Back to the Books #Giveaway Hop

Welcome to Piedmont Island and the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop. A special thank you to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and Buried in Books for organizing this event. It’s a great way to connect with readers, authors and bloggers, and win some super giveaways.

My giveaway? An e-copy of 

Defending Glory

Suffering from survivor’s guilt and unable to resume his career with the FBI, Mac McKeown moves to northern Minnesota to start over as a general contractor and forget that fateful day that changed everything. When he discovers the body of his nemesis on Glory Palmer’s property, along with a warning for her to leave while she still can and abandon her dream of building a Christian retreat, Mac realizes his past has come back to haunt him and an innocent woman’s life is in grave danger. He vows to keep her safe during construction of the retreat... but how will he protect his heart?

"Ms. Albert has captured the essence of inspirational romantic suspence. With plot twists and characters one can relate to, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that kept me guessing till the end. I plan to read more from this great writer." ~ Amazon reviewer

"The only question you will have at the end is...when will her next novel come out? Definitely a keeper on my bookshelf." ~ Amazon reviewer

 

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To enter your name in the giveaway draw for DEFENDING GLORY:

 

(1) follow my blog,

For an additional chance to win:

(2)

 

"like" Defending Glory - HERE.

 

I’ll announce the winner September 8. 

Good luck. Enjoy the rest of the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop, and happy reading!

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Judi Phillips, Author of Wishes and Dreams, Talks Writing & Giveaway Draw

My guest today is Judi Phillips. Judi has had stories in her head as far back as she can remember. However, being lazy (her friends like to point out she’s efficient), and being a legal assistant, she knew she could never complete a manuscript if she had to use a typewriter. Then, along came word processors, and those magic cut and paste and delete icons. Suddenly, there was no stopping her! Within a few weeks of her first job with a computer, she started her first story, a house-beautiful, vogue thing about lawyers. Needless to say, it will never be published--but she honed her description skills on that project, so nothing is ever wasted.

Judi lives in Maine in the foothills of the White Mountains with her two Yorkies, Sassie and Mishka and a MinPin, Gizmo. Despite their small size, they rule the house.

Anne - Welcome to Piedmont Island, Judi. I’m so glad you could drop by before Labor Day and the official end of summer. Regardless of the season, it’s always a joy to chat with a fellow author. Now, if you’re comfortable and have helped yourself to a cyber beverage and sweet treat (baked fresh in my amazing cyber oven ;-) -- let’s start with something personal. Do you have a fear, phobia, or habit you’d rather no one knew about?

Judi - My close friends know that I am terrified of bats. Outside, where they belong, they're fine. Inside, where they don't belong, I will abandon my house until I can beg or hire someone to get rid of them. Been there, done that.

Anne – LOL, Judi. That reminds me of years ago, while on vacation with our then 7-year old daughter, a bat got inside our cabin. Dear hubby shivered, then handed our daughter a tennis racket as he raced out the door and left us to fend for ourselves! (I knew I’d get a chance to write about that one day. Thanks for the perfect opportunity.) Next question: When did you first realize you were destined to be a writer?

Judi - Probably in the third grade when we had to write a story. I did what would now be considered fan fiction on a series I read as a kid. It was lots of years later before I began seriously writing.

Anne - Tell us about your novella, Wishes and Dreams.

Judi - Wishes and Dreams is a sweet, humorous story. What can go wrong for Dakota Bucklin in one morning? Everything, when her great-great-great grandfather is meddling and her long-time friend, Will Graham, is distractingly attractive.

Anne - Of the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Judi - The ghost in Wishes and Dreams. He's named for my great-grandfather and I thoroughly enjoyed making up a story that included a family member.

Anne - How many rejections have you received? Was one more memorable than others?

Judi - Too many to count. I have a folder full. The most memorable was from an agent who shall remain nameless. He/she stamped (as in one already made) "not for me" on my query letter and mailed it back. Didn't even bother to use a piece of their own paper.  I'm surprised they bothered with the cost of the postage.

