Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Interview and Giveaway with Deborah Malone by Deborah Malone

It's time for an interview with one of my favorite writer's - moi'.  If you leave a comment telling me your definition of a cozy mystery and are a follower of this site then you could be the winner of your choice of one of my books "Death in Dahlonega" or "Murder in Marietta."


 

Can you give us a sneak peek at your new release “Murder in Marietta?”

     Trixie and Dee Dee head off to Marietta, Georgia for another assignment. They visit the Marietta History Museum where they spend the night to see if they can sight the resident ghosts. Sometime during the night a murder takes place in the museum and the director, Doc Pennington, is put on the suspect list. He asks Trixie and Dee Dee to help him find the real killer. Nana takes a larger role in this book and she won’t disappoint you with her antics.  All of this together makes a recipe for murder and mayhem.

Update:  My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out in December.

 

What inspired this book?

     I’ve always loved to read so I think it was natural that I’d transition into writing. Mysteries have been my genre of choice since I was a young girl and loved to read Nancy Drew.  Cozy mysteries are one of my favorites and Ann George has been a big influence on my writing. As for writing Christian Fiction – Margaret Daley’s books were a big influence.

 

How did you know you were called to write?

     I’ve always wanted to write, but while I was writing my manuscript I wrote it as a secular book. While I was writing it I was thinking I’d like to write it in a manner that wouldn’t be offensive. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as “Christian fiction.” I had finished the manuscript when I read one of Margaret Daley’s books and went to her website where I ‘discovered’ Christian fiction. I couldn’t get enough. I joined ACFW and began to study how other writers wrote their books. I went back and rewrote my manuscript as Christian fiction.

 

 

Are you a panster or do you outline?

     I’m definitely a panster. I have a general outline on how I want the manuscript to progress, but that’s it. Then I might do a general outline for each chapter, but none of it is done in detail. Now after I’ve written a chapter I will go in Microsoft One Note and detail the chapter so I can keep up with my characters, timeline, setting, etc.

 

How long have you been writing?

     I started writing seriously in 2001 when I started writing for “Georgia Backroads” a historical magazine. I am still writing for them. I started on my book in 2002, but life got in the way and so I came back to it around 2009/10.

 

Tell us something silly about you.

     My friends and family could probably answer this better than me. The one thing I can think about is that I love to sing – but I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. So I sing in the car with the windows rolled up and the radio/CD’s going to cover up my singing.

 

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

     There aren’t any deep messages in “Murder in Marietta, but there is a theme of forgiveness and faith. For the most part I hope I make someone laugh and take them away from the stresses of real life for just a while. I want them to have some laugh out loud moments

 

What is your favorite season?

     Spring

 

What project are you currently working on?

     My third book in the Trixie Montgomery series “Terror on Tybee Island” should be out the first of December. Trixie and Dee Dee along with Nana and Trixie’s mama Betty Jo have gone to Savannah/Tybee Island, Georgia for a vacation. Of course they are going to have to help someone find a killer. My next book in the series is “Chilled in Chattanooga.”

 

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

     I don’t think I can list just oneJ  Learning the craft/rules of writing was a big curve for me. Then there is the editing. Then there is submitting to publishers. And then when you are finally published you think you are home free – not! Then there is the marketing. It seems there are always new challenges to learn in writing and publishing a book.

 

What is your favorite color?

     Blue

 

What is a fond childhood memory?

     I have many fond memories, but one that stands out is when my grandmother bought me a horse. My parents weren’t able to afford one so she chipped in to help and one Christmas they surprised me. Boy was I surprised.

 

What book are you currently reading?

     I just finished “Honored Redeemed” by Loree Lough.

 

Links for books: www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

 

Links where you can find Deborah:





 


 
: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association as well as Advanced Writer’s and Speakers Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.  
 
 



 

 

 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Interview and E-book Giveaway with Karla Akins


by Jeff Reynolds

WE HAVE A WINNER!
CONGRATULATIONS  TO JACKIE LAYTON!


For those who are unaware, October is Pastor Appreciation Month. So it's fitting that my October author interview is with a pastor's wife. It's my privilege to have Karla Akins, who's a fellow member of the ACFW Indiana Chapter and like myself a contributor to the Hoosier Ink blog (http://hoosierink.blogspot.com). If her name sounds familiar, it's because she posts on this blog as well, and I believe she won a recent giveaway I hosted.

Speaking of giveaways, we'll be giving away an e-book copy of her latest release, The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots. Karla mentioned that it belongs more to the genre of contemporary fiction, but that there is a mystery in it. Rules for the giveaway are below.

Jeff Reynolds:  Welcome to Sleuths and Suspects -- as a guest, that is. How did you get started writing?

Karla Akins:  Thanks for having me, Jeff!

I started writing when I was very young. By fifth grade I'd written so many poems that my teacher had me make books for them by creating covers and tying them together with yarn. I also wrote lots of plays and my friends and  I were allowed to perform them for the Kindergarten classes. I won several district-wide essay contests in grade school. In Junior High I won a contest on the radio for a poem I wrote to win my dad a tie for Father's Day. In high school I wrote a three-act musical and my drama teacher took us to NYC to perform it. I also won a contest and was printed in a Sunday School take home paper. 

 JR:  Could you tell us about your current release? How was this story inspired?

KA:  The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots is fiction and while the pastor's wife in the book isn't very much like me, some of the events in the book are based loosely on actual moments in my own life. 


JR:  Is is the first book you've written? If not, what else have you released, both fiction and non-fiction?

KA: The first full-length book I wrote was a collection of biographies of prominent people in Canadian History, O Canada Her Story. I was asked to write this book by the publishing company that had published some of my stories in compilations in the past.  I'm under contract to write a series of interactive ebooks: Brave Explorers Every Child Should Know. So far I've released Jacques Cartier and Sacagawea. I'm currently writing Marco Polo.

JR:  Like the title character, you're a pastor's wife. Could you tell us about how you and your husband met? Did you become a pastor's wife by choice (knowing his calling before saying I do), or did he become your husband first and was called to preach later? And do you have any children?
KA: My husband and I were introduced by a neighbor of mine. I lived in a quaint Victorian apartment building and across the hall was a newly-converted drug dealer. He insisted I meet my husband and sort of kidnapped me one night, sat me down in a chair and made my husband sing to me. I was so embarrassed. But we stayed up all night that night talking about the Lord and what we wanted to do with our lives for the Lord. I had dedicated my life to full-time Christian service at the age of 17, so I always knew I'd be in the ministry of some kind. My husband, Eddie, felt a call on his life, too. We have five children: his daughter, our sons, and adopted twin sons.


JR:  You wrote an excellent blog pointing out the need to encourage our pastors during clergy appreciation month and suggestions how to do that with your writing. Allow me to share the link: http://www.hoosierink.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-can-your-writing-bless-your-pastor.html What are the pluses and minuses of being a PW? (Or is being a pastor's wife similar to being a POW?) 
KA: As with any job there are downfalls. For me the hardest part is living in a fishbowl, having to weigh every single thing we do, say, or buy. Someone always feels they have the right to express their opinion about how we live or do things. The benefits of being a pastor's wife is the privilege of serving Jesus and being in the center of God's will. And I've met so many fascinating people.

JR:  From one picture I've seen with you, being a Pastor's wife isn't the only thing you have in common with your title character, correct? How do others respond to this hobby?
KA: I'm blessed because our church doesn't judge me for riding my own motorcycle. My husband rides a Harley but I have a Suzuki Intruder. I'd love to have a Harley but they are out of my price range. My husband is tempted to sell his Harley for financial reasons (to pay some bills) but I won't let him. He's always wanted one and waited a long time to get one. We'll sell my bike before I'll let him sell his. Our church enjoys riding as a group. A lot of people ride motorcycles now, so it's not seen as being odd so much anymore. However, I'm the only female rider in our church. 

JR:  How do you balance your time between your responsibilities as pastor's wife, mother, writer, and motorcyclist?

KA: It's not easy. From the moment I open my eyes until I lay my head down at night I'm working. I do start my day with Bible study and prayer and I ask the Lord all day long what to do next, and to help me keep my priorities. But like anyone, I do fail at time management at times. One of my faults is that I don't sleep as much as I should. I'm trying to learn that God works while I sleep. I'm doing better, but I've got a ways to go when it comes to resting.


JR:  You've had the honor of attending the ACFW conference. Of course, I'd like to hear how it helped your writing, but I'm even more interested in your impressions through Pastor's Wife's glasses: How is it impacting your ministry at your church?


KA: Currently, I'm actually facing a little bit of a struggle in that area. There are folks at church who don't think I should spend as much time as I do with my writing, that my focus should be more on the church. They haven't learned yet that this is an outreach of their church, too, not just my own. We need prayer in that area. But there are others who are extremely supportive and love my book. 
ACFW Conference was amazing. I met so many fascinating people. I learned tons and for awhile after conference I felt a bit overwhelmed because I realized how much there is to learn and how much my writing needs to improve. It froze me up for a little while until I just made myself sit down and write. My favorite part of the conference was volunteering. I got to meet so many wonderful people that way. It was a blast. 

JR:  From your perspective as a Pastor's wife, what are your greatest burdens and concerns for people in the 21st Century United States? How is this impacting your writing.
KA: What a great question. My greatest burden and concern are for people ages 18-29.  At our church most of the children who attend our church do not have parents attending with them. Only 33% of this age group attend church once a week in the U.S. today. This is the age group raising children. I have such a burden for children, youth and young adults.

I want to reach imperfect people who have "pasts." My current work in progress, River Moon Don't Cry, is about a young woman who is thrown into circumstances out of her control. She develops a past but grace wins in the end. I'm compelled to write about grace as never before. Also, I have a pretty strong message in my works about not judging others, but accepting them regardless of their outward feebleness. Just because your sins don't show, doesn't mean you don't struggle with sin as much as someone who gets caught in their mistakes. Grace is an incredibly important message for me to write.

JR:  Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a blessed day. Any web-pages you want to pass along so we can keep up with what's new with you?

KA:
Jeff, thanks so very much for this honor! People can catch up with me on my website/blog: http://karlaakins.com/blog. I follow back on Facebook and twitter, too! I'd love to have them sign up for my newsletter. I usually try to include a recipe or freebie in them. 

Jeff, back to the readers: As I mentioned we're having a giveaway. Please note the three rules for the giveaway:

  1. You need to leave a comment. Without knowing who you are, it's hard to draw your name.
  2. You need to leave your e-mail. Just as important. Without it, we can't notify you. And yes, to prevent spam, you can write it as youknowwho (at) privacyinvader (dot) gov.
  3. Since this is Pastor appreciation month, I want you to brag about your pastor/priest/etc. What have they done this year to serve the cause of Christ?

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Liz Johnson author of Seal Under Seige


I'm so excited to welcome my new friend, Liz Johnson, to Sleuths and Suspects. It's book two in the Men of Valor series.

Liz was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.




Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Seal Under Siege?

The basic seed for my latest book, SEAL Under Siege, was planted many years
ago when I heard Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer speak at a Women of Faith
conference. They shared about their captivity in a Middle Eastern prison.
They'd been missionaries in Afghanistan. Thrown into prison for teaching
Christianity. And ultimately rescued by US Special Forces. I was enamored
with their story from the moment I first heard it. What strength and
conviction it must have taken to survive months inside that prison. Months
without the ability to communicate with family. Months without hope.

And yet they did have hope. In fact, they called their book, which tells of
their captivity, Prisoners of Hope.

For years I wondered what it would be like to be in a prison and see a team
of SEALs come to the rescue. That wondering led to the first chapter of SEAL
Under Siege, where Tristan rescues Staci from a Middle East prison. That was
the seed, but the adventure that follows, well, that's all fictional.


Are you related to any Seals? How did you research for this story?

I am not related to any SEALs. At least not that I know of. :) But I've been
curious about Navy SEALs for years, reading all sorts of books, watching
documentaries, and devouring news stories about them. To prepare to write
SEAL Under Siege and its predecessor, A Promise to Protect, I read several
biographies of SEALs including Lone Survivor and Fearless. I'm fascinated by
the kind of man it takes to serve our country in this capacity. Fiercely
loyal, bound by honor, and a never-say-quit attitude.


What spiritual takeaway do you hope the reader gets?

As I started writing this book, I was asking myself a lot of questions about
what it means to be whole. Spiritually. Emotionally. And out of that came
the character of Staci, who battles with feeling unworthy, broken, useless
because of something in her past. What makes a woman or a man whole? Who
makes them whole? That's the question I wrestled with, and it's one I hope
readers will consider as they read SEAL Under Siege. Ultimately, I hope
they're reminded that God makes us whole and sets us free from the prisons
we often set up for ourselves.

Liz, thanks for joining us today.



Bio:
By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager for a Christian publisher. She
finds time to write late at night and is a two-time ACFW Carol Award
finalist. Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys theater,
exploring local music, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her
nieces and nephews. She loves stories of true love with happy endings and
blogs about her adventures in writing at www.LizJohnsonBooks.com. Follow her
online at Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks or Twitter.com/LizJohnsonBooks.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Interview with Heather Gilbert

Recently, I interviewed author Heather Gilbert about her upcoming Viking novel, God's Daughter, which is set for release in ebook format on November 1, 2013.  

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

I've been a novel writer for five and a half years and agented about five of those years. I've completed a paranormal (Speculative fiction) novel, a Viking historical, and a Contemporary Appalachian Mystery. So...quite the gamut. The Mystery is out on submission, but in the meantime, I've decided to self-publish my Viking historical. 

Viking woman shown holding a sword on cover of God's Daughter, by Heather Gilbert

GOD'S DAUGHTER BLURB

One Viking woman. One God. One legendary journey to the New World.

In the tenth century, when pagan holy women rule the Viking lands, Gudrid turns her back on her training as a seeress to embrace Christianity. Clinging to her faith, she joins her husband, Finn, on a voyage to North America.

But even as Gudrid faces down murderous crewmen, raging sickness, and hostile natives, she realizes her greatest enemy is herself--and the secrets she hides might just tear her marriage apart.

Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God's Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir--daughter-in-law of Eirik the Red, and the first documented European woman to have a child in North America


WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO WRITE A VIKING NOVEL?

It's the one time period I can't get enough of. From the time I was little, my Grandma told me how we were related to Eirik the Red and Leif Eiriksson...my maiden name would've been Thorvaldsen if my Great-Grandpa hadn't changed it when he came to America from Norway. I bought the huge book, The Sagas of Icelanders, and I was hooked. I was especially intrigued by the stories of the Vikings (such as Leif) who came to the new world, long before Columbus. Once I read about Gudrid, a Christian Viking woman who was beautiful and wise, I knew I had my story.

I’VE HEARD YOUR NOVEL INCLUDES TOUGH TOPICS. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF THEM AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO INCLUDE THEM?

Yes. I feel strongly that traditional marriage is under attack today, and sometimes it seems the church is unwilling to address topics like lust, especially when the wife is the one struggling. As I imagined Gudrid's life, I realized here was this drop-dead gorgeous woman and she was stuck in a camp in the new world with all kinds of men. How do you deal with that? Also, in my novel, her husband is the leader, and he has to travel. Gudrid already has abandonment issues because her mother was killed when she was a child. What kind of depression would that throw her into...and who might come alongside to fill the gap her husband left? Those are the kinds of questions I had to ask myself.

I felt I should deal with topics the Bible deals with, and we all know that it deals with lust (Bathsheba, Tamar, etc.). I wanted to handle it in a similar way and speak to wives who might be silently struggling with thoughts they can't control.

WHAT IS THE THEME OF THE NOVEL?

One of the primary themes showing readers that Vikings were human and struggled with the same issues we do. They had families to protect and dreams to follow. They used tweezers and other personal hygiene items and weren't stupid about healing techniques. I'm so tired of people in history being portrayed as half-stupid Neanderthals. Humans have always been smart, from the beginning of time, and therefore would try to take care of themselves and those they love.

Along those lines, I wanted to bring to light the documented fact that Christianity was good for the Vikings. It was their pagan practices that were inhumane. I'm also tired of reading historicals in which paganism is elevated and revered, such as The Mists of Avalon. I consider my book a sort of reverse-Mists.

WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE READERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE STORY?

Again, that Vikings were human. That marriage is worth fighting for, even when you don't entirely understand your spouse, or when the grass might seem greener on the other side. That even before Christians had the Bible in hand, they knew right from wrong.

WHAT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU LEARNED WHILE CONDUCTING RESEARCH FOR THIS NOVEL?

Hard question! I've been encouraged by continuing archeological discoveries reinforcing that the sagas could have been true...even down to some (Canadian) Native Americans at that time having pale skin and red hair. I thought it was amazing that Gudrid took a very strong stand for Christianity, and that the sagas recorded it. I loved researching the possibility of Vikings using mushrooms to go berserk. But the most spectacular fact, the one that negated history I'd learned as a child, is that the first documented European baby born in North America was not Virginia Dare in the colonies, but Snorri, Gudrid's baby boy.

YOU CALL YOURSELF A HYBRID AUTHOR. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS?

Gladly. When I use that term, I mean an author who is using multiple methods to get his/her stories into readers' hands. For example, I am self-publishing this Viking historical, and yet I have an agent and my Mystery is out with traditional publishers. Hopefully, at some point, I will be both traditionally and self-published.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME WHEN YOU ARE NOT WRITING?

Ha! Good question. Lately I've wondered if I have any other hobbies. I homeschool, so that keeps me busy during the school year. But between mommying, writing/editing, blogging, marketing, and teaching my kiddos, I have few hobbies. For fun, I do enjoy puttering in my flowerbeds and hanging out in the great outdoors with my dog (she's the one I imagined when writing the wolf scenes in my novel...I'll include a picture at the end of the both of us).

HOW MAY READERS CONTACT YOU?

Pinterest (lots of pics from my book inspirations!)

Author Bio:
Heather enjoys writing stories about authentic, believable marriages. Sixteen years of marriage to her sweet Yankee husband have given her some perspective, as well as ten years spent homeschooling her three children. Heather is the ACFW West Virginia Area Coordinator.

Heather Gilbert and her dog


Monday, October 7, 2013

Interview with Michael Webb

AUTHOR BIO:

Michael J. Webb graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida and obtained his J. D. from the same university.  Over the past forty years he has travelled the world in search of adventure.

He is a history buff, both ancient and modern, and is fascinated by the intersection of the scientific, supernatural, and Biblical world views, and has studied and taught from the Bible extensively for more than twenty-five years. He is also intrigued by recent discoveries in quantum physics that are now providing extraordinary insights into the reality of the spirit realm, especially as it relates to the study of Light.  He incorporates all of the above into his supernatural thrillers.

Michael and his wife make their home in North Carolina.  

Michael Webb

          
Books by Michael:  
The Master’s Quilt, The Nephilim Parchments, The Song of the Seraphim (Giants in the Earth trilogy), The Oldest Enemy, Infernal Gates.  He is currently working on Devil’s Cauldron, the sequel to Infernal Gates.  He also authored a non-fiction work entitled In the Cleft of the Rock: Insights into the Blood of Jesus, Resurrection Power, and Saving the Soul.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START WRITING?  

            I began brainstorming about becoming an author in my mother’s womb. As a child, I loved to make up and tell fanciful, exciting stories, or act them out.  A couple of the kids I grew up with formed a neighborhood drama company and we put on plays.  The first one was about kings and queens and dragons and mythical characters, inspired by the ‘60’s Sinbad movies.  I wrote the stories. Later, I switched to poetry in high school and the first couple of years of college, hoping to catch the ear of a fair maiden, then tried my hand at short stories. 
I soon realized that the stories I wanted to tell wouldn’t fit into either of those molds. 
I started thinking about writing novels as a career in my late twenties, but didn’t begin working at the craft regularly until 1984.  I spent the next six years researching and writing a novel that was longer than Moby Dick, War and Peace, or Atlas Shrugged.  When I finished it, I proudly sent it off to an agent and received an eight page, single-spaced, typed rejection letter.  I had to pay this NY Agent a fee to read the darn thing, so the rejection letter cost me a little less than $100/page.  Anyway, that attempt at “The Great American Novel” eventually became a trilogy.  The first two books were published as paperbacks in the early ‘90’s.  Then, my editor left the publishing house, and the new editor wasn’t a fan of trilogies, or my work. So, I got one of those “don’t call us, we’ll call you letters,” and my novel went into the writers “black hole” for twenty years.
I kept writing--and kept getting more rejection letters.
Then, in August 2011 I entered a contest sponsored by Risen Books and submitted a novel I'd written in 1998-1999.  Much to my surprise, it won and The Oldest Enemy was published in October 2012!  I’d worked hard for a couple of years trying to get agents and publishers interested in the fast-paced supernatural thriller, to no avail. It had been hidden away in a drawer, gathering dust, until the contest. Interestingly, many of the exciting events portrayed in are now unfolding on the world stage, especially in the Middle East.
Suddenly, I’d found a way out of the black hole!  I’ve just released Infernal Gates and intend to release a new suspense thriller each year.
I’ve never gave up the dream of seeing the three novels I’d written way back in the 1980’s published in their entirety. I’m very happy to report that I released the complete Giants in the Earth trilogy as E-books on Amazon.com in April of this year. 
Just goes to show that timing is everything!
Oh, by the way, I still have the rejection letter, and no, I didn’t frame it.
Too long—just like my first attempt at a novel!

WHAT AUTHORS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

            Hemingway, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, James Rollins, Daniel Silva, Frank Peretti, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Phillip K. Dick, James Byron Huggins, and J.R.R. Tolkien, not in any particular order. 

WHAT DOES YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE?

            Chaotic!
            I write when I can, mostly at night and on the weekends.  I have to set aside blocks of time, because when I go into my office and start writing I get “lost” in the process.  Hours pass and seem like only minutes.  I see all my books as movies, and I simply transcribe what my characters say and do. It’s really quite interesting and a heck of a lot of fun—most of the time.  I do suffer occasionally from “writer’s block,” but I have a proven strategy to overcome it rapidly.  I lay down, close my eyes, and pray.  Usually, within a short period of time, scenes and dialogue start scrolling through my head once again.  Rarely, I have to walk away for a day or two and come back to the story.  I spend a lot of time in my day job travelling by car to appointments, and I occasionally use some of the time to develop scenes in my head.  Scenes also come to me at the gym, while I’m shaving, watching a movie—well, you get the idea.
            I write by the seat-of-my-pants. I typically start a novel with a vivid opening, an idea of two or three key scenes I want included, and a very rough idea of where I want to end up.  After that, I just start writing and God does the rest.

WHY DO YOU WRITE THE KIND OF STORIES YOU DO?
Someone once said, "Inside every fat book is a thin book trying to get out . . ."  I can't help myself--I write "fat" books! I've tried to write books under one hundred thousand words, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to lose the weight.
My very first novel started out at over two hundred thousand words--and became a trilogy. I've tried writing short stories and they turn into novellas.  I've tried novellas and they turn into full-blown novels. I'm a hopeless lover of deep characterization and back story, lots of action, and page-turning plots, something nearly impossible for me to do in less than one hundred thousand words.
I'm a storyteller at heart, and I love entertaining readers with pulse-pounding action, flawed--but intriguing--characters, and fascinating plots that have my readers asking, "How did he come up with that?"  My tagline is "stories that ignite imaginations and stir souls..."  I like to get people thinking about the world they live in from a very different perspective than they are used to, especially as it relates to the realm of the spirit, angels and demons, and the intersection of the biblical, scientific, and historical disciplines.

There is an ancient battle being fought around us on an hourly basis in the realm of the spirit.  It regularly manifests in the natural, terrestrial realm, yet few people really understand the true nature of the battle. Hence, many perish for lack of knowledge.  Like Toto in the Wizard of Oz, I love pulling back the curtain and exposing "the wizard" for who he is--a short, balding, fat man from Kansas!  That’s not to say the wizard doesn’t have power, he does.  But with the proper weapons of warfare we may lose a few battles, but we ultimately win the war.  I like to think that in some small way my stories have the potential to function like the red pill Nero took in The Matrix—we awaken and discover just how deep the rabbit hole is.   Once that happens, like Nero, we are accountable for our knowledge.

Nevertheless, while all of my suspense thrillers, including Infernal Gates, have the purpose of provoking my readers to examine their belief system, at their core I hope they are simply good stories; the kind that keep you turning pages long after the sun goes down and make you wish there was more to read once you've finished.  My heart is to figuratively serve up a ten course meal with each new story I tell, and leave my readers hungry for their next serving.
Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place in this world for short stories, novellas, and novels under a hundred thousand words. I just won't be writing them anytime soon.
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR RESEARCH?

            Some Mathematicians, Physicists, Theologians, Paranormal Researchers, Ancient Cultures, Writers, and the deceased Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone, have something in common.  They all know there is at least one additional dimension beyond space, time, and matter. They all use different terminology to describe it, but when you strip away the varied lingua francas, they’re all talking about the same thing.  I call it the realm of the Spirit, others refer to it as the Fourth Dimension, and still others call it parallel universes. 
Whatever the terminology, we risk much if we ignore its impact on our lives, both now and for eternity. 
I’ve been studying Light for a very long time as it relates to this additional dimension. Recent research in Quantum Physics is just starting to confirm some very fascinating things about the nature of Light and its relationship to creation and humanity. One of the most astounding things I’ve been studying for over two decades is the incredible idea, first expressed in Book of Genesis, that Adam and Eve were not initially created from “dust,” but from the very foundational building block that God used to create everything—Light.  Some of the very first rabbis believed and taught this.  There is very compelling linguistic evidence, in more than one place in Scripture, that states this concept clearly when one uses a pure translation and doesn’t impose any kind of religious bias to create a man-centered vs. a God-centered doctrine. Accepting this idea makes a great deal of sense in context with numerous biblical principles and opens the door to understanding the complex nature of the Spirit Realm in ways that science is just beginning to acquire. I discuss this at length in my non-fiction work In the Cleft of the Rock:  Insights into the Blood of Jesus, Resurrection Power, and Saving the Soul.
One of the passages I quote most often in my teachings is from the Book of Hosea, where God speaks through the prophet and says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge . . .”  There is much we have yet to learn about the realm of the Spirit, and I’m convinced that in the next few years the lines between Biblical, scientific, and mathematical truths will become so blurred that we will wonder how we ever missed the obvious Truth.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING?
            My wife and I love to travel, both for ministry and fun.  We have numerous places on our bucket list to visit:  Iceland, Australia/New Zealand, Chile.  I want to visit Antarctica, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and to the Base Camp on Everest.  We love to snorkel, and our favorite place to get away from it all is St. Johns in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  We also enjoy hiking, and I love horseback riding, although I don’t get to do it often.  We are “foodies” who love to try new and different restaurants and cuisines, and going to movies.

HOW CAN READERS CONTACT YOU AND/OR LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WRITING?

Purchase INFERNAL GATES at http://amzn.to/18HrDjY
Michael’s Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/michaeljwebbfiction
Contact Michael at michaeljwebbbooks@gmail.com

Infernal Gates. Man is shown standing near rift in Earth, with what looks like lava nearby.


BACK COVER BLURB FOR INFERNAL GATES:

Ethan Freeman, ex-Special Forces Ranger, wakes up to discover he is the sole survivor of a fiery commercial airline crash that killed his entire family.  His nightmare is only beginning when he becomes the FBI’s prime suspect.  Only Ethan knows he’s not a cold-hearted murderer, but he has no idea what happened to him--and why he alone survived.
He finds an unlikely ally in Sam Weaver, the NTSB Chief Investigator.  An ex-military pilot, Sam senses Ethan is innocent.  She tries to remain dispassionate in her investigation of the crash even as she finds herself attracted to the man who may be America=s worst homegrown mass-murderer.
Neither Ethan nor Sam realize that shadowy spiritual forces are at work which will alter their lives forever.
A monstrous evil, imprisoned since the time of the Pharaohs, has been released by The Nine, a sinister group of powerful men and women who believe they are the direct descendants of the Anunnaki, ancient Sumerian gods. The demon they have unleashed intends to free The Destroyer from The Abyss, the angelic prison referred to in the Book of Revelation, and unleash a worldwide reign of terror and annihilation.
Facing impossible odds, time is running out for Ethan and all of humanity as he is drawn into an ever-deeper conspiracy--millennia in the making--and learns that he is the key to stopping The Nine. Will he overcome his deepest fears and find reserves of strength he never knew he had as he confronts pure evil in order to save himself and an unsuspecting world?



Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Interview and Giveaway with Margaret Daley

Margaret Daley has a special place in my heart. When reading one of Margaret's books I became acquainted with Christian Fiction. I knew that is what I wanted to write. I'd already written my manuscript so I rewrote it to fit Christian Fiction. Margaret has written and published over 100 books. She writes in many different genres, one of them being Romantic Suspense. I look forward to this interview to learn more about her. She has graciously offered a giveaway of one of her books. To b eligible just leave a comment for Margaret, be a follower, and leave our email so we can contact you. Without further ado lets get started!

 
 
Severed Trust.jpg
 
 
Interview Questions/Sleuths and Suspects Blog
         Tell us a little about yourself. I've been writing for over thirty years and married for over forty years. I have one son and four granddaughters. I love to travel, go to lunch and a movie with a friend and read when I get a chance.
        Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on. Another book focusing on the Texas Rangers is out this October called Severed Trust. It is the fourth book in The Men of the Texas Rangers Series for Abingdon Press. The blurb for Severed Trust is: The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can't wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone—a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference—until the 16-year-old's best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn't think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn’t know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.
         Why did you choose this particular genre? I love to read romantic suspense, and it just seemed natural to write it.
         What was your journey to publication like? I first sold in 1980 to a secular publisher and wrote in that market for twenty years. I sold ten books then went through an eight year dry spell before I sold again. I thought of giving up writing, but I didn't. I went on to sell some more secular books before God gave me a book that could only be told as an inspirational romance. I sold that one in 2000 and have gone on to sell 63 books in the Christian market. If I had given up and walked away completely during my dry spell, I would have never written my Christian books, which is where I belong. God knew that as He knows everything. It took me a while to realize it. He didn't give up on me.
 
 
         What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now? Amazonia by James Rollins and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton are two of my favorites. At the moment I'm not reading because I'm so busy, but I have James Rollins' latest book waiting for me when I have some time to read.
         What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? I just signed an eight book contract with LI/LIS and will be starting the first book soon—a third book in my Caring Canines Series (first book was out in August, Healing Hearts, and second one will be out in December called Her Holiday Hero). This series is about service and therapy dogs and how they can help people. I will be starting a new series soon for Love Inspired Suspense—a search and rescue series in Alaska.
         What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication? Keep writing. Persistence is important if you want to succeed.
         Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us? One of my favorites is Debra Dixon's Goals, Motivation and Conflict. Great book to help with developing characters and plot lines.
         Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered? Write with the market in mind, but write what you enjoy writing. It will show if you don't.
        Please let us know where we can find you on the web. Website: http://www.margaretdaley.com Blog: http://www.margaretdaley.com/margarets-blog/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/margaretdaley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaretdaleybooks
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