Interview with Romance Author Jewel Adams

Jewel Adams is a wife and the mother of eight children, and a grandmother. She has been writing inspirational romance for over twenty years, and has over forty published works. Always one to share a message of God’s love through her stories, Jewel is a devout Christian Latter-Day Saint who loves the Lord with all her heart and has experienced many blessings and miracles in her life because that love, and she is secure in the knowledge of God’s love for her and all men. She is an inspirational and motivational speaker to both youth and adult audiences.

In her spare time, you can find Jewel curled up with a good book and a healthy stash of orange Tic Tacs. She and her family reside in Utah. Email:jewela40@gmail.com

Welcome to my blog, Jewel. I love the cover to your new book. Please tell us about Women of Wisdom, Courage and Virtue.

Yes, this little booklet has a few personal spiritual thoughts about four righteous women in the Bible, why I revere them, and how their example has touched my life. I had been thinking about writing it for a while now, but then the prompting kept growing stronger, so I finally listened.

Where did you get your inspiration for this book?

Well, when I say my prayers, I ask my Heavenly Father daily to bless me with the wisdom of Eve, the faith and devotion of Ruth, the courage of Esther, and the virtue and righteousness of Mary, mother of the Savior. These women emulated Christ in their lives, and since we are commanded to be like the Savior, what better examples can we find for the women of today who are truly seeking righteousness and holiness? They and so many others in the scriptures are perfect examples of what it is to be a royal daughter of God. I have studied and pondered the lives of Eve, Ruth, Esther, and Mary, and my love for them grows by the day. I want to share my love of these amazing women with others, and hopefully, readers of this booklet will be as inspired by them as I am.

Tell me about one of the women and what you love about her?

Oh, that’s so hard, because there is so much about all of them that endears them to me. But Esther always comes to mind right off.

In the waiting room of the temple, there is a beautiful painting of Esther. I always plant myself on the bench right in front of that painting and ponder Esther while I wait. She was such a courageous and obedient woman, and I long to be that courageous and obedient with every fiber of my being. She married and came to love a powerful king who had put his first queen away because of her disobedience to his command.

Going unsummoned before her husband, knowing she would be in danger of losing her life, was a brave and selfless act on Esther’s part. It was a bitter cup and a sacrifice she was willing to make because of her love for her people and her love for God. In that way, she was an example of Christ. “Greater love hath no man than this.” How can you not love and revere her?

I know exactly how you feel because that is why I love the story of Esther. You have written another book called By Invitation, Your Place at The Feast. I love the cover. What is this book about?

By Invitation is also a small book of personal thoughts of hope and inspired truths about how Jesus Christ’s atonement can work in each of us. It’s also about becoming more spiritually prepared for the return of the Savior. It was co-authored by my friend, Jordan Jantz, and it contains some of his thoughts as well.

Where is your website so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

Right now, I am using the Til You Come Back to Me Again website as my main site. It is constantly being updated: www.Angelospromise.weebly.com

Thank you so much for this wonderful interview, Jewel. I hope my readers will check out your books.

Interview with Romance Author Charissa Stastny

Charissa Stastny is married to her high school sweetheart and has four children who are the light of her life. She’s an avid reader, happy writer, BYU graduate, and lover of poppies and irises, clouds, chocolate, sushi, and nature. Though born and raised in Las Vegas, she has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life. She shuffles kids, laundry, and church responsibilities rather well though. She currently lives in Utah with her family, where shuffling cards isn’t required.

“With witty dialogue and a fast-paced plot, this feel-good book will stick with you for days.” –Taylor Dean

Welcome to my blog, Charissa. What is the Ruled Out Romances Series about?

In this new series of stand-alone stories, star-crossed lovers meet, but rule each other out. But life, with its quirky twists and tangled turns, brings each of the unlikely duos together again and again until they yield to the magnetic pull between them and discover their unique happily-ever-afters.

This series sounds intriguing. Please give us a description of book one: Game Changer.

Orange chicken was a game-changer.

Meridee Mansford wants nothing to do with the popular crowd. She’s comfortable being invisible. But that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about the hunky football player who visits the campus ice cream shop where she works. Still, she’s smart enough to know he’d never notice a girl like her, and she’d never want him even if he did. Too much unwelcome attention.

