Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Interview and Book Giveaway with Renee Blare!

This week's interview and giveaway is with one of our own here at the Diamond Mine!
It's release day for Renee's book, The Beast of Stratton!

Leave a comment after the interview for a chance to win a free copy!

Hi Renee! Bet this is quite a day for you. Congratulations on a milestone. Release Day for The Beast of Stratton. Here's a little about the book. We'll have an excerpt later!
He appears the beast but she sees his heart.
Architect Aimee Hart, determined to locate her father, infiltrates Miles Stratton’s engineering firm as a secretary. Her presence wrenches the shaggy, wounded man from his penthouse, and the quest begins.
He’s been betrayed by his best friend. Miles would rather hide than help, especially his daughter. But it isnt over. Someone’s trying to destroy Stratton Industrial. A war veteran, he knows how to defend his own, the Beast of Stratton can do it again.


 Let's get to the interview and find out more about you.

Describe how you feel about seeing your book published.

I guess I’m still in shock. I think when I hold the book in my hands, it will become real. I’ve seen the e-book on Amazon and the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) on my Kindle, but it’s still a dream for me. LOL God’s so good and He’s made all this possible. Right now, all I can do is praise His name and wait for reality to set in.

I hear you! What got you started on writing fiction novels?

The truth? My husband. I’ve written poetry since I was a teenager, but a novel? I’d never even thought about it! One day, I bought a Christian romance off Amazon…or so I’d thought…and wasn’t very happy. James—that’s my husband’s name—took the brunt of my frustration for almost an hour. I ranted about everything from the sex scenes to the profanity (and I hadn’t even made through half of the book before it landed in the cybernetic trash bin!) He nodded and grunted. The usual male response to a wifely tantrum, I guess. He looked up from his prone position in his recliner (he was watching football), and said the words that changed my life, “If you don’t like it, do something about it. Write your own.” So I did. That was almost five years ago.

A big thanks to James for getting you started! What’s your favorite genre to read and to write?

What a question! Well, let’s see…I love to read almost anything. I’m pretty eclectic. Science fiction, mystery, romance, you name it. The only thing I don’t have in my library? Horror (shudder), and you won’t find me with very many children’s novels. That’s not saying I haven’t read them. I used to when my son was young. I just don’t anymore. ;) My favorite? I love a good suspense and Scottish romance. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a tall highlander.
Although I like to read everything from historical to sci-fi, including dystopian, I write Contemporary Romantic Suspense sometimes with a touch of mystery.

What do you want to convey through your stories?

All of my stories contain a spiritual message….a simple one. Life’s real and it’s hard, but we aren’t alone.
With trial comes baggage…and every person clings to something. Sooner or later, we must face it. We can choose to face it alone or with the Almighty at our side. Either way, He’s waiting for us to ask for Him. However, the choice to hope and trust? That begins with us—yes, even the Christian.

Very true. Did you find it easy or difficult to let other people read your work when you first began writing?

I needed people to read my work. I’d never written a book in my life. Reading wasn’t writing… at least, as far as I was concerned. I wanted advice, feedback, HELP! I approached writing the way I did pharmacy school. Fail, learn, fail, learn…the best part of this learning process was that when I screwed up, no one could get hurt!
I handled the rejections and cruel comments like I always do, shrugged them off and kept going. Wondering what I’m talking about? My skin’s thick. I’m a pharmacist, remember? Need to learn how to take some crap, work in a pharmacy for a day.

My daughter-in-law would heartily agree. She was a pharmacy assistant for a while. Lots of paperwork and grumpy folks to deal with. Rough work! 
What does the process of writing do for you personally?

Writing has brought me closer to the Lord in so many ways, Nancy. The spiritual messages in my books aren’t just for the readers. They’re for me too. Hope, faith, love, trust…God is speaking to me while I’m writing these stories. The struggles my characters are facing and overcoming lift me high into the heavens. It’s a wonderful experience.

I agree completely! Do your characters ever surprise you?

Oh yes. I’m not a plotter in the sense of the word. I have a rough idea as to where the story is going at the beginning but the twists and turns of the book are a complete surprise to me. The characters and their changes throughout the story sometimes hit me upside the head. I have to praise God for those moments because they are purely His doing.

It's fun, isn't it? What work of fiction would you say affected you the most? And what was the effect?

You may not have heard of this one…but then again…I read this book a long time ago. I wouldn't proclaim it for a rendition of Scripture. It’s not. The author wrote this book to portray a vision he claims he had from the Lord. It changed the way I thought of the spiritual realm. It was Rick Joyner’s The Final Quest.

I'll have to read that one. Sound interesting. What are you working on now?

I’m finishing a novella for Prism Book Group called Racing Hearts. It’s very dear to my heart. I’m almost done with it and I’ll be shooting it off to my editor soon. When I’m done with that, I’ll start editing the second book in the Snowy Range Chronicles. The first book, To Soar on Eagles’ Wings is due to be released in July.

Busy lady! What are your plans for future writing?


As soon as I finish editing the second book in my series, I start researching the third! I’m really excited about this one. I may need to plan a trip to Montana or Idaho for the research project though. We’ll see. I’d also like to write a Christmas story. I attempted it during NaNoWriMo this last year, but alas, other things reared their heads. We’ll see…we’ll see!

I know you'll do well with whatever is in store. Congratulations again on your release day! Now here's an excerpt from The Beast of Stratton:

He’d vanished. 
She’d called his friends, the family. She’d even tried her stepmother who’d hung up on her. Well, okay, maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea. 
A red rose rolled across her father’s tattered note, caught in the breeze from the open window. Sliding the pane down, she picked up the flower. The words on the page blurred as she buried her nose in the soft petals. 
Instead of saying goodbye to his wife in his last letter, he’d simply left explicit instructions not to follow him. Aimee snorted. Like the woman would care. He’d sent it with the rose and an antique necklace. She held the thick chain aloft and peered at the golden key spinning in the light. The jewelry had probably cost a fortune. 
And her stepmother was nowhere to be found. Scratch that. According to her, she wanted to be left alone. It didn’t make a difference to Aimee what the letter said and to whom, she’d follow. A small smile worked its way to her lips as she fastened the necklace around her neck. 
The zipper stuck on the edge of the suitcase and she gave it a hard jerk. Dragging the bulging bag off the bed, it hit the floor with a thunk. She slid her arms into her jacket and looped her purse over the handle. She dropped the rose, and it landed beside her plane ticket next to her wallet. Before latching her fingers around her bag, she tucked the key under her shirt out of sight. “Stratton Industrial, here I come.”

Here's the purchase link for this exciting story:
Available for purchase: Amazon

Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy! Now here's a little bit about Renee:
Raised in Louisiana and Wyoming, Renee started writing poetry in junior high school and that, as they say, was that. After having her son, a desire to attend pharmacy school sent her small family to Laramie and she’s been counting pills ever since. While writing’s her first love, well, after the Lord and her husband, she also likes to fish and hunt as well as pick away on her classical guitar.
Nestled against the Black Hills with her husband, crazy old dog and ornery cat, she serves the community of northeastern Wyoming as a pharmacist and pens her Christian stories, keeping them interesting with action and intrigue, of course. She loves to interact with readers and invites you to check out her website, blog, and social media.








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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Second Chances with Ada Brownell

Second Chances: Ada Brownell on the Diamond Mine

Please join me and welcome Ada Brownell to the Diamond Mine! She's giving away a copy of her latest release, The Lady Fugitive. See details following the interview. Well, come on, everyone...gather round. I have coffee and cookies...somewhere. Oh, well, let's get started!
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Welcome to the Mine, Ada. I’m so glad you’re here. I hear you have a new book? Can you tell us a little about it?

The book is The Lady Fugitive. Jenny Parks, my main character materialized from memories of my maternal grandmother, whom some relatives say had to run from an abusive uncle, a judge.

Grandma, as is Jenny, was a talented orphan who graduated from high school at 16 in about 1896 with a teaching certificate.  She was an elocutionist and performed her poems and songs on stage in Pueblo, Colo.

The leading man, William O’Casey, has similarities to Grandpa. Grandpa died before I was born, but I heard how he used to travel around the country showing one of the first Passion of the Christ picture shows. My brother has the reel. Grandpa’s father was murdered, as William’s was.

That’s so amazing. What a cool story! Well, not the murdered part…although it makes for great drama. In the plot, Ada! I’ll take my foot out of my mouth now.
Back to the book, what inspired you to write it?

I’ve wanted to write this novel for decades. I spent a big chunk of my life as a newspaper reporter, and wrote for Christian publications since my teens. After I retired from The Pueblo Chieftian I joined American Christian Fiction Writers. I took the courses that come with membership. I joined critique groups. I was active on the loop where seasoned writers share vital information and tricks of the trade. I wrote a teen novel, The Castle and the Catapult.

Then I joined ACFW’s Novel Track where you write as fast as you can without stopping to change anything or edit.  You keep going until you reach the end. I had about 7,000 words to begin with, and in five weeks I had 80,000 words and The End. It took another year or more to edit it.

The book now has more than 30 reviews, a majority 5-star.

Now that’s quite the accomplishment. Do you have a favorite scene or part of the book? If so, can we get a glimpse?


After peeking in a dirty window and seeing an empty room, Jenny opened the rickety door. Her footsteps echoed on the crude wood floors. Emptiness, dust, and cobwebs filled the place. She took a stick and tore webs away as she walked.
A rumpled blanket wiggled on the bed. “Perhaps we have a kitty here.” She lifted the corner. A soft rattling noise erupted and a snake shot toward her. It grazed her sleeve as she jumped back, the blanket still in her hand. The reptile flopped on the dirty floor where it coiled. She threw the blanket on it.
Jumping on top of the bed, screams came from Jenny’s mouth like blasts of dynamite from a mine. Over and over she screamed. Then the snake’s head emerged at the edge of the blanket.
"Oh, God, help me!” The prayer pulsed through her as her thumping heart made her head ache.
The reptile slithered out from under the cloth. The head hovered first this way and that, its tail jiggling the rattles. She gasped for breath and shrieked again. She’d seen snakes climb poles. He might be up the bedpost any minute.
Loud footsteps shook the old house. Jenny’s scream died in her mouth. An explosion and flash of fire caused Jenny to almost jump out of her boots. Pain pierced her ears. For a moment, everything went black. She leaned against the wall, and then her vision returned.
The rattlesnake was dead—shot through the head.
The man hovered beside her. Curly reddish-brown hair stuck out beneath his cowboy hat.
Still dizzy and shaking so much she could barely stand, she started to fall.
He grabbed her, pulled her off the bed into his arms, and stepped away from the rattler. “Are you all right, ma’am? I heard you screaming clear up on the road.”

Ohhh…wow. Can you tell me more? No, wait…let’s get back to the interview first. What made you want to write books?

The Lord set my soul on fire. I was the youth leader and started writing youth ideas for a leaders’ magazine at age 15, and soon sold articles to Christian publications. I went into the news business about five years later.  My first book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, was published in 1978 by the Assemblies of God. My first journalist work was in the 1960s, I took out nearly 20 years to stay home with children and then earned my journalism degree and was hired again. All the while I freelanced for Christian publications.

That’s amazing. I don’t know if I could write for a newspaper. It has to be hard. I’m glad you’re in the novel writing business now, though. Do you have a pearl of wisdom for those just starting out? What about those struggling along the way?


My advice to a Christian writer is to draw close to God, study the Word, and pray for wisdom and guidance. Then learn writing techniques and THINK. Look at everything from a different angle. Write down your ideas, study people, make a plan and write.


If one word could describe you, what would it be? Why?

Worker. I take seriously the scripture, “Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or device, or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4) Scripture repeatedly warns sluggards.

Writers or any Christian should work to support himself and family, but also do the work that doesn’t pay in money, such as at home. Go the second mile for others, and be a witness through words and actions.

Whoa, that hit home for me. It seems as if there’s not enough time in a day. Not so much laziness as poor time management. I definitely need to work on that. My husband would appreciate it, I’m sure. Thanks for the reminder, Ada. We need it.
Back to writing and reading…if you could pick three authors from the crowd, who would they be and why?

There are so many authors that I’ve reviewed books for that are superb writers that I love, but if I must share here are a few.

Josh McDowell
Non-fiction: Josh McDowell author of Evidence that Demands a Verdict; Ralph Riggs, theologian; Dr. Donald F. Johns, author of the Sunday school youth teachers quarterly, “The Bible and Science,” that I taught in 1963. He was way ahead of his time, and I’ve used what I learned from him many times. I love the truths and solid doctrine presented by all these authors.

Frank Peretti







Fiction: Frank Peretti and the The Nightmare Academy (an unusual YA book on truth); Catherine Palmer and her Prairie Rose Trilogy, Melanie Dickerson, author of The Merchant’s Daughter; and there are many other fiction authors I love. My favorite genre is inspirational historical romance in a story with substance.

Rebecca McClanahan
On Writing: Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan. I should also mention Terri Main, an ACFW member, who has wonderful writing courses for $5.

For many, writing’s a lonely trek…for a short time. Soon, you realize the path’s far easier with a little bit of help. Who do you give the most credit in your writing journey and why?

Dick Champion who edited youth magazines and Robert C. Cunningham who edited The Pentecostal Evangel for years. They showed me respect, even when I was in my teens, and if I had an article or story that almost fit, they’d write and tell me to shorten it, add another illustration, or that sort of thing. I did the work the same day and sent it back and they bought it. Editors don’t have time for that now.

They sound like a couple of great men. In some ways, your writing life's been a story of second chances and hard work. Although times have changed, writing's stayed the same. Maybe not styles, or even form, but the words get on the page the same way. From a writer.

I can't help it. I need to know more about your story. Do you have a funny part of The Lady Fugitive to share with the readers before you leave? (Stop it, everyone. I can hear the giggling. I can always unplug the coffee pot. Better yet, no more chocolate chip cookies for you.)

Maude stood on the edge of the pasture, bellowing so loud her belly convulsed with the exertion. Jenny grabbed a bucket. After three years singing, reciting poetry, and performing on stage along with her studies, she hadn’t done much milking. But surely she didn’t forget how.
She rinsed the milk bucket by the windmill. She was ready.
Jenny herded Maude into the homemade stanchion that kept the cow’s head immobile, but allowed her to eat. After forking more hay into the feeding trough, Jenny found a little stool and placed it beside the black-and-white spotted cow.
To relax the animal, she rubbed the bristly hair on her neck and along the backbone. Then she positioned the stool. In response, the cow lifted her tail and splat! A big cow pie landed behind Maude, splattering up her legs.
Jenny nearly gagged. Her dizziness and nausea didn’t need that smell! She held her nose and considered holding her breath
Adjusting the three-legged stool a little, she sat and promptly toppled backward. How could a man sit on a seat so dinky? Certainly, her backside wasn’t that big.
She replaced the stool and milk bucket and tried again. With the seat finally firm and settled, she reached for two of the four teats. Maude raised her hind foot and kicked. There went the milk bucket. The thing, banging into posts along the way, rolled and rattled halfway across the barn floor.
Hold your temper, Maude. Just for that, you can be uncomfortable a little longer. I’m not going to drink dirty milk. Jenny stomped to the windmill to rewash the bucket.

How adorable! I’ve never milked a cow before, but I can see it now. I can’t stop laughing. Thanks for another glance into your book. That was great. Now that you’ve blessed us, can you tell how the Lord blessed you with this book?

I have a good publisher (Elk Lake, a division of Book Club Network). I’ve had super reviews, amazing feedback from readers, and satisfaction that I finally wrote it. The greatest contentment is that it’s squeaky clean and spiritually uplifting.

Thank you for being a part of the Diamond Mine, Ada. You are a true blessing. Oh, one last question! Do you have anything in the works?

I have over 10,000 words on a sequel that has interesting characters, too, and I’m working on a non-fiction book, Common Sense, Propaganda (Spin) and Faith, almost ready to be published.


Well then, I can’t wait for what comes next! Come and get the rest of the cookies!


GIVEAWAY ON THE DIAMOND MINE!


LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN
DRAWING ON 3/11/2015
(one winner by random draw selected from commenters)
(Rough Diamond Writers are ineligible to participate in giveaway)


About the Book:

How does a respected elocutionist become a face on a wanted poster?
Jenny Louise Parks escapes from the coal bin, and her abusive uncle offers a handsome reward for her return. Because he is a judge, he will find her or he won’t inherit her parents’ ranch.
Determination to remain free grips Jenny, especially after she meets William and there’s a hint of romance. But while peddling household goods and showing a Passion of the Christ moving picture, he discovers his father’s brutal murder.
Will Jenny avoid the bounty hunters? Can she forgive the person who turns her in? Will she find peace, joy and love?
Get it on Ada Brownell’s author page https://www.amazon.com/author/adabrownell or at buff.ly/L8up6E


About the Author:

Ada Brownell
Ada Brownell, a devoted Bible student, has written for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo. She also is a veteran youth Christian education teacher. After moving to Missouri in her retirement, she continues to write books, free lance for Sunday school papers, Christian magazines, write op-ed pieces for newspapers, and blogs with stick-to-your-soul encouragement. She is a member of Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers. She and her husband have five children, one in heaven, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com Stick-to-Your-Soul Encouragement
Ada Brownell Amazon Author page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06


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