Author Interview and Giveaway with Bethany Turner!

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 at a charming coffee house. Bonus points if that coffee house has lots of books under its roof. Books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination, after all. So please consider this our virtual coffee house! I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. :-)

We are going to pry into the private life chat with Bethany Turner, author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey! I've had the pleasure of helping to promote both of Bethany's wonderful books, and you can read my reviews here and here!

Get ready for some epicness!

Bethany Turner is the award-winning author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, which was a Christy Award finalist. When she's not writing (and even when she is), she serves as the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.

Connect with Bethany on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! 

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! ;-) 

Coffee in the morning, iced tea in the afternoon. And chocolate all day long…but only in solid form!

You are speaking my language! LOL! On to our second most important question: if you could order anything in the world to eat, what would it be?

Oh my goodness, that’s a fabulous question. I had some fresh scallops in Cape Cod about five years ago and I’ve been thinking about them ever since, so I suppose that would be it! Although…one of my bucket list items is to have a chance to try the signature dish of a world-renowned chef, actually prepared by that chef. So if Gordon Ramsay is willing to cook me some beef Wellington, I guess I’ll take that over the scallops.

Surely Gordon Ramsay can make you some beef Wellington with a side of scallops! YUM! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

I have a small office space in my bedroom, and in addition to my desk and such, I have a recliner crammed in there. The recliner is my favorite. In the recliner, it doesn’t feel like work.

Recliners for the win! Confession time! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

 I’m not sure that it’s a habit so much as a neurosis! I tend to write a lot of dialogue in my novels—primarily because I see them as movies in my mind—and when I’m deep into writing a story, dialogue tags tend to make their way into my mind during real life conversations.

“What are we having for dinner?” her teenaged son asked, his stomach growling.

“I thought we might order a pizza,” his mother replied, her guilt at having lost track of time manifesting itself as bribery.

That sort of thing. Thankfully it usually goes away when I’m not facing a deadline!

That. Is. Hilarious! LOVE IT! What inspired you to write Wooing Cadie McCaffrey?

 I was on a plane and there was this family in front of me—the husband with one of their children, right in front of me, and the wife with the other child, in the row in front of them. Every once in a while the parents would start to talk to each other, and then their attention was always pulled away by one of the kids. None of it was bad. It was just life. But a couple times I saw this look pass between the husband and wife. A look that somehow captured lifelong love and commitment, and an affection for the life they had built together, but it also somehow said, “We’ll find time for us again someday.” It was so real, and I knew I wanted to write the story of a couple for whom love is never the problem. The problem is life, and the struggle to carve out time for each other. It morphed and grew a lot from there, but that was the beginning.

That is such an awesome story nugget! My romantic heart is all mushy! *happy sigh* What led you to write in this genre?

The truth is I wrote the story that was on my heart with absolutely no consideration of what genre it fell into. That was The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck. I honestly knew very little about the Christian book market, and had no idea where that book would end up landing. But once I got in, I saw the need for more books like what I most loved to write anyway—books that perhaps can get away with going where some other books couldn’t or shouldn’t, because the journey is accompanied by laughter.

That is so awesome! I absolutely love that we are seeing more and more of these wonderful stories (like yours!!) appearing in the Christian Fiction market! What message do you hope to convey to your readers in Wooing Cadie McCaffrey?

That love is more than a feeling. Love is an action. Love takes effort. And I’m not just talking about the love between Cadie and Will—although…definitely. With Cadie and Will, their love for the other person was never in question, but they got complacent. And the same goes with each of their relationships with God. Their faith was secure, but they became as complacent in their faith, and in their relationships with God, as they became in their relationship with each other. Love is worth fighting for, and sometimes it’s not about fighting another person, or any outside source, really. Sometime the fight really happens within.

YES and AMEN to everything you said! Can you tell us a little about your next project?

 A very little bit! I just turned in the first draft of a story that will be published by Revell in 2020, and my manuscripts tend to get turned on their heads during edits. But it’s the story of two polar-opposite celebrity chefs who share a very public, very career-altering heated exchange, and then are forced to play nice with each other down the road. I look forward to sharing more soon!

Man, I need a time machine because I am SO EXCITED FOR THIS STORY!!!! Ahem. Sorry...I'm just...um, very excited... ;-) Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

Ephesians 3:20. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Time after time I have thought I knew what needed to happen. I thought I had the plan all sorted out. But then God did what He knew was best, and He has a way of blowing all of my feeble dreams out of the water.

Love this truth! <3 What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine -- want to know! LOL! ;-)

I have a couple reads going. I’m just starting to dive in to Lincee Ray’s new release, It’s a Love Story. That girl is hilarious, and speaks such truth! And then I’m listening to the audiobook of Fosse, which is an in-depth biography of the dancer/choreographer/director Bob Fosse.

Those sound like awesome reads! *adds more books to the TBR that would take Methuselah a couple lifetimes to read* 

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

Giveaway ~

Bethany has generously offered one paperback copy of Wooing Cadie McCaffrey to one worldwide winner!

"Romantics everywhere will sigh happily at the perfect ending."--Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn't love her in the "forever" way she loves him, Cadie believes it's time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie's favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It's a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

"I've found my new go-to author for rom-com with heart."--Carla Laureano, RITA Award-winning author of The Saturday Night Supper Club and Brunch at Bittersweet Café

"A modern, messy love story not to be missed."--Nicole Deese, Carol Award-winning and RITA-nominated author

"Playfully fresh."--Rachel McMillan, author of the Van Buren and DeLuca series

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one paperback copy of Wooing Cadie McCaffrey! 

This giveaway is open worldwide!

This giveaway will close on August 28th, 2019, at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls.

A winner will be drawn within four days of close of giveaway. If the winner does not respond to our e-mails within one week of notification, then a new winner will be drawn in their place.

May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

Enter using the handy Rafflecopter here ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

A Non-fiction Appointment with Dr. Michelle Bengston

Today we’re doing a bit of a switch. While we here at the Diamond Mine love our Christian Fiction, we will be focusing on Christian non-fiction this week. Because our world is so full of hopelessness, depression and suicide, Terry has chosen to focus on one person’s struggle through depression.

Please notice our giveaway this week is for everyone! Dr. Bengston's devotions, Prescriptions of Hope are free to download. Make sure you grab the link at the end of the interview.

TP: This is my first blog for the Diamond Mine. I’m so excited to be part of this. I contacted my very good friend and author Dr. Michelle Bengtson about her non-fiction book. She has much to offer and I’m wondering if you will bear with me and read what Michelle has to offer, mostly about her battle to write her book Hope Prevails.

You have a story to tell, about standing up through Jesus, to be able to fight depression.

MB: Yes, there have been many times when darkness has not only loomed but has pushed against me to the point that my back felt pinned against the wall. Right after I told God that I would pen the book He asked me to write, Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression, out of obedience to Him, I became deathly ill. I was unable to take care of my patients in my private practice, required two surgeries, was on medically-induced bed rest for over 5 months, and plummeted from 113 pounds down to a skeletal 74 pounds. This had the enemy’s handprint all over it.

To add insult to injury, the longer I remained ill and in pain, unable to work, the more depressed I got. The enemy had me right where he wanted me, and I began to believe the lie that I was joy-immune.

All I could do all day, every day was lie in bed, watch sermons online, pray, and listen to praise and worship music. A friend called me the night before one of the surgeries, and in genuine love and concern shared a Scripture that I knew I must hang onto.

I began searching for Scripture to help refute thoughts I was having. When I found them (i.e. like John 15:11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow” to refute the lie that I was joy-immune), I wrote them on post-it notes and posted them where I would see them around the house (on my mirror, light switches, dashboard, etc.) and each time I saw them, I recited them out loud. Speaking them out loud was crucial because Scripture says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

TP: What Bible verses help you?

MB: The verse I always stand on is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Even when I look at my circumstances and they don’t seem to make sense from a human perspective, it always helps to know that the situation never takes God by surprise, and He knows what needs to be done and how it will end.

There have been so many times when I have felt the push and press of darkness. I know that evil forces are not pleased that I stand for God, and I expose how evil works. When that push comes, I always remember God’s promise and declare, “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD (Isaiah 54:17).

I also declare God’s promise from Psalm 91:5-7, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.”

To combat worry and fear, I remind myself of Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

TP: You often meet early in the morning with Jesus, just a private walk and talk with Him, as your stay. Can you give us an example of that truth?

MB: No one wants to be the poster child for depression I had treated patients for over two decades when I became so ill and spiraled down into the pit of depression myself. Sadly, at first, I tried all the recommendations that I learned in school. While they helped, they were insufficient to eradicate my depression. It was only when I began to understand the spiritual root of depression and address that with God’s word, did I experience freedom. But there were days when I can recall thinking, “This is too hard. I can’t do the work today that is required if I want healing.”

Sadly, so many don’t know how to fight depression, and it’s been my mission, if you will, to help teach them. God has given us all the tools we need, but we have to do the work and use the tools in the midst of the battle.

There are days when I just “don’t want to” write or post the daily devotion or provide an encouraging post, but I know “I need to.” It’s that still small sense at my core that someone needs to hear it. I would want others to do that for me, so it encourages me to be obedient to the Father’s prompting. Invariably, someone will comment that it was just what they needed to hear or read that day. I love it when God allows us to partner with Him like that—it makes it all worthwhile.

TP: Darkness doesn’t just strike at us, but also our family. This is a truth for you too, yet in spite of it, how have these experiences brought you closer together?

MB: The day my book, Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through

Depression, released, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. That was no coincidence. All of our attention shifted from book release festivities and launch parties to doctor’s appointments, surgery, and chemotherapy. But together, we have tried not to focus on the problems, the things that seem impossible from our vantage point, and have instead tried to keep our focus on The Problem Solver.

We can choose to look at life and our difficult situations through a lens of worry, fear, and anxiety, or we can choose to live in the peace that Jesus came to give us, and trust that God will work things out for our good and for His glory. It is impossible to serve two masters. Either you trust the enemy (as evidence by worry, fear, anxiety, doubt, etc.) or you trust God.  The enemy is called the Father of Lies—he is incapable of telling the truth. But God is not a man, so He cannot lie. I’m putting my trust in the one who is always true to His word.

TP: Prayer bricks, all around you, building a hedge of protection, to help you overcome. How does this help you? Can you give an example?

MB: Years ago, when I first started writing this book, God very clearly told me that I needed a group of people praying for me. I didn’t know who to ask, and didn’t want anyone to feel pressured to say yes if I asked them. So I told God I needed Him to bring people around that He wanted to use to pray for my family and me.

I have been fortunate recently to have the support of praying brothers and sisters in Christ. Each morning, I wasn’t sure how I was going to make progress given the physical challenges, but with the prayer support of others, I finished the book on time despite what seemed like an impossibility to me.

Most recently, I received a cancer diagnosis after turning in my newest manuscript to my publisher. This was a complete shock to me. My husband and I were, in fact, on our way to see his oncologist when I received the call from my doctor saying the words no one wants nor expects to hear.

I subsequently underwent surgery and began treatment. I shared with praying friends, and many agreed to pray daily for me. It seemed that evenings and nighttime were the worst for me in terms of pain and side effects. Many nights, as I lay in bed with tears streaming down my face from the excruciating pain, I still experienced His peace, and over time the pain would lessen enough for me to get at least a little sleep. In those times, I knew someone had offered prayer on my behalf, because I couldn’t have made it in my own strength.

TP: Christian music seems to be a big part in your arsenal to overcome darkness. Can you give us an inside story of how Christian music, ‘in the moment’, was there for you?

MB: Many years ago, when I was enduring that life threatening illness and so many months of bed rest, I grew frustrated because I could do little other than pray and watch sermons online. One Sunday afternoon, a friend texted me a message telling me that she’d thought about me while at church and heard a particular song. So she wanted to share it with me. I listened to that song at least a dozen times. In listening to it, my strength and my resolve to fight grew stronger. So I began listening to praise and worship music literally 24 hours a day. Music was constantly playing in my room. I knew I was under spiritual attack, and Scripture says, “God inhabits the praises of His people” and the enemy can’t stand when we praise God, so he will leave. Even when I was in too much pain to verbally offer my praise to God, something would well up inside me and allow me to sing my praise to God in song. That’s exactly why at the end of Hope Prevails,  Hope Prevails Bible Study,

 and at the end of this new book on worry, fear, and anxiety, I included a recommended play list of songs which encouraged my heart in hopes that they will encourage others as well.

TP: Through it all, God is honoring your stand for Him. Now you have opportunity to speak up for Jesus through Fox National Radio tour. Can you tell us that story, how God placed you there?

MB: The real miracle is in the fact that I'm able to stand there and speak at all. Twenty years ago, I was petrified and hated public speaking! I turned down professional opportunities back then as a neuropsychologist for radio and television interviews out of fear. Over the next two decades, God did nothing short of a miracle in my heart. When Hope Prevails was getting ready to release, I was asked to do a radio interview, and I agreed. During that interview, I experienced joy like I had never experienced it before, and can vividly remember telling my husband, “This is what I was born to do!”

Over the last several years, I have had the opportunity and blessing to do many radio, podcast, and television interviews, and to speak to numerous church congregations.
Recently, I was at an event and met an individual who was previously a television journalist. He now owns his own public relations firm, and needed someone whom he could suggest to journalists to interview for health/mental health related issues. That has afforded me to be interviewed on several different topics on various different radio stations across the country, in the hopes that it will increase my opportunities to speak and share about God’s truth in a multitude of venues in addition to radio and television.
There is no greater joy to me than speaking and sharing the hope we have in Christ!

TP: Please join me in thanks to Dr. Michelle Bengtson for her interview today.

You can follow her at https://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com , or on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleBengtson/ , or get her books at Amazon or any major book distributor.

For this interview, Michelle is offering her Devotions of Hope for free for a limited time. https://drmichellebengtson.com/free-offer-prescriptions-of-hope/

Thank you Michelle for you interview.

Dr. Michelle Bengtson (PhD, Nova Southeastern University) has been a neuropsychologist for more than twenty years. She interned at the University of Oklahoma with "The Father of Neuropsychology," Dr. Oscar "Oz" Parsons, and completed postdoctoral training at both the Henry Ford Hospital and the University of Alabama Health Sciences Center. She lives in Dallas/Fort Worth with her husband, their two sons, and three dogs. Learn more at www.drmichellebengtson.com.

I’m looking forward to my next post, with a fiction author.

Interview by author and speaker Terry Palmer.

Interview and GIVEAWAY with Joanna Davidson Politano

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. ;-)

We are prying into the private life chatting with THE Joanna Davidson Politano, author of the amazing Lady Jayne Disappears (You can read my raving review here!) and A Rumored Fortune, which I am reading right now. IT'S AMAZING!

Joanna Davidson Politano spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, released October 3 from Revell and A Rumored Fortune releases in July 2018. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at www.jpdstories.com.

 

Connect with Joanna on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, too!

Interview ~

First things first, what is you go-to yummy drink when you sit down to read and/or write?

Ok, this is weird - grapefruit juice! I mostly drink water, but a real good and sweet pink grapefruit juice is my absolute favorite treat. I don't often do tea/coffee, but this tall glass of sugary goodness is my weakness.

I honestly did not expect that! Mind blown! Hahaha! What is your favorite snack when you sit down to read or write with your imaginary peeps?

Actually cereal is my go-to! It's a real easy snack to sit next to me and not drip on the couch. Cinnamon cereal of any kind is my fav. :-)

Cereal is a pretty common snack in my house, too! And I love all things cinnamon, much to my husband's dismay. Haha! Confession Time: do any of your characters have any of your own "odd" habits? Safe space. ;-)

Oh, definitely! My first heroine, Aurelie Harcourt in Lady Jayne Disappears, wrote the people around her into stories and while everyone recognized themselves in the stories, no one knew who was writing about them. I did the same thing in gradeschool when I was intensely bothered by certain kids being overlooked (they became superheroes in my little stories) and bullies never seeing justice (they saw payback in my stories too). I wrote them for myself, but somehow a few ended up circulating around the classroom and I was surprised at the impact it had on a few kids. So that was cool, and I was excited to play that out in a novel.

This is one of the coolest author-to-character quirks I've ever heard of! What inspired you to write your latest release, A Rumored Fortune?

Two real-life stories, actually. The mystery came from a family friend whose grandfather didn't trust the (highly corrupt) Italian banks...or his family, apparently. He hid his sizeable fortune and promised to tell them where it was before he died - but passed away quite young of a heart attack. In real life, the money was never found. I won't tell you if it plays out that way in the book! The romance was also inspired heavily by my own love story, from the time I first met my husband (and couldn't stand him) to the time I nearly speed-walked down the aisle toward the man of my dreams. I combined the two because the family friend in the mystery story is the one who convinced me to give my very Italian man a second look.

I love, love, love this! #allthehearts Such a cool look at the story behind the story! What is your favorite thing about writing in this genre?

To be honest, I'm not even sure what genre I write! I've seen it pop up in half a dozen different ones, and I'm fine with that. I just sat down to write for fun one day, and I let it flow into the type of story I wanted to read, complete with a little mystery, a little romance, and an atmospheric English country house. The mystery angle keeps me asking, "What's going on? What in the world??" and keeps me pressing forward to find out. The romance portions just delight my little heart.

Hahaha! Your stories do reach into a lot of genres, but that just makes them even more amazing! What is the hardest thing about writing in your super-genre (rabbit trail, but this should be a thing, yes?)?

It can be really hard to connect all the intricate pieces to make a full picture and have all the pieces work together. Although that's also the most fun part, because it's such a thrill to watch all the elements God's given me fit together to create a larger story than I'd imagined.

YESSS!!! It is awesome to see how God works the story! What message do you hope to convey to your readers with A Rumored Fortune?

I'd really love for people who are dry, or living in survival mode to find the difference between a full life and actually being full of life. It took me the length of this book project to reach a place where I was living well, and not being driven by daily tasks, attending to needs, and stomping out the flames of my to-do list. There's so much that God intends to communicate to us through vineyards, and I hope that people understand those Scripture passages - and what God says about how they receive life and grow fruit - so they know how to live more richly. It was such a needed "message," if I can call it that, for my young-mama heart while I faced a little burnout and exhaustion. Trying to keep up with life can be draining, and most of us KNOW there has to be something more out there.

 

Those are powerful truths that I know I need to be reminded about! <3 Can you tell us a little about your next project?

Of course! This is one I'm super excited about. The heroine is a rag vendor who switches places with her lookalike, who is a lady, and ends up in a very bookish romance. That's all I can say right now, but I think it may be my favorite - and most suspenseful - story yet.

I can't wait for this story!!! *squeals* What is your (current) favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

My guiding life verse is Matthew 6:33, about seeking God's kingdom first and letting everything else fall into place. Isaiah is my favorite book because it most clearly shows the duality of God's nature - the holy righteous judge and the protective, gracious father. Proverbs is currently slapping me upside the head and making me examine my speech and the heart from which it comes!

Oh, man! I have gotten many spiritual slaps from Proverbs! LOL! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds - mine - want to know! :-)

I'm reading an older novel called Edenbrooke and LOVING it. My last great read, however, was Kristy Cambron's The Lost Castle book, which is probably one of my favorites of all time.

LOVED The Lost Castle, and I'll have to check out Edenbrooke! *adds eight hundred and thirteenth book to Amazon cart*

Thank you for answering all my prying questions, Joanna! Such a blast talking with you! <3

Giveaway ~

Joanna has generously offered to giveaway one (1) copy of A Rumored Fortune.

 

Tressa Harlowe's father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they'll not soon forget.

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one copy of A Rumored Fortune!

This giveaway is open internationally. If an international winner is drawn, they will receive an ebook. If a US winner is chosen, they will receive a print copy.

This giveaway will close on August 22nd, 2018, at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls.

A winner will be drawn within four days of close of giveaway. If the winner does not respond to our e-mails within one week of notification, then a new winner will be drawn in their place.

May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

Enter using the handy Rafflecopter here ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!
 

Author Interview and GIVEAWAY with Joanna Davidson Politano!

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. ;-)

We are prying into the private life chatting with THE Joanna Davidson Politano, author of the amazing Lady Jayne Disappears! And before we go any further, I must insist that you read her book posthaste! You can read my raving review here!

Joanna Davidson Politano spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, released October 3 from Revell and A Rumored Fortune releases in July 2018. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at www.jpdstories.com.

 

Connect with Joanna on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, too!

Interview ~

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

Always hot chocolate <3

Love me some hot chocolate! <3 On to our second most important question: if you could order anything in the world to eat, what would it be?

Probably cheesecake!

This is why I like you! <3 #cheesecakebuddies Where is your favorite place to write? And why is that your favorite place?

I usually sit in my rocking chair in the living room, because it's the perfect spot. Sunshine pours in through the deck doors, I can hear my kids if they wake up from a nap, and it's a space that's quiet, yet full of sweet reminders (little shoes and toys) of the best parts of my life.

All the hearts! Sounds like the perfect space! Confession Time: do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writerly tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

I love, love, love hearing peoples' stories! Tell me about your kids and your everyday life, your heartbreaks and your small victories. I love getting a little glimpse into people - even strangers.

That's so fun! <3 What inspired you to write Lady Jayne Disappears?

Well, it was a combination of a few things. When I was kid, I wrote anonymous stories about my classmates and watched these little pieces cause ripples when they leaked out into the class by accident. It was surprisingly impactful. Then as an adult I read about the Bronte sisters writing under male pen names and was fascinated with the story of them approaching their publisher with their true identity. I combined both of those concepts, plus a taste of Dickens and other serial novelists, into a project that was meant to be just for fun!

Wow! I can really see those threads throughout Lady Jayne Disappears! Guys, you seriously need to read this book! *deadpan stare* 'Tis amazing! So Joanna, what led you to write in this genre?

You know, I didn't really set out to write in a particular genre. I simply wrote stores that untangled questions I had about life and God, about myself, and included all my favorite book elements (history, mystery, a little romance, big old houses, etc.). Those elements have made it a cross between historical, romance, and mystery, and I'm good with that genre combination! My goal in choosing genres is just to enjoy whatever I'm writing at the time.

Wise advice for any writer! (I don't know if you intended that to be advice, but I'm going to call it advice. LOL!) What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

It is my desire to give readers a more eternal perspective on themselves, so that the opinion of people will not matter as much as what's at stake on a larger scale. I also want to inspire readers to passionate pursuit of their life and work, without being weighed down by impressing people.

That message is so clear in Lady Jayne Disappears! Love! <3 <3 <3 Can you tell us a little about your upcoming release?

Of course! I'm excited to share a Victorian story that takes a deeper look at vineyards and the spiritual implications of them. There's a little bit of a treasure hunt, a mystery, and a love story based loosely on my own. The story centers around a lonely heiress who is suddenly left bankrupt in her mansion when her father dies without telling his family where he hid his money. This story releases from Revell in July of 2018.

 

Tressa Harlowe's father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they'll not soon forget.

I am so ridiculously excited for this book!!! *deletes twenty-one exclamation points* What is your favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

Oh my, how much time do you have? My favorite BOOK of the Bible is Isaiah, because it shows the incredible duality of our God - extremely holy and unable to be in the presence of sin, yet an ocean of mercy and love. We get to see both aspects of his nature in full force through this book, and there are so many beautiful sections in this book.

If I had to pick one CHAPTER of the Bible, I would say Romans 8 or James 1, because both offer such an eternal perspective on our whole life.

My favorite VERSE would be Matthew 6:33, which has become the guiding principal of my entire life, every decision, every mundane task - seek the kingdom of God first and above everything else, and then God will give you everything you need. Such power and direction in a single verse.

Those are some amazing and powerful sections of the Bible! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds - mine - want to know. :-)

Hahaha, again how much time do you have? At the moment I have Brentwood's Ward (Michelle Griep) and the arc for A Reckoning at Gossamer Pond (Jamie Jo Wright) on my Kindle, and on my nightstand are The Lost Castle (Kristy Cambron) and my first ever Georgette Hayer novel.

Loved The Lost Castle, and I'm looking forward to reading A Reckoning at Gossamer Pond!

Thank you for answering all my prying questions, Joanna! Such a blast talking with you! <3

Giveaway ~

Joanna has generously offered to giveaway one (1) copy of Lady Jayne Disappears.

 

When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in a debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.

 

When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance - and perhaps even her father's death.

 

Author Joanna Davidson Politano's stunning debut set in Victorian England will delight readers with its highly original plot, lush setting, vibrant characters, and reluctant romance.

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one copy of Lady Jayne Disappears.

This giveaway is open internationally, but if an international winner is drawn, they will receive an ebook. If a US winner is drawn, they will have the option of a print copy or an ebook.

This giveaway will close on March 7th, 2018, at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls.

If the winner does not respond to our e-mails within one week, then a new winner will be drawn in their place.

May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

Enter using the handy Rafflecopter here ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Hugs,

V. Joy Palmer