The most helpful was one of the first queries I sent on my first manuscript--which will never be published--I think to an editor. She suggested I contact a local RWA chapter.  For that advice, I will be forever grateful. Over the years, I have found wonderful support and awesome critique partners.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Judi - Keep writing. If the words aren't flowing, try another story. My last three releases--and the book releasing in October--interrupted my WIP. As I finished each story, I returned to the WIP with renewed enthusiasm. Writing is not an easy business, but typing The End are the most rewarding words ever written.

Anne - Would you share an excerpt of Wishes and Dreams with us?

Judi – Here you go! 

Captain Frazier didn't need this nonsense, even if the café was named after his daughter, Katherine. Being a ghost was difficult enough without all the annoying noise from Dakota's renovations.

The bed and breakfast part wasn't too bad. The worst noise came from snoring guests. But the banging of the carpenters was the last straw. A café. She was turning his beloved home into little more than a roadside diner. That was no way to respect a centuries-old house. No way to respect him. He had to take the wind out of her sails and belay this nonsense.

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Dakota stood to one side holding a flat pan in her hand, her sherry-colored eyes wide open as she surveyed the mess. A few wisps of her dark brown hair peeked from under a crooked red bandana.

Will stepped into the room, the door swinging shut behind him. "You doing some heavy-duty redecorating?" He regretted his teasing in case she'd been hit by one of the falling pans. "Seriously, are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

Dakota shifted her gaze to his chest. Her eyes widened even further.

At that moment, Will realized he wore only his pajama bottoms. In his haste to discover what had happened, he had neglected to slip into his jeans and pull on a T-shirt.

"No, I'm fine. It's just… I don't know what happened."

Her voice sounded dazed, worrying Will that she had indeed been injured in spite of her assurance she wasn't. He didn't see any blood or bruising, so he had to assume she was okay.

"I reached for this," she waved the flat pan she held, "and everything came tumbling down."

Anne - Great scene! Thank you. Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Judi - Author: Anne McCaffrey; Actor: Kevin Spacy; Movie: The very first Star Wars, not as reordered; Song: whichever one I'm, listening to on iTunes; Quote:  “Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.”

Anne - Where can readers find you online?

Judi - Here are the links to: my Website, Blog, Facebook and Twitter. I always love new likes and follows.

Anne - You’re offering a giveaway copy of one of your stories to one lucky reader. What question would you like them to address in a comment to be eligible for the draw?

 
Judi - I'm offering a free electronic copy of Night of Turmoil, a story set during the Tunisian Revolution, to one commenter who answers the following question: What is your dream vacation spot and why would you like to go there?

Anne – Great question, Judi. Even though I’m not eligible for the draw, I still want to answer! Newfoundland, Ireland, and Utah are all on my bucket list.

Okay readers, now it’s your turn. Please include your email addy, but provide the hacker proof version (ie. – yourname AT gmail DOT com). The winner will be selected at random and announced here on September 4. Good luck!

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Tranisha Hollman, Author of Loving Leah, Talks Writing

My guest today is Tranisha Hollman. Tranisha fell in love  with reading books when she was introduced to Beverly Cleary's unforgettable character Ramona Quimby. Later, Tranisha discovered her own passion for writing. Loving Leah is her first novel in a three book series. Tranisha lives in Florida with her husband and three beautiful children. Welcome to Piedmont Island, Tranisha. Let's talk writing!

Anne - When did you first realize you were destined to be a writer?

Tranisha - When I finished writing Loving Leah, I handed it over to my mother to read. She has always been an avid reader and has read so many different books. I wanted her to be the first to read it because I knew she would be brutally honest. So with trembling hands, I gave her my baby and waited...and waited…and waited…. After the second day and no word from my mother I knew there was a problem. Like me, I know that if my mother is really into a book, she will read it in one day. I was put off with statements like, “I will get to it,” or “I’ve been so busy.”

An agonizing two weeks later my mother sat next to me on the couch with my book in her hands and she simply stared at me for a minute. She admitted that she had stalled reading Loving Leah because she knew that if it wasn’t good she was going to have to tell me that and possibly dash my dreams. The next words she said are engraved in my heart; she turned to me and said, “I feel like I am in the presence of a real author.” She went on to say how much she loved it and she even described the parts that were her favorite, but it was that very first statement that let me know I was meant to write.

Anne – You're so fortunate to have such a supportive mother. Of the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Tranisha - Granny holds a special place in my heart. She’s loves her family hard and she stands strong as the family matriarch. She reminds me of my own grandmother Bethel French who passed away in 2001. Like Granny, my grandmother could cook anything and she cooked when times were good and when times were hard. I remember one night she had argued with my grandfather and we all went to sleep with a heavy heart. Well, at 4:00 am in the morning, she woke us up and told us to come to the kitchen, My grandfather and I grumbled all the way to the dining table and I will never forget the sight that greeted me. I was instantly awake as I looked at the spread before us. She had cooked cheese grits, bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, biscuits and ham. We sat down to eat and after a while the troubles of yesterday faded as we laughed, talked and ate some more.

Anne- You're blessed to be surrounded by so many strong, feisty women! Tell us the defining moment when you felt as if you’d finally made it as an author.

Tranisha - My publisher, Tate Publishing, advised me that Loving Leah would be released online in 03/2012 but they also advised that sometimes the online websites release the books early. On February 21, 2012, I checked Amazon around 11:00pm and saw nothing. At 12:01am I decided to look one last time before going to bed. I jumped and shouted when I saw my cover on the screen. That moment was so exciting and just magical for me. I thanked God for the blessing and then I called everyone I knew to share the news. I am still new to all of this and so everything that happens is just amazing to me and that moment was truly a defining moment for me.

Anne - How many rejections have you received? Was one more memorable than others?

Tranisha - I have received a few rejections but the first one was the most memorable one. In 2007 I sent my manuscript to Tate Publishing and waited for a response. I ran to the mailbox every day and about six weeks later I received my answer. They thanked me for the submission but it was a “no” on getting published with them. In 2010, they contacted me again. They had expanded as a company and looked over previous submissions and asked if I had published my book yet. I sent them my most updated version and then the journey began.

Anne – That's one of the best rejection stories I've heard! Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers? 

Tranisha - No matter what, never give up. Before I published with Tate, I went through so much. Times were hard and doors were slammed in my face. I had to dig deeper than I ever have before and I prayed and continued to hope and dream. Also, laugh as much as you can. Laughter is such a huge stress reliever (any Tyler Perry movie or play will have you in stiches). So that’s it, never give up; pray; hope; dream and laugh as much as you can.

Anne – Sage advice! Would you share an excerpt of Loving Leah with us?

Tranisha – Of course!

The sound of the rain against the window startled me awake. Sitting up in the bed, I turned on the light from the nightstand. It was 4:45 a.m. Putting on my robe and slippers, I went downstairs. Not able to resist, I opened the door to the guestroom. Looking inside, I didn’t see Bryce in the bed. In fact, it looked as if the bed hadn’t been touched at all. I walked into the room and checked the bathroom. He wasn’t in there either.

“Bryce, are you in here?” Silence greeted me. Looking out of the front door window, I could see that his car was here. Pressing my face against the window, I looked more closely at the car. It was pouring down rain, and I could barely make anything out, but it looked as if Bryce was in the car. What was he doing outside in the rain just sitting in his car? I raced upstairs to put my sneakers on. There was no sense in me slipping and falling while I was outside. I ran back downstairs. When I looked out the window again, I saw that he was still sitting there in the car. Not wanting him to see me yet, I silently crept outside through the glass sliding doors on the side of the house. Feeling the rain and the wind blowing, I quickly walked around the side of the house until I found myself right behind Bryce’s car. I walked to the driver’s side, and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I became oblivious to the rain. The nervous feeling increased as I stood there looking at Bryce through the window. He was talking on his cell phone, and he was so engrossed in his conversation that he didn’t even see me. I could tell by his gesturing and smiling that it wasn’t an argument.

Something just wasn’t right about this. He laughed out loud, a deep sensuous laugh, and that was all I could take. I yanked open the door, letting the rain and the wind in the car.

Anne – Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Tranisha – Author: Nora Roberts, actor: Denzel Washington, movie: Goonies and Think Like A Man, song: Stuttering, quote: Still I Rise.

Anne - Where can readers find you online?

Tranisha – At my website, send an email: tranishahollman@yahoo.com. I am also on LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest.

Anne – Thanks so much, Tranisha. I wish you every success with Loving Leah.

Readers, your comments are always appreciated and welcome. To ensure you receive every Piedmont Island update, author interview, news release, writing tip, guest post, etc. become a GFC or NetworkedBlogs follower, or sign up so each post is delivered via email. Thanks, and as always, happy reading!

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Joselyn Vaughn, Author of The Warden's Lantern, Talks Writing

My guest today is Joselyn Vaughn. Joselyn lives in the Great Lakes state (Michigan) with her husband, three rambunctious children and two beagles. When not suffering the woes of potty training three toddler/preschoolers, she enjoys reading, running (sometimes, she says, it's more like fleeing the craziness at home). She also enjoys reconstructing clothing, thrift store shopping and surfing Pinterest.com. “I spend way too much time there and am getting all kinds of exciting ideas for projects for my husband to do. He is less than thrilled by this.”

She loves writing romance because she enjoys stories where everything works out all right in the end and the main characters have a happily ever after. Her stories are set in small towns with quirky characters that take on a life of their own.

Anne – Welcome to Piedmont Island, Joselyn. It’s always wonderful to sit on the deck and talk writing with another author, especially one who is also addicted to Pinterest! (Don't you just LOVE it?!) Okay. Back to the reason for your visit -- the writing! Let’s start with your most recent release. Tell us about it.

Joselyn - It’s called The Warden’s Lantern.

Dark, creaking trees. Cracking thunder. A ghostly orb.

Barbara Milanowski couldn’t have picked a worse night for her amateur paranormal investigation, but she couldn’t let her longtime crush Elmer Derecho’s skeptism go unchallenged. When Elmer runs her off the road with his motorcycle and scolds her for being out in the inclement weather, her happily ever after drops with the barometric pressure and the loss of her keys and glasses. While spending time alone with Elmer was one of her fantasies, the dream date didn’t entail diving into the mud and untangling herself from a raspberry bush.

While trying to protect Barbara from the storm, Elmer’s eyes are opened to all the things in his life that are missing. Elmer had gotten comfortable with his maps and pictures and chasing tornadoes after the fact. But Barbara reminds him of his forgotten zest for adventures, and ignites his interest in the Warden’s Lantern and for Barbara.

While sheltering in a dilapidated guard house, Barbara and Elmer are drawn out of the protection by the Warden’s Lantern, the ghostly light Barbara had been trying to document. Elmer dismisses it as a trick of the electrical storm, but together they attempt to find the true source of the light. Will their shared talents solve the mystery and start a lasting relationship?

Anne - Of the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Joselyn - I think Minnie Schultz from Hauntings of the Heart is my favorite. She has many of the qualities I would like to have when I grow up (or at least when I achieve her age.) She is so confident in who she is and what she does, despite the curve-balls life has thrown at her.

Anne - Tell us the defining moment when you felt as if you’d finally made it as an author.

Joselyn - Sometimes I feel like that hasn’t really happened yet. The first time I felt like my dream of having a published book was coming true was when I held the galleys for my first book in my hand. There it was, like a photocopy of the final book and then it started to set in that my book was really going to be published.

Anne - How many rejections have you received? Was one more memorable than others?

Joselyn - In the process of submitting my first novel, I received close to forty rejections before it was accepted. Most of them were the standard photocopy rejection, but one came on a business-card-size piece of card stock. It basically said ‘thanks, but no thanks’ and the agency’s name.

Anne – Do you have any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Joselyn - Get your butt in the chair and write. You won’t get anywhere without a story to sell. The more you write the more practice you have and hopefully the better chance you have.

Anne - Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you work through it?

Joselyn - Other writers might not call it writer’s block, but I had one scene that I just didn’t want to write. It was where a character remembered a miscarriage that she had many years before. I avoided writing for a month or so because I didn’t want to tackle that scene. I knew it had to be done just right and I had to find the quiet time to focus. Eventually it came, but I still have a hard time reading that scene. 

Anne - Would you share an excerpt of The Warden’s Lantern with us?

Joselyn – Of course!

Barbara Milanowski adjusted the motion setting on her camera and snapped another shot of the trail. She wrapped the strap around her wrist and wandered a few yards along the road--if it could be called that anymore. Weeds grew up through the middle and crowded in from the sides. A gust of wind caught a handful of leaves and tossed them in front of her. The trees swayed and creaked, sending chills down her spine.

It’s certainly creepy out here. No wonder there were stories.

But with the dim light and building haze, she doubted she’d find anything useful tonight.

She took off her glasses to clean them on the bottom of her black turtleneck. The humidity clouded them up in minutes. Surveying the woods, the shapes of brush and undergrowth blended into the darkening sky.

Professional investigators would have been better prepared.

Tripods, extra batteries, voice recorders, flashlights. The farther she traversed from her car the more items she added to the list of things she should have taken. She’d headed into the woods with only a camera and pepper spray on a dare.

Anne – Oh, I love how that ended. Something is about to happen…and very soon. Guess that just means The Warden’s Lantern is going on my TBR list! Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Joselyn – Author: Jane Austen, Actor: Hugh Jackman, Movie: You’ve Got Mail, Song: “Life Less Ordinary” by Carbon Leaf, and quote: “God never gives you more than you can handle, but he has high expectations.” – Mother Theresa

Anne – Final question, Joselyn. Where can readers find you online?

Joselyn – They can email me: joselynvaughn@gmail.com, or visit my webpage or blog. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

Anne – Thanks so much for traveling to Piedmont Island, Joselyn, and talking about writing. I wish you every success with The Warden’s Lantern.

Readers, as always, your comments and appreciated and welcome. To ensure you receive every post, author interview, update and/or book giveaway on the Piedmont Island Trilogy blog, become a follower. It’s easy and besides, it puts a goofy smile to my face! J

Until next time, happy reading!

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Three Books + Four Months = Author Elaine Cantrell

Today on Piedmont Island my guest is Elaine Cantrell. Elaine was born and raised in South Carolina. She holds a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America and EPIC authors. Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love Contest and was published in 2004 by Oak Tree Books. At present, she teaches high school social studies. In her spare time she enjoys reading, collecting vintage Christmas ornaments, and playing with her grandchildren. Visit Elaine’s website or blog. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter at and would love to be friends.

And now, without further ado, here’s Elaine.

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Wouldn’t you be thrilled if you had two books to release in March and one in June? That’s right. Three books in four months time. Well, that’s what happened to me. I admit it was thrilling, but I never realized how hard it would be to get the word out about three books. So, I’d like to thank Anne for letting me come to her blog to talk about them.

The first book to release was The Sentence. Here’s a blurb about that one. 

How could he do it! How could her father bring the guy who burned the church into their home for six months? Yeah, it was an accident and her dad’s a minister, but if he wanted to help this man, why didn’t he go to the prison to do it? And no matter what anyone says, she doesn’t watch him all the time. Nice guys don’t fall for guys like Clint. Do they?

