Enter The Kingdom of Author, Amory Cannon

Grab your tiaras, ladies and straighten your crowns, dear men, for we are plunging into the realm of a mythical place. My dear friend, Amory Cannon, is our guest today and is escorting us through her Young Adult series, The Broken Crown. But if that's not your cup of tea, she offers many other genres to  enjoy as well. Step closer to the thrones, my dears, and learn all about Amory and the Atlas Empire. . .

PT:  Welcome Amory! I'm so excited to be highlighting you and your new book. So, basics to start, tell us your genre, how long you’ve been writing, and what drew you to be a writer.

AC:  I started writing in the mystery/crime procedural genre about ten years ago, but lately I’ve been leaning more towards speculative or YA fiction. My first two books (Learning to Die and Warzone) fall into the mystery category, but my latest book (The Broken Crown) has a much more YA-feel to it. I’m currently finishing up the sequel to The Broken Crown.

PT:  Nice. A little something for everyone. Now tell our readers, do you have a day job and how does that influence your writing career?

AC:  I currently work as a clinical laboratory scientist, but before that I was a forensic scientist—yes, just like the CSI people. I worked in DNA specifically and loved it. It was definitely helpful to have the background when writing my first two novels, but because I was surrounding myself with so much crime and intensity both at work and in my writing time, I looked for an outlet that was a little more lighthearted. That’s when I stumbled into writing YA.

PT:  Ah, interesting. I've discovered a lot of not-so-young-adults who love YA. So, could you share the title of your new book and whether it is a standalone or part of a series?

AC:  My newest book is called The Desolate Reign. It’s the second book in a planned trilogy and follows The Broken Crown.

(The first book.)

PT:  Nice cover. I simply adore the font! (flutters face with an intricate oriental fan) When does your new book release and where is it set?

AC:  The Desolate Reign doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but I hope to have it ready to go by the end of the year. It’s set in the fictional Atlas Empire which is comprised of five (or six depending on who you ask) countries ruled by vassal kings and one emperor. The setting and culture have a lot of ancient Roman influences, but it’s definitely its own world.

(The second book.)

PT:  Intriguing. I love entering an entirely new world. Are there any characters in your books that resemble you most in personality?

AC:  I think I relate to most of my characters on some level—obviously some more than others. Emilia from The Broken Crown is who I’d like to be. She has her flaws for sure, but she’s courageous and considerate, and she always strives to do the right thing even if it costs her on a personal level.

PT:  Wouldn't we all like to be more like Emilia! And that's a fabulous lead to my next question. What’s the main Biblical theme/lesson in your new book?

AC: The Desolate Reign deals with choosing God’s plan over our own even when we can’t see the path in front of us. It focuses on not necessarily being the most qualified person to carry out God’s plan, but being willing to do whatever He calls us to because the task relies on His power working through us and not our own.

PT:  Indeed a maxim for us all. Now, my favorite. (sets down sceptre-spelled the British way, 'cause the interviewer secretly delights in British spellings-to rub hands together) Name 5 things fast about Amory Cannon that have nothing to do with writing.

AC: I have 2 dogs

        I’m a runner 

        Fall is my favorite season

        I love to travel

        And cookie dough is my weakness. 😊

PT:  Well, after all, who can resist cookie dough? (wink) Of course we all want to know your next project.

AC:  I’m jumping straight into the final book in The Broken Crown series. I also have plans for a romance currently titled To Whom It May Concern that I’ve had on the back-burner for a while now.

PT: Amory is giving away a copy of The Broken Crown to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. You'll be caught up and ready for her new release at the end of the year. Don't miss your opportunity to be entered, but if you cannot wait, go here to purchase The Broken Crown right now! 

And as always, thanks for joining us in the throne room of the Diamond Mine and getting to know author Amory Cannon a little better. Thanks for joining us, Amory!

Bio: Amory Cannon is an author of Young Adult and Romantic Suspense novels. Her favorite things include autumn (anything pumpkin spice), Harry Potter (proud Ravenclaw), and Sherlock Holmes. She published her first book under the name Amryn Cross while working as a forensic scientist. Her non-writing time is filled with running, crafting, and snuggling her two dogs—Luna and Argo. She currently resides in Tennessee.

Visit her website amorycannon.com or on Instagram @amory.cannon.

