Marriage, Melodies, and Rewritten Conclusions Spotlight and International Giveaway!

Kaylee McGrurd feels like life has left her behind. Her best friends have all moved out, married, or are in the process of matrimony. Meanwhile, she's lost another job, and her daily diet consists of noodles that are better suited as packing material.

Then Kaylee's ex, Gabe Sanders, enters the equation.

Gabe walked out on Kaylee without warning or explanation nine years earlier, but now he's been brought back to the area for the unforeseen future. And he's in need of a new lead vocalist for his wedding band.

A dwindling account balance calls for desperate measures, and Kaylee reluctantly accepts Gabe's offer. While the former couple works together in the midst of happy marriages and heartfelt melodies, secrets and the need for forgiveness highlight the strife between them...and the hope that maybe God's rewriting the conclusion to their story.

Read a sample HERE!

Available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and WhiteFire Publishing's READ Store!

Find Marriage, Melodies, and Rewritten Conclusions on Goodreads and BookBub!

Interview Question ~

"What message do you hope to convey to your readers?"

I like to ask this question when I interview other authors, so I wanted to share my own answer in light of Marriage, Melodies, and Rewritten Conclusions' release this week!

With all of my stories, I hope readers enjoy the story and cackle with glee! However, my deepest hope is always that God blesses readers through my stories. It's my hope that readers see how completely God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness breaks the chains of shame and past sin. It's my hope that readers experience how the wondrous gift of unconditional love sings of God's freedom. It's my hope that readers see how God's love can rewrite the conclusion to any story that we're living.

This is what I hope is conveyed to the readers of Marriage, Melodies, and Rewritten Conclusions!

Giveaway ~ 

I'm giving away one Marriage, Melodies, and Rewritten Conclusions Ebook! 

Rules, Info, and Such ~ 

1. This is an international giveaway. Void where prohibited by law or logistics. 

2. This giveaway will close on 11/26/20 at 12:00 AM.

3. Winner will be chosen within four days of the close of the 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 via the handy Rafflecopter here ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girl. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

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!

Sarah Monzon Combines the Past and Present with Freedom's Kiss

Welcome back to the Diamond Mine, friends! We hope you are finding some new and new-to-you authors. This week I'm thrilled to introduce you to an author who delves into some difficult topics in her stories, and she does it with dual-time stories, contemporary books, and her new foray into rom-coms. Meet Sarah Monzon.

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. When she isn't in the world of make believe, she can be found in the pine forests of western Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

Connect with Sarah: www.facebook.com/sarahmonzonwrites   www.twitter.com/monzonwrites    www.instagram.com/monzonwrites

SW: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Sarah! I’m thrilled you are visiting this week and excited to introduce you. Let’s start with some quick, get-to-know-you questions

Early bird or night owl? 

SM: Early bird

SW: Chocolate or vanilla? 

SM: Chocolate

SW: Pancakes or waffles? 

SM: waffles






SW: Libraries or museums? 

SM: This is a trick question!

SW: Yes, it was! This one is not. Book or movie? 

SM: Book


SW: What is one recent read you would recommend? 

SM: No Less Days by Amanda Stevens. I read A LOT of books and am always on the look out for a plot/story that is unique and out of the box. No Less Days is full of diversity in many surprising layers and a story that will really engage your mind and heart.

SW: I, too, enjoyed No Less Days and look forward to the next book. You live in the Pacific Northwest. What would you recommend someone visiting for the first time not miss?

 SM: A National Park. Hands down. Glacier, Rainier, Olympics…they are all simply stunning and

Mount Rainier in Washington

must not be missed. 


SW: Oh, I agree. The majestic mountains are worth the trip! 

One thing I love about the author community is how supportive everyone is of each other. Who has supported you in your writing journey (authors and others)?


SM: I love that, too! Some writing sisters have been on this journey with me from the beginning and others have lifted me up and encouraged me at divinely specific times. I especially appreciate readers and bloggers that take the time to write reviews and support authors in a really vocal way. Sending out virtual hugs to you all.

SW: Now that you’ve got a few titles out there, is there anything you wish you’d done differently? Or any lessons you’ve learned you could share with aspiring authors?

SM: I think the most important lesson that I’m still struggling to learn is that of focus. Keeping my focus on my writing only and the unique ministry God has called me too. Too often I get distracted by other things like sales numbers and reviews and easily get discouraged when all that stuff doesn’t ultimately matter. All that matters is that I stay faithful to what God has called me to do and the stories that He has given me to write.


SW: Amen! I think we all need to remember that at times in our lives.

You’ve written dual time, contemporary, and romantic comedy. Do you have a favorite genre? (By the way, I adored Bookishly Ever After and hope you are planning more romcoms in the near future) 

SM: *hides face behind hands* I know! I am so scattered all over the place genre wise. Do I have a favorite though… I don’t know! I like each for different reasons. If I *had* to choose, though, I think dual time might just edge out the others. Just. Maybe. *sigh* Must I chose? 

Side note—I am so glad you enjoyed Bookishly Ever After! That was a fun one to write. I’m planning on two more bookish type stories along the same lines. In fact, I’m working on one now and hope to have it out in a few months.

SW: Yay! More romcoms from you. And your writing variety isn't a bad thing. I've enjoyed all of them from the Finders Keepers series to The Esther Project (and have I mentioned how much I loved Bookishly Ever After?).



Which of your characters is most like you? Which hero would you accept a date with? 

SM: Almost all of my characters have a component of either my personality or my own backstory, but the character that is MOST like me is undoubtedly Emory Blake from Bookishly Ever After. Emory is basically me but with dark, curly hair. A bibliophile that’s awkward and has no idea how to make small talk…yep, that’s me to a T.

As far as which hero I would date, is all of them an acceptable answer? Seriously, I fell in love with each and every one of them while I wrote them, so it would be impossible for my heart to pick just one. Polygamy is acceptable with fictitious characters, right?

SW: Fictional polygamy is totally acceptable!

Tell us a little about your newest release, Freedom’s Kiss and what you hope readers take away from the story.

SM: Freedom’s Kiss is a dual timeline book with both a contemporary and historical thread from the 1800s woven together. In 1816, Winnie escapes slavery with her family, but instead of finding freedom to the North, they travel through Georgia to Florida hoping to find refuge in Negro Fort. Their plans go awry but are accepted among the Seminole people. 

Now jump forward 200 years..
(For those who are familiar with the Carrington family (this is the third book in the series), this book tells Adam’s story.) Adam is a criminal defense attorney turned food truck owner. He’s haunted by his role with a past case and seeks to make restitution for it but nothing he does seems to take the guilt away. Enter Olivia Arroyo in a hurricane of motion, blowing into his life but fitting like she’d always been there. Olivia knows what she wants—to become a chef—but the foundation of who she *is* is shattered with a surprising result from a DNA ancestry test.

Three people completely different yet all searching for the peace only found with a kiss from freedom.

I hope readers are encouraged by the themes of embracing the abundant life God has for each of us and the freedom found only in Him.


SW: Can't wait to read this one soon! It was a pleasure spending time with you. Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to visit with us today.

SM: Thank you so much for having me!

SW: Readers, Sarah is gifting one of you a signed paperback copy (US address only) of Freedom's Kiss. Keep reading to find out how to enter.

They were prisoners of the past. Could legacy be the key to set them free?

Olivia Arroyo knows who she is and where she’s going—her sense of family responsibility a stepping-stone to her dream of becoming a chef. When her employer refuses her the chance to move from server to the kitchen, she makes another opportunity for herself with the owner of a new food truck. But her life derails when a hidden piece of her past suddenly comes to light, and she discovers everything she thought she knew about herself has been a lie.

A single decision can have innumerable consequences—a truth that has changed Adam Carrington’s life. A criminal defense attorney turned food truck owner, he is haunted by his role in an unpardonable act and driven by his need to make restitution. Unexpected help comes in the form of a feisty, raven-haired beauty, but she soon begins challenging his kitchen as well as his heart.

Florida, 1816
Propelled by a fleeting hope of freedom, Winnie and her family escape slavery and find refuge and new life with the Seminole Indians of Florida. But their future is still uncertain as threats of war, a return to slavery, and removal to the West shake their tentative grasp on freedom. Will they ever step out of the shadow of fear to leave a legacy of deliverance? 

Now available on Amazon

Giveaway

To be entered to win the signed paperback copy of Freedom's Kiss, leave a comment telling us what you most enjoy about the dual time genre (you can also tell us if you haven't read this genre yet). Get an extra entry by signing up for Sarah Monzon's newsletter or following her on social media and letting us know. 

***Giveaway ends 9/4/2018, 11:59 pm EST. Giveaway open to US addresses only. Not valid if less than five unique commentors enter.

Interview and GIVEAWAY with Brandy Bruce!!!

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're going to pry into the private life chat with my friend, Brandy Bruce! I met Brandy online after reading and gushing about her novel, The Last Summer. (And it's AMAZING! If you need more convincing, read my review!) She is such a fun and genuine person, and if you don't know about her and her books, then you need to remedy that, like, RIGHT NOW! <3

Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.
 

Connect with Brandy on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! 
 

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. ;-)

Coffee! With sugar-free hazelnut creamer. It's my go-to every morning.

Delicious! It's amazing how essential that go-to drink in the morning really is... LOL! On to our second most important question: if you could order anything in the world to eat, what would it be?

Cheese enchiladas. They need to be Tex-Mex, with refried beans and Mexican rice, of course. And endless chips and salsa. Maybe a frozen strawberry margarita too.

Excuse me while I wipe the puddle of drool from the floor... I love anything with a hefty serving - or two - of refried beans. YUM! Where is your favorite place to write? And why is that your favorite place?

My home office. I like to be able to control the music for one thing! Also, I've got my coffee warmer. And I'm surrounded by my favorite books that inspire me, and photos of my kids.

Being able to control the music is essential! Confession Time: do you have any odd habits that are only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

Probably several! Like a lot of writers, I can be kind of introverted. I love being around people, but after a while, I crash. I want to hole up at home for days alone and just focus on what I need to do, which is usually cleaning house or an editing project or helping the kids with something. I think I tend to come across as extroverted - and I really do enjoy people - but then I'll need to disappear for a bit and have quiet and regroup. It's that alone time where I find myself really diving into whatever story that's in my heart. Both having time with friends and people, and having time alone to write and focus on my family, are so vital to who I am as a person.

I hear ya, especially about holing up at home for days on end. Maybe we should invest in "Do Not Disturb the Introvert" signs. LOL! What inspired you to write The Last Summer?? *eagerly leans forward*

My first year of college was a difficult one for several reasons. I'd found myself in a place that was very challenging (emotionally and spiritually), and I was trying to keep my head above water with school and all the different factors of my situation. It was hard. (I read that and feel like saying, Understatement!) Writing had been part of my life since I was about twelve years old, and books had always been my favorite past-time. I'd filled spiral notebooks with stories for years. During that freshman year, writing became my outlet for creativity and so much more. It's not really surprising that a story centered on friendship would come to me at that time of life. Of course, in college, friendships are paramount. Everyone's finding out who they want to be and hanging out with friends and falling in love. That's what I wanted to write about. All the main characters came to me almost at once. Seven friends who love each other like family, entering a season of change. Through rewrites over the years, I was inspired to include other themes in the book, really just from more life experiences as I'd grown older. The story is truly so close to my heart. I'm so thankful it stayed with me for so long, and finally found it's place on my bookshelf.

Happy feelings abound! <3 *makes eye contact with the readers* The Last Summer is one of my forever and ever favorites. Read it! Seriously. *directs attention back to Brandy* What led you to write in this genre?

As a young writer, I was very influenced by Robin Jones Gunn. (I grew up on the Christy Miller series!) I really connected with Robin's Glenbrooke series, in which every book (except one, I think) focuses on a twenty-something woman who's finding her way. That series met me right where I was in my twenties. I was also a fan of chick-lit (Bridget Jones, Devil Wears Prada, Shopaholic, Something Borrowed, and so on). The Last Summer is sort of a blend of all those things I wanted to write about - a (hopefully!) relatable heroine who's someone you'd want to be friends with. Someone who's just doing the best she can to make her way. She loves her friends. She's got this crush on her best guy friend, but he's not reciprocating. She's got a little apartment she really likes and a good job, but dreams of having a house and someone to travel with. She's smart and capable and doing alright, but she also knows in her heart she wants more out of life. Things are changing for her and her friends, and change can be difficult.

I wonder how many of us twenty-something authors grew up on Christy Miller and Robin's other amazing books... I think (and my opinion is gold, y'all) that you really achieved blending all those elements into The Last Summer - love, friendship, humor, and faith. What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

That no one is perfect and that's okay. I love romance stories and rom-coms, but have you ever finished reading a story, feeling a little dissatisfied with your own relationship, or maybe more unhappy with your own life? I was chatting with someone and mentioned my book to her, and her reaction was that she avoids reading romance because it can leave her feeling so disappointed in her own husband. That spoke to me! I completely understood and respected her choice to focus on other kinds of fiction. I love swoon-worthy male characters as much as the next girl, but anyone who's been in a relationship for more than fifteen minutes knows that we're all human and can hurt each other and disappoint each other at times. (I really understand this. It's hard to even think about sexy, smoldering looks when what you really need is help with laundry and someone to pick up rotisserie chicken and mac-n-cheese on the way home from work. Ha!) Real romance can look like so many different things in our lives. Sometimes it looks like forgiveness. Or letting go. Or holding hands when a parent is sick. I wanted to write a story about real characters who are growing and learning and changing. Falling in love is part of that, so is experiencing disappointment and rallying when things go wrong. The Last Summer definitely has romance in it, but I consider it more women's fiction, because this story is about my main character finding out who she is. She's learning to see her parents in a new light. She's trying to be a good friend when it's really hard. She's holding on to her faith when things are confusing.

This is everything I love about The Last Summer! <3 <3 <3 Can you tell us a little about your next project?

Yes! I'm super excited to share that the follow-up novel to The Last Summer is slated to release in January, possibly February, at this point. We've just finished up the content edits. The Last Summer was in my heart for years and years. I'm very happy that this book did not take quite as long! I can't wait for readers to see what happens after The Last Summer ends. And here as we get closer to warm summer days, I really hope readers will grab The Last Summer for their beach read or vacation read or on-the-back-deck-while-the-kids-play-outside read! And get to know these characters before book two releases in the new year.

YESSS! SOOO EXCITED!!!! <3 *makes awkward eye contact with readers again* Seriously, guys, The Last Summer is amazing; this follow-up novel is amazing! Don't miss out! *grins at Brandy* What is your favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

Really, different verses speak to me all the time. Lately I've been reminding myself of Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." I need that reminder every day.

Love that verse! <3 What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds - mine - want to know. :-)

I'm reading The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Conner and next on my stack is Unblemished by Sara Ella.

The fact that Kelly O'Conner's book title starts with "The Lost Summer" makes me laugh! ;-) And Unblemished is AMAZING! Jealous that you get to experience it for the first time! <3

Thanks for answering all my prying questions in the name of cyber chatting, Brandy! ;-)

Giveaway ~

Brandy has generously offered to giveaway one (1) eBook of The Last Summer!

 

A group of seven friends navigate relationships and personal growth during a season of change.

 

For twenty-something Sara Witherspoon and her group of friends, a perfect Southern summer includes lake-house getaways, wedding planning, outdoor concerts, and a dash of romance. But for these seven friends who love each other like family, this year, summer rolls in with changes for everyone.

Sara's longtime crush, Luke, has been her best friend for as long as she has been a part of the group. When Luke begins seriously dating another of their friends, Sara's forced to deal with her hurt and jealousy, while outwardly try to support them both.

While Sara comes to terms with her own heart and her friends' relationships, an unexpected handsome pilot from North Carolina and an old flame are thrown into the mix. Knowing her heart suddenly becomes much more complicated.

But as time unfolds and friendships begin to unravel, Sara and the others are presented with the reality of what a season of change does to old friendships and new love interests.

Does growing older mean growing apart?

Available on Amazon!

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one eBook copy of The Last Summer.

This giveaway is open internationally.

This giveaway will close on June 27th, 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 Mikal Dawn!!!

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. ; )

Today, I am very excited for you guys to meet Mikal Dawn! I just started reading her debut novel, Count Me In. Loving it!!!

Mikal Dawn is an inspirational romance author, wedding enthusiast, and proud military wife. By day, she works as an administrative assistant for an international ministry, serves in her church’s library, runs her kids to all their sports, and drinks lots of coffee. By night, she talks to figments of her imagination as she attempts to write while dinner is burning. And drinks lots of coffee. When she isn’t writing about faith, fun, and forever, she is obsessively scouring Pinterest (with coffee in hand, of course!) for wedding ideas for her characters.
 

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Mikal now lives in Nebraska with her husband, their three children, and one ferocious feline. Connect with Mikal on mikaldawn.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

INTERVIEW ~

Thank you so much for having me!!! I’m thrilled to be here! <3

 

Thank you, Mikal! I’m so excited to ask you a bunch of prying questions! LOL! 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…

 

I don’t think you could have started off with an easier question. If anyone knows anything about me whatsoever, they know the answer to this one: COFFEE! (It is lifeblood.)

It is! It so is! On to our second most important question, if you could order anything in the world to eat, what would it be?

 

Can this “anything” be calorie-free? And would I have to pay for it? Because I’m cheap, but I have expensive taste. Basically, my “anything” would be dessert. Specifically, the Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence (at The Fortress Resort and Spa in Sri Lanka)—and at $14,500 per dessert, I would definitely need someone to buy it for me…but it comes with an 80-carat aquamarine! I might also have to order a Cro at Dum Dum Donutterie in London. It’s cheap by comparison at only £1,500, but ohmygoodness, it sounds divine!!! And to top it all off, because who doesn’t need coffee, I would order the £15 cappucino at the Emirates Palace Hotel.

 

Yes. I did Google. LOL!

 

I love how you wholeheartedly embraced the anything part! LOL! I hope those desserts are made from chocolate from Heaven! *looks up the desserts in new web tab and drools* I need to distract myself from this beautiful, haunting dessert… Where is your favorite place to write? And why is that your favorite place?

I actually prefer writing at my desk, but I don’t have a proper desk chair right now, so that leaves me to my couch. I tend to write with my back against the arm and my legs stretched out in front of me with my computer on my lap. As I am right at this moment. It’s just comfortable. 😊 But the day is coming when I will get my chair!! And I can’t wait.

 

Actually, the day is coming when my oldest gets married. As soon as he moves out, his bedroom will become my writing office. I plan on buying a chaise that I can sit in to write…and maybe read, too. 😉

 

I’ve been “suggesting” to my husband that we should get a chaise for the last few months. I totally get it. 😊 Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies?

 

I refuse to answer this question on the grounds it might scare off readers!!! HA! But in all honesty, I probably have many! But I wouldn’t be able to tell you what’s odd but explained by my bookish, writer tendencies, and what’s odd just because. LOL! (My husband would just call me odd, period. No explanations whatsoever. But hey…he’s the one who asked me to marry him, so who’s the oddest?!) 

 

*snort* I’m inclined to agree with your logic. There’s no arguing with it. 😉 What inspired you to write Count Me In? 

A homework assignment. No, really! I was in an American Christian Fiction Writer’s course and the assignment was to write a sentence or two for different parts of a story (inciting incident, denouement, etc.). We were given a name and, I believe, an occupation. I wrote a few sentences to fulfill the assignment, had a couple of classmates email me saying they’d love to read it, and lo and behold! Count Me In was born.  

Such a fun story! I love how inspiration can strike in the most bizarre ways! What led you to write in this genre?

 

This is a pretty interesting question. I struggled quite a bit with writing inspirational romantic comedy. Not because I don’t love this genre—I do!—but because I had grand dreams of writing the stuff that would make readers cry, teach them deep lessons, and give them book hangovers. (Who doesn’t want to have a book hangover?!) Basically, the kind of story that will stay with a reader for a very long time, if not forever. So I fought. I started other stories and couldn’t finish them. I fought some more. And when the ACFW course happened, I met with some other authors at a coffee shop and told them how I was struggling. One, Jennifer Slattery—a fabulous author, if you haven’t read her novels!—punched me (she packs a hard punch for such a tiny woman!), and said (paraphrasing here) that readers need all kinds of books, from the deep, hard reads, to the light, funny escapes. She then went on to remind me that those who are in hard spots in life sometimes just need something to take their minds off what they’re going through. I felt such a sense of freedom at her words, like God was saying, “Yes! This is what I’ve been telling you, you stubborn child.”

 

I went on to write Count Me In, my first attempt at rom-com. 

 

 

I also write romantic comedy, so I really love the truth that God spoke to you. <3 SO TRUE! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?
 

Having said what I just did in the question above, there are takeaways in Count Me In. In that story, I want readers to examine how they think of fear and God and trusting the Lord. I struggle in that area in a big way, so writing the story was therapy for me. I have two characters who both have fears but approach it from different angles. But it all comes down to trusting the Lord. My prayer is that readers will be reminded that God is in every moment of their lives, that His perfect love casts out all fear. 

 

 

Yes. This. Love it. <3 Can you tell us a little about your next project?

I’ll admit that I’m struggling with writing at the moment. Up next is Story and Bo’s novel, and while I love the premise and characters, I’ve been having such a hard time writing it. So before I tell you about it, can I ask you all to pray for me, please? Writing is hard. Much harder than I ever thought, especially after a debut release and now having expectations. 😊

 

So, about Story and Bo. This is a very rough back cover copy! So rough, in fact, that I’m about to write it here for the first time. 😉 So here’s the (not final!) blurb for On the Edge:

 

A Cold Front Is Moving In…

 

Story Humphries has lived and loved the bohemian life. Never to stay in one place, her parents moved her around and touted the lifestyle as one of absolute freedom. Despite that, she found true love in figure skating, and no matter where they ended up, she always found a rink to fly across. Now, when she isn’t coaching, Story spends every minute practicing with her own coach with far-flung hopes of breaking back into competitive skating.

 

Bo Dixon has pushed and pushed to succeed, first as a left-wing in the NHL and then as a coach for his alma matter. But a coach’s job is never guaranteed and Bo goes back to Seattle, wishing he could take a slapshot to the face rather than see his ex-girlfriend again.

Story and Bo have a history off the ice. But with Bo’s unexpected return, it looks like they may have a future on the ice…whether they want it or not.

 

OHMYGOSH! There’s such a The Cutting Edge vibe. I love it!!! Count me in for this sequel! And yes, I did that on purpose. 😉 What is your favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?

 

Oh wow, there are so many!!! But I’ll narrow it down. Kind of. Ha!!

 

My first favorite is Hebrews 6:19a: “We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…”

I also LOVE Romans 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Those both speak to me on a soul-deep level. The verse that inspires my writing, however, is Psalm 102:18: “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” With instructions like that, how could I not write?

 

LOVE Romans 8:38-39 and I’m always finding awesome, new life verses in Psalms. Your writing verse is epic!!! So what are you currently reading? Inquiring minds (mine) want to know. 😉

 So. Many. Books. LOL!! Actually, I’m proud of myself: I only have two on the go right now! I’m re-reading Dead Reckoning by Ronie Kendig. It’s the first book of hers I ever read and the one that made me a perma-fan. The one I’m reading is actually her recently re-released version with some new scenes and other rewrites. It’s been a long while, so it’s like reading a brand-new book for me! I’m also reading Firstborn by Tosca Lee. This is The Progeny duology, and I ADORE IT. It isn’t normally my thing—the genre, the tense, and the point of view narrative—but the first book hooked me right from the first sentence, and this second book is no different. 😊

Oooo! I discovered Ronie Kendig this past year, and I have become a committed fan! And I’ve been jonesing to read Tosca Lee’s new books. *muffles squeal of bookish frustration*

Thank you so much for joining us today, Mikal! I know I’ve had a blast chatting with you!


GIVEAWAY ~


Mikal has generously offered to giveaway 1 Kindle copy of her novel, Count Me In.

 

 

 

Allegra Spencer has been living a careful life.  Her safe job as an accountant is bookended by going to church and the gym. Okay, sometimes the gym. Fine. She goes to church. And the coffee shop. She avoids risk at all cost, preferring to stay safe in her cozy condo. Until her accounting firm goes belly up and she's out of a job.

 

 

 Tyler Hawk had a glorious career as a star NFL tight end. He retired on a high note and now lives a second dream of owning his own business and leading others on extreme outdoor adventures. But he needs help with his books—and his heart. When Allegra takes the job, sparks fly. 

It’s a case of safety zone versus danger zone, and in their minds, never the two shall meet.

 

 

Buy it on Amazon!

 

Rules, Info, and Such ~


The author is giving away 1 Kindle copy of Count Me In. This giveaway is open worldwide, and it closes on August 30th, 2017, at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls out there. 

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