Author Interview and Giveaway with Tammie Edington Shaw!

Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends at coffee shops, then head to the bookstores. Yes, plural. After all, books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination! So consider this our virtual coffee shop. I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. <3

Today we are going to pry into the private life of CHAT with Tammie Edington Shaw!

Tammie Edington Shaw loves all things history. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and has published numerous daily devotions and articles, including short fiction. She was editor of a weekly newspaper, production coordinator of a magazine, and a project coordinator for David C. Cook Publishing. She served on the staff of the Write-to-Publish Conference for fifteen years. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband of thirty-one years.

Connect with Tammie on Facebook at Tammie Edington Shaw!

Interview ~

This may be the most important question I ask -- no pressure or anything, LOL! 

*drum roll*

What are you drinking in our virtual coffee house? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Something else altogether?

Unfortunately, none of the above. Due to health restrictions water is now my only beverage. I never thought I could give up coffee, but I did and don’t miss it.

Totally get that! Yay for health! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

Grilled salmon. Love it.

Delicious! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

At home in my office, which is our former dining room. After my husband goes to work, it is quiet, just me and my characters.

Nice! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

I don’t know but maybe when I watch a true crime show on television, I mute the previews and coming up segments because I want to be surprised. I rarely read back cover copy when I buy a book. I go by the title, author and subtitle. I want to be surprised.

How fun! What inspired you to write Callie's Redemption?

I grew up next door to an old home which served as a stagecoach inn when the National Road went through Indiana in the mid1800s. I imagined my hero and heroine meeting there and the challenges they struggled with, relationally and life in the 1800s. Setting is usually my inspiration for stories.

That's a cool setting! What led you to write in this genre? 

This book is historical romance, but I’ve not been a long-time romance reader, but more of a reader of historical fiction, but the romance is nice for a happy ending. I like my readers to think about the time period and how people struggled with things that we take for granted. I think my books are evenly distributed between romance and history.

A great mashup of genres! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

Overall, in all my writing I want the message that Christ makes a positive difference in our lives. In this book, I want readers to see that He can redeem everyone no matter where they are in their lives.

What a great message! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)? 

This book, Callie’s Redemption is Book One of the Sweet Valley Promises Series published by Winged Publications. I am working on Book Two, Emily’s Hope which comes out in Spring 2027 and I’m also thinking about Book Three, Lily’s Faith which follows in Spring 2028.

Love a series! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level? 

I’ve been adding the verse reference Jeremiah 31:3 when I sign my books, “. . . I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Beautiful! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

For a few years I was pursuing publication in the Amish fiction genre, although historical is my first love. But I still enjoy reading the Amish books. I am reading Courting the Amish Widow by Emma Miller. I’m also reading a nonfiction book I picked up last week at the Write to Publish Conference, Sacred Margins, On the Spiritual Life of a Writer by Steve Laube.

Interesting! Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Tammie!

Check out Tammie's new release, Callie's Redemption, and the giveaway for it below!

About the Book ~

Callie’s Redemption

Book One of the Sweet Valley Promises Series

The year is 1840 along the National Road in Indiana at a stagecoach inn.

Will two rejected young people learn to love and trust again, or will their diverse pasts

keep them apart?

Will Callie learn to trust a personal God, and will Josh be able to put his failures

and stuttering behind him and pursue his calling to be a preacher, even if it

means leaving Callie behind?

Giveaway ~

The author is giving away one print copy of Callie's Redemption to one US resident! 

This giveaway will close on 7/2/26 at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls. 

A winner will be drawn within four days of close of giveaway. The winner must respond to our e-mails within one week of notification, or their prize will be forfeit. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

And may the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

Enter Giveaway HERE!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and create aesthetic content for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable daughters. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon Author Page!

Interview with author Katy Eeten!!

 

 

Today we welcome author Katy Eeten to The Diamond Mine!! We're going to be finding out some things about her, and her romantic suspense novel,"A Stalker to Die For."
Here' a bit to get us started:

Ashley Morris thought the worst part of online dating was awkward small talk. She was wrong.

After one disastrous date with Ashley, Nick won't take no for an answer. His calls and texts escalate into threats, break-ins, and a terror that shadows her every move. Desperate for safety, Ashley hires Jackson Russo—a talented painter with a kind heart and a protective streak—to renovate her home.

But as their friendship deepens into something more, Nick's obsession turns deadly. Caught between a stalkers rage and a love she never expected, Ashley must trust God's protection and her own instincts to survive. With Jackson by her side, she'll fight for her life—and for a future worth living.

