Valerie Comer joins us this week!!

Let’s give a warm welcome to Valerie Comer. J

 

Thanks so much for inviting me over, Misty. I like mining for diamonds almost as well as growing food. But, you know, food tastes better!

Thanks for joining us this week Valerie. We’re pleased to have you.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing?

I'm a gardener and farmer from western Canada and the delighted grandmother of three little girls. They say to write what you know, so I decided to set a contemporary romance series around the local food and sustainability movement. Knowing where our food comes from is important to my family and me. We grow a lot of it ourselves and buy as much as we can locally. But yes, we also support the supermarket for the remainder!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer, and did you pick the genre, or did it pick you?

I dabbled in writing for many years, but began to get serious in 2002. I started out writing speculative fiction — you'll find one fantasy novel on my Amazon profile. About 2008 I decided to try my hand at contemporary romance and was immediately hooked when I latched onto the idea for the Farm Fresh Romance series. I'd finally found my niche.

 

What book are you planning to giveaway this week, and can you give us a little sneak peek of what it’s about?

The book I'm giving away is Dandelions for Dinner, the fourth book in the Farm Fresh Romance series. Don't worry; you don't have to read them in order, though you'll probably want to.

She hates him. He loves her not.

Men are weeds. Allison Hart doesn't need them in her carefully tended life, though her friends at Green Acres seem happy with their guys. Why can't Allison open her heart to anyone but her young nephew? Then again, he'll be a man one day, too. If only the irritating contractor in charge of building her home and farm school wasn't the boy's favorite person.

Fireworks with Brent Callahan's newest client shift from antagonism to the rocky possibility of a relationship. When he comes face to face with a history he'd much rather forget, he realizes hiding his failures isn't the best option for finding forgiveness, let alone love.

Can a little boy help weed out the past before it chokes their future together?

I see that you inject food into your books. Other than being a farmer, what made you decide to do that?

My son and daughter-in-law attended university about ten years ago. I was amazed to learn how jealous many of their friends were, that they had a place where they could grow food and live a more sustainable life. There's been a wide shift in the last decade or so toward gourmet cooking with locally-sourced ingredients, and I've been happy to provide some of that flavor in story form, based on many years of farming experience as well as watching our kids when they returned to the farm and dug in after graduation.

I'm also a past board member of our local food society and still act as webmaster. My daughter-in-law now manages our valley's farmers' market. Our family life is rooted in this issue.

I also see you’re a beekeeper. J What’s that like and what does it entail? I must admit I’m interested in the process.

We started out with 2 beehives about 7 years ago. For a few seasons we kept nearly 80 hives, but sold off the majority two years back. My husband and son do most of the labor, suiting up, checking the hives, and adding empty supers as required — boxes with frames for the bees to fill with honey. In late summer, the whole family spends a few days extracting all the honey and filling jars and buckets. We still sell to a few customers who've stuck with us through ups and downs, but most now is for family use.

Interestingly, honeybees depend on dandelion nectar as one of the first major crops of the season. Fields covered in dandelions will help keep our bees healthy.

The third Farm Fresh Romance book, Sweetened with Honey, features beekeeping.

How hard was it for you to get published and is there a story that sticks out in your mind about your journey?

This would be a really long post if I detailed my journey, so I'll try to hit the highlights. I wrote with an eye to traditional publication for a number of years, and landed that elusive contract for a novella with Barbour in 2011 (Rainbow's End, 2012). This snagged me an agent, and I thought I was on my way. Although there was quite a bit of interest in what is now the Farm Fresh Romance series, it was a bit too far out of the box. After two years, disillusioned, I let my agent go.

I contracted the first two books in the series to a small publisher, but they didn't do well, and I regained the rights in July 2014. I released them both plus Snowflake Tiara (a few weeks later), a collaborative project with Angela Breidenbach. In November I released the third Farm Fresh, and in March, the fourth. I've also released a novella (Secretly Yours) in a new series and have the second novella (Pinky Promise) up for pre-order.

What sticks out in my mind? Honestly, an absolute gratefulness to God for the entire journey. My stories have gained a wide readership, and I can't begin to tell you how happy I am today as an indie author/publisher. God has blessed my socks off in the past eight months to the point where I am unbelievably relieved that no one contracted this series when it was first offered.

Is your family supportive of your writing?

They are. My husband always believed in me and, when my job and I parted ways in the fall of 2012, encouraged me to write fulltime. It's certainly paid off. I'm also thrilled that my very talented daughter does all my covers, as well as some for other authors.

Are the characters in your books totally fictional or do they have a little of the people you know in them?

There's always a bit of myself and people I know in every character, but by the time I've given the character a different family history, situation, and story problem, there's nothing recognizable left!

I always ask everyone I interview what their favorite work is, so what’s yours? Your favorite character? J

That changes with every new release, I think. I really do love Dandelions for Dinner. Many reviewers tell me that the series keeps getting better. I hope I can keep building on that with two more books to go before starting another full-length series.

Meanwhile, I'm having a ton of fun with my novellas. Pinky Promise, which releases April 7, was a riot because it features two single parents whose six-year-old daughters decide they should all be one happy family.

That would make Kelly Bryant of Pinky Promise my current favorite character. She's a no-nonsense single mom who is playing out the hand she's been dealt. She's not looking for love, but it's hard to resist both a handsome Christian man and two mini-matchmakers.

If you're interested in learning more about my passion for the intersection of food and faith, come on by my website at http://valeriecomer.com. You'll also find my blog, links to all my social media sites, and a signup to my email list where I give away a Farm Fresh Romance short story to subscribers.

You can also find the links to the first Farm Fresh Romance, Raspberries and Vinegar, which is free on all e-book platforms. Prefer a paperback or audiobook? I've got those options covered, too, but not for free!

Thank you for being our guest today, Valerie. It’s been awesome getting to know you.

I appreciate the invitation, Misty! Thanks for spending time with me today. Blessings on you and the Diamond Mine.

 

 

 

 

Welcome Angela Strong to the Mine!!

Let’s welcome Angela Strong to the Mine! It’s so awesome she could join us during such a busy holiday season!!

Let's start by asking you to tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Idaho with my hubby and three teen/tweens. I've taught group fitness classes like yoga and kickboxing for over half my life. This Christmas I worked a seasonal job in the mall to make some extra money for gifts, but because I wasn't writing I couldn't sleep at night. It's so nice to be home and able to create once again. And last, I won a hamster ball race a couple summers ago. That may not be an important fact, but it will give you an idea of where I get ideas for the crazy situations my characters have to deal with.

Since it’s New year’s Eve, you get a special question:  Can you give us any gems of wisdom for the coming new year concerning writing, publishing, advertising, or any of the many other facets of the publishing world?

Have fun. Be passionate. Never stop learning. Try new things. Support others. Stay balanced. Give God all the glory. (This works in writing as well as life in general.) 

What made you want to be a writer? I know some people have a burning desire from an early age, and others kind of slowly realize that’s where they’ve been heading their whole lives.

My mom was a writer, so I grew up with stories about myself (and pictures of me with really bad haircuts) in magazines like Women's World. So when I wrote a story in high school, I submitted it to a magazine because that's what you do. They paid me $100, and I was hooked. Wish it was always that easy. I studied journalism at University of Oregon and sold my first novel Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho ten years later.

What genre do you write under and why did you choose that particular one?

I write fun and fast-paced stories for both women and children. Right now I'm focusing on romantic suspense as well as my middle-grade Fun4Hire series. I think writing for kids makes me better at writing for adults, and writing for adults makes me better at writing for kids. I love them both. 

Can you give us the rundown on how hard it was to be published, and why?

I'll just start by saying that Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for not being creative. My kids remind me of this every time I get a rejection letter. Helps me put the difficulty of publishing back into perspective. 

Here are a couple of examples from my year. One of my favorite publishers took my manuscript to acquisitions after confirming that I would be willing to add another 25,000 words. They rejected it even though they liked the idea and the last book on that subject sold over 100,000 copies. Blah. Then I entered the Love Inspired Suspense Killer Voices contest. I made it to the final round. The editor requested revisions. I made them. Everyone said she'd buy it. Other LIS authors said I "nailed it." Rejected. Double blah.

So now I will be reworking both stories for another publisher that is looking for romantic suspense starting next month. I keep improving and hoping that I will find that perfect fit. Not every publisher is going to be a perfect fit, and I would honestly prefer to wait to work with one that believes in my work as much as I do.

What other books do you have in the works?

Book #3 in my Fun4Hire series, The Food Fight Professional, is due January 9 with The Pillow Fight Professional to follow shortly after. Then I have my novella False Security coming out in an anthology along with stories by three other local romantic suspense authors. (Check out Teamloveontherun.com.) Plus I've got another novel I've started because the editor at LIS said she'd like to see more of my work and they have very specific guidelines.

 What book will you be giving one of our lucky readers this week?

The Snowball Fight Professional is about a twelve-year-old boy who wants to make more money with his snowball fighting business than his cousin makes shoveling sidewalks so he can buy his grandma the better Christmas gift and hopefully get one of her husky puppies in return. It's a fun book that deals with what it means to be a family. This story is especially endearing to me because of the kid who is being raised by a single mom, which is something I know too much about. I care so much about these characters that sometimes I think about them and cry.

The world outside our small ‘writing spaces’ is huge and daunting. What kind of advice would you give to those of us who’re still trying to get published? I know there are so many do’s and don’ts.

Before I published, Bette Nordberg told me that selling your first book is like a dolphin jumping through a hoop. You end up right back in the same pool trying to sell your second book. That was the best advice I could have gotten with my career, especially since the first two publishers I sold to ended up shutting down. It hasn't gotten easier, but I've gotten more comfortable/confident with the show. And I've made some great pool buddies. So now I'll quote Dori from Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming."

Thank you so much for being a part of our ‘Diamond Mine’ this week. I believe we’ve found a true gem in you.

Thanks. I love the idea that we are all diamonds in the rough. :)

www.angelaruthstrong.com

This week, Dawn M. Turner joins us at the Mine!

Good morning Dawn. We’re glad to have you at the Mine this week.

 

Thanks for inviting me for a visit. :)

 

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

I’m a full-time writer, married 21 years this past July to a wonderful Christian man, and “mom” to two dogs, 2 cockatiels, a budgie, a guinea pig, and 3 hens. I spend a lot of time writing, but I also enjoy deeply researching topics that grab my interest, especially science- and medicine-related ones. God’s creation, in all its many facets, never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I also love photography, scrapbooking, crochet, and spinning my own yarn from wool and alpaca.

I’m currently working on multiple writing projects, all but two of which are fiction. One of my latest releases is entitled ‘In God’s Time.’ It won the Contemporary Romance category, as well as the Grand Prize, in the Writers On The Storm Category Five writing competition in 2011 (my hubby’s fault, I tell him). Here’s the back cover blurb for it:

 

All things come in God’s time, including love.

 

Tara Whitman has a big problem. She's in love with her best friend, and it's getting harder to hide it from him. She fears the truth will destroy a friendship she holds dear, even as she battles jealousy toward the string of leggy blondes that parade through Jack’s life.

Jack Carlton spends his free time at one social event or another with the latest woman he dates to protect a huge secret he’s keeping from Tara - he’s in love with her, has been for years. Haunted by the memory of a kiss shared in their teens, he doesn’t want to endanger their friendship. Yet the thought of her kissing someone else drives him to distraction if he lets himself dwell on it.

(Available for giveaway - autographed paperback copy of IGT.)

 

What Genre(s) do you write?

 

Mostly contemporary romance, or anything that contains romance. Romance is definitely my favorite genre to work with, whether alone or combined with suspense, in full or just a suspense twist. I’ve done a couple of Women’s Fiction books, one novella that’s currently available, and a novel that’s not yet published. Even those have a romantic thread through them. I mean, how can you write about husbands and wives and not have romance? I also enjoy writing fantasy, medieval style in a world I’ve created. I publish those as D.M. Turner versus my contemporary work being under Dawn M. Turner, so fans don’t get confused.

 

What made you decide to be a writer?

God called me to it. I’ve known that for a very long time, and I fought it nearly that long. I’ve always had a love of words, and I express myself better in writing than I do verbally. I inherited that from my dad, I think. I had a bad experience in high school with a teacher who discouraged me from writing. That traumatized me sufficiently that I stopped writing creatively altogether. Then a college English teacher wouldn’t let me out of a short story assignment, no matter how hard I tried to convince her it was pointless because I was a horrible writer, per the other teacher. She loved my story and encouraged me to keep writing. I did for a couple of decades but didn’t let anyone but my mother read my stuff until 2011, when my hubby talked me into entering a writing competition. To my profound shock, I won. At that point, I realized, no matter what anyone else had ever said, God had made it abundantly clear what He wanted me to do and there’s no arguing with Him. I’ve tried.

 

What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve encountered concerning getting published?

Honestly, the biggest hurdle was a result of talking with other authors who had taken years to get contracts only to have editors with publishing houses rip the heart out of their stories and go to great lengths at times to try to make them all sound the same as everyone else. I’m willing to work with a good editor, but when it comes to keeping the integrity of my stories intact and honoring the characters, I see that as a hill worth dying on, as a friend would say. I won’t compromise some things. Knowing those two things had me praying hard about what agents and publishers to query. While I kept praying and waited for an answer, I kept writing. God’s answer was “Go indie.” Scared me to death, the idea of being responsible for everything myself, but it’s actually been a (usually) fun adventure.

 

Could you tell us what your favorite manuscript is, and why?

 

I love different stories and series for different reasons, but I think Promises is probably my all-time favorite. Wes is a hero after my own heart, and Terry is so hurt by a broken world. I identify with her in some ways, yet she’s so different from me in others. Those two as a couple have a special place in my heart, too, because of all my characters, they’ve been with me almost longer than anyone. I wrote the start of their story before I met my husband and continued working on it after we got married. It went through a good number of edits before I published it in 2013.

 

What books do you have in the works and when can we expect them?

In editing, I’ve got the final two books in the Donovan Legacy series to go. Those books are about the lives and loves of the children of Wes and Terry from Promises (and their follow-up story, Beyond Hope).

In writing, I’m working on a new romance series, with 2 books completed, 3 partially written, and 1 still to start. The series is entitled Mysterious Ways, because each book is about the many ways that God confronts challenges we often throw at Him. The first three books in the series all stem from a conversation the heroes have about how they don’t want to get married. Each of them presents their own challenge to God, not even thinking God would do such things.

 

What person in your life would you say had/has the biggest influence on your writing?

 

My husband actually. Though he’s not a writer, and he hates to read (go figure), he’s been an avid supporter of my work, even when it looked like I’d never do anything with it. He encouraged and supported me in online participation with writers groups, classes I’ve taken over the years to help my writing, and anything else writing-related. He’s also supported me as a reader, despite the fact that’s meant living at times buried in books. He makes jokes about my “crazy writer friends” and all of our “imaginary friends,” but he’s never failed to encourage and support me on this wacky journey I’ve taken. Without him, I don’t think I’d be writing today.

 

What author do you aspire to be like?

 

I can’t really say I aspire to be “like” anyone else. I’m simply me. Unique as God made me. My writing style is different from everyone else. My author voice is different from everyone else. My path is different in so many ways. There’s a host of authors whose work I absolutely love, but I don’t want to emulate them except in the quality of my work.

 

What author do you like to read, and why?

 

Wow. Big question. I love the work of so many authors - Janice Hanna Thompson, Colleen Coble, Terri Blackstock, Karen Kingsbury, Dee Henderson (whose work introduced me to Christian fiction), Lynette Eason, Candace Calvert, Michelle Sutton, Denise Hunter, and so many other authors of Christian fiction. I also enjoy sweet romances by Joselyn Vaughn, which I only discovered recently. I also love the ABA urban fantasy novels by Patricia Briggs. The main thing I look for is well-developed characters. If a book has those and an interesting storyline, I’m hooked. Those authors never fail to grab me and make me laugh, cry, or both.

 

What do you find the most difficult about being a writer?

 

Staying focused at times. Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us all the time, and sometimes I’m supposed to ignore those and just keep working. Other times, they need my attention. Sometimes it’s hard to be sure which is which and not waste time on the ones I should ignore. Also, I’m a prolific writer, and I tend to have high expectations for myself. That’s been a challenge, too, turning those expectations over to God and setting the goals He has me to set. He’s an easier taskmaster for me than I am. He plans ahead for the curve balls.

 

Thanks so much for the interview, Dawn. We loved having you. J

Listed below are some links to Dawn:

 

Blog: http://everythingingodstime.blogspot.com/

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/dawnturner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnMTurner.author

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/xandert

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115583813809564484248/about

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/xandert/

 

 

Interview and Giveaway with Amryn Cross!!

Love won’t save her. U.S Marshals can’t contain her. Death will not stop her.

         Today on the Diamond Mine, I'll be interviewing one of our group members, Amory Cannon, whose pen name is Amryn Cross. Her debut novel, Learning To Die debuted this month, and we're all so excited for her! She's woven a compelling suspense story with an intense romance between two strong-willed characters. Quite an exciting read!  I highly recommend it! After the interview, leave a comment and you'll automatically be entered for a free copy of this wonderful story in either e-book or print copy, whichever you prefer.

Now for our interview!

What was the first thing you remember writing?

When I was in elementary school, I wrote lots of little stories about puppy love and girls doing things that only boys do—like joining the football team. The first thing of any length I remember writing was a fan fiction of sorts based on the characters in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

One of my favorite books, too! So, when did you decide to write fiction novels?

I began writing my first novel in November 2011 for National Novel Writing Month. It was an experiment for me, coming up with all original characters and starting to weave my love of writing with my love of forensic science. I learned a lot during that process, and it only solidified my decision to commit to writing.

I'm glad you did! What genre or genres do you write?

My main genre is romantic suspense, which is where my debut novel fits, but I’m also delving into young adult as well. Eventually, I’d like to write a book that’s strictly romance, but that’s a way off for me at this point.

How do your story ideas come to you?

It varies from book to book. Sometimes it’s an idea for a specific scene that just grows into something more. I have been inspired by certain TV shows and books, but my favorite is when I read or hear a certain phrase and it sparks an entire plot. Music is a big one for me for this reason. A line or two of lyrics can carry me a long way. For that reason, I make playlists for each story I write.

I also use music as inspiration. When I write a historical novel, I listen to music that fits the time. 

Do you use outlines, or write the plot as you go?

I sort of fall in between. I like to have a vague outline since it’s important in my genre to know the crime that’s committed and the timeline of when the characters figure out what clues. Major external events tend to be the cornerstone of my outlines, but I don’t plan my characters reactions to those events. I let them develop naturally, and that sometimes leads to additional scenes I hadn’t planned on.

They take on a life of their own, don't they? So, is this debut novel the first one you wrote?

Actually, no. Learning to Die was originally intended to be a sequel to the first novel I wrote. However, the more I learned about writing, the more I realized that first novel needed a lot of work and maybe would never be published. This story had more potential, and I’d already fallen in love with the characters, so I decided to put my effort into getting Kate’s story published.

How much of yourself is in your characters?

I love this question. In this book, I don’t think there’s much of me in Kate or Graham. Actually, it was a bit difficult to get Kate right in the beginning because I’m not very much like her. But I did connect with her because there are a lot of people I know in her. She’s real and she’s broken, and on the most basic level, I think we’ve all been there. In other books, however, I’ve put a lot of myself into characters. In a novella series I’m working on for next year, the main character is basically me turning off my filter and writing. It’s a lot of fun!

Do you ever hit difficult spots or get derailed in your stories, and if so, how do you get past this?

This does happen to me from time to time, but I’ve found the best way to get past this is to be willing to skip around. I don’t always write chronologically. In fact, for the first novella in the next series I’m working on, I wrote it backwards! I break my story down into scenes, and if one scene isn’t cooperating, I’ll move on to one that I have a clearer picture of. Sometimes I have to go back and change things when I tie all the scenes together, but it does usually break me out of writer’s block or a rut.

What do you like best about writing?

This is tough to narrow down, but I really think it’s figuring out what makes people tick. My stories are very character driven for that reason. I’m not just interested in what someone does, but why they do that. I love complicated characters because we all lead complicated lives. I want to write stories that make people think about their actions and relate to the character.

What effect do you hope your writing has on the reader?

Ultimately, I hope my writing glorifies God. I want to tell a good story, to make a reader laugh or cry, but the purpose is to use the little things in the book to point people to Him. From Learning to Die specifically, I hope readers will realize that God really does work in all things, and that you’re never too far that He can’t love you.

That's a beautiful message. 

What are you working on now?

I’m in the process of editing the first novella in my East Wind series (which you can find out more about at http://theeastwind.amryncross.com), which will hopefully release in January next year. It’s about a former military man who’s forced into medical retirement and somehow ends up solving crimes with this crazy but brilliant consulting detective—Alexandria Holst. Each novella follows the two of them through one of their cases. Very much based on several adaptations of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson… especially the modern BBC version.

I’m also finishing up my young adult novel The Broken Crown, which I also hope to release next year. It follows a young princess, Emilia, in a fictional world where Christianity has been outlawed, and even her own mother—the queen—was not safe from execution because of it. Finding the strength to save the Insurgos Christians means a choice between the life Emilia was born for and the one God called her to. Both of which could mean death. I can’t wait to share this book with my readers!

Another one of your books to look forward to! Thanks so much for this interview!

Now for an excerpt from Learning to Die:

"I'm here to protect you." His eyes changed, softened maybe, and the white haze that usually preceded a flashback edged her vision. No. Not now.

His hand twitched as he made a move for his pocket. Reflex took over as her muscles coiled in anticipation. Her right hand flew forward in a well-practiced uppercut, aiming for the sweet spot under his chin.

Though she had surprise on her side, he was much stronger and anticipated her move. Her fist never made contact. Instead, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist and twisted her until her back slammed up against the wall with her right hand over her head, the muscles in her shoulder aching in protest. He reached for her left hand and raised it until he held both wrists, in one hand, above her head.

Her chest heaved with adrenaline. Self-preservation coursed through her gut, and if it came to fighting for her life or the lives of her friends, she would not hold it back.

His face was mere inches from hers now, his breath on her cheek. Involuntary shivers tingled her spine. If only she'd grabbed her gun before she stepped into the hallway.

"I said I'm here to protect you... even from yourself." The words ghosted over her as he lowered his lips to her ear and brushed them against her skin. She imagined if anyone bothered to look at the security cameras right now, they'd appear more like a pair of lovers than two enemies in a stalemate. There didn't seem to be much of a line between the two at the moment, as confusion and attraction waged a war in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't as unaffected as he'd like her to think -- she could see his pulse thrumming in his neck.

He looked down to his left, and her eyes followed his movement. When he went for his pocket again, she didn't fight. Instead of a weapon, he raised his hand to present a badge directly in front of her face.

Lying inside a black flip wallet, the badge resembled a gold circle with a star inside it, the words "United States Marshal" around the outside. Opposite the badge, she read the credential card that introduced her attacker as Graham Shepherd, Senior Deputy U.S. Marshal, Inspector. She looked back and forth from the picture on the card to the man in front of her. The eyes left no doubt it was the same man.

Now, here's a short author bio:

Amryn Cross is a forensic scientist and author of romantic suspense novels. As a lover of college football, Shakespeare, superheroes, and travelling, she is drawn to complex characters who aren’t always what they seem. Her novels are character-driven stories of people who face down some of life’s darkest moments and learn to reconcile that darkness with God’s light. She refers to these as “between the shadow and the soul” moments. Amryn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy. You can connect with Amryn on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Here are the buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Die-U-S-Marshalls-Book-ebook/dp/B00NRU0PJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411341804&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+to+die+amryn

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-to-die-amryn-cross/1120376882?ean=2940150656208

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-learningtodie-1631782-151.html

Remember to leave a comment and you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy of the book!