Interview with Inspirational Romance Author Deborah M. Piccurelli

After years of reading books and watching movies with an element of romance, Deborah M. Piccurelli’s desire to write romance novels came naturally. She is active in her church and is an advocate for sanctity of life. Deborah is the author of two romantic suspense novels, a romantic novella and several cause-related newspaper articles. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the New Jersey Society of Christian Writers. Deborah lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons.

“This is such a touching love story. I loved the way Derek was so compassionate towards Charlotte, known as Charlie. His mannerisms toward her were so touching, yet masculine. Even though his main purpose was to make things right with her, their growing attraction for one another was the main focus of this story. I would most definitely pick this book up and read it again.” –Review by Author Linda Weaver Clarke

Welcome to my blog, Deborah. I love your book cover. Please tell us about your Inspirational Romance.

Here’s the back cover blurb for Love Comes Calling: The day new Christian, Derek Spencer, shows up on Charlie Parkes’s doorstep to make up for what he’d done, is the very day he falls in love with her. But Charlie’s sister mistakes him for a home improvement contractor, and he decides to play along until he finds a way to tell her who he really is.

Charlie is attracted to Derek, but knows the attention he pays her is only flattery. How could such a great-looking guy fall for someone with a face like hers? Nevertheless, the two form a relationship that brings a joy to Charlie that’s way beyond her wildest dreams. But what will happen when Derek’s true identity is revealed?

Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

Well, I dislike saying this, because we writers always want our readers to think we get our stories by some great inspiration, but, for this novella, everything was strictly made up for a purpose. By that I mean that some years ago, a well-known publisher had advertised that they would be accepting submissions for four different anthologies. Each one had a specific theme. I chose the one called, “A well-kept secret.” I had to come up with a story to fit that theme, and I devised the plot for Love Comes Calling.

After somewhere from 3-6 months of writing it, I submitted it on the first day they were accepting submissions. The next day, I received an email from the publisher saying they had decided not to publish that particular anthology. Shortly after that, I heard they had stopped doing anthologies altogether. So this novella had been sitting around for a long, long time until I heard that Prism was running a contest. I submitted, became one of three winners, submitted the full manuscript and was ultimately offered a contract. I praise God for Prism and for how it all came about!

I’m so glad that you were accepted because I totally enjoyed your book. What kind of research did you have to do?

Since I knew very little about ballet, I did some online research on that. And if I remember correctly, I may have made a phone call to a home improvement contractor with questions on the type of work Derek and Greg were doing in Charlie’s basement.

Please tell us about the main character in this story and what you love about him or her.

Charlotte Parkes, nicknamed Charlie, is a very strong woman, yet, a little insecure, at times. But she is also strong in the Lord. Derek doesn’t realize it, but she had already forgiven him for what he did to her before they even met.

The story shows Charlie’s resourcefulness. Since she cannot work in her chosen profession, she contributes to household finances through other talents and skills she possesses.

The two things I like best about Charlie is her loyalty, learned through growing up in a tight-knit family, and her determination. Though, at times, she may allow herself a short pity party, she never lets what happened to her keep her down.

Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I guess I could say that, like Charlie, I am also loyal. If you tell me something in confidence, it will never go farther than that. Many times, I still won’t reveal a thing to anyone even if I wasn’t told it in confidence, because it’s not my place to do so. My husband never has to worry that when I’m with friends, I’ll talk about him the way some women do about their husbands. I just can’t do that! Not that there is anything to complain about, anyway, but I think you know what I mean.

That is so admirable. I also believe it’s important to treat our spouses with respect. Thanks for this awesome interview, Deborah.

Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales – Now an Audiobook!

A GUEST POST BY DEBRA BROWN

 

Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors – Now an Audiobook!

I grew up reading the My Bookhouse Books—a 1921 series of historical fiction volumes for children. They made a huge impression on me that I did not recognize until life slowed down for me in my fifties. Then I turned back to what I realized was embedded in my heart—history and historical fiction.

I had read Dickens in school—but didn’t slow down to realize how much I loved it. Then during a pregnancy that I had to spend in bed, I read the same books again before getting back to my busy life.

When the 2008 recession took my job I felt lost at sea, but as I began to drift what came to the surface around me was the Jane Austen movies I was watching, the historical dramas, the Palliser series on Netflix that were coming to an end.  What would I do now? I knew there had to be more stories, and I would be the one to write them!

An old computer held up just long enough for my first book, The Companion of Lady Holmeshire. But promoting it after publication had me frustrated. I began to write historical blog posts, but research for the blog took up all my time. So I started a blog and invited 30 other authors to write a history post, one of us each day. With all of us promoting the blog, it developed a good readership. At the end of the first year, one of the authors suggested we select posts and make them into a book. Thus was born the first volume of Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors.

Castles, Customs, and Kings is now available in audiobook form as well as digital and paperback! It has been well received and reviewed for the last one and a half years, and Volume II is in production. Watch for the second volume in September 2015.

You may buy this audio at Audible Audiobooks at Amazon.

Interview with Inspirational Author Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Kathryn Elizabeth Jones has been a reader even before she could read. She has always loved books and would pretend to read even before the skill to read sunk in. She has loved to write for almost the same amount of time. Kathryn has published 7 books to date. Two mysteries, two Christian fiction books, two nonfiction books and one middle reader. She has also published short stories and articles for newspapers and magazines throughout her 20+ years as an author.

"An excellent story...She really gets inside Samantha's head in a very realistic way." --Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews

"This book is insightful, emotional, sensitive, and therapeutic—perfect for children who are trying to deal with divorce. -- Jennifer LB Leese, Children's Book Review Columnist, Fiction Forum for Kids

"This book will have you laughing and crying and wishing there was more..." --Beverly J. Rowe, Editor, MyShelf.com

Welcome back to my blog, Kathryn. This is an LDS based Inspirational story. Please tell us about your book, A River of Stones.

Samantha’s mother and father have divorced and she’s left standing in the middle of the separation. Along with her brother, Luke, Samantha traverses pain, guilt and loneliness as she takes on a new father and a new step-brother. Her only solace comes from her best friend, June, and the neighborhood kids who flock around her. One day Samantha is shown The Book of Mormon. She knows nothing about Mormon’s but soon realizes she must make a choice. Get the help of God from this new-found book, or go it alone without them both.

Samantha is a young girl who finds her world turned upside down in one brief moment. Her secure world is shaken with the abrupt departure of her father. Left behind with no explanations, she takes solace in her two best friends, Bruce and June. She is soon faced with a myriad of changes, including a new stepfather and a stepbrother she didn't want. Over the next two years, as she rapidly approaches adolescence, lonely young Sam discovers a world that holds pain and bitterness, as well as love, and is introduced to a mysterious book that could change her life.

A River of Stones chronicles the pain of divorce and growing up in the life of a young, adolescent girl. Penned with the heart of experience, the author touches the deepest recesses of a young girl's hopes, dreams, and fears as she searches for answers no one has been willing to give her. From the pain of losing a parent to divorce, to the joy of hopeful possibility, Kathryn Jones takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and promise.

Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

A River of Stones is my first book. I began writing the story just to clear the air a bit with my own upbringing and the fact that my parents also divorced when I was young. It soon became apparent that this story needed to be written.

What age group would enjoy this story the most?

This story is unique in that the young as well as the young at heart will enjoy it. It is LDS based, but keep in mind that many of us search for God in our times of need and Samantha was also searching and found the Mormon Church. The story appeals to those whose parents have recently divorced, those who are struggling to make sense of their parents' divorce, even those who have divorced themselves and want to understand what their children are going through.

Please tell us about the main character in this story.

10-year-old Samantha is imaginative, so she imagines up all sorts of reasons why her parents have divorced. When her mother re-marries and she suddenly has a new step-brother, she is caught in the mix of loving her mother and trying to make sense of a new dad and a new brother in her life, though she has no idea where her own father has gone. Samantha is a real friend, but her vivid imagination gets her into trouble at times and she is constantly wishing for a better life.

Where can my readers find you online?

Readers can find me at: http://www.ariverofstones.com or at www.amazon.com/author/joneskathryn. They can connect with me on twitter @kakido or visit me at: https://www.facebook.com/KJ.books.

Thank you, Linda, for inviting me.

Thanks for this sweet interview, Kathryn. I hope this book will help many children to heal and to understand their own feelings when it comes to separation.

Interview with Children’s Author Sherrill S. Cannon

Sherrill S. Cannon is a former teacher and a grandmother of ten, who is also an Award-Winning Best-Selling Author! Her previous books My Fingerpaint Masterpiece, Manner-Man, Gimme-Jimmy, The Magic Word, Peter and the Whimper-Whineys, and Santa’s Birthday Gift have received twenty-nine 2011-14 National and International awards. Most of her books try to teach something, like good manners and consideration for others.

All of her books are now part of two fundraisers, one for the anti-bullying campaign at imbullyfree.org at http://sbpra.com/imbullyfree and another to help find a cure for Juvenile Myositis, an incurable children's disease at http://sbpra.com/curejm -- 50% of the cost of her books on these sites will go directly to each organization!

“This is an adorable story about a child's misunderstandings about the computer. It's totally done in rhyme and I loved it. My kids and grandchildren have always loved stories in rhyme. Thanks for another fun children's book.” –Review by Author Linda Weaver Clarke

It’s always a pleasure to have you on my blog, Sherrill. Please tell us about your new Children’s Book, Mice & Spiders & Webs… Oh My!

Mice; Spiders; Webs…Oh My! illustrates the importance of being a good listener.  It also is a cute introduction to basic computer terms. Rosemary is worried about returning to school, after her teacher has warned the class that they would soon have some mice, spiders and webs in the classroom.  Could Rosemary have misunderstood something?   

I read this book to my granddaughter and she laughed. Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

I thought it would be fun to combine the need for good listening skills with some “Computer Speak”.  It also tries to show the importance of both parents and teachers being supportive when children misunderstand.  (It’s also quite enjoyable when one sees the look on a child’s face when that “now I get it” expression happens!!!)

Is it easy or difficult to create rhyme for each of your books?

I have always loved to write poetry, and I strive to have children hear the “music of the words”.  My friends sometimes accuse me of thinking in rhyme!  The problem with many rhyming books is that there is often little or no meter.  It is not enough if there are two lines that have a word that rhymes at the end of the line – because the cadence of the words is equally important! The sound of the words also matters in word choices, so that words such as said, replied, and responded are all interchangeable – but not in poetry! I could go on and on, but if anyone would like to learn more, please send me a message.

Wow! So that is why some poetry flows easily and others don’t. Now I understand. You love to write children’s books. Where do you find all your ideas for your stories?

Having been a teacher, as well as mother and grandmother, there is always a constant source of material if one listens to children!  All of my books try to teach something to do with consideration for others, disguised as fun stories.  I don’t care for the “anything for a laugh” approach that some children’s authors take.  Children learn from what they read, and it is important that they read books with positive attitudes and values.

That is so true. Where can my readers find you online?

www.sherrillcannon.com

http://sbpra.com/sherrillscannon

http://tinyurl.com/SherrillCannonFanPage

https://twitter.com/SherrillCannon

https://www.goodreads.com/SherrillCannon

All my books are available on amazon.com and bn.com

Thanks for this awesome interview, Sherrill. I hope my readers will check out your children’s books.

Interview with Inspirational YA Author Gail Pallotta

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. She’s been a Sunday school teacher, a swim-team coordinator and an after-school literary instructor. A former regional writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she won Clash of the Titles in 2010. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s been a best-selling author on All Romance eBooks and in amazon’s paid kindle store. Her credits include three published books, two short stories, and a couple hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit Gail’s web site at http://www.gailpallotta.com

“Mountain of Love and Danger is a modern day fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk, with cell phones and all. This story is fast paced and delightful. From chapter one to the last chapter there is plenty of suspense as you watch Jack try to figure out where his girlfriend has been taken. This story was written for young adults to appreciate. As an adult, I totally enjoyed it.” --Review by Author Linda Weaver Clarke

Welcome back to my blog, Gail. Please tell us about your new book, Mountain of Love and Danger. By the way, what genre is this novel?

This fairy tale retelling is a fantasy with romance and mystery. In it Jack Greenthumb finds romance in Fairwilde Kingdom—a different day—a different girl. Then a cruel mystery begins. Dad’s beaten, the family farm destroyed and Jack’s true love, Gwendolyn Bante, kidnapped. Jack’s undercover operation reveals Gwenie’s a captive atop a mountain accessible only by helicopter. Reaching her is a dangerous expedition even for a champion rock climber like Jack. However, a Greenthumb Acres employee plants a miraculous seed from Heaven for the rescue. Suspense mounts as Jack scales the perilous cliff to face a brute and a treacherous descent in this retelling of the fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.

This is my favorite question. Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

I belong to a Christian critique group with four other authors. Mildred Colvin’s son, Jonathan, suggested we write a series of fairy tales and self-publish them. We thought it was a great idea, so we did. I chose a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk because I thought it would lend itself to romance and mystery if Jack’s true love were at the top of the beanstalk. I enjoy reading and writing in that genre.

Mountain of Love and Danger is fifth in the series. The books are tied together by the setting, Fairwilde Kingdom. The others are At the Edge of a Dark Forest, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Connie Almony; Red and the Wolf, retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, by June Foster; Mirror on the Fall, retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Mildred and Jonathan Colvin; Swept Away, retelling of Cinderella, by Vanessa Riley.

A bunch of fairy tales? How interesting! What kind of research did you do?

I thoroughly researched rock and mountain climbing. Fortunately, I know someone active in the sport and called on him to review all of the pages involving the climb and the descent of the perilous cliff. I also researched police procedures for vandalism and kidnapping.   

Awesome! Now that’s impressive. You love to write young adult romances. What intrigues you most about writing this genre?

I enjoy writing that reflects the world around me, and I like young people. Over the years I’ve had lots of fun spending time with them. Then too, we’re a family who loves sports, so as a youngster our daughter chose to participate in swimming. Stopped Cold tells the story of a fictitious family based on my observations of being involved with young people not only in swimming but also as a volunteer literary instructor in the schools and various other activities. In Mountain of Love and Danger, which is a fantasy, I strove to make the book fun and fanciful as fairy tales are to me. I think young love can be a magical time, and in the case of Jack and Gwenie it turns out to be true love.

My next book, Barely above Water, is an adult romance, but it has adorable, wonderful young people in it. In the book an illness comes out of nowhere and strikes Suzie Morris. Her boyfriend dumps her. She has no living family, and her physician can’t diagnose the malady. She turns to a renowned alternative doctor in Destin, Florida, and takes a job coaching a county-sponsored summer league swim team. She’s determined to turn the

sometimes comical, rag-tag bunch into winners. Her handsome boss renews her belief in love, but learns of her mysterious affliction and abruptly cuts romantic ties. Later he has regrets, but must overcome his fear of losing someone close, then regain Suzie’s trust. She relies on her Christian faith as she faces the uncertainty of the disease, financial burdens without permanent employment, and heartbreak in this contemporary romance.

Thanks for telling my readers about your books. Where can my readers find you online?

My Web site - http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com

Facebook - Authors and More Page - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Hopefulwords

My blog - http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com

Thanks, Gail, for this wonderful interview. I hope my readers will check out your books.