Interview with Hannah Currie, Author of Heart of a Royal!

Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And since we are all friends, one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends, family, the teens I mentor, and everyone else at coffee shops/bookstores. Books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination, after all. 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. :-)

Today we are prying into the private life chatting with Hannah Currie, author of the beautiful YA princess story, Heart of a Royal! Hannah is a fellow WhiteFire Publishing author!

Aussie author, Hannah Currie, loves God, family, people (in small numbers, let’s not go crazy here!) and writing. A book nerd from birth, she knows firsthand the difference a good book can make in a person’s life. Even, and especially, fiction. Her dream as a writer is to make people laugh, cry and maybe even swoon a little but mostly to remind them that no matter how dark life may get at times, because of God, there is always hope. She and her husband live with their three adorable kids in sunny Queensland, where it really is beautiful one day and perfect the next. Except, maybe, during heatwaves. They’re not so fun. 

Connect with Hannah on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads!

Interview ~

First things first, would you order coffee, tea, or hot chocolate in our virtual coffee house? Something else altogether? This is possibly the most important question... No pressure or anything, LOL! ;-) 

Hot chocolate or chai latte. Can't stand coffee. Tea is still being decided.

I might have initially gasped, but I approve of your choices. ;-) I love hot chocolate and chai lattes! On to our second most important question: if you could order anything in the world to eat, what would it be?

Spit-roasted meats with roast vegetables and hot-buttered bread rolls.

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

On my couch at home in the lounge, because I can keep an eye on the rest of the house (ie kids…) but still get work done. It’s also right beside my bookshelves which inspire me not to give up. When I get discouraged or the words just aren’t flowing, I can look up at those books I love and be encouraged that those authors didn’t give up and neither will I.

I love that your bookshelves inspire you! Other books tend to distract me from writing, LOL! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? 

Hmmm… I occasionally forget book characters/situations aren’t real and bring them up in real conversations only to realize later that it was from a book not something that actually happened. Haha. Oops. I also forget how to talk sometimes when I’ve been writing for too long. Kind of like I used up all my words on the story and now my brain has shut down :p

Hahaha! I've been there! What inspired you to write Heart of a Royal?

It was a mix of a couple of things. I’d just finished reading another royal series which I’d been sharing with my teenaged sister and we were both going into withdrawals from it. I remembered this dream I’d had (a full decade before) about this girl who’d grown up in a palace alongside the prince and princess but wasn’t a royal herself, and thought it would be fun to turn into a full novel. Asked my sister what she thought, she sent back a rather emphatic ‘yes’ so I got started. I sent her a chapter a week for the next three months. It was so much fun to write and I really loved sharing it with her.

LOVE!! It's so cool that you got to share the experience with your sister! What led you to write in this genre?

I write Young Adult Contemporary Christian Romance novels (aka YA princess books, which is way easier to say!).

As to why…short answer, because it’s what I love to read. Longer answer, because the YA age is such an incredible time of personal growth for people – they’re coming out from under their parents’ umbrellas and discovering who they really are and their own purpose in life. Add in the rules and expectations of royalty, a few tiaras, a bit (lot) of romance and I can’t think of anything I’d rather write more. Christian fiction – especially Robin Jones Gunn’s Christy Miller (and co) series – had a huge impact on my faith as a teen and if God could use my books to encourage and grow someone like Robin did me, I’d be absolutely stoked!

Yes! That's the dream! Robin Jones Gunn inspired so many of us! <3 What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

I’d love for them to realize both that they have a purpose and that there is always hope. I doubt too many people are growing up in a palace like Kenna (although, hey, if you’re a princess, let me know! I’d love to meet you!) but so many of us – myself included – are dealing everyday with overwhelming expectations, the pain of watching people we know live away from God and life circumstances spiraling way beyond our control. And yet, through it all, God is still good. He hasn’t walked away. So there’s still hope. Still a reason and a purpose.

Yes, yes, and yes!!! <3 Can you tell us a little about your next project?

Not announcing anything officially yet but…well … Heart of a Royal is book one of my Daughters of Peverell series… so I’ll let you make some assumptions about what might be next J Sign up for my newsletter at www.hannahcurrie.com to find out more about that!

Readers, run! Go! You don't want to miss this! *ahem* ;-) Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

Oh sooooo many!!! But one I really love is Psalm 46 (especially The Message version).

