, and so pulls away from her family, who are all quite successful in their endeavors. She loves them however, and as you read, you’ll encounter memories she has, as well as realizations she has about the importance of family later on. 

FUN FACT: I’m close to my family and have lived WITH or within 5 miles of my family for close to a decade, except for the years I attended college in a different city. 

Is your character an introvert or extrovert? 

Joel is an introvert and excels in small groups or dealing with people one on one. Serena is an extrovert – talkative, loves to have fun, and isn’t afraid to be the life of the party.

FUN FACT: My husband is totally an introvert and excels in small groups or one on one interactions. I love being in a crowd, or being with people or connecting with people (online too!) I love watching kids play at recess (lots of running and screaming there) and I love a good party. A couple of my other introverted friends confessed to me that they would follow me if we were at a large gathering because I was the one who would talk for everyone.

What is your character’s fondest memory? Why? 

Joel’s fondest memories involve camping with his dad when he was a young teen. Serena’s fondest memories are of holiday get-togethers. One memory that surfaces in her mind in A Worthy Heart is the act of decorating their tree during the holidays. All her extended family would come together – uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents – and they would each bring an ornament to put on the tree at her parents’ house. 

FUN FACT: As a kid, my family used to have big get-togethers with my extended family on both sides. My mom’s side has a very large extended family, and there would often be large Christmas Eve parties. But after my husband and I got married, we did our own thing with his parents, and hardly ever visited my mom’s side because they lived too far away.

Bonus: I grew up going camping and that plays a big part in many of the scenes in A Worthy Heart, and my third book :) 

What is your character’s greatest fear? 

Joel is a protector to the core. He fears not being able to protect his family – his sister, his mom – from harm. Somehow, Serena unintentionally falls into that category real quick.

Serena’s fear is failure. Her entire family has succeeded in every aspect of their lives: Her twin brothers are football players in college, her older brother is in med school, her parents are wealthy and successful. Yet she’s landed at the end of her college years with little to show and indecisiveness to boot. 

FUN FACT: Joel’s entire character is based on real life experiences. He’s calm, collected, protective, introverted – that’s straight from my brother most of the time haha! – he’s a history and superhero nerd – that’s my husband right there. 

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

Joel Bennett has always known Serena Hayes as his sister’s gregarious best friend. In the three years since Lacey began college, Serena became a regular houseguest, but lately, she’s absent more than not. When Joel discovers she’s in an abusive relationship, protectiveness from within roars to life.

With only a part-time job to support her and nowhere to go, Serena fears leaving her current relationship would jeopardize her chances of graduating college. After a brutal attack leaves her no choice, she courageously moves out. On her journey toward regaining confidence, self-worth, and independence, Joel falls in beside her, encouraging her. The way he emulates Godly love and compassion draws her close—not just to him, but to the God who can satisfy her longing for love better than any man,

Attraction sizzles between them, but events from their pasts cast shadows of doubt. When the unthinkable happens, can Serena open her heart to a second chance at love, or is she destined to be alone?

ON SALE FOR ONLY $0.99!
BUY NOW!

Sara Beth Williams is a wife, mother of two daughters, and temporary caretaker of a lovable old lady

pit and a spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. She lives in Northern California. When she's not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys music, teaching, reading and spending time with her family. She is all about connecting with readers! Find her on her website/blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

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!

{GUEST POST}: 10 Things You Don't Know about Connie Ann Michael

Today I'm pleased to welcome my friend and fellow Anaiah author, Connie Ann Michael, to the blog. The second book in her Thousand Moments series, 1000 SILENT MOMENTS released a few weeks back, and so I thought it would be fun have her tell us a bit more about herself. So, here's Connie :-)

The biggest thing you probably don’t know about me is that I have been an author for about eight years. At one time I had three books out on Amazon and was busy promoting myself and then my publisher disappeared. Yep she disappeared and the authors had to scramble to get our rights back. I think in the long run it was for the best. It gave me a chance to look over the books and rewrite them. You see as you write more, you write better. So I hope they are better.  A Thousand Silent Moments is the second in the Thousand Moments series.  Now here are a few more things you may not know about me.

1. I have two college seniors
2. My son just registered for the NFL draft, he plays college football
3. I love to hike, kayak, or do anything outdoors
4. I love going to the movies
5. My secret talent is I can name a movie after only seeing a few seconds of it.  I have seen way too many movies
6. Reading is my favorite thing to do
7. I am a runner, a slow one but still a runner none the less
8. I have set a goal to climb three 14ers this summer in Colorado
9. I have a dog that looks like a gremlin after it gets wet
10. I write because I can’t sit still

Thanks so much for sharing all of that with us, Connie! Now, tell us about 1000 SILENT MOMENTS. (I had the pleasure of editing this book for her, and whoa! Have some tissues handy because this is one heck of an emotional rollercoaster!)

