Every little girl dreams of being a princess. Every woman longs to be treated like royalty. We’re all just a little bit fascinated by royal weddings and the princess that lives in every woman. That’s why readers will fall in love with Once Upon a Prince, the first release in the Royal Wedding Series by award-winning author Rachel Hauck. 
However, there is more to Once Upon a Prince than a royal love story. Hauck hopes that once readers reach the end of the book, they realize: God has a beautiful plan for them! She even works some of her own experience into the story.

Q: Is there a “moral to the story” in Once Upon a Prince you hope readers will walk away with?

I hope readers walk away with a sense of hope and well-being. The moral about “the power of love” to change hearts, even a nation, is timeless and powerful. Love truly does transcend time and culture. It’s the truest picture of Jesus. Oh, and God has a beautiful plan for you!

Q: Do you think sometimes we miss what God’s plans are for us because we are so focused on our own plans?

We can, yes, but I also think God so loves us, so understands our weak human frame, He works things for good. One of my sayings is “I’m willing to hear ‘no,’ God.” I know how hard it is to wait on the Lord, to feel responsible for my own destiny, but He really is for us and can redeem our mistakes. I try to keep a “Yes” in my heart toward Him. And I’m willing to hear “No” if I’m pursuing something He doesn’t want me to pursue. I also have confidence that in even the smallest, most remote ways, He makes His will known. He directs our paths. And so we’re back to the “Yes” in our heart to Him first and above all.

Q: Have you ever had to give up on one of your plans, like Susanne did, because it wasn’t progressing or someone came along who threw the plan off track?

This is my life song! “Not my will but Yours, Lord.” After college, I tried everything I knew to get a job — networking, interviewing — but no doors opened. Then one day I said, “Lord, I’ve done all I know to do. I give up. You put me where you want me.” That night, that night, an old friend from junior college called and told me about a job in Melbourne, Florida. A month later I moved down and started a new job and a new journey.

The “I’ve got nothing” journey Susanna experiences is my personal journey. It’s the dialog and MO between the Lord and me. Everyone is different, but I believe God leads us and directs us with recognizable patterns.

Q: There are some areas of his life that Nathaniel has no control over, and his life is about to change in a big way. While none of us are in the middle of transitioning into being King, what are some ways we can embrace life’s changes with a willing heart?

Life is always changing for us in some way. Marriage, babies, death. Children leaving the nest. Friends moving away. Family coming and going. Maybe a new job or a job loss.

With me, I say, “I hold all things with an open hand.” I love the amazing things God’s done in my life, yet outside of my marriage and my family, I hold relationships and my career loosely. God has to have enough of my attention and heart to move me in the direction He needs.

My husband and I were in youth ministry for more than 20 years, and we had a lot of kids come and go. Many of them became like our own kids. But when their season came to fly, to find their own ways in life, I knew I had to let go. The tears I cried were happy tears but tears none the less.

We have to believe God loves us and is for us. Then the changes are easier to endure, even joyful.

Q: There are often clues directing us to the Lord’s will, but sometimes they are difficult to recognize. Do you have any advice for trying to discern whether the clues are actually clues or our own wishful thinking?

When I figure it out, I’ll let you know! Actually, I think it’s the patterns I mentioned earlier . . . about how God leads us. That’s usually a good indicator.

But I’ve had my share of wishful thinking go awry. A good friend once told me, “I know God’s plans for me are good, and as I pursue Him, I try not to imagine the outcome.” That really stuck with me. I seek Him, and truly, He holds my heart so tenderly in His hand. I can trust Him to orchestrate the outcome of my life.

When I’m disappointed, I go back to “God loves me and God is good.” It gives my heart the right perspective.

Q: As a romance writer, do you think there’s ever a time to give up love for the greater good of others?

We should never give up on love. Love is always for the greater good of others, as well as us. What I think we have to do is redefine love. Sometimes actions we consider “love” are really not love at all.

Jesus gave up all the beauty and majesty of splendor of Heaven, became a man and died a cruel death on a cross. All for love. Wow, what kind of love is this? Not the world’s definition of love.

But is there a time when two people love each other, want to marry but give up that hope because of love? Maybe because the family is against it? Or because they know they have different callings and goals? Yeah, I think there’s a place for that. I’ve known of a few couples who walked away from a relationship because it wasn’t right even though they loved each other.

Mostly love is about believing, hoping, enduring, forgiving and never failing.

Q: Your books usually relate back to Christ and His sacrifice through some form of symbolism. Can you tell us how the Lover’s Oak relates not only to the love story in Once Upon a Prince, but to the Gospel message? 

I loved finding this real-life tree so near to my real-life setting: St. Simon’s Island. The tree is a symbol of Jesus, the tree of Life. And He is the God of love. When we go to Him, stand in His shade, we find our true selves, we find our lives. If you’re confused about life or where you’re going, go to the Tree of Life — Jesus.

For Susanna, finding true love while at Lover’s Oak is about finding the truest of all love when we come to Jesus.

Q: In the acknowledgements of Once Upon a Prince, you write about getting up early to watch William and Kate’s wedding. Have you always been entranced by royals or just by their love stories?

I’ve been fascinated by the love stories of royals through the years — both real and fairytale. But what I loved about William and Kate is the “ordinariness” about them. Is that a word? Anyway, they charmed the world with their love story, and I think they are a couple to watch.

I’m equally fascinated by the love story of my friends and people I meet. Love is that transcendent force that captures all of us — men and women, young and old.

Over Christmas, I recorded my 99-year-old grandmother telling me about her favorite Christmas. “When Grandpa gave me my engagement ring,” she said. It was a precious moment.

Love abounds!

Q: How many details about royalty in the book are real, and how many were based on your own imagination? What kind of research went into this book?

The details are fictional though grounded in what I hope is royal reality. I read a lot of books on England’s royal family — both historical and contemporary — and used their lives and history as a boilerplate. “Is this scenario plausible?” Across Europe, the royal families have different functions and titles, so I used combinations of titles and authority to create my royal families and their countries.

I also followed a few royal blogs and forums to get a feel for how people feel about royal families. I researched the royal families of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Luxembourg . . . and several Grand Duchies.

I did not model my characters after anyone living or dead. They are from my imagination.

Q: What can readers expect from the rest of the Royal Wedding Series? How many books will be in the series?

They can expect a fun, heartwarming, “ahhhhh” kind of read. Stories that inspire hope and tell of truth. The next book is Princess Ever After, releasing early 2014. The third and final book is tentatively titled To Catch a Prince. So, stay tuned for a fun, royal ride!

An interview with Ace Collins

Author of Darkness Before Dawn

Tragedy brings out either the best in us or the worst. However, it is nearly impossible to predict what a person’s response will be until something life-changing happens. In his latest release, Darkness Before Dawn best-selling author Ace Collins tells the heart-wrenching story of a young woman’s pursuit of justice after losing her husband in a senseless accident that never had to happen.

Q: You categorize Darkness Before Dawn in the genre of moral issues suspense. How would you define that category?

A novel has to be entertaining, so authors have to use some kind of genre, be it adventure, romance, drama, suspense and intrigue, in order to pull the reader in, then we can focus on moral issues. But the lesson has to be a part of the plot. This book uses drama, heartache and suspense in a way that might mirror Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, but its goal is to leave the reader thinking about choices. Those values or issues in Darkness Before Dawn include abortion, suicide, DUI and a judicial system that can be swayed by influence, power and money. Those are pretty heavy topics, and they are wrapped in a plot that centers of cost or price of revenge and retribution. In other words, Darkness Before Dawn is a wild ride going into areas a lot of Christian books really don’t want to touch. That includes showing the bad side of a really good woman and flipping our feelings for the villain from hate to actually empathizing with him.

My goal is first and foremost to create books you can’t put down. In other words I want these novels to be page turners, to keep you reading by being so interesting that they cost readers some sleep and examine life decisions. It will explore them not just in a black-and-white fashion, but in these pages I want to get readers to consider the middle ground as well. Moral issues are not easy, and when faced with doubt, grief and pain, many Christians often make choices that others don’t understand. So I want to leave readers with a lesson that there is great wisdom in leaving the judging to God and for readers to realize that there is great power in embracing those in need even if we don’t agree with their choices. After all, a doctor can’t heal anyone until he or she lays their hands on that sick patient.

Q: What message do you hope readers walk away with after reading Darkness Before Dawn?

I am hoping folks see the real pain and suffering in a life fueled by hate and vengeance. I hope in the end they also see the greatest power on earth is forgiveness and love.

Q: Meg is very angry at God after her husband is killed by a drunk driver. Do you think there anything wrong with asking, “If there is a God, why did He let this happen?” when something bad takes place in our lives?

I think it is a natural question. I think we all ask it when tragedies happen. When a hurricane or tornado hits and so many die, we wonder “Where was God in this?” I think the same thing is true when we see a child who has a terminal disease. Thus I think Meg’s reaction is one most of us would have, but I’m not sure how many would admit having it. That is why we have Nancy in the story. The dying woman who really knows about life not being fair gives Meg and us a perspective to consider.

 Q: In dealing with her grief, Meg becomes very set on seeking justice for the drunk driver involved in her husband’s accident. How does her anger and bitterness make her situation even worse?

Seeking retribution and revenge brings out the ugliest side of any person. They become consumed by it and therefore lose their ability to reason. As we say in the story, a little bit of hate unchecked becomes a cancer that destroys all that is good in a person. So hate and bitterness gave her focus, but it made Meg’s life far worse and it took her being confronted by her own answered prayers to see the full cost.

Q: Meg found out she was pregnant on the very same day her husband died, which makes a difficult time in her life even more complicated. Once the baby is born, she names her Dawn. Can you share some of the symbolism of this choice as it relates to Meg’s life?

The name Dawn represents Meg living through a darkness she could not imagine and then once more finding the faith and the light. Dawn therefore represents not just a hopeful name for a baby but Meg actually finding a reason to live and the power to forgive. So it represents a new start for her as well.

Q: You’ve written everything from novels to biographies and how-to books to devotionals. What do you enjoy writing the most? How do your projects come to you?

I have had so much success in nonfiction over the years, I should say I really like that. But in truth I most love the challenge of the novel. Fiction’s only limit is imagination while nonfiction is limited by facts. Thus, to have the freedom to create lives and then take them on adventures is just an amazing experience. That said, I want to continue to write nonfiction, too. And both fit well with my fascination with history.

Q: Is it difficult to come up with new material constantly?

In truth, the ideas are pretty easy for me. I have all these characters locked in my head, and if I didn’t put them in books they might just drive me crazy. It is the writing that is the work. On top of that I have a log book where I keep ideas, book outlines, hooks, plot twists, etc. I figured out the other day I have to live to 128 and write four books a year to go through the whole log book. I also have more than 50 church bulletins filed away that have detailed book ideas on them.

Don’t miss Josh Olds and Kelsie Beers in their recent interview with this month’s featured author, Tosca Lee. The two of them talk with New York Times Bestselling Author about her current novel, Iscariot, released on February 5.

Here’s what our own Lori Twichell and Josh Olds had to say about the book:

Tosca Lee stands head and shoulders above the crowds of writers out there. With a deft hand and a passionate spirit, she grants us a beautiful glimpse into history. Beyond that, she peels back the layers of all we’ve ever known and shows us a new way to view God’s grace, mercy and abundant love. – Lori Twichell, Fiction Addict.

Tosca Lee has the heart of a poet, the mind of the scholar, and the imagination of a novelist. The three have melded here in harmony to produce a thought-provoking, comfort-disrupting, and heart-rattling tale of history’s most famous Betrayer. – Josh Olds, Life is Story.

Hop on over to Fiction Addict for more information on the author and to listen to the interview.

An Epic Seafaring that Begins a Whole New Series

From an Acclaimed Christy Award Finalist MaryLuTyndall

MaryLu Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and bestselling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but open people’s eyes to their God-given potential. MaryLu is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America.

RL: I’m such a big fan, MaryLu! Let’s start with a challenge. Tell us about your new novel in 20 words or less:

First of all, Thank you!  Secondly, I really appreciate you having me here!   Thirdly, wow. No fair! You know us authors are too wordy for only 20 words!  Okay, here goes:

Embark on a seafaring adventure as a Confederate colonel and a Yankee widow seek a fresh start on the shores of Brazil.

Sorry, it’s slightly over 20 words.

RL: What inspired you to write Forsaken Dreams?

Several things. First the history is so fascinating. I never knew that so many (tens of thousands) Southerners fled the South after the Civil War for greener pastures. Many went to Mexico, some out west, but several thousand went to Brazil. Their descendants still celebrate there today. Secondly I’m a big fan of the TV show LOST, in particular the jungle setting and the spiritual themes that ran through the show.  I love the supernatural and I saw an opportunity to write a story about a group of settlers who are in a sense, running away from their problems and from God, but who end up being part of an eternal plan that involves a battle between good and evil.   Forsaken Dreams is the account of their voyage to Brazil, during which the reader meets all the characters and discovers their individual reasons for running away. Themes of forgiveness, bitterness, hatred, guilt, rebellion and even Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome are addressed as the colonists face several disasters that threaten their mission and their lives. During the trip, hints are given here and there that something much larger is at stake waiting for them in Brazil, something that originated behind the curtain of the natural world.

RL: This novel is the first in your new series, series Escape to Paradise. Tell us a little about the series as a whole:

Whoops. I think I answered that in the prior question. The entire series follows the trials, struggles, heartaches and victories of a group of Southerners escaping the war-torn South and trying to recreate in Brazil the life they believed was stolen from them by the North. The first book,  Forsaken Dreams, is the account of their journey to Brazil. (See above)  Elusive Hope and Abandoned Memories follow their struggles as they set up a colony in the jungle. Each book is a romance wherein two of the colonists fall in love. (Of course!) Yet, each book offers a great adventure and an unveiling of the real purpose (God’s purpose) they are in Brazil as they discover there is more in the jungle than just flora and fauna!

RL: What surprises do your fans have to look forward to in your new series?

The supernatural!  This series, more than any other I’ve written, really delves into the battle between good and evil. There is an old crumbling temple, visions, demonic beasts, an ancient Hebrew book, etc… I better stop before I give any more away. Let’s just say that in addition to the romance and adventure my readers have come to expect, they’ll also find lots of strong spiritual themes and a peek behind the veil.

RL: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you do most of your writing?

I do most of my writing in “my cabin”!  This is a bedroom my hubby converted into a ship’s cabin to inspire my writing! He did a great job.  So, normally you’ll find me in my cabin, banging away on the keyboard, or pacing the room, trying to figure out a sticky plot point.  Forsaken Dreams is my 12th published novel. Ten years ago, I was a software engineer who only dreamed of being an author. But God had other plans. He told me to write a Christian Pirate story. I did. Miraculously, it got published, and the rest is history. I grew up in Florida where I fell in love with the sea and dreamed of swashbuckling heroes. Hence, most of my books have sea-faring scenes or at the very least a few tall ships!

RL: What is your favorite book?

That’s a hard one. I don’t have just one favorite. I’ve always loved Captain Blood by Raphael Sabatini (don’t discount it due to the name!)  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. More recently, I love any book by Ronie Kendig, Laure Alice Eakes, and Julie Lessman.

RL: Are you working on anything else at the moment and if so, can you tell us?

Right now, I’m finishing up Book 3 in this series, which is due in May. After that, I’m hoping to head back to the Caribbean for some more tall ship adventures! Maybe even a pirate or two!

Missionary Rose Marie Miller shares her journey to discovering

Nothing is Impossible with God

Nothing is impossible with God. That’s what Rose Marie Miller had always heard, but for a long time it didn’t seem to ring true to her. Even while serving in ministry, she kept God at a distance, building walls of self-protection and self-reliance. She wanted to avoid weakness and vulnerability at all costs. Then, God powerfully transformed her heart. In Nothing is Impossible with God: Reflections on Weakness, Faith, and Power (New Growth Press, October 2012, ISBN 978-1-936768-68-4, $ 15.99, also available in eBook), Miller shares how God revealed his grace and forgiveness, changing her life in ways she never thought were possible and welcoming her into new, missional life of discipleship.

The missional life has not slowed down for Miller. At age 88, Rose Marie actively ministers to Asian women living in London eight months out of the year, further proving that nothing is impossible.

An Interview with Rose Marie Miller,

Author of Nothing is Impossible with God

Q: In Nothing Is Impossible, you speak quite candidly about your resistance to actively be a part of some of your husband’s ministry outreaches. Was he aware of how much you were struggling with your faith at that time?

Was Jack aware of my struggles? No, I do not think so. It was hard to be honest with him. I was successful in taking many troubled people into our home that I think he thought I would be happy with everything he wanted me to do. It wasn’t until coming out of Uganda and asking him why I couldn’t cope that he had a sense of my need. The next time I went, it was with such joy that it was a no brainer—then three years later when I told him I wasn’t returning, he was able to accept that. But then, of course, I did when I heard he had a heart attack. This was a watershed for me when I realized that God was with me. And that was all I needed to know.

Q: Tell us about some of the changes that God made in your life over time so that you were able to become a fulltime ministry partner with your husband.

It was always God coming into my heart with a big push. In Switzerland showing me my pride and arrogance, in Uganda showing me how helpless I was, and Jack telling me I act like an orphan. Then after his heart attack in Uganda God reminding me he would be with me as he was with Moses. God’s Spirit was always behind me to change my heart. He continues to do that today.

Q: What does it mean to live a lifestyle of forgiveness?

As an old black lady used to say about her sins, “I bunch them.” I believe I used to do that. Now when I say something I shouldn’t say, or think a thought I shouldn’t, or neglect speaking when I should—and of course there is much more—I try to confess them right away. I realized during the years that sin is against God as David writes in Psalm 51, and this is where I go with my sin. To “bunch” them is to have a heart distant from God.

Q: What are some of the biggest lies that Satan tells us?

Satan’s biggest lie is that God has kept something from you. You deserve more than what you have. He is not creative. This is the same lie he told in the garden to Eve. Following that is the lie that you have no self-worth. This can lead to centering your life on career, relationships, marriage, children—expecting that your worth will come from what you do or what people think of you.

Q: Many of us struggle with contentment. How can we work towards being truly content?

Contentment? I believe it goes back to the lie of the evil one that your circumstances or people are the cause of your discontent. The struggle is to accept God has sovereign control over your life and over all that is around you. I was a very discontented pastor’s wife, and one day the Spirit showed me that it was rooted in my not accepting God’s right to control my life. A good read through II Kings shows how sovereign God is. It is good to have a heart fixed on the steadfast love of the LORD. Also to know that you are a part of God’s plan to bring life to broken people.

Q: You devote a major portion of your book to learning to pray. Prayer seems like such a simple concept, but what are some of the things we so often misunderstand about praying?

First we miss how helpless we are to know how to pray without the Spirit teaching us (Romans 8). Second, we miss the kingdom aspect of praying. It isn’t about us; it is about God restoring a broken world and people. Third we lack persistence (Luke 11). Forth we forget we are in a battle. Our enemies are not flesh/blood, but principalities, powers, and rulers of this dark world. This is what we learned in praying for our daughter, Barbara. We forget how eager the Spirit is to hear our prayers and we lack the faith that our prayers are stored in heaven in a bowl to be thrown out when it is God’s time. We do not pray with expectancy.

Q: You sometimes tired of life in the mission field, and were ready to stay in the same place for a while when your husband died. What happened when you came home to America where you could stay in one place for a while?

There is no easy way to deal with grief, but in spite of losing a partner, I continued teaching in our Sonship weekends and women’s retreats. It gave focus to my life. At that time, I think I forgot I wanted to be in one place, because the next two to three years there was a lot of traveling. My desire to stay in one place was not thinking of what God wanted; it was about me.

Q: Did you ever think that God would give you your own mission work?

No, it was God’s call that brought me to London, but it was also the care of my sister that kept me from coming full time. Last November (2011), I was granted a full-time visa to stay in London for two years. We will see what will happen at the end of 2013.

Q: Where are you actively involved in ministry today? What groups of people are you reaching out to?

Our target group of people is Asians from India, Kenya, and Uganda. I am involved in teaching, praying, building friendships. I am part of a U.S. team that ministers in these areas.

Q: You share with the women that you minister to about the women of the Bible who faced the impossible. Who were some of those women, and what challenges did they face?

The Spirit has used Eve, Sarah, Hannah, and Mary in my life to teach me about myself and the ways of God.

Eve believed an impossible lie. If I had been the first woman, I would have eaten the fruit.

Sarah believed an impossible promise. I, like Sarah, tried to bring in the kingdom through much self-effort.

Hannah prayed an impossible prayer. Against all hope she prayed for a son and learned about God— truths I am still eager to learn.

Mary was given an impossible task. She was human just like me, and I, too, was given an impossible task—to bring men/women to Christ.

Q: Is there ever a time where we can retire from doing God’s work?

I do not find retirement in the Bible. We are never off the hook to continue to learn about God, his ways, and his will, and to share with the truth with others.

An Adventure-Packed Conclusion to the Prairie Dreams Series

From Award-Winning Author Susan Page Davis

Uhrichsville, OH — Susan Page Davis takes readers on a rollicking ride with romance in A Lady in the Making, book three in the Prairie Dreams series releasing October 2012.

Millie Evans has changed, choosing to leave rather than join an outlaw gang with her brother. Hoping for a new future, she boards a stagecoach but runs into her past and David Stone—a man she and her brother once tried to swindle. As she tries to convince David she’s changed, her brother’s gang holds up the stagecoach. Fighting beside David goes a long way to softening his heart, but he’s still not convinced. Millie must trust God to show David the truth, but will he see before it’s too late?

About the Author

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than thirty published novels. She’s a Carol Award Winner and a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. In 2011, Susan was named Favorite Author of the Year in the 18th Annual Heartsong Awards. A native of Maine, she and her husband, Jim, now live in western Kentucky. Visit her website at:www.susanpagedavis.com.

Find The Lady in the Making and its press materials online at www.netgalley.com or click on this link: http://bit.ly/N5HXkY.

Publication Information
A Lady in the Making by Susan Page Davis / Prairie Dreams Series Book Three
October 2012 / $12.99 / 320 Pages / Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61626-441-3

Q & A with Susan Page Davis

What inspired the idea of the Prairie Dreams series?

I had written a book about aristocrats visiting America, and other books about the old West. I thought it would be fun to put some upper crust Brits on a wagon train. As I talked to my editor about the idea, the series plot basics developed, and the first book, The Lady’s Maid, featured the wagon train story.

What characters, old and new, will be in the third installment of the Prairie Dreams series?

Readers will see a lot more of David Stone (Lady Anne’s uncle) and learn what became of him. They will also see Millie Evans again. You may remember that she was last seen riding off on a stolen horse.

How is A Lady in the Making different from the previous titles in the series?

This book follows David, a male hero, while the first two books spent more time with the heroines. You’ll also see people traveling east instead of west, and you’ll get to know more people back in England. David’s extended family awaits his return toStoneford with varying reactions.

What type of research did you do for this series?

I did a ton of research on period transportation (David manages to use just about every form available); the Oregon Trail and wagon train travel; mining and early business in Oregon; early law enforcement in Oregon and other places the characters visit; the cities, towns, and terrain along David’s travel route; Primogeniture and the British system of inheritance; forms of address for aristocracy; servant-employer relationships, and much, much more.

What got you interested in writing Historical Christian romances?

I love to read historical books—in fact, I was a history major. When I started writing fiction, an editor read a couple of my contemporary manuscripts and said my writing was good, but he needed a historical. I wrote one, and he bought it. From there on, I’ve dabbled in both, but my historicals outnumber my contemporaries, and I love getting lost in another time and culture.

If you could describe the Prairie Dreams series in three words what would they be?

Pioneers, aristocrats, romance!

An interview with Anita Higman,

Author of A Merry Little Christmas

Often times the mere mention of Christmas stirs cherished memories and makes us nostalgic for years gone by and the ones we love. Maybe you even begin to hum your favorite Christmas tune. Author Anita Higman harnesses that sentimentality and affection for the holiday season in her latest release, A Merry Little Christmas (Summerside Press/October 2012/hardcover/ISBN 978-1-60936-688-9/$14.99).

Q: What inspired you to incorporate Jim Crow laws and segregation into your book?

Even though A Merry Little Christmas is really a love story, I felt it needed some additional conflict, and some of the racial struggles of the 60s seemed to be the right choice for this particular plot. I grew up in the 60s, and I was always interested in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In some ways I feel I’ve waited my whole life to write this book. It came easily to me in that it’s been percolating in my imagination for a long time, but it was also hard to write because I had to consider more deeply the injustices of that era. Even though it sounds like a cliché, A Merry Little Christmas truly was the book of my heart.

Q: The farm scenes seem pretty realistic. Did you grow up in the country?

I did. While the small towns in the book are totally fictitious, I did grow up on a wheat, cattle, pig and chicken farm in Western Oklahoma, and it was pretty much identical to the one in the novel. If the farm scenes seem realistic, it’s because I got to know farm life quite well before I moved off to college at 18.

Q: Franny and Charlie come from very different backgrounds but are both looking for something very different from the way they’ve grown up. Do you think, as humans, we all just have a “grass is always greener on the other side” mentality?

Yes, that is a human frailty that is easy to succumb to, and I’ve been guilty of it as well. But God is good about reminding me that he’s placed me on my own unique life-road, and it may have little to do with anyone else’s journey. Besides, in many cases when we get a closer look at someone else’s “lush green grass,” it usually turns out to be turf.

Q: Do you think that sometimes we don’t pray for what we want because we are afraid of getting what we pray for?

Perhaps that’s true, which would explain why Franny is equally nervous and excited about the sudden answer to her prayers.

Q: Was there a reason you added the themes of Christmas and music to your latest story?

My editor asked me to add those elements, and it was a blessing, since Christmas is my favorite time of year and I love music. Also, female readers in general love novels that are set during the holidays, and I’m hoping the music adds a cozy feel to the overall Christmas theme.

Q: What is your favorite Christmas song?

“The Holly and the Ivy.” The song has a melancholy feel to it, but it’s also beautifully sweet. I love the “Currier and Ives” style pictures my imagination conjures up when I’m listening to it.

Q: Does the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” have a special significance to you?

The song makes me swoon it’s so romantic and lovely. It makes me think of being snowed-in with the man I love. Of course, that scene also needs a mountain cabin with a crackling fire and two mugs of wassail.

Q: What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

I love to have my gal friends over for brunch around Christmastime. I have been collecting tea dishes for many years, so when I do a brunch, I go all out. Women are usually in a service mode most of their lives, so when they come to my house I want them to feel wonderfully pampered. And by the time they leave, I hope their hearts are a little merrier and they feel we’ve celebrated Christmas well!

Q: Is Franny’s character based on any “real-life” person?

Franny is like me in some ways, but she has a lot more courage than I have and more laughter in her heart. So, really, I want to be Franny when I grow up.

Q: You have written everything from romance to suspense/thrillers to nonfiction. What is your favorite genre to write?

I love inspirational romance. There’s just nothing else like it for writing and reading. It naturally makes you want to curl up on an overstuffed couch and read the day away.

Readers can keep up with Anita Higman by visiting www.anitahigman.com, becoming a fan on Facebook or following on Twitter.

Author Margaret Feinberg, has a new book and 7-session DVD Bible study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God  (releasing Christmas Day)—a personal invitation for you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck Video: https://vimeo.com/53953257.

We recently received the insider’s scoop about Margaret’s new book. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck book and Bible study come from?

Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? Most people who have worked in ministry have experienced those seasons—some may be in one right now.

My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.”

God did not disappoint.

What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?

Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.

In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.

Why are you calling people to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK?

If you look in the Gospels, what you’ll discover is that those who encountered Jesus were constantly left in wild amazement. They were awestruck by the teachings of Christ, the healings of Christ, the mind-bending miracles of Christ. Within the Gospel of Luke we see words like “awe” and “wonder” and “marvel” at every turn. If this is the natural response to encountering Christ, how much more should it be for you and I—who are invited to live in relationship with Christ as sons and daughters of our God Most High? We even created a free PDF that looks at some of these Scriptures. For a free copy, email us at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com and we’ll send you one.

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. IWe’ve seen the book for as low as $7.57 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble’s website.

Sometimes the Past is Right in Front of You

Latest Romance from Acclaimed Author Becky Melby

Uhrichsville, OH — This December, readers uncover a hidden stairway that leads to surprising directions that could alter the present in book three of the acclaimed Lost Sanctuary series, Today’s Shadows.

Grad student Heather Conrad’s house-sitting venture is about to veer off course. When last minute changes leave Heather in charge of watching her former boss’s lakeside Victorian mansion and six-year-old daughter, Izzy, the surprises have just begun. Soon startling discoveries convince Heather that something just isn’t right around the house. As suspicions mount, Heather calls on security systems installer Ryan Tobin for help then stumbles on a hidden stairway that leads headlong into a forgotten past. But what will Heather discover there that changes everything?

About the Author

Becky Melby is a Wisconsin resident. She and her husband Bill have four married sons and eleven grandchildren. Becky has co-authored nine titles and written two novellas for Barbour publishing. In her spare time Becky loves riding on the back of her Honda Gold Wing or making trips to see grandkids in the RV. For more information visit www.beckymelby.com.

Find Today’s Shadows and its press materials online at www.netgalley.com or click on this link: http://bit.ly/U8UWbb.

Publication Information
Today’s Shadows by Becky Melby / Lost Sanctuary Series Book Three
December 2012 / $12.99 / 320 Pages / Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61626-240-2

Q & A with Becky Melby

Each book in the Lost Sanctuary series is about a different time period. What era of history will be presented inToday’s Shadows?

The historical story in Today’s Shadows begins on Christmas Eve of 1911 and ends on April 10, 1912, the day the Titanic sailed.

What research did you do for this title?

I watched the first season of Downton Abbey! I also did a lot of reading on child labor laws and the women’s suffrage movement. Olympia Brown, a well-known suffragist, lived in Racine, Wisconsin, the setting for Today’s Shadows, for many years, so I studied her writings. While searching for information on life in Racine in the early 1900s, I found a man who owned a diary written from 1907 to 1910 by Daisy Winifred Brumsey, a young Racine woman. I was thrilled when he gave me permission to read it.

While doing research for each title in this series, did you come across any information you never knew before?

When I set this story in Racine, Wisconsin in 1912, it didn’t occur to me to try including the sinking of the Titanic. When the significance of the year dawned on me, I had no idea how to get a housemaid from the Midwest to Southampton, England. But then I stumbled upon a miraculous little gold nugget of history: Peter and Jennie Hansen, Racine residents who lived just half a mile from the spot I had picked for my fictional house, traveled to Denmark in February of 1912. When it came time to return to the US, Peter’s brother Henrik decided to join them. He bought three third class tickets from a White Star agent and the three boarded the Titanic in Southampton on April 10.  Peter and Henrik both perished, but Jennie survived. As Jennie was in fragile health, it made sense that, in the fictional telling, she would hire a domestic to accompany her.

What similarities can readers find with each book in the Lost Sanctuary series?

When I speak to groups about this series, my talk is entitled “Faded Letters, Forgotten Rooms.” In each book, at least part of the contemporary story plays out in the same building as the historical story. In each, there is a hidden room, tunnel, or stairway, and a discovery of letters or a diary from a different era. A careful reading of each novel will also reveal a family connection between all three stories. 

Do you ever use personal experiences to help pen any of your novels?

Yes. Years ago I volunteered in a ministry for at-risk teens. This experience was enormously helpful when writing Yesterday’s Stardust, in which a young, eager reporter joins a teen gang to get the inside story. For Tomorrow’s Sun, I used some of the stories I’ve heard my father-in-law tell about his father’s involvement in bootlegging back in the 1920s and 30s. I set my first few historical scenes on the farm in Osseo, Wisconsin where my father-in-law grew up.

Summarize the Lost Sanctuary series in three words.

Uncovering Yesterday’s Secrets

Alton, what was it like as a writer to work with a soldier and capture the stories for the new book Hide and Seek?

AG: It was enlightening. At first, I thought my biggest challenge would be learning the terms and tools of the contemporary soldier. As it turns out, the great challenge came in understanding the soldier’s mind and heart. A novelist must be able to see through the eyes of others, to feel their joy and their pains, and then put it on paper. In writing this book and the others that came before it, I had to imagine what it was like to leap out of an airplane in the middle of the night, to be hunkered down under live fire, to see a comrade wounded and killed and to stand on a foreign field when my mind was home with my family. Doing so gave me the new insight into the work and the sacrifices made by the dedicated soldier

Jeff exemplifies the qualities of the 21st-century soldier: intelligent, brave, sacrificial, but very human. In my discussions with him I came to understand the split loyalties that every soldier faces: duty, country, family.

I tried to take some of the admirable qualities I saw in Jeff and put them into the fictional soldiers who risk their lives and transfer all that to the printed page. I could come up with the plot and the twists and turns, but Jeff had to provide the realism. The series of books has been a real education. I am blessed for having been a part of them.Jeff, now that you are retired from active service, do you reflect on some of the stories that developed differently than what you thought they would?

JS: I don’t think that being retired from active duty in the US Army has changed the way that I reflect on these stories, but it has given me a greater appreciation for the quality of men and women in the military. Now that I am a private citizen (so to speak), I have the chance to compare the work ethic, the sense of duty and the patriotism of the men and women in the military with the rest of the US population. I never realized how different many warriors are from the citizens that they protect and serve. I am also seeing the selflessness and sacrifice of the military family compared to that of the average family in our country and am surprised by these differences.

 
Alton, did the process or the relationship change the way you view those in the military and what their families go through? 

AG: Absolutely. I always knew there was great sacrifice involved in being a soldier. Coming from a Navy family I even knew the families of military made their share of sacrifices. Writing about them, however, made it real for me. One thing every novelist does is to insert himself or herself into their characters–good or bad. It can be an emotional roller coaster. Writing these books has tattooed the image of their sacrifice on my mind and heart. From the beginning, Jeff insisted that we show the heroism of those who remain home while their husbands and fathers face death in some foreign territory. In the case of our heroes, they did not even have the satisfaction of knowing where their loved ones served. In many ways, they waited in the dark.

I’ve always admired those who serve in the military, but now I admire their families just as much.

Jeff, what are your thoughts on this?

JS: Writing with Al has been eye opening for me personally. He really gets it. I have never known someone to be able to pick up the dedication and motivation of a warrior and their family as quickly as Al. On a couple of occasions, I commented to Al that he writes like someone who has been in the Army all his life. He has a great grasp on what a warrior’s family goes through when the phone rings in the middle of the night and they have to say goodbye to a loved-one, knowing that they may never see them again. It takes a special kind of person to be a military family and Al depicts that as well as anyone I know.

Alton, do you have some funny stories about connecting with Jeff while he was still in active duty? Code language? 

AG: Mostly I teased Jeff about the superiority of the Navy or the Army. I don’t think I’ve been able to convince him yet. There were a few interesting times when we would exchange e-mail or talk on the phone and I had no idea where Jeff was. I would simply receive a quick note that he was going to be out of town on business. There were times when we spoke that I was pretty sure he was in some far-off part of the world. I still don’t know.

In one of the previous books, I had written a scene that I was especially proud of. I struggled to get the details right, to create a believable scenario. When Jeff was reviewing the scene he called to say, “You can’t use that.” I argued that it was a good scene, that it helped the plot, that it tied up some loose ends. He agreed then told me to take it out. When I asked why, he replied, “You aren’t supposed to know that.” I protested that I didn’t know it. I’d made the whole thing up. He sympathized with me and told me to take it out. I’ve often wondered what I got right.

Jeff, what are your writing goals now that you are not in active service? Do you have more leeway/freedom to pursue some things that you were not able to previously?

JS: My writing goals have become a bit more ambitious now that I am retired. For the rest of my life I will have to balance describing cutting-edge military technology and procedures without giving away national secrets. (Some of those secrets I have sworn to take to my grave.) At the same time, I think the reader deserves an accurate picture of what life is like for a warrior on a dangerous mission somewhere around the world tonight. I hope to be able to continue to paint that picture for readers.

I also had to balance a very difficult workload of trying to communicate with Al and writing some of these books while I was away in Afghanistan or in Iraq. (Needless to say, my mind and attention were a bit preoccupied at those times.) Now that I am retired from the Army, I hope to be able to dedicate more time to writing books that will exalt the great name of Jesus and inspire readers.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Alton Gansky is a Christy Award-nominated and Angel Award-winning author who writes to stimulate thinking about spiritual matters. He served as a pulpit minister for twenty years and has published nearly thirty books.

Chaplain (Major, Ret) Jeff Struecker is a decorated member of US Army Rangers, the Army’s most elite fighting corps. His personal experiences in Mogadishu, Somalia were documented in the New York Times bestseller and major motion picture Black Hawk Down. During his thirteen years of active duty, he also fought in Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Iris Gold in Kuwait. As a chaplain Jeff has done multiple tours in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now retired from military service, Struecker currently serves as the associate pastor of ministry development at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia.

For more information visit 

www.JeffStreucker.com  and www.AltonGansky.com