“God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need hi. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake….. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.”

I love this! The idea that even in the craziest, most terrifying and overwhelming circumstances, we can be fearless because God is standing by our side, fighting for us. No matter what happens, we’ve already won. 

Yes! It's so incredibly uplifting and empowering! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine -- want to know! LOL! ;-)

I’ve just finished Liz Johnson’s A Glitter of Gold and Melissa Tagg’s Now and Then and Always, both of which were incredible. About to start either Wooing Cadie McCaffrey (Bethany Turner) or A Girl’s Guide to the Outback (Jessica Kate). Haven’t quite decided yet. Might end up reading Heart of a Royal again J I really love that story!

I loved Wooing Cadie McCaffrey, and I can't wait to get my hands on A Girl's Guide to the Outback! I'm might be green with envy right now, LOL! ;-)

Thank you so much for hanging with us and answering all my prying questions, Hannah! 

Be sure to check out Hannah's debut, Heart of a Royal! You can read the first two chapters HERE!

Brought to the palace as a newborn, the royal life bestowed upon Mackenna Sparrow was never meant to last forever. With Princess Alina engaged to be married, Mackenna’s presence as companion is no longer required and, like it or not, she must return to the birthright which should have been hers – that of a commoner. 

But not everyone at the palace wants her gone. When the truths she’s based her life on start crumbling as fast as her future, will she find the courage to trust, both herself and the prince she’s fallen in love with?

Read the first two chapters HERE!

Thanks for stopping by, my writerly, bookish friends! <3 See you next time!

Hugs,

V. Joy Palmer 

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

It's a Wrap - Interview with Cynthia Roemer

Hello, our lovely readers. Help yourself to a cup of hot cup cider and a heaping portion of apple crumble. Fall is finally here and so is Cynthia Roemer, my guest today.

Cynthia Roemer is the author of three wonderful books: Under This Same Sky, Under Prairie Skies, and Under Moonlit Skies. These midwestern prairie romances follow the hearts and struggles of three women as they deal with loss, love, and hard choices. Readers will forever be touched by the way Cynthia weaves real characters with real problems into stories which captivate. 

Let me introduce you to the woman herself.

CC: Welcome, Cynthia! I am so glad that you've joined me today. So tell us, what keeps you busy most days? 

CR:  I work at an elementary library two days a week. Most other days, when I’m not writing, I’m doing normal wife/mom things: cooking, laundry, cleaning, spending time with family

CC: Life in an elementary school is lots of fun. I'm so glad you get that experience! And I guess not even authors get to escape the day to day drudgery.

When you DO get to write, what does your workspace look like?

CR: Most days, I’m at my desktop in our living room. But when the weather is nice, I love going out on our porch with my laptop. 

CC: That sounds lovely. I hope you get to enjoy the outside weather a lot this Fall. It's one of my favorite times of the year.

Do you have any pets?

CR: At present, we have one cat named Chad. I named him and his sister Charlotte after the characters in my second novel when I was in the midst of writing it. Sadly, Charlotte got killed. Now Chad is one super-spoiled kitty!! 

CC: That is so sad!!! I am so glad Chad has you to spoil him. Speaking of your books...

How did it feel to wrap up the Prairie Skies series?

CR: Both sad and satisfying. I’ll so miss the characters and will always hold them in my heart, but trust the Lord will stir equally endearing characters in my imagination in the future! 

CC: What was the best part about writing this series?

CR: Creating the characters and also the research! These are probably my favorite parts of writing. Such fun!

CC: Do you have any plans for future projects?

CR: Currently, I’m researching and brainstorming for a fourth novel set during the latter part of the Civil War and immediately following it. It’s still formulating in my mind, but involves an injured Union soldier and a sympathetic Southern belle. At this point, it seems to be a standalone project…unless the Lord gives ideas for a series.  =)

CC: I love Civil War stories, especially with characters on opposite sides of the lines. We'll be praying for you as that idea develops! 

Thank so much for visiting with us. And dear readers, if you are interested in learning more about Cynthia's books you can check them out by clicking on the book covers below. 

  

GIVEAWAY

If we have FIVE or more commenters, one will be randomly selected to receive an E-copy of her first book in the series. (If you already have it, we'll sub it out for another book in the series.) 

Thanks for stopping by and have a GREAT week!