Only weeks back from the war, Emme “Doogie” Sawyer is in trouble. She struggles to fight the war in her head while also trying to build a relationship with Raven – who has recently returned from Afghanistan and taken up temporary residence in her house. Unfortunately, it’s hard to lock down the bad without cutting off the good. Soon, Sawyer begins to slip deeper into the darkness of the war she thought she left behind.

Running from his own mistakes, Raven tries to be the support Sawyer needs to move forward, but he soon discovers that in order to heal, they must rely on their faith more than they rely on each other. Raven takes Sawyer back to his childhood home, to where he hopes they both can find themselves and the faith they left behind.

Will they be able to find their way back to each other, or will the horrors of war and past mistakes destroy them for good?

BUY NOW: Amazon / Smashwords / Banes & Noble  

About the Author:

Connie grew up in Seattle but moved to Central Washington to be closer to all things outdoors. Married, with two college boys, she keeps busy kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, and hiking through the beautiful hills of the Wenatchee Valley. Growing up with a love of reading, the transition into writing seemed natural, and she can be found on summer days writing under the tree in her front yard, surrounded by her three dogs.

You can find more of Connie on her website, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.  

RELEASE DAY for JADED LOVE!

Woo hoo!!! I can't believe it's finally here :-) JADED LOVE releases today.

And to celebrate, my lovely co-author and I have decided to do something a little fun...

Other than writing and publishing two books together, the best thing to have come from this working relationship is a close, lasting friendship. Over the past two years, I've really gotten to know Jody, and so now I want all of you to get to know her a little better, too.

For anyone who's followed our journey, you know that Jody and I met during a contest hosted by me and Anaiah Press. I'll admit, it was a rather crazy sort of contest in which the winning author got to write and publish a book with yours truly. When we launched the contest, I seriously didn't think anyone would enter. lol. So, Jody, what made you decide to enter that contest in the first place, and what was your mindset / line of thinking upon entering and then upon learning you’d been chosen?

Actually, it was my friend, Tara Creel, who told me about the contest and said I should enter. That was a tough one because she was also entering and I don’t love the idea of going up against friends. Plus, we were both in the final five. She was, as she always is, lovely and gracious and so supportive when I won so I was in a pretty good frame of mind when I was chosen. I was happy, nervous, and uncertain. There are so many paths to publication and it’s hard to know which one is right or if any of them are the “right” way. 

Well, I'm super glad you entered ;-) Okay, now, let's get down to the important stuff. In Jaded Love, Kristy tends to ramble and as a result, often unintentionally embarrasses herself. Tell us, in detail, your most embarrassing moment.

Kara, this is a horrible question lol :) Okay. Um. Hmm…..should I go with the oldest or most recent. I’ll go with this one….my husband was teasing me on Halloween when we were walking with a group of friends. It was dark and I don’t see well in the dark. So he kept teasing and I turned and smacked him in the stomach. Only, it wasn’t him. It was a friend. My husband and our other friends found this very funny. Unfortunately, I do things like this frequently. Not hitting. But things that are embarrassing. 


LOL. That sounds like something I would do. As a fellow book lover, tell me... If you could live inside of any book world, meet any book character, and/or fall in love with any book boyfriend, which book would that be and why?

It’s possible the answers to those are all different. I would love to be inside Harry Potter’s world because how incredible would that be? I’d love to meet and be awkward friends with Cath from Fangirl because she is real and perfectly imperfect. For book boyfriends….I don’t know...what I love most about the books I read is how perfect the main characters are for each other. So I can’t become the catalyst for their break up. 


One of my favorite scenes in Jaded Love is when Jackson and Kristy don't go on a date to the chuch hosted singles dance. On the outside, it appears like a traditional date, but Jackson makes it very clear it's not, despite Kristy's desire for it to be a date. Have you ever been on a bad date? Please, tell us about it. (And don’t leave anything out!)

Yes. I’ve been on plenty of bad dates. There was the one guy who asked me out, made me drive, then when he suggested we go for coffee/snacks, told me he only had $5.00 so could I cover it. There was another where he decided we shouldn’t go on another date so he invited me out for dinner, brought a date for himself and a friend he thought I might like. I could keep going. 


One of the themes we explored in Jaded Love was fear and forgiveness. Arguably, Jackson's greatest fear is failing someone he loves, not being able to protect those that are closest to him. What is your greatest fear?

Everything. I have severe generalized anxiety disorder. I’m scared of dying. Of something happening to my family. Of something happening because I didn’t do a good enough job protecting the people I love. I’m scared of getting sick, of messing my kids up, of not being enough and of you publishing my response to this question. So the short answer: everything.

Thanks for putting up with my wacky questions, Jody! If you want to see what she had to ask me, hop on over to her blog and check it out! In the meantime, don't forget to check out Jaded Love and enter our giveaway for a chance to win some awesome prizes.

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 Kirsty 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? 

BUY LINKS: Amazon / Smashwords

ADD TO GOODREADS

FOLLOW THE JADED LOVE BLOG TOUR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you haven't already read Dangerous Love, book one in The Mending Hearts Series, you can grab it now for ONLY $0.99! 

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.

{Cover Reveal}: Out of Character

Today is the cover reveal for Out of Character by Molly Zenk. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Blurb:

After the loss of her brother, actress Harmony Jones struggles with daily life. Landing the lead role on the hit faith based living history show, 1700s Life, might be the perfect way to reconnect with her faith and be her big acting break.

Tired of hiding his strong faith and convictions to get secular roles, David Hawkins jumps at the chance to play the curate on 1700s Life. It's the perfect vehicle to spread God’s word.

Elliot Banes’ career needs an image makeover, so he accepts the naval hero role on 1700s Life. Getting away from his overbearing mother is an added bonus. His true hope is to learn to speak his mind instead of always fading into the background.

When a scripted love triangle between Harmony, David, and Elliot becomes a real life love triangle, Harmony must make a difficult decision. She hoped to find her wavering faith, she didn't count on finding love as well. If that was her only obstacle, the role would be a breeze. Unfortunately, there’s an on-set spy intent on causing drama. Can Harmony see through all the lies and secrets to the truth in her heart, or will she end up falling for the wrong man?

About the Author:

Molly Zenk was born in Minnesota, grew up in Florida, lived briefly in Tennessee before finally settling in Colorado. She graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL with degrees in Secondary Education, English, and Creative Writing. She is married to a Mathmatician/Software Engineer who complains about there not being enough "math" or info about him in her author bio. They live in Arvada, CO with their young daughters, 1 dog, and 1 cat.



You can find and contact Molly here:

- Website

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Goodreads

- Amazon

TEASER TUESDAY: Angela Schroeder

Welcome to another installment of TEASER TUESDAY. I'm excited to have the lovely Angela Schroeder here with us today. She'll be sharing an excerpt from her novel, Love Overcomes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

     He took her hand into his. She felt torn between wanting to move closer to him and wanting to pull away. Unaware of her internal struggle, he led her out to the patio. A gentle breeze blew and lifted up her hair. She wanted the moment to last. She wanted to sit next to him on the glider and breathe him in. Instead, she walked with him to the low stone wall of the covered patio and they stood next to each other, looking out at the night sky. After a moment, he turned to her. “Tell me about your home.”

     Her eyes widened and she took a deep breath. She leaned against the stone wall and looked into his blue eyes.

     “Home? Home is… nothing like Los Angeles.” She laughed, shaking her head wryly. “Our parents have a big farm with an apple orchard. It’s open. It’s free. It’s a place where you can breathe. Clara and I share a cottage on part of the property, and every night I can sit on the porch, and listen to the symphony that nature creates. Instead of buildings everywhere you look, there are cornfields. I love that. I love that Liam and I can go outside and not be surrounded by concrete.”

     “It sounds nice,” he said. “Will that always be your home?”

     “Probably. I can write articles from anywhere I suppose. My parents are there. My sister is there. I like helping her with the business end of her quilting business. They are all the family that Liam knows. I can’t imagine taking him away from that.”

     “He doesn’t know his dad at all?”

     “Liam doesn’t have a dad.” She stared out at the night sky. “A dad is someone who raises a child. A dad is there when the child is sick. He’s there to tuck him into bed at night. He’s there in the mornings to share breakfast with him. There to wipe away tears and let him know that everything is going to be alright.” Her jaw was tense. She let out a long sigh, letting the bitterness in her voice fade.

     “No, he does not know what a dad is. But, he knows what a grandpa is. And he has men in his life that love him. He doesn’t need to know who his dad is. He is safer not knowing him; we both are.” She looked away from him, gazing out into the darkness. She felt him next to her. His hand brushed back a strand of hair, but lingered on her shoulder in silent comfort

~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Going to Hollywood was supposed to be something that would change Clara Mackenzie’s life forever.

Her younger sister, single mother Arabella, never imagined that going to California with her sister would have such a huge impact on her life. Now, she needs to try to overcome her past and try to trust again or be doomed to be single forever.

Arabella Mackenzie and her son Liam have never wanted or needed anyone other than their family. When Arabella meets Jeremy Fowlis she begins to have feelings for a man for the first time since before her son was born. Shy, Clara begins to fall for an actor of her own when she meets dashing Jake.

Jeremy is not use to women who do not want to date him because he is an in-demand actor let alone a woman who does not even recognize him. He finds he wants to know more about her but is not sure if he can handle the fact that she is a single mother and has a past that seems to be shrouded in mystery.

Can Arabella and Jeremy both overcome their doubts, fears and past in order to find love?

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY LINKS: 
AMAZON / B&N / KOBO / SMASHWORDS 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Angela was born and raised in Iowa, in a river town known for its pearl buttons. Having four siblings, she never lacked for someone to play with. As she grew older, she found herself pulled into books and writing more and more. Her parents are her heroes, her siblings her confidants and tormentors, and her children her wonderful blessings.

Connect with Angela on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+. 

Don't forget to check out the tour wide giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway