An Interview with Lucette Nel and 3 Book Giveaway

Hello friends!

I don't know about you but it has been a rough weekend and week. I am so grateful for the opportunity to sit down with you and share an interview with my dear friend and fellow author, Lucette Nel. Grab yourself a cup of tea, some scones fresh from the oven, and snuggle into a chair by the fire.

It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce to you, Lucette Nel.

Lucette is a coffee addicted work-in-progress daughter of the Lord Almighty. She's a mommy to a rambunctious boy and sweet baby girl and wife to her best friend and real-life hero. Along with a spoiled Pug, they make their home in Gauteng, the smallest of nine provinces in South Africa.

She works as a bookkeeper and uses every available second to create interesting characters in historical settings.


Thank you so much for joining us today, Lucy. The first thing I'm going to do is hit you up with my Fast Five.

Crystal: Milk or Dark Chocolate?

Lucy: Dark Chocolate!!!



Crystal: Print or E-book?

Lucy: E-book for availability purposes… and my husband can’t see how many books I own. 🤣😂



Crystal: Cat or Dog Person?

Lucy: Cat. I have one of each though. 😁



Crystal: Morning Person or Night Owl?

Lucy: Night Owl.



Crystal: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?

Lucy: Winter. I like the cooler days. But rainy days are my absolute favorite.



Crystal: What are you reading right now?

Lucy: Non-Fiction titled Parenting is Heart Work by Scott Turansky (author Carrie Turansky husband!)



Crystal: If someone were reading your books for the first time, which book would you recommend they start with?

Lucy: The Christmas Husband 😂🤣



Crystal: Who was the most challenging character to create? What made them so difficult?

Lucy: Ambrose Dayton. I can’t say too much without spoilers 😁



Crystal: How do you select the names of your characters?

Lucy: They normally pop into my mind.



Crystal: If you could have any superpower, which would it be?

Lucy: To put my children to sleep so that I can have uninterrupted sleep. 🤣


Thanks so much for dropping by, Lucy, it's always fun to see a bit of your personality. Before we sign off I want to introduce you, our reader, to her latest release A Christmas Husband. I can confidently say, that THIS story is my ABSOLUTE favorite from her so far, and for less than a cup of coffee you can purchase it from Amazon here.  It is worth every penny just to meet Benedict. That man is SWOONY. What girl can't fall for a Brit with a heart of gold? Check it out below.





It was one little lie told only to protect impoverished Naomi Stuart and her daughter. But when Benedict Ramsay -- a man she met fleetingly years before who should be in England -- arrives in town, all she'd carefully constructed threatens to crumble.

Benedict arrives a stranger in Noelle, hoping to confront the father who'd abandoned him. What he did not expect was to discover he was a married man ... to a woman he didn't even remember meeting. And against his will, Benedict warms to the idea of a ready-made family.


ENTER TO WIN AN E-COPY OF EACH OF HER PREVIOUS THREE BOOKS:

The Widow's Captive

A Match of Sorts

The Bounty Hunter's Bargain

To be entered for your chance to win an e-book copy of all three of her previous books, tell us what your favorite Christmas tradition is and leave your email in the comments. The winner will be picked on October 27 if there are at least five visitor comments.

Interview with Author Karen Malley!!

Today we welcome author Karen Malley to The Diamond Mine!! Her new book is: Following the Sparrows. Here's a little taste of it! 

Finding the future means facing the past....

Kathryn Baker is trying to escape her past...

After the tragic death of her husband, Kathryn throws herself into her scientific career. She hopes to right the wrongs of her past before they catch up to her. But when she runs into a handsome stranger, she discovers that he just might hold the key to her future.

Adam Harrison is tired of running from his past ...

After losing everything he worked for in life, Adam is finally ready to follow the path God has for him. When a series of chance meetings brings him to Kathryn, he considers the possibility of loving again. But Kathryn is still on the run from God and from her past.

Can Adam convince Kathryn to stop running and trust him with her secrets, or will her fear make it impossible for them to have a future together?

Sounds like a great story, Karen! First we'll do the interview and then I'll put in an excerpt from your new book. Here we go!

When did you decide to be a writer?

That’s an interesting question because I’m not sure I ever decided to be a writer. I just started writing. I always enjoyed writing short stories and I’ve written in journals for years, but a few years ago I got the idea in my head to finally write a book. It’s always been a dream of mine to be able to go into a bookstore or a library and pick a book I have written off the shelf.

That's a great dream! Is this the first full-length book you’ve written? 

It is, unless you count the books I wrote in elementary school. They were full-length for children, but certainly not what an adult would consider full-length. My first book had about 70 words and a lot of poorly drawn illustrations. I still have it, though!

I bet your kids got a kick out of seeing that! How did you get the idea for the book?

I knew I wanted to write a story about a scientist, since that’s the world I live in, and I love reading Christian romances with happy endings, so that was a must. The rest just fell into place (after hours and hours of writing and editing!)

 Yes, indeed. Lots of hours! How long did you work on it?

I started writing the book in the summer of 2013, and I submitted the book to  Pelican Book Group in the summer of 2018. It took 5 years, but I went for long stretches of time without writing anything. I’ve gotten a lot faster, considering I’ve finished the next two books in the series since then. 

 I can relate! My first book took me the longest to finish. Are any of the characters based on a real person?

I have friends who are like an Anne to me, but I didn’t have a specific person in mind for any of the characters. I wouldn’t want any of my friends or family members to recognize themselves in the book. I’d get in trouble. :) 

 That's so true!! Do any of the characters share traits with you?

I share some characteristics with Kathryn, in that I am a logical, scientifically driven person, but I’d like to think my personality is more like Anne. I’m very family-oriented, and you can always count on getting cookies if you visit my house.

 Bet you get a good amount of visitors! I often had people stop in on my baking days! Do you write from an outline, or wing it as you go?

I’m much more of a wing it as you go kind of writer. I have a folder called “book ideas,” and whenever I get an idea for a story, I jot it down there, so there is always a general premise, but the story always takes me in a direction of its own.

 Sounds like my writing process! Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I’d have to say Gina. You don’t meet her until later in the book. She’s a strong-willed woman who fights to get her way.

She sounds interesting! What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?

 I love being able to take the stories in whatever direction I choose. If I don’t like the direction the story is taking, I can change it. I also love writing Christian books. My prayer is that my books can speak words of encouragement to those who are seeking to grow closer to God. 

 Yes, that's so important. What are you working on now? 

The next books you’ll see from me are the next two books in the Pine Springs series. If you enjoy Following the Sparrows, you’ll want to keep reading the series, as all the major characters make an appearance in the next two books: A Second Chance for Grace (which comes out in April), and Sunflowers and Suspicions. Those books are written, however, so right now, I’m slowly putting together a non-fiction book about how to handle being laid off. It’s about seeking God’s will, even when we don’t understand the curveballs life throws at us. I’ve also just started another fiction novel that’s in the very early stages. I won’t tease you with it yet, since it’s a long way from publication. Thank you so much for having me here today. It’s been fun!

Yes, it has!! Now here's an excerpt from Following the Sparrows:

As the day drew to a close, Kathryn couldn’t shake her unease. The feeling grew and swelled in her stomach, as if she swallowed something she shouldn’t. She stretched out the kinks in her back and stepped away from the lab bench. What a long day, even by her standards.

It wasn’t fair. Work usually afforded a haven, a place to tune out everything else. This was where she could forget about perfect Christian Robert trying to make her into something she wasn’t. Forget about Charlie and everything that happened in California. She scowled at the flasks in her hood and her pile of dirty glassware. It would keep until tomorrow. She wouldn’t be able to get anything else done tonight anyway. It was time to face the music with Robert. She peeled off her gloves, shed her lab coat, and headed out.

The summer heat hit her full in the face when she opened the door. The air was thick and heavy. By the time she reached her car, the hairs that had escaped her ponytail clung to her neck. After turning the key in the ignition and throwing the car in reverse, she bucked in her seat as she shifted to drive too quickly. She forced herself to drive cautiously out of the parking lot, all the while anxious to get home and leave the dread behind.

As she pulled up to a traffic light, Kathryn glanced at the car next to her and froze. She sank in her seat and shoved her sunglasses against her face. A honk from behind jolted her—the light turned green. Stealing a glance to the right, the car was gone. Hands trembling, she made it the rest of the way to her neighborhood on autopilot.

She sat at the stop sign at the edge of the development until her breathing returned to normal. She talked herself down, her eyes glued to the rearview mirror. “Be rational. It’s been three years. How can he still wreak this havoc? What would he be doing on this side of the country anyway?”

Well, readers, now you've had a look at Karen and her new book! Sounds like a great read! Here's a little more about her, along with her social and purchase links:

Karen lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time whenever she can find some! When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys baking, volunteering at her church, camping, hiking, playing board games, and reading. She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.

 Links:

 Website: https://www.KarenMalley.com

 Blog: https://www.KarenMalley.com/blog

 Amazon author page: https://smile.amazon.com/Karen-Malley/e/B08HRDQ4QW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20700661.Karen_Malley

 Link to buy the book: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQZRF8J/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenLMalley