Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist on CFBA

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Love on the Line Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Deeanne Gist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

Heiress by Susan May Warren - FABULOUS GIVEAWAY

About the book: Heiress

They can buy anything they want—fame, power, beauty, even loyalty.

But they can’t buy love.

The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

Read an excerpt here.

About Susan: Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)


Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest historical book, Heiress!

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!


Heiress, a richly complex historical romance, is the first in Susan's three book Daughters of Fortune series. In honor of Heiress’ debut, Susan is hosting a FABULOUS Gilded Age Giveaway and giving away an opulent prize pack fit for an heiress!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 gift certificate to ModCloth.com
• A sleek silver iPod™ Shuffle
• A beautiful strand of Pearls
• Titanic DVD
• Speakeasy Compilation Music CD from Starbucks™
• Heiress by Susan May Warren

Click one of the icons below to enter. But do so soon - this giveaway ends 10/5/11. The winner will be announced Thursday, October 6 on Susan’s blog.

W I N N E R S !

Congrats to the winners of recent giveaways here at the Cafe!

Aly Logan is the winner of Sarah Sundin's Blue Skies Tomorrow.

Sandee61 is the winner of Anne Mateer's Wings of a Dream.

Enjoy!

I'm off to the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in St. Louis this week. I'll come back with the smell of the Mississippi clinging to my clothes and be a whole lot richer in spirit for having been with 700 of the smartest, nicest, most talented people in America - See you next week!

WINGS OF A DREAM by Anne Mateer - Review and Giveaway

Please welcome my friend, Anne Mateer, today. I'm delighted with her first book and have shared my review at the end of this post. There you'll find a sweet surprise as well. 

 This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wings of A Dream Bethany House (September 1, 2011) by Anne Mateer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

While I have been writing for what feels like my whole life, I began seriously studying the craft in 2000. Since then I have completed five novels, had several pieces published in local periodicals, attended six writing conferences and managed to final in ACFW's Genesis contest in 2006, 2008, and 2009. My first historical novel, Wings of a Dream, will be released in September 2011, with another historical novel to follow in 2012. But writing is only a piece of my life.

I am mostly just a woman trying to live her life in a manner pleasing to the Lord. That involves being a wife to Jeff and a mother to my three teenagers--neither role coming easily but both roles stretching me, requiring me to press in closer to Jesus. And because of this, Jesus has taken an insecure, fearful, sometimes angry girl and is turning her into a more trusting, peaceful, grace-filled woman. At least some of the time. There is still such a long way to go!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rebekah Hendricks dreams of a life far beyond her family's farm in Oklahoma, and when dashing aviator Arthur Samson promised adventure in the big city, she is quick to believe he's the man she's meant to marry. While she waits for the Great War to end and Arthur to return to her so they can pursue all their plans, her mother's sister falls ill. Rebekah seizes the opportunity to travel to Texas to care for Aunt Adabelle, seeing this chance to be closer to Arthur's training camp as God's approval of her plans.

But the Spanish flue epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt's death, Arthur's indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebekah is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she's always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Wings of A Dream, go HERE.

MY REVIEW: 

In Wings of a Dream, Rebekah Hendricks, a small-town Oklahoma girl, dreams of an adventurous life . . . and escaping from her controlling mother. When she’s called to Texas to care for an ailing aunt, she’s certain that God has granted her desire and that adventure is just around the corner. Set at the end of WWI against the backdrop of the Spanish flu epidemic, debut author Anne Mateer, gently guides the reader through one surprising twist after another. It reminded me of the old adage to be careful what you pray for . . . you just might get it.

Anne did a great job of keeping me guessing on which of the three possible heroes Rebekah would choose—the handsome pilot whose promises she wants to believe, the  sheriff who can’t stop “dropping in” for a visit, or the rather distant father of four children who need a mother. There’s a lot at stake in this book, and I think you’ll be swept away with this warm, engaging story. I know I was. 

Intrigued? Have you heard of the Spanish Flu? Please leave a comment with your contact information to be entered in a drawing for this book. I'll draw for the winner on Monday, Sept. 19. 

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher for my honest review. Void where prohibited. Chances of winning dependent on number of entries.

Interview with Sarah Sundin

I hope that you all had a chance to read about Sarah Sundin’s newest book, A Memory Between Us, in yesterday’s post. Today, I'm glad to have Sarah with me to answer a few questions.

Thanks, Sarah, for being my guest here at the Café. Congratulations on A Memory Between Us. I’ve been excited about this book for a long time and loved Jack and Ruth’s story. Can you tell us a bit about your writing journey?

I started writing in January 2000 and first submitted the proposal for A Distant Melody to editors and agents in 2003. For five years I received “good” rejection letters—they liked my writing and story and characters—however, historicals weren’t selling. In 2008, publishers wanted historicals again. At Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, I submitted to Vicki Crumpton from Revell, and she offered me a three-book contract. A Distant Melody was released in March 2010, ten years after I started writing.

How did you come up with the idea of the Wings of Glory series? Had you always intended for there to be three books? 

The idea for A Distant Melody came out of a “what if” question—what if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England during World War II, and I was hooked. My great-uncle was a B-17 pilot with the Eighth, so I had access to his stories and letters.

A Distant Melody was meant to be a standalone, but while doing research, I became enamored with the Eighth Air Force and wanted to tell the full story to V-E Day. Since my hero had two pilot brothers, I decided to write a series, with each book focusing on one brother.

Having read the first two now, it’s quite obvious that meticulous research goes into your writing. Can you tell me a bit about how you do research? 

I have to confess, I have over two hundred books and websites in my bibliography for this series. Yes, that’s sick. I started with basic texts on World War II, then got more detailed. Bibliographies are a great resource—when a book is mentioned in multiple bibliographies, it warrants attention. On the internet I found a company that sells copies of the actual B-17 pilot’s manual and the training film, which were pure gold! For A Memory Between Us, I did lots of research into nursing during World War II, flight nursing, and Army hospitals.

Two hundred sources in your bibliography? That is some serious research, Sarah. Wow. But you mentioned you have real life inspiration through your great uncle as well. Did you have him in mind with any particular character from your books? 

I based the career of Jack Novak, the middle brother and the hero of A Memory Between Us, on my great-uncle’s career. But Jack’s looks, personality, family, life-story, and romance are purely fictional. My great-uncle, Roderick Stewart (yes, the original Rod Stewart), was a true character, and no fictional character could have done him justice. By the way, Carla and I are not related…no nepotism here.

Well, I am honored that we have the same name in common! I’m fascinated with the way you’re able to put the reader spot-on in the setting. Have you been to England and seen the places you write about? How about the military planes? Have you flown in one? 

I was blessed with a husband with frequent flier miles. He took me to England in 2002 and 2003 without kids (romantic!!!) when I was in the early stages of writing the trilogy. I visited London and Bury St. Edmunds, and traipsed through the ruined abbey—which I had to put in A Memory Between Us. As for the B-17s, the Collings Foundation and the Experimental Aircraft Association tour the country with beautifully restored B-17s—and you can walk through them for a nominal fee. Wow! When you crawl through the narrow passageways, duck through the doorways, and poke your head into the top turret—and then imagine doing it as a full-grown man with bulky high-altitude flying gear in subzero temperatures under fighter attack—it gives you a new level of appreciation for what the airmen went through. Both organizations offer flights in the B-17s, but I’ve balked at the price. Some day…

What do you want the reader to gain from reading A Memory Between Us? Is there a particular take away you have in mind? 

I never write a novel with a message in mind, but I do hope my readers will learn from my characters’ experiences. Shame serves a purpose—to bring you to ask God’s forgiveness—but when it persists after forgiveness, that’s not God talking. Shame burdens so many people and holds them back from the wonderful plans God has for them. I hope my readers will learn to truly accept forgiveness, shove off shame, and allow God to use them. I also hope they see the insidious nature of pride and learn to trust in the Lord a bit more each day.

Your spiritual threads are quite organic to the story, Sarah. Very practical, which leads me a practical question. What have you learned between the publication of A Distant Melody and A Memory Between Us? Any marketing secrets you’d like to share? 

I sure wish there was some way to measure which marketing techniques work and which are a waste of time and money. I’m still new at this, but what I’ve done that seems effective:

a)    Blog interviews like this one. Each interview exposes my book to people outside my sphere of influence.

b)    My publisher gave me book copies for “influencers.” These people have been wonderful. They’ve posted reviews, chatted it up on Facebook, recommended it to their book clubs and libraries, and my friend Marci Seither made a vintage 1940s apron with the book cover for A Distant Melody on the pocket and donated it to a fabric store. The store owner displayed the apron in the store window and recommended the book to her book club!

c)     Facebook has been a great way for me to connect with people—other writers, old friends, and new readers. I like that personal touch.

d)    Bookmarks generously distributed. I carry them everywhere. Whenever someone asks about my book, I give them a bookmark. Also my friends and influencers hand them out in droves. I’ve already gone through my first lot of one thousand bookmarks, and I’m working on the second. Low tech but effective.

e)    Local speaking. I’m still getting started in this, but lately I’ve spoken to middle schoolers, the women’s club, and the Soroptomists. Speaking at the women’s club led to two local newspaper features on me and my book. Those women know people!

Coffee? Tea? Sparkling mineral water? Or . . .

Yes, please! Well, I’ll pass on the mineral water, but I love anything in the caffeine family. Coffee with a dash of milk and flavored syrup, tea (hot or iced), and generic diet cola. Lots of it.

Sarah, you’re getting great reviews and gaining a lot of fans (including my husband and me). Congratulations! One last question:

Please tell us where to find you on the web and the burning question in all of our minds – when does book three come out? Title? 

The third book is called Blue Skies Tomorrow, and it comes out August 2011.

You can find me on the web (and please come visit) at:

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahsundin

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Thanks, Sarah. I love the title Blue Skies Tomorrow. And thank you readers for sharing this time with us . . .

A reminder: If you haven’t entered Sarah’s Movie and Memory prize package, check it out on yesterday’s post.

A MEMORY BETWEEN US by Sarah Sundin - Book 2 in the Wings of Glory Series and a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY

 It's no secret to my blog followers that I'm a big fan of Sarah Sundin and her debut Wings of Glory series set in WW II. I'll be sharing my review below, but first, a bit about Sarah and the just-released second book in the series - A MEMORY BETWEEN US. Tomorrow, I'll feature Sarah again in an interview where she tells us more about her passion for writing and how she does research.

ABOUT THE BOOK:Can they overcome the past to find a brighter future together?

Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge--until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top-priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she also is determined not to give her heart to any man.

As the danger and tension of World War II rise to a fever pitch, Jack and Ruth will need each other more than ever. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

A Memory Between Us is the second book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Sarah Sundin is an on-call hospital pharmacist and holds a BS in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. This is her second novel.  For more info please visit her website at www.sarahsundin.com!
 
MY REVIEW: 

As I anticipated the release of Book 2 of the Wings of Glory Series, I didn’t see how Sarah could possibly live up to her debut novel, A Distant Melody, but she did. She skillfully portrays Major Jack Novak as a man who is driven to succeed both in his military career as a WWII pilot and in his desire to win the heart of Lieutenant Ruth Doherty, the Army nurse who cares for him when his plane crashes. Ruth’s determination to forget her past and care for her orphaned siblings, though, is her top priority, and she is not swayed by the major’s relentless pursuit. The chemistry that sparks between them is authentic and tender, warm and witty.

There is an indefinable quality to Sarah’s story telling. She drew me in with her meticulous detail of the medical world Ruth inhabits, the British setting, historical context (the chapter on D-Day had me biting my nails), and Jack’s life as a decorated pilot. Novels that have this sort of magical “it” are hard to find, but this one is a treasure. I give it a high recommendation. 

 

LINK TO PURCHASE A MEMORY BETWEEN US:




And now, Sarah's gift to one very special reader - 


Sarah Sundin presents The Movies and Memories Giveaway in honor of book 2 in the Wings of Glory series. A Memory Between Us is available for purchase wherever fine books are sold. From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.




To celebrate Sarah is giving one lucky winner A Movie and Memory Prize Package! One grand prize winner will receive:

* Make-your-own-photo book from Mypublisher.com (Capture your own Memories)

* Netflix Subscription (New or Nostalgic Movies delivered right to your house)

* Starbucks gift card (To keep your engine revvin’)

*Gourmet chocolate (A favorite in the 1940’s and now)

* British specialty teas in carved wooden box (Timeless tradition)

* Miniature model of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber & C-47 cargo plane (Everyone needs a few toy planes)

*Big Band music CD (Break out your dancing shoes)

* WWII authentic poster playing cards (Cards – a perfect game for two)

* Keep Calm and Carry On (Uplifting sayings WWII, a boost for troubled times)

To enter simple click on the icons below (contest runs 9/27 - 10/17!)

SARAH SUNDIN'S NETFLIX AND NOSTALGIA CONTEST

Please welcome my friend and debut author extraordinaire, Sarah Sundin. She's become something of a phenomenon in the blogosphere with five-star reviews popping up everywhere. Authentic. Detailed. Delightful. These are just some of the words used to describe A Distant Melody.

To celebrate, Sarah is hosting a social sharing promotion! Click the icon below to enter this fab-o contest. Tell your friends and earn extra entries!

A Distant Melody is book 1 in Sarah Sundin's exciting Wings of Glory series. Sarah has partnered with Litfuse Publicity Group for the Netflix® & Nostalgia Contest! Sarah's offering one Grand Prize winner the chance to get NOSTALGIC!

THE PRIZE:
The Winner of our ‘NETFLIX® & Nostalgia’ giveaway will receive a vintage prize package, including:

*A 6 month NETFLIX® subscription
*$25 Starbucks® gift card
*A box of See’s Famous Old Time Chocolates®
*A jar of homemade strawberry jam
*A Big Band music CD
*A Mini B-17 Model airplane
*Vintage stationery and pen
*British specialty tea
*WWII style playing cards

Historically Accurate High-Flying Adventure!
A Distant Melody

Debut Author, Sarah Sundin, earns rave reviews from BOOKLIST. "Sundin's debut Christian historical romance is an emotionally gripping, detail-rich but fast-paced trilogy set against the backdrop of WWII at home and abroad. Romance readers and military history buffs will find much of interest here."

Seattle, WA - 4/9/2010 - Rarely does a book come along from a debut author that is as well received as Sarah Sundin's A Distant Melody. The story grips you on page one and doesn't let up until the last page is turned. Critics and readers alike are impressed with both the accurate historical detail and complex cast of characters. From the fertile California orange groves to the soggy terrain of England, A Distant Melody, weaves an exciting and tender tale of love, courage and sacrifice. Not to be missed!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together.

But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

Hop on over and enter to win this great prize. I have. And to make sure that as many people as possible have the chance to read this book, I'm offering in a completely separate giveaway the copy that LitFuse Publicity Group sent me as part of the blog tour. To be entered in the drawing for this book, leave a comment with your contact information. I'll draw for a winner on Friday, April 23.

My Review of A Distant Melody:

Once in a while a book comes along that wraps its arms around you and so enchants you that you don’t want to the story to end. Sarah Sundin’s debut novel, A Distant Melody, is one of those books. At the height of WWII, a chance meeting brings Allie Miller and Walt Novak together, but Allie’s upcoming marriage, arranged by her wealthy parents, and Walt’s dispatch to pilot a B-17 bomber from an airbase in England, halts the romance before it has time to spark. Only the letters which cross the Atlantic keep the flames burning.

At times I felt I had a front row seat in a Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra/Betty Hutton movie. The story is warm and witty, with authentic characters and poignant situations. While Walt deals with the tragedy of war, Allie is consumed with wedding preparations to a man she doesn’t love and volunteers for the war effort stateside. Multi-layered with tender subplots, Sarah weaves this lovely story with finely drawn details and finesse.

Did I mention I didn’t want it to end? The good news is that this is the first book of three in the Wings of Glory series. I can’t wait until book two. Highly recommended.

VOID where prohibited. Chances of winning dependent on number of entrants. Book provided by Litfuse Publicity Group.

Introducing Sarah Sundin and her debut novel, A DISTANT MELODY

Two years ago, I met Sarah Sundin at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. She had a friendly smile and an easy manner, and one evening we found ourselves chatting. While we both agreed that nothing on earth is as sweet as a week in the redwoods, we also lamented the fact we didn’t have a book contract or even one on the horizon. Much to our dismay, no one was interested in the stories we had poured our hearts into.

As we shared our frustrations, we agreed to pray for one another, and as God’s timing would have it, we both received contracts within the year . . . multi-book contracts! I am thrilled for Sarah that A DISTANT MELODY, Book One of the Wings of Glory series, has hit the book shelves! It could not happen to a nicer person OR a more gifted writer.

The book is a delight. Here is the review I will be posting on Amazon and other places around the internet. Below that, you’ll find a bit more about Sarah and where you can purchase her book. Trust me, it’s one you don’t want to miss.

Once in a while a book comes along that wraps its arms around you and so enchants you that you don’t want to the story to end. Sarah Sundin’s debut novel, A Distant Melody, is one of those books. At the height of WWII, a chance meeting brings Allie Miller and Walt Novak together, but Allie’s upcoming marriage, arranged by her wealthy parents, and Walt’s dispatch to pilot a B-17 bomber from an airbase in England, halts the romance before it has time to spark. Only the letters which cross the Atlantic keep the flames burning.

At times I felt I had a front row seat in a Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra/Betty Hutton movie. The story is warm and witty, with authentic characters and poignant situations. While Walt deals with the tragedy of war, Allie is consumed with wedding preparations to a man she doesn’t love and volunteers for the war effort stateside. Multi-layered with tender subplots, Sarah weaves this lovely story with finely drawn details and finesse.

Did I mention I didn’t want it to end? The good news is that this is the first book of three in the Wings of Glory series. I can’t wait until book two. Highly recommended.

Sarah Sundin is an on-call hospital pharmacist and holds a BS in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. This is her debut novel.

Sarah’s blog is chock full of WWII facts and fun memorabilia. You can order her book here and here.

Thanks, Sarah, for allowing me to be part of “launch week.”

My appreciation to Revell (a division of Baker Publishing Group) for providing me with this book for review.