This story suggested itself to me because I wanted to share a little bit of Southern culture with my readers. Anyone who grew up in a Christian family in the South will immediately recognize my characters. They’re someone who might have lived next door to you. I also wanted to share something about the power of forgiveness to change lives. My hero Clint deserves prison, but thanks to the love and care of Reverend Amos and his family, he gains not only a new life but a new family as well. All monies earned from The Sentence will be donated to the building program of East Pickens Baptist Church in Pickens, SC.

My second book was Her Kind of Man. This book was written for my granddaughter, Kara. She begged me to write a book with her name in it, so my heroine is called Kara. This book is partly about adoption. When my Kara read it, she looked at me kind of funny and asked, “Am I adopted?” LOL. As I pointed out, she looks exactly like her mother. Her Kind of Man is also about the power of secrets to destroy lives. If not for the love of Ross Williams, Kara would have been destroyed by a decades old secret that comes to life. Here’s a blurb for that book.

Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man?

Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancé Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.

A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.

But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross.

My June release is Never Trust a Pretty Wolf. I wrote this one because of a game my son and his family often play. Have you ever heard of geocaching? The way it works is that you hide a cache and list the coordinates at certain online sites. Using a GPS, people go to find the caches. Usually, the caches aren’t valuable. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a logbook that you write in and replace. If you take a small item, you’re supposed to put something back so the next person won’t find an empty cache. 

I started to wonder what would happen if you were paired in a charity geocaching game with a person you didn’t know well. What if both players had secrets that came out during the game? What if you found a dead body and had to run for your life? Well, that’s the basic premise behind Never Trust a Pretty Wolf.

Here’s a blurb about the book.

Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.

Here’s an excerpt from Her Kind of Man.

“What a great movie!” Kara gushed as she and Katie left the theater. She tossed her empty popcorn box and leftover soda into the trash can by the door. “Mama and Daddy will want to see it too.”

Katie blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes. “I know. It was too sad for words.”

 As they left the theater and crossed the parking lot, Katie turned her head at the sound of a car door slamming. “Why, there’s Kelly and Brandon.”

Kara looked in the direction of Katie’s pointing finger. “Great! They can….” Her voice trailed off as Kelly moved into Brandon’s passionate embrace!

“What…?” Kara’s words choked her as Brandon buried his hands in Kelly’s hair and kissed her as if he held the world’s greatest treasure in his arms.

Katie grabbed her arm. “Come on. We’re getting to the bottom of this.”

Kara dragged her feet as Katie towed her across the parking lot. “Katie, maybe….”

“What’s wrong with you?” Katie glared over her shoulder. “Hurry up!”

Kelly and Brandon were still wrapped around each other when Katie and Kara reached them.

“Kelly!” Katie exclaimed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Kelly jerked away from Brandon so fast she stumbled and had to grab his arm to keep her balance. Even in the parking lot’s dim light, Kara saw her sister’s face had gone scarlet as had Brandon’s.

Kara didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

Kelly flinched as Brandon took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, Kara. We never meant for you to find out this way.”

“What were you going to do?” Katie demanded with a wave of her hand. “Leave her at the altar?”

“No,” Kelly replied. Her eyes glittered like two burning blue coals. “We planned to tell her tomorrow night. That way she’d have the weekend off to…to…to get used to things.”

Brandon looked Kara directly in the face for the first time. “I’m sorry, Kara. You have to know I never meant to hurt you, but I can’t marry you if I’m in love with your sister.”

Thanks again, Anne.

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My pleasure, Elaine. And NO, I cannot imagine having three books released in such a short space of time! Congrats, and thanks for dropping by.

Readers, as always, your comments and appreciated and welcome. To ensure you receive every post, author interview, update and/or book giveaway on the Piedmont Island Trilogy blog, become a follower. It’s easy and besides, it’ll put a goofy smile to my face! J

Until next time, happy reading!

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