Author Kendra Warden Forges Riveting Suspense Series

Wow. You can get a copy of our new weekly author's~Kendra Warden~free novella! Just click that highlighted name. Violà! Free book!

Ooops, I spilled the beans on who's visiting this week. You guessed it, author Kendra Warden! She's a busy homeschooling mom who finds time to spin intriguing suspense novels. What to know more? Keep reading...

PT: Hi, Kendra! Let's jump right in. Tell the readers how you chose the genre you write in and why?

KW: First of all, thank you so much for hosting me on The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction! I feel like true book blogs are so rare these days and I absolutely love that you have one. :) And that you invited me to chat with your readers! 

To actually answer your question, I chose to write Christian romantic suspense because I wanted to be a part of the romance genre (and I read various subgenres within it!), but I also wanted the freedom to tell certain kinds of stories that spoke to my heart.

Suspense allows for some darker themes and more ‘grit’ than some other subgenres, in my experience. My books are all 100% Christian and clean – no smut, no swearing, no glorification of sin, active promotion of Christian values – but I also don’t shy away from tough topics. That, and I love a story where I can write a cute first kiss scene followed promptly by something exploding. Haha.

PT: I'm sure everyone want to know what region you hail from and if that setting finds its way into your books? Or do you do a google search for the next book background?

KW: Ha! This is kind of a funny question to me, because I’m from Ontario, Canada, and my current series is all set in Texas. Maybe I’ll do a Canadian series one day… but in the meantime, I really have to dig into researching my various locations. Often when brainstorming a new book, the setting pops into my head first, even before the characters! I try very hard to bring each locale to life. So far, the Forge Brothers Security books are set in El Paso, San Antonio, and South Padre Island… you’ll have to stay tuned for where my current project is going to bring us. ;)

PT: Don't you just love researching a place virtually? It's almost like being there. So, tell us, what else occupies your time besides writing? Work? School? Pets? Travel? Other?

KW: Being a wife and homeschool mom takes up the rest of my life, for the most part! My husband and I are blessed with three kids, and he works a lot, so my days are pretty crazy most of the time. I do try to sneak in time to go to church, read (of course!), chat with friends and readers, take long walks, and obsess over the latest planner. As of late, my awesome assistant, Jennifer, got me hooked on diamond painting.

PT: Now, I want to focus a little on your series, Forge Brothers Security. How did it begin and where is it going?

KW: I love this question - like most authors, I have a plan for where it’s going, but my characters sometimes like to mess it all up. Lol!

My series follows five brothers (plus their cousin, Reilly, who you can meet in my free prequel novella, Forged in Darkness!)--Did I mention you can get this for free!-- who own a private security firm. They’re all passionate about fighting for what’s right, and they keep finding love on the way! I also explore their faith and how it impacts their lives throughout the series. The books stand alone, but I always include those little details that keep readers turning the pages and finding out how everything ultimately ties together. :) I’m currently planning 3 more books in the main series, but who knows where it may go after that…

PT: Your newest, Forged in Secrets, is set at the beach. Give us a little peek of Grace and Ben’s story.

KW: They were such a fun couple to write! The story kicks off right from the very beginning when sweet, bubbly Grace Hinton (who is a long-time friend of the Forge boys and works at their company) gets a phone call that one of her childhood friends has gone missing. She enlists the help of grumpy tech genius Ben Forge (who she may or may not have a crush on…) and they travel to South Padre Island together to figure out what happened to Katie Fairman, and why.

PT: What is next for Kendra for the next books/and tell everyone how you find time to do both.

KW: I’m currently working on Forged in Deception– Asher and Karlin’s story – and I’m really hoping to be able to pull off a late 2024/early 2025 release! It’s taking me a little longer to write this time, with a 9 month old baby in the mix and moving across our province, but I am absolutely in love with the story. 

Readers met Asher Forge in book two, Forged in Secrets, and he’s such a fun guy to write about. He’s kind of the Forge family goofball, and I’m excited to show everyone that his character has more depth than they may have originally thought. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I will say this: the topic of this book is pretty quirky and I doubt you’ll have read a romantic suspense like it!

PT: Gotta know where your writing nook is—office? Dining room table? Recliner? She-shed? Kitchen counter? Other? 

KW: We’re in the middle of moving, so I am including a picture of my old ‘office’, which was just part of our living room in our 2 bedroom apartment! 

Now I’m working on a real office of my very own, and I feel so unbelievably blessed to have it. :) I’ll definitely be sharing the progress on social media. 

I definitely am kind of a boring, habit-driven kind of person, so I usually like to write in the same place most of the time, with all of my pretty pens, planners, and copies of my favorite writing craft/author business books close at hand.

PT: Pretty pens seems to make everything more fun! On to my favorite. Name 5 things fast about Kendra Warden that have nothing to do with writing.

1. I’m really passionate about classical education! Yes, my eight year old is learning Latin. :P Our church uses Latin in worship, so it’s also very practical for us!
2. I enjoy gaming from time to time, especially the point-and-click Nancy Drew computer games! 
3. I love politics, religion, culture, and history. I read just as much nonfiction as fiction!
4. My husband is my best friend, and we’ve been married for four years. We got engaged less than a month after talking to each other for the first time, and I have no regrets.
5. I’m really outgoing and talkative, but actually a HUGE introvert. I love time alone or just with my hubby to recharge.

There you have it, readers! Another busy woman finding time to write entertaining fiction. Show her some love and leave comments about your busy life and how you manage it all. And, for heaven's sake, get your free novella courtesy of Kendra Warden!