Parker Harrington basks in the glory that’s been his since the game-changing passes he caught that pushed his team into the national spotlight. Sticky Fingers is his media moniker now, and the cheerleaders who used to ignore him when he sat the bench have become his most devoted fans. But when he accidentally crashes into a quiet coed and covers her in orange chicken, it throws off his offensive game.

As fate, ice cream, and orange chicken throw the opposites together, will Parker continue keeping company with women he knows are only using him for his fame, or will he change up the game and risk his heart on a genuine girl who despises the attention he craves?

Tell us about book two: Package Deal.

Angels come in different packages.

Single mom Spring has no desire to date again. At her best friend’s wedding though, she is surprised when a handsome man’s flirtations charm her, instead of annoy her. But when her toddler runs up and calls her Mommy, she can tell by his reaction that her daughter is a deal-breaker. He can’t escape fast enough.

Hudson Sandel proudly owns his bachelor status as he attends his little brother’s wedding as best man. Too bad the only woman who tempts him there has a daughter that rules her out. Instant fatherhood will never be on his agenda. Yet when the kid throws a tantrum, he swoops in to help keep her from ruining his brother’s special night. When he leaves though, he can’t get the gorgeous blonde out of his head. Playing hero to her child made him feel uncomfortably good, and he doesn’t know quite how to feel about that.

As fate, lollipops, and toddler tantrums keep throwing the angelic duo into Hudson’s path, will he risk his heart and dreams on a package deal, or stick to the sure road leading to professional success and glory?

What are the names of the next two books in this series and when will they be ready?

Collateral Hearts – book 3 (Coming later in 2018)

Corporate Crush – book 4 (Coming later in 2018)

Where is your website so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

My Website – http://www.charissastastny.com

Thank you so much for this interview, Charissa. It’s always a joy to have you visit my blog.

Interview with Romance Author Renee Riva

Renee Riva has been writing stories ever since she won her first writing contest in the second grade. She combines her memories of a happy childhood( growing up in a big Italian family with a bunch of noisy siblings she wouldn’t trade for anything in the world), the heart of a “hopeful” romantic, and adds a big dose of gentle humor to delight the hearts of readers. She loves writing romantic comedies and both contemporary and historical novellas about young love.

www.reneeriva.com

 

Welcome to my blog, Renee. I understand that seven of the Forget-Me-Not-Romance Authors have each written a short story. What was the inspiration for Sweetwater Romances: A Valentine Sampler?

In early December, one of our Forget-me-not-romance authors was noticing how much readers liked romantic Christmas collections. It made her think first, we are writers of romance, and, second, an upcoming holiday is all about romantic affection. What if we could get something short and sweet ready in time for Valentine’s Day? Each piece would be like a chocolate in a sampler box, the first one making the reader want to “taste” the next. After one night of mulling it over, she pitched the idea to our publisher Cynthia Hickey. She posted it on our authors’ Facebook group to test interest. The collection filled in half an hour! She set the length at 6,000 words and then slammed down the deadline –January 1^st! Oh my, that put all of us in a scramble!

Please tell us about your short story that you wrote.

My story, Sweetwater Café, revolves around Shelby Smith who has been a waitress at the café for six years. She’s hoping for a reason to leave Sweetwater, when a handsome woodworker arrives in town to restore a historical barn. Here’s my best description of what happens next:

Welcome to the Sweetwater Cafe in the small town of Sweetwater, Kansas, where EVERYBODY knows your name! For Shelby Smith, enough is enough. After six years of working the BBQ Lunch Special under the overbearing eye of grumpy, Great Aunt Beula, Shelby is ready to get out of Dodge... until a handsome, young, newcomer walks into the cafe one frosty February morning. Can Chase Tanner change the direction this city wannabe is heading, and help to heal a family at the same time? C'mon in for a BBQ Sweetwater Burger and find out!

Are any of the stories connected to one another, such as: Do the characters know one another or live in the same town?

Yes! We are all connected! There are seven shops in Sweetwater, Kansas, and we each chose our shop to be in charge of, and were free to visit other shops. We have: A café, hardwood store, B&B, candy shop, dress boutique, photography shop, and a bakery. Willow from Toolbox Trinkets comes to my café for lunch. I (Shelby), go to the Bon Bon Boutique to buy a dress for my hot Valentine date with Chase. Chase goes to Sweet Nothings to buy chocolate for Shelby. A few of the couples go to a Valentine Dinner at the B&B. The challenge was coordinating with the other authors so we had all of our stories in sync with one another. Fortunately, Cindy Amos, bless her heart, read all of our stories to make sure they jived with the others!

