About the Book

Book: The Trail to the Lonely Tree (Book 1 of the Jaguar Oracle Series)

Author: Kurt Mähler

Genre: Christian Magical Realism Fantasy

Release date: November 25, 2024

A richly poetic tale of friendship, courage, and destiny that will awaken the imagination of children and adults alike.

When Oracle, a jaguar from the Yucatán, learns of the dying words of the last jaguar in the Rio Grande Valley, he finds himself on a perilous journey to see a prophecy fulfilled.

To do so he must travel 1,400 miles to Texas and find the Lonely Tree, where his kin spoke an enigma to the heavens as hunters took him down. But the Lonely Tree is in the dangerous realm of Man—and Oracle will need more than his own wisdom and strength to fulfill the task.

Oracle remembers Eden and the naming of the animals; what Adam spoke to the first of each kind. He discovers the animals in the Valley have forgotten their names—as has Man himself.

Can he not only fulfill the prophecy, but help the animals reclaim ancient truths before they are lost forever?

This hope-filled tale explores the quest for courage in a fallen world and how to make the faith journey—and its sacrifices—worthwhile.

 

Book Excerpt

“You may have it,” said Oracle. “I’ll catch another for myself.” And after a moment, he did—this time a tilapia.

By the time the moon had descended to the mirror of herself on the surface of the water, both the jaguar and the raccoon were full of fish. Oracle placed his tail over the water for one last morsel for Patch.

Deep within the resaca, an alligator garfish in his drainpipe lair had become very irritated with the incessant splashes and chatter of swimming things above him. He steamed toward the place where he heard the noises. There he spied the faux moth and phantom water striders, but gars are too ornery to be charmed. He lunged straight out of the water and chomped the jaguar’s tail.

Oracle flinched and flung his paws over the fish as both rolled into the resaca, but the gar only clamped down harder.

Underwater, the jaguar and the gar twisted in a swirl of gurgling bubbles until Oracle closed his jaws over the back of the fish. Oracle’s teeth struggled through the squirming scales of the beast, who kicked back like an angry, living cowboy boot. But the cat’s teeth prevailed, finding the vertebrae and snapping them as if they were the knobs of a stubborn hackberry branch.

With rivulets flowing from his coat, Oracle emerged from the resaca, dragging the gar behind him, the postmortem meanness of his jaws still locked onto the jaguar’s tail. Oracle looked back at the mangled devil.

Missed Any Excerpts, Go Here

Excerpt One: https://storiesbygina.com/2024/11/06/the-trail-to-the-lonely-tree-epic-book-launch-with-celebrate-lit-publicity/
Excerpt Two: https://musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2024/10/celebrate-lit-presents-trail-to-lonely.html
Excerpt Three:h ttps://www.guildmaster97.com/posts/the-trail-to-the-lonely-tree-epic-book-launch-excerpt/
Excerpt Four: https://blossomsandblessings.blogspot.com/2024/11/trail-to-lonely-tree-by-kurt-mahler.html
Excerpt Six: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/the-trail-to-the-lonely-tree-epic-book-launch/
Excerpt Seven: https://penspagesandpulses.wordpress.com/2024/11/06/the-trail-to-the-lonely-tree-by-kurt-mahler/

About the Author

Kurt Mähler writes in the prophetic and poetic tradition, inspired by the wonder of creation and cultures of the world. He and his wife have served in forty nations as encouragers in the Christian faith, where Kurt discovered the beauty and wisdom of storytelling. His roots include the Gulf Coast, Rio Grande Valley, and Heart of Texas.

About the Book

Book: Suddenly Umemployed –  52 Personal Stories of Hope & Encouragement through Financial Crisis

Author: Rebecca Krusee

Genre: Christian Living – Non-Fiction

Release date: July 12, 2024

Losing your job, home, financial stability, dreams and possibly more can be heartbreaking, lonely and difficult. Immediately, you’re scrambling for answers to questions like “Why me? Where will we live? What’s next?”

Rebecca understands firsthand what it’s like to be stripped of her 15 year management career in Silicon Valley manufacturing when her company outsourced her four departments overseas and, as a result, lost her beloved home among other necessities.

Suddenly Unemployed shares her family of four’s true-to-life personal stories and biblical passages to encourage you through whatever storm you’re facing.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Rebecca Krusee‘s stories appear in Love is a Verb by Gary Chapman, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts as well as other publishing. Rebecca lives in the majestic Santa Cruz Mountains of California where she enjoys spending quality time with her family, taking a leisurely drive along the Pacific Ocean and exploring her community.

 

 

 

 

More from Rebecca

I felt lead to write Suddenly Unemployed – 52 Personal Stories of Hope & Encourgagement through Financial Crisis describing our family’s experience with job loss and financial crisis. I know firsthand not having the concentration needed to read a novel while enduring a crisis. My focus was on the basics necessities of shelter, food and clothing. Hence, I wrote fifty two bite size stories that can be read one per week for a year and split the sixteen year jouney into three distinct sections of entering, navigating and exiting the crisis.

Although this time period was painful, my trust and faith in God along with personal character grew. These qualities helped navigate me through further trials such as a COVID world, California wildland fire, loss of parents, empty nest syndrome and more.

Some people hide their struggles from others. I chose to openly share our story with the hope it will encourage the readers as they read about God’s goodness woven throughout our book. Perhaps they will say to themselves, “If God carried the Krusees through the toughest storme of their lives, maybe He will carry me and my family too.”

Interview with the Author

1)Which chapter was the most difficult to write?

Although many chapters were challenging, I’d say “Losing our Home” was the most difficult. It signified the crescendo of our losses. Also, for me, the home is the heart of a woman as a wife and mother. In addition, it was unnerving, as a planner, that we didn’t know where we were going next.

2)What inspired this book?

I felt the Lord placed on my heart to share our financial crisis to let others in a similar struggle know they are not alone and that God cares for them too.

3)What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

During our financial crisis, I clung to Jeremiah 29:11 as it gave me hope this was only a season. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I’d like my readers to know God has a good plan for their lives as
well.

4)What would you like your readers to get out of this book?

My hope is that my readers will see God’s goodness woven through our story and be encouraged.

5)Why write nonfiction?

I enjoy writing about life’s experiences and my readers can find them in publications such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guidepost and my new
book Suddenly Unemployed.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 8

For the Love of Literature, November 9 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 9

An Author’s Take, November 10

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 11 (Author Interview)

Batya’s Bits, November 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Blossoms and Blessings, November 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 14

Artistic Nobody, November 15 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 16

Stories By Gina, November 17 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 19

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 20 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rebecca is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and the winner’s choice of an eBook or print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5489

About the Book

Book: Jackson’s Fall (Troubles in the West Book Three)

Author: Carole Brown

Genre: Western Romantic Suspense

Release date: August 20, 2024

He’d never fainted in his life. Hardly ever been sick. Never been afraid to tackle wild animals, untamed horses, or men with guns. But…there was his brother Jeremiah. A person so despicable he’d hope to never see him again. And worse, facing the heartless woman, Penelope, who’d betrayed him in front of the whole town—-standing here now just feet away from him with Jeremiah—well, for the first time in his life, he wanted to run. Fast.

Yet, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. There was his job that he loved, and the dreams he’d planned. But most of all, there was a new woman in town. A woman who was kind and sweet and beautiful with a heart of gold. They were friends—good  friends, and neither of them expected anything else.

But can Jackson Barlowe find peace in the good things of his life? Or would the two people who had destroyed his past, ruin his life forever?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of twenty-some, some of which are best selling, award-winning books, she loves to weave suspense, mystery and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She’s also published one children’s book and is in two anthologies. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. She has found that the traveling and ministering has served her well in writing her novels. Together, they enjoy their grandsons and great granddaughter, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grands?

More from Carole

In Jackson’s Fall, the female protagonist, Gabrielle Autumn, and her Grandparents own a bakery in the small town of Roaring Springs. Although I don’t mention this recipe in the book, it is one that I really believe Grandmama Mayfair would have baked and sold in her shop. And, perhaps, would have taught Gabrielle to make also. It’s totally delicious and diverse in that you can use whatever kind of fruit that you wish.

My mother made it often in our house! A perfect dessert for a historical, western setting…and a modern day family meal. I truly hope you enjoy making and eating it at your supper table.

Mountain Pie

1 cup of self rising flour

¾ cup of sugar

1 stick of butter

¾ cup of milk

Fruit Filling

Melt butter in baking dish

Pour batter over butter

Put fruit or pie filling on top of batter

Bake in moderate oven (around 350 degrees), 15-20 minutes

Serve as is or with ice cream.

Interview with the Author

What does success as an author look like to you?
Hmmm. Money, of course, is the usual assumed thought, and granted I like that too, but I think what makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside are readers who love my books. I love getting reviews, but knowing that people love my books whether they review or not, holds a special place in my heart.

Which character did you connect to best in this book?
Hmmm. That’s a hard one, because I loved both Gabrielle and Jackson. If I really have to choose, I will say Jackson. He’s the one who is hurt the most, who has to deal with difficult people and gave up his chosen career. The hurt in his life touches deep within me.

What inspired this book?
When I began the FIRST book, I can’t remember thinking I’d continue with more books. But some of the minor characters had their own stories to tell, and like a true author, I had to buckle down and tell them. That’s one reason why Jackson Barlowe’s story is told in this third book: Jackson’s Fall.

What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?
Oh, my, that’s a difficult question. But I would say one of my favorites is found in Jeremiah Chapter 1, verse 9: Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. I couldn’t do what I do without God’s wisdom,
love and support.

Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.
We live in the country, and I LOVE that! I have a window right beside my large desk, and I often stare out it while thinking. Right now, it’s pouring down the ran. Trees surround us, so I can see them bending and waving in the strong wind. No sun today, but many times I snap pictures of the sun
rising—or setting. Our fish pond deck is just beyond our home, and from my window, I can see a bit of the deck. The sky is cloudy and dark, but I’m pretty sure I see a promise of a brighter day coming.

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, November 2

Vicky Sluiter, November 3 (Author Interview)

Bizwings Book Blog, November 4

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 5 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, November 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 6

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 8

For the Love of Literature, November 9 (Author Interview)

Karen Baney Reviews, November 9

Texas Book-aholic, November 10

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 11 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 12

Blossoms and Blessings, November 13 (Author Interview)

Stories By Gina, November 14 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, November 15 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carole is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift certificate and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5485

About the Book

Book: The Locket’s Revenge (Chronicles of the Undersea Realm Book 2)

Author: L. E. Richmond

Genre: YA Fantasy (Little Mermaid Retelling)

Release date: October 22, 2024

A Trinket Could Unleash a Tempest

Locklyn Adair thought that finding the Sea Enchantress would lift her family’s curse. But the ramifications of her desire for a tail reach further than she could ever have dreamed. Now the entire Undersea Realm is in peril, as Circe, armed with the locket capable of controlling the Loch Ness monster, journeys to the North Sea in pursuit of revenge.

Darin Aalto’s specialty is tracking down treasure. When it looks as though a magical locket has fallen into evil hands, he joins Locklyn and her crew on an expedition to recover it, hoping to find a key to his past identity along the way. Despite having no memory of the Mermaid leading the quest, he wonders if she was more than a friend all along.

As a vengeful enchantress, fiery monster, and impending war threaten the Undersea Realm, Locklyn and Darin must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stop the locket’s revenge.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

L.E. Richmond was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by an American writing teacher and a German bookseller. Her childhood largely consisted of imagining stories for her Playmobil

characters and checking out as many books from the library as would fit on six library cards. Now she spends her time chasing three little Muggles, reading aloud to the hazel-eyed young man who has her heart, and attempting to transfer the stories in her head into words for others. Her passion is for words and stories that thrill the soul, and she is endlessly amazed by the One who not only used words to bring this world into being but also crafted the most epic story of all time.

 

More from L.E.

Somebody is going to die. But they didn’t at first.

Minor spoiler alert, a character is going to die near the end of The Locket’s Revenge. But in my first draft of this story, this person didn’t die. It wasn’t until I was going back through and trying to flesh out the book a bit that I realized that this character needed to die. My family knows that I am a discovery writer, but they still laughed when I told them how so-and-so squeaked through alive on the first draft, but the death sentence came in the second one. To me, this is actually one of the most fun things about being a discovery writer. During the drafting process, I get to experience the story for the first time, just like any reader. Most of the time, I don’t actually know what is going to happen next. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Interview with the Author

1)What does success as an author look like to you?
I have two answers to this question. Firstly, as a Christian, true success will always hinge on following God’s leading in my life and bringing Him glory. I pray that every book I write will point to God and will glorify Him by being the best product of my abilities that I can produce. But I also have ambitions for my career as a writer, and the two big ones at the moment are to win a major award and to make enough money from my writing to contribute significantly to my family.

2)Which character did you connect to best in this book?
Honestly, I connected deeply with Darin in The Locket’s Revenge. I have never had amnesia, but I struggled badly with a clinical anxiety disorder throughout my teen years so the feeling of being at war with your own mind is very familiar to me.

3)What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” ~Psalm 71:17-18

4)What is your vacation spot?
Always the beach. My husband and I spent our honeymoon camping on the Oregon coast, and the ocean holds a huge piece of my heart. It’s surprising that I wrote a book about Mermaids, right?

5)What are you reading right now?
I am reading Deep Work by Cal Newport and Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke. Both are excellent works of nonfiction that dive into how to use technology without letting it become the ruling force in your life.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 31

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 1 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, November 1

Artistic Nobody, November 2 (Spotlight)

Fiction Book Lover, November 3 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 4

A Reader’s Brain , November 5 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, November 6

Simple Harvest Reads, November 7 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 8

Stories By Gina, November 9 (Author Interview)

Min Read and Reviews, November 9

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 10

Holly’s Book Corner, November 11

Guild Master, November 12 (Spotlight)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, November 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, L.E. is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5483

About the Book

Book: A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 8, 2024

When death visits Coronado, will secrets of the past keep them from uncovering the truth?

Her entire life, Eleanore Wainright has been molded to fit the ideal society wife in the glittering world of New York’s elite. Her father’s aspirations for her are clear: marry a man of wealth and status, and secure their family’s future. But when she arrives at the Hotel del Coronado with intentions to do just that, Eleanore’s carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when she comes face to face with Thomas Harding, the man who shattered her heart and disappeared without a trace.

Working as a bellboy at California’s newest and most prestigious resort, Thomas never imagined crossing paths with Eleanore again, let alone amidst the backdrop of a suspicious death.

As the investigation continues and tensions rise, Eleanore and Thomas are forced to confront not only the ghosts of their past but also the secrets that threaten to destroy their future and the futures of those they hold dear. With the eyes of New York’s elite upon them, they must choose between the responsibilities they’re expected to fulfill and the love they’ve always yearned for, risking everything in the process.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Guest Review from Donna

What I think you should know:
A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado by Kathleen Denly is part of the Romance in the Gilded Age Resorts Series. It starts in November 1892 in Coronado, California. This book features Heiress Eleonore Wainright.

What I think about this book:
I have enjoyed every book in this series that I have had the privilege of reading so I was really looking forward to reading this story. Denly created a treat for readers, with a murder mystery within the beautiful surroundings of Coronado. Elenore was such a captivating character, although she has been raised as an heiress she is not content to just be another society wife. Thomas was raised with Elenore, but as a servant. His perspective was very interesting as he shared his hopes and dreams. I felt so bad for Elenore and Thomas, lies had caused both of them heartache. It was very interesting to see this story evolve. I truly enjoyed reading it and look forward to more by the author and in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Kathleen Denly lives in sunny California with her loving husband, four young children, two dogs, and ten cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

 

 

 

More from Kathleen

A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado was inspired first by the true events surrounding the tragic death of a mysterious woman that occurred at Coronado’s world famous hotel in November of 1892, and second by the fun antics of Miss Scarlet in the Masterpiece television show, Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

Although Miss Scarlet is a professional sleuth, I chose to make my heroine, Eleanore Wainright, an amateur sleuth who typically puts her keen observation skills to use when secretly writing her own mystery novels. That is, until an unexpected death compels her to use those skills to uncover the truth. Of course my hero, Thomas Harding, gets wrapped into helping her despite the tension of past heartbreak lying between them.

One of the most fun parts of writing this story was seeing Eleanore’s spunky Aunt Gladys support and encourage her niece. Aunt Gladys has an energy and sassiness that belies her years. And today, her curiosity has got the better of her. You see, Eleanore is being stubborn and won’t reveal the title of her current work in progress, so Aunt Glady is snooping through her niece’s room for clues.

To learn more about the true history behind this story, look for the author’s note at the back of the book!

Blog Stops

Holly’s Book Corner, October 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 29

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 2

Devoted To Hope, November 3

Pause for Tales, November 3

Connie’s History Classroom, November 4

She Lives To Read, November 5

Simple Harvest Reads, November 6 (Guest Review from Donna)

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 7

Stories By Gina, November 8 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 8

Hannahbandanarama, November 9

Cover Lover Book Review, November 10

Blossoms and Blessings, November 11

Bizwings Book Blog, November 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize of an enamel mug, scented candle, A6 journal notebook, ballpoint pen with black ink, and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5481

About the Book

Book: Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown

Author: Xochitl Dixon

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Release date: October 1, 2024

Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, follows a young boy on a joyously affirming adventure that celebrates all shades of brown, from the darkest to the lightest.

From new school desks to freckles and moles, from fresh pastries to cedar canoes, brown is everywhere around us. God created and used brown to color the giant California redwoods, the Grand Canyon walls, busy beavers building dams, great horned owls hoo-hooing, and his image-bearers.

Everywhere that I go
I’m searching to see
something wonderfully, marvelously
brown—just like you and like me!

Illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor Award artist Sara Palacios and written by Xochitl Dixon, Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown takes kids on a tour of the U.S. to seek and find all the brilliant and beautiful shades of brown—from ivory to ebony—that God created. Readers will be encouraged to love the skin tone God chose for them as they observe how the spectacular shades of brown are reflected in their communities and the world around them.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon, author of Waiting for God: Trusting Him for the Answers to Your Prayers, is a regular contributor for Our Daily Bread, the bestselling God Hears Her compilations and blog, and Tyndale’s NLT Go Bible for Kids (September 2024). Equipping readers to grow closer to God while nurturing an authentic loving community, she shares biblical encouragement, celebrates ethnic diversity, and advocates for disability awareness with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, featured in the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Children’s Book Finalist Different Like Me, Diferente como yo, What Color is God’s Love? and Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown.

 

 

More from Xochitl

I’m a first-generation Mexican American raised by Spanish-speaking immigrant grandparents and parents, who taught me to be invisible and believed assimilation would lead to a better life for me. The racism and colorism I experienced throughout my life caused me to grapple with my identity, self-worth, and my sense of belonging. However, I was in third grade the first time I stood against injustice. In my teen years, my passion for celebrating ethnic diversity and standing against injustice while advocating for disability awareness and inclusion grew.

Then, in 1994, I married a man who shared my passions. As a first-generation Mexican American raised by immigrant parents and grandparents, a wife to a Black man, a stepmother to a Black son, and a mother of a biracial son, my commitment to stand against racial injustice became even more personal.

I submitted my life to Christ in 2001 and began asking the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus. That same year, after a student used a racial slur toward our biracial son, I wrote Different Like Me.

As God empowered me to love Him and my neighbors with a healthy and holy perspective, God began to grow our beautifully diverse family. My youngest granddaughter, whose father is Black, shared that kids teased her because she doesn’t look like her sisters, who share the same white father. I assured her that the melanin God uses to color all skin is brown, from the lightest to the darkest shades. Then, I told her that I would be writing Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown.

In 2020, Our Daily Bread published Different Like Me. As I edited What Color is God’s Love? and Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, God continued affirming that He did not create the divisive and oppressive systems that label His image-bearers as “white” or “black” and feed the ignorance of racism or colorism. Instead, He designed melanin to include every spectacular shade of brown from the darkest ebony to the lightest ivory, even in those He created with birth marks, vitiligo, and albinism.

God intentionally selected every skin tone for every person He created and loves, His image-bearers. He calls every shade of brown good, including the shade of brown He used when He created you and me. As we celebrate our God-designed ethnic diversity, we can share the Good News of Jesus Christ as we love God and all our neighbors together.

Interview with the Author

1)What does success as an author look like to you?
Success as a Christ follower, which encompasses every aspect of my life including ministry as a writer and speaker, is fulfilling the Great Commission ̶ sharing the Gospel and making disciples of all nations ̶ while living out the Greatest Commandment ̶ loving God and others.

2)Which part of the book was the most difficult to write?
Researching the brown things, choosing which ones to use for the book, and writing meaningful rhymes were the most challenging things to do, though I enjoyed the process.

3)What inspired this book?
A fellow student told my granddaughter that she couldn’t be related to her sisters because she has a darker skin tone than them. I shared that I had been teased for being too light when I was a child. I explained that God made and uses melanin, which is brown, to design the perfect skin
color for each of his image-bearers. I assured her that every person God made is wonderfully, marvelously brown, from the darkest ebony to the lightest ivory. Then, I promised to write a book that celebrated every spectacular shade of brown God made.

4)What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse? What are you reading right now?
Choosing a favorite Bible verse is difficult because I love God’s whole story. I read through the Bible in a year and study Scripture deeper. I had the pleasure and privilege of writing the Choose to Change features in Tyndale’s NLT Go Bible for Kids. Right now, I’m focused on finishing my
devotional about walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, so I’m reading the Go Bible to study the Holy Spirit and will be using it for the Bible in a year in 2025.

5)If you could have one book or piece of art or music on a deserted island, what would it be and why?
The life-transforming, unerring and unchanging word of God ̶ the Bible.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 29

Lots of Helpers, October 30

Guild Master, October 31 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, November 1

Leslie’s Library Escape, November 1

Texas Book-aholic, November 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 3

Fiction Book Lover, November 4 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 6

A Reader’s Brain, November 7 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, November 8

Labor Not in Vain, November 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Xochitl is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5480/

About the Book

Book: The Time Door

Author: Shannon McDermott

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Release date: October 8, 2024

A reckless last mission on Mars, a crusade for justice on Earth …

Reuben Jackson is the only one who still cares about Mars. In the shambles of the Great Collapse, Earth has abandoned the Mars explorers to their fate. But Reuben will make a stand for the Mars team—even against the powerfully united politicians and scientists.

In too deep, he discovers hidden conspiracies and unexpected allies.

As the conflict mounts on Earth, time runs down on Mars. Left to face Mars alone, Commander Donegan Moynihan and his team have no hope of surviving after their supplies are gone. Willing to accept a quicker death than starvation, the explorers strike out on a dangerous mission. They venture deep inside the ancient volcano of Arsia Mons, into perils and secrets long buried. What they discover would move mountains on Earth—but will it be enough to save themselves?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Shannon McDermott is an author of science fiction and has been occupied for years with constructing scenarios of the colonization of Mars. Always a fan of the genre, she reviews Christian speculative fiction with Lorehaven. Her interests include history, classic

literature, and lattes. She lives in the great Midwest, where she does her best to avoid icy weather, sweltering heat, and tornadoes, according to the season.

 

 

 

More from Shannon

There is a story of an abandoned space colony. Still young, still unsteady, and suddenly cut off from the mother planet—the colony will either learn fast to survive alone, or it will die altogether.

The story has been told again and again, a thousand variations on the old theme. When I was getting acquainted with it, through battered paperbacks and anthologies gathered from the old “scientifiction” magazines, I noticed that the colonies were usually abandoned because of a space plague, or aliens, or interplanetary war.

Exotic, exciting problems, the stuff of science fiction. But I had a thought: What if the reason for abandoning a space colony were a bit prosaic? What if there was just no more money?

The national debt is very much a thing (and an ever-growing thing, at an ever-increasing rate). We would be in trouble if that debt were ever called, or even if no more could be contracted. If it suddenly became time to pay the piper, if the money running off the press was no longer good enough—America couldn’t afford to support a colony on Mars. And we would have too many problems of our own to care very much about theirs.

A classic sci-fi story with a modern twist, something fantastic mixed with something prosaic. I liked it.

As I set to work on the idea, I soon made another variation to the theme. The abandoned colony did not take the whole stage. I gave equal space to those who had abandoned it. Good or bad, they had their reasons; they had their story, too. And as I began to write it, I realized that both stories were about survival. The struggle over whether they survived, and how, and what they would become on the other side.

These ideas grew into The Time Door—two parallel stories, separated by the distance between Mars and Earth, and yet united in the end. Whether abandoned on Mars, or caught in the collapse on Earth, they all need a way out; they all need to find a door.

Interview with the Author

1)What does success as an author look like to you?

Finding my niche in the huge world of books, both in terms of writing and of being read. I want to write the best books that I can, and reach those readers who will enjoy them. It’s not a matter of competition—which is good for me, because there are certainly better authors. It’s a matter of finding one’s own place and doing one’s own work.

I have to add, though—I would be flattered if people made fanart based on my books. I would have to take that as a sign of success, too.

2)Which character did you connect to best in this book?

My favorite character is Manasseh Cruz. He was always fun to write because he has so much boldness and conviction, and yet a strong sense of his own failings. Even a sense of shame. The complexity of that gave me a lot to work with.

3)What inspired this book?

Too much classic science-fiction. The premise of the novel is that the first explorers were marooned on Mars because Earth ran out of funds—the classic sci-fi trope of an abandoned space colony mixed with something modern, even a little banal.

4)What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

“ ‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

5)If you could have one book or piece of art or music on a deserted island, what would it be and why?

My first thought is the Bible, because I would definitely be in need of spiritual sustenance. After that, I would choose How to Survive on a Deserted Island. Because I know nothing.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 17

Blossoms and Blessings, October 18 (Author Interview)

Wishful Endings, October 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 19

The Lofty Pages, October 20

Artistic Nobody, October 21 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 22

Guild Master, October 23 (Spotlight)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 24

Blogging With Carol, October 25

A Reader’s Brain, October 26 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, October 27 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, October 27

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 29

Lily’s Corner, October 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5470/

About the Book

Book: Mabel Goes to the Dogs

Author: Susan Kimmel Wright

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Release date: June 5, 2022

When Mabel finds herself sharing a thicket with a dead body while volunteering with canine search-and-rescue, her life has clearly once again gone to the dogs!

After losing her job at age forty-nine, Mabel thought she’d turned things around. Now, she’s doing good by volunteering and, surely, she’ll soon be a successful author, writing about her experiences. After solving two notorious, decades-old cold cases while serving as a historical society volunteer, she’s already getting invitations to appear on TV.

Her new assignment couldn’t be simpler. All she has to do is hide in the woods and let Millie the search dog practice finding her. But to her horror, Millie finds more than Mabel–there’s a dead body hiding in the same patch of brush. To make matters worse, Mabel’s maybe-boyfriend, suspended PI John Bigelow, has a dark history with the victim.

While struggling with maid-of-honor duties for best friend Lisa, a string of disasters created by handyman Acey, and a disagreeable new neighbor, can Mabel solve another murder in time to save John’s detective license–if not his neck?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Susan Kimmel Wright began her life of mystery in childhood, with reading. That led to writing kids’ mysteries and eventually to Medicine Spring with Mabel. A longtime member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, Susan’s also a prolific writer of personal experience stories, many for Chicken Soup for the Soul. She shares an 1875 farmhouse in southwestern PA with her husband, several dogs and cats, and an allegedly excessive stockpile of coffee and tea mugs.

More from Susan

I got stuck. When I was outlining my story for Mabel Goes to the Dogs, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. This isn’t unusual for me, or, I’m sure, many other authors. When it happens, I have to go search for inspiration—or at least, step away from my project for a bit and do something else till a fresh idea lands in my brain.

Luckily, I soon stumbled upon the Empty Frames podcast, which explored what was, at that time at least, the single largest property theft in the world—the 1990 art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Thieves impersonating police subdued the guards and over the course of the next eighty-one minutes methodically removed thirteen pieces of art then estimated at $200 million. That dollar valuation quickly escalated to between $500-600 million. The stolen artwork including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet, was never recovered and remains the highest-value museum robbery in history.

The museum has offered a $10 million reward and never stopped trying to find its missing art. Thirty-four years later, empty picture frames still occupy the walls where the irreplaceable, stolen paintings once hung.

The story was engrossing, and I soon started down a rabbit hole, learning more about art theft and art-theft detectives, such as Charley Hill, the subject of the book The Rescue Artist. Sadly, it’s been estimated that nine out of ten stolen artworks will never be recovered. But Hill defied the odds in managing to retrieve Edvard Munch’s famous work, The Scream, brazenly stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway on the eve of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. The Rescue Artist tells the story of the theft, as well as Hill’s wild quest to locate and retrieve The Scream.

After I resurfaced from my own odyssey through Empty Frames and The Rescue Artist, I felt re-energized and ready to write again. Every time I write a book, I learn new things, which I like to share with my readers. I always hope they’ll find them as fascinating as I do!

Interview with the Author

1. What does success look like to you as a writer?

I used to look at great literary authors like Louisa May Alcott whose work became classics—or mystery authors who’d be revered forever and influence generations after them, like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. And that most certainly was the sort of lofty perch I aspired to. At least, I dreamed my books would become bestsellers and win awards. But I can honestly say, I no longer aspire to any of that and haven’t in a very long time. My reward is the readers who say they see themselves in Mabel, or tell me they were reading in bed and started laughing so hard they woke their husbands up. I would never trade my precious readers who say my books helped get them through chemo or a family crisis, or are even rereading the whole series for the third time(!). No prestigious award or number one bestseller could ever mean as much to me.

2. Which character did you connect to best in this book?

Like so many of my readers, I see a lot of myself in Mabel, especially her imperfection and insecurities. It’s been wonderful to see her grow as the series has continued.

3. Which author inspired you the most?

I started writing as a child, and when I was sixteen, I read Writing Juvenile Fiction by Phyllis A Whitney. It is a wonderful writing text, especially the parts about professional attitude, persistence, and hard work. I truly believe I might never have hung on through the years if I hadn’t had her encouraging words in my head. Though Whitney was a many-times bestseller and Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster, that little textbook is my favorite of all her works. I wrote to tell her so after I published my first novel in 1992, when she was about 90, and she wrote a long letter back to me, clearly typed on a manual typewriter!

4. What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 Berean Standard)

5. Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.

I like to write in different places, but my favorite is the living room of my childhood home in the Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania. My brother and I have kept the little house my dad built after the war, and it’s where my creativity was born, so it always feels special to write there. This time of year, I look out on huge old oaks, maples, and hemlocks. Great cinnamon ferns and lacy hay- scented fern carpet the woods floor in green waves, punctuated by boulders and goldenrod. Squirrels leap across the grass, rustling the fallen red and gold leaves as they gather acorns, and descendants of the birds my mother so loved fly up to perch on the wires and peer in at me.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 26

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 27

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 30

Artistic Nobody, October 31 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, October 31

She Lives To Read, November 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 2

Guild Master, November 3 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 4

Holly’s Book Corner, November 5

Fiction Book Lover, November 6 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 7

Vicky Sluiter, November 8 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5478/

About the Book

Book: Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice

Author: Cecil Taylor

Genre: Parenting/Family, more specifically Christian Parenting

Release date: September 17, 2024

Singing in unison is when all voices sing the same note, at the same time, to emphasize the text. Similarly, families need to parent in unison to emphasize the message they want to send to their children.

Cecil Taylor uses his personal parenting experience, and those of the families he’s taught and ministered to over decades, to create unique foundational strategies for unison parenting within a Christian context. Learn how to stay on the same page throughout the trials of parenting, provide children with a solid faith foundation, and balance loving nature with firm boundaries to create a warm, stable environment where the child and parent can eventually collaborate to bring the child to full, responsible adulthood.

Whether in a traditional or nontraditional family structure, Unison Parenting leads parents through the ages and stages of childhood into mature adulthood. Additionally, Cecil lays out parenting fundamentals to manage your child’s growing need for independence during their teen years, while gradually building trust through incremental decision-making.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

With more than 30 years’ experience as an adult Sunday School teacher and as many in youth ministry, Cecil Taylor has impacted lives in local churches throughout his adult life. He founded Cecil Taylor Ministries to broaden that impact, teaching Christians to live a 7-day practical faith through books, video studies, and speaking engagements. His ministry is cross-denominational, focused on the common struggle Christians face in putting their faith into practice and applying scripture and faith principles to life situations.

Cecil has written three previous books, all of which have been awarded across international, national, and regional contests. For each book, Cecil has created a study guide, a video study, and downloadable free leader guides.

 

More from Cecil

Would you like to know the surefire, guaranteed way to get your teen to open up and talk to you? You’ll find it in my new book, Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice.

Unison Parenting is the culmination of my fifteen years leading parenting classes in my church, my thirty years of youth ministry, and my raising of three children (one adopted) to adulthood. I taught and tested the parenting advice with seven hundred families that attended my classes, so I am convinced the structure and tips you’ll find in the book are well-proven.

One of those tips is how to get your teen to talk to you. I have never had anyone return to me to say that the technique doesn’t work; in fact, they laughingly complain that the technique works too well, and they can’t get their teen to stop talking!

An overarching theme of the book is, of course, getting and staying in unison as parents, but not only as parents – as a family. Another way to put it is a spirit of collaboration. You begin building this collaboration when the children are young, and as they grow, you expand the collaboration to partner with them on the common goal of helping them become mature adults who make good decisions.

I can tell you from experience that the collaborating spirit of such a family continues into adulthood, fostering solid on-going relationships and a desire for family community, even across distance.

This is not to say that my wife and I were perfect, nor that our children were perfect. We all made regrettable mistakes along the way. Our learnings, plus the positive and negative experiences of families I encountered over decades, will help you avoid pitfalls as you create a unison atmosphere among parenting partners and with your children.

Interview with the Author

What does success as an author look like to you?
Let me start with versions of success that aren’t as meaningful. Having a New York Times bestseller, becoming famous enough to be on talk shows, those kinds of things. My success is simply getting the message out to as many people as possible. I write Christian-based non-fiction, so I have a mission to help others. I can’t get too caught up in the numbers, because sometimes, the one person who reads it and is helped is the special one I wanted to reach. But I definitely would like to have a lot of special ones.

What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?
Most of my favorite verses revolve around dealing with stress and anxiety, such as Philippians 4:4-7. But these days, my favorite verse is 2 Chronicles 20:12, which in part reads, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” That is the internal slogan for my ministry, written on a sticky note and taped to the wall over my laptop: “I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” I say that to God quite frequently.

What would you like your readers to get out of this book?
First, I would hope parents would come away with a sense of optimism that it is possible to parent in a well-conceived, consistent, loving but firm way that matures children into great adults. To that end, I also would like them to learn supporting strategies and tactics. Also, I would like them to be able to co-parent in unison, staying on the same page for the sake of the child.

Which chapter was the most difficult to write?
The first chapter in the Teen section is Collaborative Parenting. Its premise is that when you have those four high school years to grow a child into an adult, you can collaborate with the teen in a new way. It doesn’t have to be contentious; there is another way built on teamwork and mutual respect. The basics of the concept are not hard to understand.
However, the practice is more difficult. Some techniques in that chapter come from research into interpersonal communications. Some, which I used as a parent, actually come from human resource management in the business realm, techniques that allow you to analyze the child’s readiness to move to new stages of growth.

These techniques can be a little complicated. So the challenge was to make them as simple, understandable, and executable as possible. Hopefully I succeeded so that others can put these useful techniques into practice.

What is your most well-loved and well-used house appliance?

Oh, the air fryer! Our lives changed for the better when we purchased an air fryer. Dinner is so much simpler now, not to mention healthier. I’d get rid of my oven altogether if I didn’t need it for broiling and for baking desserts.

Blog Stops

Lots of Helpers, October 23

Simple Harvest Reads, October 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Artistic Nobody, October 25 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, October 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 27

Fiction Book Lover, October 28 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, October 29 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 30 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 31

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 1 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 2

Blossoms and Blessings, November 3 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, November 4 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 5 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Cecil is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5475/