Interview and Giveaway with Carol Award Finalist Terrie Todd!

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 Author Terrie Todd!

Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of eight historical and split-time novels and one nonfiction book. She contributes monthly to the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog, and has published numerous articles, devotionals, and play scripts. Her novel, April’s Promise, is a finalist in the 2024 ACFW Carol Awards. Watch for her next book, Even If We Cry, releasing in December, followed by Even If I Perish in 2025. Terrie lives with her husband, Jon, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, where they raised their three children. They are grandparents to five boys. You can follow her and sign up for her newsletter at www.terrietodd.blogspot.com

Follow Terrie on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

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?

Yes, please. I drink one cup of coffee with hazelnut creamer in the morning, then herbal tea with honey in the afternoon and evening. Hot chocolate is great but reserved for special occasions.

Perfect answer, LOL! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

Calorie-free Black Forest trifle. (You didn’t say it actually has to exist.)

I like your thinking! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

In my home office, at the huge, solid oak WWII army surplus desk my husband acquired for free while in college. I love the fact that I write WWII-era stories at this old desk. I think the familiarity of my home space helps me stay focused on my work. I’m way too distracted when I try writing in a coffee shop, library, or even my back yard.

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

For 14 years, I wrote a weekly “faith and humor” newspaper column. Having to come up with something to write about every week trained my mind to be constantly considering the column potential in every daily thing. My column has now ended, but I hope the habit sticks.

Because I write historical fiction, I often catch myself wondering how our ancestors accomplished certain tasks that we do every day. Then I Google the history of things like toothbrushes, toilets, and toenail trimming.

Love those! What inspired you to write April’s Promise?

Years ago, an acquaintance shared with me how her older siblings teased her by telling her that their oldest sister was actually her birth mother. She never proved or disproved it, but her story intrigued me enough to think it might make an interesting premise for a novel. As I researched, I was amazed by how often this scenario has taken place in families as a means of protecting a daughter’s reputation. (This isn’t a huge spoiler, since the reader discovers it early in the book.) I wanted to explore how the ramifications of such an enormous deception might affect all the different members of a family.

Love this premise! What led you to write in this genre?

I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction, but to be honest when I decided to try writing a book for the first time, I thought historical would be simpler because it’s easier to get your character into trouble. Without the ease of communication we have today, for example, it’s a much bigger deal to be stranded on a country road with a broken-down car. With the strict social norms of the past, it was a far bigger disaster for a teenager to become pregnant than it is now. While I was correct about that, I’ve learned that historical fiction is more work because of all the extra research.

Very interesting! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

My characters’ experiences eventually drive home the truth that even when the worst that can happen to us happens, God can redeem it through his love and healing power.

Beautiful message! Can you tell us a little about your next project?

Even If We Cry releases on December 5, 2024. Here’s the blurb:

Nina’s one task is to keep her family together while a world war threatens to rip them apart.

Warned they “mustn’t cry,” British teenager Nina Gabriel and her two young siblings board a ship bound for Canada as part of the WWII child evacuee program in 1940. Nina’s mischievous brother and seasick sister test her limits on the long voyage—but her burden of responsibility grows still heavier in Canada.

Determined to fulfill her promise to her parents, Nina battles to keep the siblings together through what they all hoped would be no more than one school term. Months turn into years. Unfamiliar Canadian customs, a foster sister who resents them, the mysterious deaths of their host family’s other children, and the birth of a new brother back in England complicate Nina’s world. It doesn’t help when David, the boy she’s grown to love, enlists in the air force with no end to the war in sight.

When a telegram arrives after a London bombing, will Nina find a way to fulfill her promise for the brother she’s never met? Will the Gabriel siblings learn that each of them is loved, even if they cry?

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

Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” I have this on canvas where I can see it from my desk as a reminder to be faithful with my part and trust God with the rest. The photo I put with it is a cluster of cranberry blossoms with some of the flowers open and others still waiting to open. It speaks to me of potential and how there’s always more goodness to come. 

Love this verse and what it means to you! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

I am loving Lynn Austin’s book, Until We Reach Home.

Sounds great! Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Terrie!

Scroll to check out Terrie's Carol Award Finalist, April's Promise, and an awesome giveaway!

Carol Award Finalist ~

Emmaleen Kimball is fourteen when she becomes convinced she was born to traveling acrobats and left on her parents’ doorstep. Why else would there be a thirteen-year age gap between her and her closest sibling? When her family won’t tell her the truth about her origins, she’s determined to solve the mystery herself.

Bernadette Kimball is twenty-seven and living back at home to help with a family crisis, but she can’t wait to get back to her career in the city. She doesn’t fit in with her family. Not that she cares. Who needs a family? Families are just one big mess of secrets and lies.

April Kimball-Madden carries the burden of a secret she promised never to reveal. She wishes she could tell Emmaleen the truth. But she’s convinced that if her husband Joey ever finds out who Emmaleen’s biological parents are, her marriage won’t survive.

As a world war wages across the globe, the Kimball family faces a different kind of conflict at home. Will their personal battles drag them down and tear their family apart? Or can the faith they’ve been taught, and the mercy they’re shown, lead them to victory? 

Giveaway Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away 1 ebook. Winner's choice of the author's available books! 

This giveaway is open internationally! 

This giveaway will close on 9/12/24 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.

Enter via the handy Rafflecopter link below. May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

ENTER THE 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. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. 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, personal blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!