Interview and Giveaway with Erin Unger!

Erin Unger is back in the spotlight on The Diamond Mine! Today, we're offering a free copy of her thriller The Cabin. Just leave her an answer at the end of this interview to be entered in the drawing for a free copy. Let's turn our attention to The Cabin!    
Being trapped in a snowstorm might not be the worst thing…

Leah Kettridge’s writing career is over before the first book lands on the shelf, when a famous author has claimed she’s stolen his work.  

Keenan Brinner has it all. He's a best-selling author who's only headed toward more greatness. And he must be the most gorgeous guy Leah's ever seen. But he's also a liar and a cheat.

When they end up at the same cabin to write, emotions explode. 

But an unexpected snowstorm traps them deep in the mountains. Is 

he bent on destroying her in more ways than one? How will love 

find them amidst all their anger and distrust?

Sounds like a good one!! Now, let's get started on the interview!

Hi Erin! 

What does it mean to you to be a published writer?

I have worked so hard and for years to get to where I am today. It means so much to me to be traditionally published. I thank God for getting me where I am.

Do your characters ever surprise you?

When I write, I love to let the characters surprise me. They do tend to have a mind of their own.

That's so true!

Since you write stories with intricate plots, do you need to work from an outline?

It’s kind of funny how long my outlines are. My friends like to tease me about it. They usually average 50-60 pages. Pantster writers think I’m crazy but it allows me to write faster and cleaner.

Wow, that is a long outline!!

Have you ever started a story with no idea of how it will end?

My first two books didn’t have an outline and I didn’t know the ending, so it was a little hard for me to work without completely developing the story first. But they were a great learning experience.

Which is more fun for you to write, the hero and heroine or the villain or villains?

I completely love writing both sides! The hero/heroine are characters I get to really delve into. I love to develop them and show their weaknesses. But the villains creep me out sometimes, yet I love to get into their heads.

It's so funny how a character you're writing can actually creep you out. I think only a writer would understand that!

How would you describe the way you feel when writing?

Quite often, it takes a long time for me to get into writing a scene—even with an outline—so it can be frustrating. But when I get into the groove, excitement wells up when I see how my characters are going to get out of the messes they get themselves into.

What do you want your readers to feel when reading your stories?

Emotion is a very important part of writing. If readers don’t feel anything as they read, they’ll put the book down and never finish it. I want them to be on a rollercoaster ride with my characters, to feel what they feel in every part of the story.

Yes!! That's the main thing I think most fiction writers strive for.

Is there a common underlying theme in your work?

There does tend to be a common theme in most of my stories. It’s that bad things can happen to good people, yet God is in control of it all.

Do you write in more than one genre?

I do. I have a children’s book I illustrated, and I plan on writing and illustrating a whole series about a kitten who is always getting into trouble. It’s based on my adorable Persian cat who does the funniest things.

That sounds like a lot of fun! What are you working on now?

I’m about to start rewriting a manuscript called Expired Coupons: Buy One Get Dead Free that I wrote years ago. This fun romantic suspense is about a coupon addict and a murder. Throw in an adorable neighbor, and the main character will never be the same again. It’s due to the editor soon, so I better get to work.

To win my giveaway for an eBook of The Cabin, answer this question. Who is your favorite author and why do you love them?

Thanks for the interview, Erin! So there you go, readers! Answer Erin's question in the "leave a comment" section and you'll be entered for the free copy. Now here's a short bio of Erin, followed by her social and purchase links:

Erin Unger was raised in the hills of Virginia, exploring abandoned houses and reading the scariest books she could find. After marrying so young it would make a great romance novel, she has enjoyed an exciting life with her hubby, five grown children, and a couple grandkids.

www.erinungerwrites.com

https://www.facebook.com/ErinUngerWrites/

https://twitter.com/erinungerwrites

https://www.instagram.com/erinungerwrites/

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/33A6muW

https://www.pinterest.com/erinunger1/

Amazon- https://amzn.to/2WHTDru

Author PJ Gover Steps into Fiction

Good morning to the Diamond Mine. Terry here. Hope each of you are busy with shovel and pick, bringing to life the gem which God has given to you. I’m so pleased to introduce you to my friend and new author, PJ Gover! Our Texas gal has a story to tell which will give our readers a peek into the life of PJ Gover as wife, mother, and writer for our Lord – and maybe an update on her picture mascot, Moo COW!

TP:  PJ Gover, our readers and fellow authors want to know about your call to writing. How did that happen? When did you know you wanted to write and why?

PJG: I sensed God’s calling to teach His Word when I was in College. I am a long-time Bible teacher and never viewed myself as a writer even though I researched and wrote out my own lessons. Due to health concerns, I was unable to continue weekly teaching, although I occasionally substitute for other teachers. Eight years ago, my husband suggested I do my teaching through writing. Two years prior to that, a friend asked me to write weekly devotionals for a group at church. That started my email devotional ministry which led to a Christian book and gift store hiring me to write their one-year devotional book. A spiritual ministry website asked me to serve as their guest devotional writer for about a year. The Secret Place Devotional Magazine and my 10,000 member church’s newsletter and grief ministry website also published my devotionals.

Five years ago, I felt God’s leading to write a novel based on my father and his secret work as a rocket scientist during the Cold War of the 1960s. He was a devout Christian who died under mysterious circumstances. I wanted to honor God and my father with a Christian novel. It turned into a thriller. I have since written a sequel and my literary agent is shopping both to publishers.

TP: Can you share with us when you came to faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ?

PJG: I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior as a child. My faith growth is a journey. 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

TP:  Many of us are busy in other pursuits, other than editing and writing, or your Wednesday update post? For you, it’s more than the next picture of MOO COW. When you’re not in pounding the keyboard, what occupies your time?

PJG: Family, of course, especially our two-year-old grandson. My husband and I are leaders with college students at our church. We host retreats at our ranch for our church’s college and singles groups. We’ve had more than one couple contemplate marriage while at our ranch! It’s a special feeling pouring into the next generation.

Moo Cow

TP: You have something else to offer to our readers and that is about life on a Texas ranch. Can you offer a story which highlights life in the rugged Texas outdoors?

PJG: No specific stories, but all aspects of the ranch offer inspiration for my writing––devotionals and novels. My devotionals can be found on my website www.PJGover.com. The well-worn trail to the big pond made by generations of Black Angus cattle leads me to consider the Christian legacy I am leaving for generations to follow. The time we accidently left the barn door open and the cows deposited their ‘leavings’ throughout makes me think how we open the door to sin and the residual mess may take months or even years to deal with. Only God can lead us out of sin and into newness of life.  And when the calves get to a certain size they’re shipped to market. The way mama cows ‘cry’ for their babies must be how God grieves when we wander from Him. The ranch also makes an appearance in both of my thrillers.

Please share with us a little bit about your family. Are they often an inspiration for your writing? My husband and I will celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary this October! I do find inspiration from him and our daughter (even her dog) for my novels. My main character shares my daughter’s career and looks a bit like her too. I utilize some of their same mannerisms. Neither my son-in-law nor the two-year-old has found a place in my stories. Yet! But I’ve written two books just for the little one!

TP: In our day and time, our country is a mess, the distractions are high for an author. What advice would you give to a new author who is just beginning to write their perfect baby?

PJG: Learn the craft. Read, read, read. Take a course. I took Jerry B. Jenkins Your Novel Blueprint online course. There are many out there to help guide. I knew nothing about plot, structure, and dialogue and needed all the help I could get. But writing devotionals helped me learn to convey my message in a tight and efficient way. Above all, trust God.

TP: Can you share a definitive moment when the Spirit of God spoke, led, or placed you in a life-changing situation?

PJG: When I was a senior in high school I was coming out of a devastating situation. As a high school senior, one night I was in my bedroom sobbing out of deep emotional pain. I had come out of a traumatic situation lasting years. My father had died when I was eleven-years-old. After being raised in the church, my family basically dropped out after his death. I was not praying, reading scripture, or even contemplating godly things that night. God was the furthest thing from my thoughts, and yet, the words of John 3:16 burst into my mind. God’s Spirit brought it back. I immediately looked up and stopped crying. The verse is a salvation verse and one I had memorized in Sunday School as a child, but in that moment, God brought special meaning. He touched my heart in a way I will never forget. The words of the verse, “…shall not perish…” jumped out. In that moment, under the situation, I was perishing. As a child of God, I realized I would neither perish eternally nor in that situation. God was real, His Spirit all powerful. I would survive.

TP: Now I’m more than sure, our readers want to know about your writing journey—what genre? You’ll soon have a new book out? Can you give us sneak peak to what it is about? Do you offer other books? Where can we find them?

PJG: My one-year devotional book, Celebrate Thee Date, is available at https://4homestore.com/devotional-books. My agent is shopping my Long Shadow Series, Christian thrillers based on my father whose life informs the novels. In the first one, in present day his granddaughter searches for clues to clear his name and solve his fifty-year-old murder. The Vice President of the United States, the mafia, and the Russians make an appearance. The second book in the Series involves a woman in present day trying to reconnect with her sons she was forced to abandon during World War II. In the granddaughter’s quest to help the woman, she encounters a German arms dealer and a secret international consortium bent on destroying the nation of Israel. The granddaughter’s faith journey grows from little interest to full reliance on the power of God and prayer. Stay tuned!

TP: And finally, do you have words of encouragement and hope for some of the new writers among us… Words of wisdom from a Biblical Christian and student of the Word?

PJG: We don’t know the plans for our writing, but choose to walk in faith and trust anyway. No matter what happens on our journey, God is still in control. I am not. You are not. He is sovereign and worthy to be trusted and praised. We are to be obedient to His Word, His leading, His wisdom.

TP: Do you have a special or favorite verse of scripture that carries you through the rough times? What about a favorite one you breathe when you’re just thanking and praising God for life’s journey?

PJG: I believe in Scripture memory, so I have a number of verses memorized. It gives me instant access to His Word and allows God another avenue to reach my heart, as evidenced with my John 3:16 experience. A favorite one is Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Claim a favorite verse and memorize it now.

For praising God, I love Revelation 4:8, 11. “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.” V11 “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory, honor, and power. Thou didst create all things and because of Thy will they existed and were created.”

As a celebration of PJ's new fiction career starting, she is giving away a copy of her devotional book, Celebrate Thee Date. Please leave a comment below with your email to be entered for a chance to win her book! Thanks, PJ for being with us this week.

Interview and Book Giveaway with Author Dave Arp!!

Today on The Diamond Mine, we welcome author Dave Arp! Also, to all you readers, please leave a comment in the comment section (link is located after the interview on the bottom of the page) and you will be entered in the drawing to win a free copy of ORB.

Hi Dave! So, what is Orb about?

Once a Marine, now a private investigator, Wes Hansen sat down a billionaire to talk about finding the man who assaulted his daughter. The job sounded easy enough until Wes discovered the only witness is a dog, and his only physical evidence is two identical business cards embossed with a bare eyeball and the name MESHACH. Before it’s done, there’s a little romance and a lot of danger.

Sounds like a pretty cool story! 

And here's an excerpt from it:

Meshach sat in the dark living room watching Shanteel’s house through the open patio doors. His backpack at his feet contained the computer, the cash, all of it. Just in case.

Lightning flashed offshore. A gust moved the curtains. The thunderstorms had arrived. Weather was as unpredictable as the broad who’d stuck his own pistol in his face. She’d nearly killed him. Only a finger’s width away. He grinned at that thought. She’d never know.

Headlights topped the levee—an unrelated vehicle, someone returning her car, or the poster boy cop? A glimpse at the bridge of lights mounted on top of the car told him the latter. A man exited the cruiser and walked toward Shanteel’s. He was off duty, dressed in civilian clothes, but no doubt still armed.

He trotted up the stairs to the front door and entered without knocking. The door slammed. Another light came on.

Meshach glanced at his watch: 11:07. He’d like to hear that conversation. He’d bet money it was one- sided.

Lightning illuminated heavy, menacing clouds. The smell of rain rode on a cooler wind. Wouldn’t be long reaching the area now.
Minutes passed: 11:21. The front door opened. The cop stepped out and slammed the door behind him. He walked with authority and determination. Either the wildcat had tried to emasculate him again, and he was fleeing for his life, or he was out to avenge the slight she’d suffered. He trotted down the steps. As he reached the walkway that would take him back to his car, another quick flash of lightning flared almost on top of them. The thunderous crack stopped him in his tracks.

Hard to tell what direction he looked, but Meshach could guess. Another bolt arced cloud to cloud. The guy stood with his hands planted on his hips, staring toward Meshach.

Could he see Meshach staring back from just inside the door? Meshach hoped he could.

In a second, the distance between them filled with a torrent. Wind blew rain sideways through the doors into the living room. Lightning split the night in half, revealing emptiness where the cop had stood.

  

Sounds like a great read!

How did you get the idea for this novel? 

I’ve tried to answer this question in a blog and to myself several times. I can’t. I was reading the Bible one day and an idea began to form. I didn’t act on it and begin to write until going through some old photos of a friend and me hunting in Alaska. A picture of him set the story in motion. I’d share more, but I’d give away the story and that would be no fun.

That’s true! Do any of your characters share any traits with you?

Wes Hansen and I share a few traits. I don’t think I could write without a little of me going into one of my characters. Wes and I are far from perfect, but we’re fixable.

I think our imperfections can make us pretty interesting as story characters, or as humans! 

Do you write novels from an outline, or from a general idea of a storyline?

I write as my characters live through the story. I see what they see. I go where they go and do what they do. Though, to keep track of the location and activities of Wes and the man he’s after, Meshach, I had to build a spreadsheet. I was rereading one day and thought, Good grief, where is Wednesday?

I know what you mean, since I write the same way. Sometimes you do need to go back and make sure everything makes sense sequentially and in light of plot circumstances or changes. 

Do your characters develop as you write them, or do you have a set idea of them from the beginning?

They develop just like my story does. I usually have a general idea that I stick to, especially for the moral aspects, but I don’t dress them with hair, eyes and clothes from the start.

I think it’s good to leave out some of the physical details of the main characters so that the reader can imagine the people themselves. And sometimes too much description can be tedious to read. Of course, that’s just my opinion, as there are a lot of great stories that rely on lots of description.

Did you always want to be a writer?

I never had the first thought about writing until I was in my forties. When I did, I discovered my spelling was atrocious, punctuation was worse, and telling was easier than showing. Telling is easy. Showing takes effort. I was not a “B” English student. I’m not a “B” writer, but I’m working on it.

I hear you! Telling is as easy as speaking. Showing does take a lot more effort, and I’ve still got room for improvement on that skill!

What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

I’ve been hooked on books before. Ludlum, Clavell, Clancy, L’amour, numerous other fiction writers kept me up late at night reading, trying to see what lay around the next corner, the next page. Is it narcissistic to smile when someone tells you they were up late because they couldn’t put your book down? Maybe a little. I don’t care.

It’s gratifying when someone tells you that, or how they wished your story was longer. One of the perks of being a writer! 

How much time are you able to spend on your writing?

I write in spurts. At home, early morning is my quiet time. Early as in four or five until seven when I take my bride a cup of coffee in bed. I’m a drilling foreman and spend six months a year on an offshore drilling rig. My idle time there is spent writing or reading, mostly writing.

How nice to have a job that affords you the opportunity to spend time writing! That’s great!

Do you have an underlying theme to your stories?

I don’t have an underlying theme, per se, though my first novel, Me and Jake, was based on a true story and hints at child abuse. I write Christian fiction. God and a belief in Him and Christ are always mentioned. I suppose the conflicts in each of my stories are a tale of good and evil.

And that makes for pretty compelling conflicts, in stories and in real life!

What are you working on now?

I have two works in progress. Riley James is 40,000 words across the Saudi desert, but still 40/50,000 words from Jordan, trying to escape The Bloodletting. He and his newfound friend, Matu, are moving at night and hiding where they can with the snakes and scorpions to escape the scorching sun during the day. And I’m working on Sleeping With My Boots On, a non-fiction memoir with a friend who spent 4 tours as a combat medic.

Wow! Sounds like exciting stories are on the way from Dave Arp. Thanks so much for the interview, Dave!

Now, here is a short bio, plus Dave’s social and purchase links. And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance for a free copy of Orb!!

Bio:

David was born in Arizona and raised in Texas where he began a career in the oil and gas drilling industry soon after graduating high school. Since then, he’s traveled the world. He discovered his love for writing while working for Saudi Aramco, drilling wells throughout Saudi Arabia. Today, he splits his life evenly between home in Colorado with his wife of 32 years, Karen, and a deep-water drilling rig on the Gulf of Mexico.

Pelican Book Group page for ORB:

https://bit.ly/2C1iES0

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Orb-David-Arp-ebook/dp/B07NPG41NL

Media –

 https://davearp.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/david.arp.3

Other books by Dave Arp:

                                                                  

Author Stacy Weeks is at the Diamond Mine!!

Author Stacy Weeks is here at The Diamond Mine to tell us about her book In Too Deep, and to let readers know about an exciting giveaway!

First, we'll tell you a bit about In Too Deep:

Like an anchor wedged in the lake floor, Grace Stone's heart is submerged in the past. Drowning in guilt over the role she played in her father's and sister's deaths, Grace prays that launching her water survival program at Camp Moshe will properly honor their memory and enable her to move on. But success depends on Grace risking everything on the man hired to rebrand the Christian camp. Kye Campton's usual confidence wavers when his extreme sports campaign lands him in hot water with the cautious instructor and it becomes increasingly evident that Camp Moshe's fight for survival is against more than a declining economy. Will Kye be able to save the camp—and Grace—from a saboteur determined to close the camp at any cost?

Now that you know something about In Too Deep, here's another treat! An excerpt from the book!

“Climbing,” she said, as she had been instructed to do.

“Climb on,” he replied pulling out some rope.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as tough as she had anticipated? She literally put her life in his hands and struggled through the first move. She resisted the urge to look down at Kye as she moved higher and higher. A strong desire to see his approval coursed through her body, but she needed to look up, not down. She forced herself upward.

She felt for her next hold, and a loose piece of rock gave way. She cried out before she could stop herself. Then she clamped her mouth shut, tightened her core, and pulled herself in close to the wall. Please, God, help me do this. Keep me safe…

…A rustling above dragged her gaze up. A shadow loomed over the edge. Was someone there? A fumbling in the loose shale rang through the quiet.

“Rock!” Kye screamed. “Take”

She didn’t question him. She pushed herself off the wall and surrendered to gravity. Her rope snapped taut, jolting her body. She swung away from all that was safe, and a shower of rocks scraped the skin from her left arm. Suspended by her harness, a scream tore from her throat.

She clawed for the rocky surface, desperate to find a hold strong enough to support her weight. Rocks and dirt cut into her hands as small pebbles cascaded like a waterfall.

She looked down.

The stones fell and fell, raining around Kye, who held her rope with a look in his eyes that shot fear through her body.

Sounds like an exciting read!!

Here is Stacy talking about how she comes by some of her ideas:

I save newspaper articles with strange but true reports. I have a whole file stuffed full. One report on a daring water rescue that occurred in Asia inspired a scene from In Too Deep.

I asked myself, “What sort of person does this?” “What person runs into danger instead of away?” What kind of love drives those actions?”

I created Grace Stone and Kye Campton by answering questions like those, and I put them into situations where they were forced to ask themselves if they believed if God was bigger than their circumstances.

Even when life is unfair and we can’t make sense of it – God is always perfectly loving and leading us. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours that we cannot understand them, but we can trust Him. Most often, the truths that God is teaching me and the ways that He is stretching me also becomes the growth arch for my characters. When my character, Grace, was reading Proverbs searching for wisdom  - so was I. As she meditated on a beautiful passage in Job –so was I. In Too Deep is a combination of what God was teaching me while I wrote it and the things in the news that captured my attention.

So now you know more about what inspires Stacy's wonderful writing! And now, here is Stacy to tell you about an exciting bonus for readers:

I have a fun surprise! I know where you can find some FREE READS and where you can enter to win a free e-reader.

Yes. FREE.

I’ve teamed up with 20+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Inspirational Mysteries & Thrillers to 2 lucky winners, PLUS a brand new eReader to the Grand Prize winner!

Oh, and did I mention you'll receive a collection of FREE reads just for entering?

You can win my novel, In Too Deep, plus books from authors like Jan Thompson and Susan May Warren.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/inspymysteriesthrillers-sep18

Good luck, and enjoy!

Thanks so much for visiting The Diamond Mine, Stacy!

So, readers, be sure to enter the giveaway! And here's some more information about Stacy, and where to learn more about her, and her books:

Stacey Weeks is the multi-award winning author of Glorious Surrender (2016), inspirational romances The Builder's Reluctant Bride (2016), Mistletoe Melody (2018), and inspirational romantic suspense novels In Too Deep (2017), and Fatal Homecoming (2019). Stacey lives in Ontario where she speaks at women's conferences and writes about the things of the Lord. www.staceyweeks.com