Wow, Katy! Sounds like a great read! What else would you like us to know about the book?

This story is relatable for anyone who has dipped their toes into the online dating world or who has ever had a blind date. Ashley is just trying to get her love life back on track after caring for her ailing mother, but Nick has other plans. She calls it quits after their very first date, but Nick doesn't take it well.

As his stalking escalates, Ashley finds love in the form of the painter she hired to spruce up her home. Jackson is cute, caring and endearingly protective. But their growing relationship only fuels the fire of Nick's dangerous infatuation.

How did you get your idea for this story?

This is the first romance I've published that includes a suspense element. I love reading romantic suspense, so I thought it would be fun to try my hand at writing it. The inspiration behind this story was purely imagination, though! Thankfully, I have never had a personal encounter with a stalker, and I have never dated someone I hired to work on my house, lol. I've been married to my husband for 24 years now, and I'm happy to report no stalkers for either of us! :)

Well, that's good to hear!! 
What made you decide to be a writer?

I've always loved writing. It started with poems and short stories as a young girl, but even in high school, I was the oddball who didn't mind cranking out an essay. Later in my adult  life, I found that putting together a full-fledged manuscript was incredibly fulfilling, so I decided to submit one of my books to a publisher years ago, which turned into a publishing contract.

Wow! We have a similar trajectory in how our writing progressed! I'm curious. What was your first story?

My first ever story was probably some magical tale about unicorns I wrote when I was six years old. But my first published book was called Blast From Her Past, an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance set in North Dakota in the middle of winter. It's still available on Amazon.

Great! So, what is your writing style? Do you write from an outline, or just inspiration, or both? 

Definitely both. I start with a general path of where I want things to go, but the story really takes shape on the fly, and new subplots and  specific scenes are inspired as I go. 

Sounds like a very familiar process to me! Do you have any underlying themes  that you want your readers to come away with?

I would say the overarching theme is God's protection and the importance of community. Ashley would not have made it through her ordeal without friends and loved ones by her side. She relied on her faith, her friends, her brother, and her new love interest to help her deal with the monster stalking her. No matter what trials we are facing, God provides what we need to make it through, even if it's not what we would have chosen for ourselves if it was up to us.

That's a wonderful point and a great theme!
Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

Subconsciously, I'm sure the answer is yes. It's hard for me to write a character that's completely opposite to how I think and act, so inevitably there is a part of me or my friends and family in my books. Occasionally, I purposely weave a specific personality trait into a character based on real life, but those people shall remain nameless. Ha!

That's a smart policy! Do your characters ever surprise you?

Oddly, yes. Sometimes I have a vision of where I want the storyline to go, but as I'm writing the dialogue or fleshing out the character's thoughts, I realize it's headed somewhere totally different than I intended. Putting thoughts on paper doesn't always yield the results we anticipate!

Absolutely! It probably sounds odd to people who haven't experienced a character that surprises the writer, but after seeing  many answers to that question, it is a common occurrence!
Do you have a favorite character in your books?

I think my favorite is Sarah from Christmas is Meadow Creek. She's just a friendly, down-to-earth gal—someone you'd want to spend time with in real life. Nothing flashy, but someone you can relate to and who you want to find happiness.

One more question: What are you working on now?

I have been working on a women's fiction that alternates points of view between  four former college friends who are united four years after graduation. It's written from a first person, present tense perspective. Although it involves romantic subplots, it's definitely the most unique manuscript to my name. Writing is a slow process for me though, as I have a full-time job and a family, but I do enjoy it so I will continue working on this one until hopefully one day it gets published.

I hope it does, too. I really enjoy writing stories with the first person present tense perspective. 
Thanks so much for the interview, Katy! I really enjoyed it!

Now readers, here is a short bio, and some links from Katy:

Bio: Katy Eeten lives with her husband and two teenage sons in southeast Wisconsin. She writes contemporary Christian romance, including several Christmas novellas. A Stalker to Die For is her first romantic suspense. When she's not writing or working at her day job as an Office Administrator, you can find her taking walks, playing board games, baking, dreaming of her next vacation, and spending time with her family.

Social media links:

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

X: http://www.x.com/KatyEeten 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/ 

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Katy-Eeten/author/B0796L1CVK 

Purchase links:

https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Die-Katy-Eeten-ebook/dp/B0GS7ND8LC/

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-stalker-to-die-for

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-stalker-to-die-for-katy-eeten/1149674389?ean=9781522305477

A Stalker to Die For - Illuminating books from Pelican Book Group