List the website of each author so my readers can check out their recent and past books they have written?

Cynthia Hickey Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey has sold over a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters. She and her husband run the small press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs, one cat, and three box turtles. She has eight grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.

 Website at www.cynthiahickey.com

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Cindy M. Amos is a freelance nature writer with nonfiction publications in numerous national magazines for ministry work and mentoring students in the sciences. From a career in natural resources management and endangered species conservation along the Atlantic coast, she now writes nature-infused inspirational fiction about people living close to the land from her post in the Midwest.

http://cindymamos.wixsite.com/natureink

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Jennifer AlLee~ For the first 10 years of her life, Jennifer AlLee lived above a mortuary in Hollywood, California, one block away from Hollywood and Vine. Over the years, she worked in numerous fields, including as a church secretary and an administrative assistant at a cable company, but whatever the position, writing always became part of the job description. In 2007, her first novel was published. Since then, she's published 11 novels and quite a few novellas with five different publishing houses. While she's thrilled to be living her dream as an author, Jennifer considers raising her amazing son to be her best creative achievement.

www.jenniferallee.com

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Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to four. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching. Find Martha at: www.marthawrogers.com

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Christina Rich, a mother of four children, a grandmother of one, a romance author with Harlequin’s inspirational line, Love Inspired, Forget Me Not Romances, and photographer, and is currently working on several non-fiction books.

https://threefoldstrand.com

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Brandi Boddie writes historical and contemporary romance. She resides in Texas, where she loves spending time with her husband and dogs, a cocker spaniel and a schnauzer who both aspire to be food critics.

www.brandiboddie.com

Interview with Fantasy Romance Author Anna Del C Dye

Anna is an accomplished, award winning author of clean romance and medieval fantasy. She has written an Elf Series, with seven books, all published. She now is writing "The Royal Romance Series" in which the soon to be released Dark Mirror Image is stand-alone book number 4. She also has published several books in digital format: A Middle grade tale; Emerine's Nightmare, A Medieval Romance; The Chancellor from Connier; and The Other Santa A Christmas Miracle, a story set in the depression era.  

Welcome to my blog, Anna. Please tell us about your novel, Dark Mirror Image. This is part of A Royal Romance series.

This is book four in A Royal Romance series. 

King Keban didn’t realize that gazing upon Princess Arianne was punishable by death. Saldil was the kingdom that piqued his curiosity, and the sole reason he had accepted this visit. Her brother, the king, gave him another option—Now he will return home to Perjha with the princess as his wife. He wonders at the turn of events, but only for a small moment. After staying there for a night, filled with hair-curling cries and dreadful noises coming from her brother’s chamber, he could never leave her in that place…not even for his kingdom.

Arianne liked King Keban the moment their eyes met. She is no longer so sure when her brother announces that Keban demanded to marry her, or he would attack Saldil. Who is this man with two faces? And why won’t he tell anyone that they are married? She will have to keep both eyes on this king and this most unusual arrangement.

I love your book cover. It seems to draw me into your story. What age group will enjoy this book?

Teens and even some twelve-year-old girls will enjoy the romance, mystery and happy (?) ending.

Tell me about one of the main characters and what you love about him or her?

King Keban is the most remarkable men I ever met...you know the kind every girl dreams of as her prince charming. He is intelligent, calm, respectful, kind, positive, and doesn't need to prove he is the king...everyone knows it and loves him for it.

Put in a peculiar situation by a creepy king during his trip to a neighboring kingdom, he makes the best of it. When he later sees the need to save a damsel in distress, he takes it seriously and rescues Princess Arianne in two days flat by getting her out of her kingdom.

You write fantasy. What intrigues you most about writing this genre?

What captures my imagination about fantasy is the many possibilities in this genre. You can start with no matter of thought and take it to a new universe and beyond, leaving you breathless all at once. The many different roads you can travel there and back and all that can be yours for the taking. It truly is a fountain of ever running ideas and inspiration.

I love your description of why you write fantasy. Where is your website so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

They can find everything I have written and a lot about me in my website: www.annadelc.com

Thank you so much for this interview, Anna. It’s always fun talking about your books.

You may buy Anna's book at the links below:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords