On tour with Lisa Wingate's Never Say Never

About the Book:

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots in any one place--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else. Daily has always been a place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta has cooked up a scheme.


Interview Questions:

1. How did you develop the initial story idea/plot line for this book?

Some book ideas you search for, and some just blow in on the wind. For the past several years, dating back to Hurricane Katrina, we in Central Texas have been the recipients of massive hurricane evacuations. These massive exoduses of people, pets, and belongings are frightening, frustrating, challenging, and at times oddly wonderful. When so many are on the road seeking shelter, the worst, but also the best qualities of humanity come to the surface. Hurricane evacuations truly provide times when we ask the question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" In answering that question, we’ve enjoyed amazing moments of friendship and fellowship, family reunions, and chances to share a food and space with strangers from other parts of the country. We’ve traded stories and recipies, laughter and tears. One thing we’ve learned about hurricanes, living here, is that the paths are never predictable. Storms waver, hesitate, speed up, slow down, and sometimes change course unexpectedly. Evacuations needs can change and develop quickly. What better way for the beauty shop girls to find their inner strength and to show Daily hospitality, than for their cruise plans to land them smack in the middle of a sudden and chaotic hurricane evacuation?

2. Almost every author puts a little of themselves into their stories—what did you put of yourself into this one? (personality traits, life events/jobs, settings, characters based on people you know, likes/dislikes, etc.)

There’s a bit of me in the setting, of course. I love Texas, in all its variety of cultures and landscapes, but, living in a small town, I have a particular affection for little bergs like Daily, where the coffee’s always hot, and a good slide of pecan pie can cure most ills. Having watched our little town mobilize to take in hurricane evacuees several times now, I’ve been reminded that sometimes the worst things that can happen bring out the best in people. Given the opportunity and faced with the need, regular people can rise to the occasion in amazing ways, as do the citizens of Daily in the book. Some members of the Wingate family might also claim to recognize themselves among the citizens of Daily, Texas. I would offer the disclaimer that any resemblances are completely unintentional, but that would be a bald-faced lie. When you come from a family of great storytellers and colorful characters, there’s nothing to do but make use of what you’ve got.

3. Did you encounter any interesting challenges while writing/researching for this book? Please explain if so.

The most difficult part of working on Never Say Never was researching and reliving the devastation left behind on the Texas gulf coast last year after Hurricane Ike. While interviewing family members about their experiences during the evacuation and return, we shared laughter and quite a few tears. For those who have lived in southeast Texas all their lives, talking about familiar landmarks, heirlooms, and old family places that were washed away forever, knowing some things will never be the same, is both difficult and devastating. For those of us who have so many memories of family gatherings and vacations there, it’s hard to believe we’ll never visit the old places again.

4. Why is this book/story relevant today?

Despite our best-laid plans, we all experience storms in life—whether those storms be of a weather-related nature, or due to an illness, death, or in recent months, job loss and financial misfortune. When the parameters of life and our ability to control fate suddenly change, we’re confronted with our own helplessness and need to rely on other people and God. In a culture that values independence and self-sufficiency, it’s important to remember that we all have a common need and a common responsibility for each other and that without faith we really are alone in the storm.

About the Author:

Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Drenched in Light, A Thousand Voices, and A Month of Summer. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in central Texas.

Lisa Wingate’s

How to Talk Texan

Road Trip Tutorial

A couple dozen phrases that'll keep you from lookin' like you don't know gee from haw. You can hang your hat on it!

Hey, y’all!

If you’re planning a road trip across Texas, well, my friend, you’d better get your trottin’ harness on, I’ll tell you that right now.

This state’s wider than a woodcutter’s pile. You’ll be so busy here, you’ll think you’re twins. You might even meet yourself comin’ and goin’ or travel so fast you’ll catch up to yesterday.

One thing’s for sure--there won’t be any grass growin’ under your feet, especially if it’s summer, because it’ll be hot as a nanny goat in a pepper patch. Don’t let that trouble your mind, though.

Seeing the whole state might seem about as easy as tryin’ to saddle up house flies or put socks on the rooster, but here’re a few phrases that’ll make your trip just as smooth as a calf’s ear. You’ll find this little bit of Texan talk just as handy as a pocket on a shirt. With these phrases, you’ll be right at home in jig time, and happy as a pig in sunshine, I promise.

Folks’ll think you’re just as fine as frog hair split four ways. Why, you might even find yourself a Texas gal who’s cute as a bug’s ear or a fella who catches your eye like a tin roof at noonday. Even if you don’t find love here, you’ll run across lots of folks who’re so friendly, they’ll add a cup of water to the soup and tell you to get your sittin’ britches on.

Some of them might be full of wind as a corn-eatin’ horse, but you’ll be welcome ‘till whenever you figure it’s time to put the chairs in the wagon and turkey-tail it toward home.

When you do, we’ll keep a light on and a hitch out for ya, just in case you miss us like a west Texas farmer misses rain. You’re welcome to darken our door any old time. Long as we got a biscuit, my friend, you got half, and if that ain’t a fact, well, then I’m hip high to a horned toad.

Y’all come back now, y’hear!

--Lisa Wingate (and the REST of the folks in Daily, Texas, too!)

For stories with Texas flavor

and fun, come see us at www.Lisawingate.com

Grandprize Drawing

Donetta and Imagene's Texas Road Trip Basket (approximate total value over $150)

Take a Texas road trip, without ever leaving home!

Featuring:

The Daily Texas Series by Lisa Wingate:

Talk Of the Town

Word Gets Around

Never Say Never

The Blue Sky Hills Series by Lisa Wingate:

A Month of Summer

The Summer

Kitchen

Beyond Summer (a special advance copy not available in stores until July 2010)

Road Trip Snacks (Straight from Texas, of course!)

Wrap it all up with a fuzzy, fleecy Texas throw blanket for those cold nights on the road (or curled up with your books!)

Rel:~One person who comments on this post will be entered into the grand prize drawing so comment away!

PS: My copy hasn't arrived yet so look for my review down the track. Suffice it to say I have loved the other books in this series so looking forward to more of the same great writing :)

Blog tour for Virginia Smith's Third TImes' A Charm

Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Release: January 1, 2010 ISBN-10: 0800732340 ISBN-13: 978-0800732349 Retail: $14.99 Virginia Smith recently contracted her twelfth book in four years. Previous books in the Sister-to-Sister series include: Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008 she was named Writer-of-the-Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Stuck in the Middle was a finalist for American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year Award. A Taste of Murder was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ginny and husband, Ted, divide their time between Lexington, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City, Utah, escaping as often as possible for diving trips to the Caribbean. Admittedly, her adventurous outings are often as much fun as they are “book research.” The Grand Prize will be awarded to one fortunate person who leaves a comment at one of the blog tours participating in the KCWC Third Time's a Charm blog tour. It includes: The complete collection of Virginia Smith books, TEN in all (listed below), with a personal behind-the-scenes commentary written by the author - especially for this tour! Sister-to-Sister Series, including: Stuck in the Middle, Age Before Beauty, and Third Time's A Charm. Unforgettable Mayla Strong Books: Just As I Am and Sincerely Mayla. Classical Trio Series from Love Inspired Suspense: A Taste of Murder, Murder at Eagle Summit, and Scent of Murder. Murder By Mushroom Bluegrass Peril The Inspiration Behind the Main Characters: I was watching a DVD when I first envisioned Tori Sanderson. In Sweet Home Alabama, Reese Witherspoon is chic, petite, and more than a little headstrong. Plus, she’s ashamed of her upbringing, and therefore insecure even though she enjoys a successful career. That’s exactly how I pictured Tori as I wrote the first two books in the Sister-to-Sister Series. But Tori is several years younger than Reese, so as I wrote the opening chapter of Third Time’s a Charm, I was struggling to come up with the perfect visual image. One evening I saw an advertisement for “Samantha Who,” starring Christina Applegate. I jumped out of my chair and shouted, “That’s her! That’s Tori!” So I gave my character a curly perm to match Christina’s. I Googled the show’s cast and found Barry Watson, who became my model for the handsome handyman, Ryan Adams. And Mitch Jackson is modeled after Michael Weatherly, the gorgeous but suggestively inappropriate Tony DinNozzo on “NCIS.” Sounds like I’m a television junkie, doesn’t it? Not really, but I do like to have a visual image for characters as I write. It helps them come alive in my mind, and hopefully in the minds of my readers, too. Sisters, Shopping and a Search… Third Time’s a Charm The Satisfying Conclusion of the Sister-to-Sister Series Rel here:~ I've adored the first two books in this lovely series about sisters and can't wait to get into this one! My apologies to KCW Communications and Ginny for not having a review ~ the date for this tour didn't make it to my diary ~ sigh! Look for my review to come and for now, enjoy the interview below :) About the Book: There’s not too much in this world that a little retail therapy can’t fix—except maybe the empty hole in your heart from lost and undiscovered love. Tori Sanderson is no exception. Facing abandonment issues with her father, Tori sets out to find the real reason he left her. Along the way she discovers even deeper truths. Add in two matchmaking sisters plus a couple of attractive men vying for Tori’s attention, as well as a tempting job promotion possibility, and you’ve got one confused sister. Through it all, Tori searches for the love she’s been missing all these years. Author Virginia Smith, presents Third Time’s a Charm, the third installment of the Sister-to-Sister Series. Page-turning humor surrounding the lives of three sisters will once again engage readers, while somber self-discovery will unveil Tori’s struggles, and perhaps a few of your own. In a world with more than a few dysfunctional families, this story will ring true for many. Interview Questions: 1. This book is the third and final book in your Sister-to-Sister Series. How did you feel when you completed this last book? I felt a little sad, because I have lived with the characters for three years, and they’re very real to me. I’ll miss them. Plus, I wanted to leave readers with a good impression, so I was anxious for the last scene to be strong. I prayed over that last line for a long time, and when the words finally came, I got chills. They were absolutely the perfect wrap-up for the whole series. I still get tears whenever I read them. 2. Which of the sisters in this trilogy do you relate to the most? Why? That’s a hard question to answer, because there is a piece of me in each of the Sanderson sisters. But I’d have to say I relate most closely with Tori, because she is professionally ambitious, and she struggles to balance her career and her personal life. I did that for over twenty years, so much of her conflict comes from my experiences. 3. You've been contracted to write 12 times in the last 4 years. To what do you attribute this success and how would you encourage others who are doing everything possible to get published? Perseverance. I wrote for over twenty years before my first book, Just As I Am, was published. But I believed that the Lord gave me the desire to write, and even when my pile of rejections was growing (to an astounding 143 before my first publication!), I knew if He wanted me to write, I was going to keep writing. Even now – or maybe especially now – I trust Him for every story, every contract. Sometimes I still receive rejections, but I keep writing because He keeps giving me stories. 4. How is your relationship with your own sisters similar to Tori and her sisters? Did you pull from these sibling experiences when writing Third Time's a Charm? How? I sure did! Actually, my sisters were the inspiration behind the whole Sister-to-Sister Series. They are the most incredible women in the world, and I wanted readers to glimpse the relationship we have. And they were excited to have starring roles in my stories. It was funny watching them try to identify themselves in the books, because I took characteristics from each of us and mixed them up to create each of the Sanderson sisters. Tori, for instance, is a career-minded person, like me. She’s creative, like one of my sisters. And she’s a big flirt, like the other sister. Uh… I’d better not identify who that is, or I’ll start a family feud! 5. What's next for Virginia Smith? In May of this year I have a new book coming out from Steeple Hill. Researching A Daughter’s Legacy was a lot of fun, because it is set in a zoo! It’s my first straight romance, and was something of an experiment for me to see if I liked writing the genre. I loved it, and have a few ideas germinating in my mind for future romance novels. Then later in the year, Into the Deep will hit bookstores. That’s a romantic suspense novel with a scuba diving theme. It takes place partly in Key West, and partly in Cozumel, Mexico. Can you tell I have a lot of fun researching my books? For a more indepth look into the life of Virginia Smith visit the KWC blog.

Character spotlight ~ CJ Darlington's Christy & May Williams

Today the spotlight shines on sisters, Christy & May Williams


CJ Darlington is one amazing lady! Co-founder of TitleTrakk.com, antiquarian book buyer, author, winner of the Operation First Novel contest, daughter, sister and friend! I'm privileged to spotlight her characters, Christy and May from her excellent debut novel, Thicker Than Blood and I hope you enjoy the insight.

Over to you, CJ:~

Brief physical description:

Christy Williams is thirty-three and average height---five four or so. Her natural hair color is light brown, but recently she’s bleached it blonde to please her boyfriend. Life hasn’t been easy on her, and it shows up on her features. In fact, the first time her younger sister May sees her after fifteen years, it shocks her. The beautiful sister she’d idolized as a girl has the face of a much older woman. She tries to hide behind makeup, but there’s no denying what her hard living has done to her.

May on the other hand could pass for someone in her twenties. Living and working on a cattle ranch and spending her days outside has given her wrinkles around her eyes and on her cheeks, but her youthful features dominate her face. She’s a few inches taller than Christy, and working outdoors has helped her maintain the figure she had as a teenager.

Actor/famous person

I’ve been thinking about how to answer this question now for years (I hoped someday you’d ask it, Rel!) I’m not as up on current actors or celebrities as some, so it’s hard to nail down someone famous. But . . . I’ve always maintained that actress Tracey Gold reminds me a little of Christy. Especially that mug shot photo that’s circulating the internet. Since Christy’s arrested for a DUI in the first scene of Thicker than Blood, it’s kinda appropriate (sorry, Tracey!).

Now May’s another story. If someone were to play her in a movie, I think I’d want it to be an unknown actress. Just a normal young woman who wasn’t model-thin and could actually physically do some of the things May does on the ranch. I was paging through a book called The Montana Cowboy by David Stoecklein one day, and I think I spotted May.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Christy is an alcoholic. There are reasons behind her addiction, but alcohol really has run (and ruined) her life. She’s not proud of it. But she doesn’t know how to change. In fact, she doesn’t believe she’s capable of change.

May is a strong character in many ways. She’s independent and fun loving. But her weakness is her struggle to trust God despite her circumstances. She’s facing financial ruin and about to lose her beloved ranch. She can’t see any way out. Trusting God is not coming easy to her.

Rel: I imagined Kristen Paige Williams as May

Quirk (if any):

Wow, I don’t think I gave these characters any quirks! How bad is that? I’m wracking my brain here . . . Rel, what do you think? Can you think of any? J

Rel: Mmmm....well, Christy certainly has a penchant for digging a hole for herself and as for May...I'm not sure either! Maybe some of you who have read the book can point one out??

Your inspiration for the character:

When I was a kid, my sister Tracy and I would play make-believe games with our best friend, Erica. We would each pretend to be a different person and make up stories for them as we went along. One of the characters we invented was a woman named Christy. She was originally a real estate agent, and she had a sister named May who lived on a farm. Often Christy would go visit May on the farm, and we had great fun inventing scenarios for them. As I got older, I asked myself, “What if I wrote a story featuring these characters?” They’ve developed and changed over the years, of course. But that core idea for Christy and May is still there.

Background to the story:

When I first started writing Thicker than Blood, I was fifteen years old. I still have the notebook in which I wrote that first draft. I had no idea that little story would become my first published novel.

Many things changed along the way. Christy obviously didn’t stay a real estate agent. I found myself bored to tears trying to research real estate. My mom was the one who actually suggested I make Christy a used book dealer because of my own interest in rare books. Something clicked, and a whole new story was born.

My fictional bookstore, Dawson’s Book Barn, is based on real-life bookstore Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I began my career in antiquarian books scouting for Baldwin’s. In fact, the manager at the time was the one who taught us the points of a first edition For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. I made that book play a prominent role in Thicker than Blood.

I hope the theme of redemption is clear in this story too. One of my goals as a writer is to show people that no one is ever too far gone for God’s love. You can never step so far away that one step back won’t place you in His arms.

Thanks, CJ! What a delight to have you on my blog as a published author! So excited for you, still :) Bring on the next novel - hehehe!



On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Rueben Burns from Stacy Hawkins Adam's, Dreams That Won't Let Go.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Thicker Than Blood

Visit CJ's website and blog

Check out TitleTrakk.com, founded by CJ and her sister, Tracy

Buy CJ's book at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight & Blog Tour ~ Athol Dickson's Fray Alejandro & Lupe de la Garza

Today the spotlight shines on.........................Fray Alejandro & Lupe de la Garza


Athol Dickson is an award winning author and his latest novel, Lost Mission, is already garnering multiple accolades for it's intriguing storyline and exceptional prose. I hope you enjoy this insight into two characters living centuries apart in this story. Over to you, Athol:~

Brief physical description

Probably the best way to answer this is to quote from LOST MISSION. There are two main protagonists in the novel. One is Alejandro, a Franciscan friar living in the 1700’s. Here’s what LOST MISSION says about him:

“The Franciscan stood five feet four inches tall, an average Spaniard’s height in the eighteenth century. He was broad and unattractive. Heavy whiskers lurked beneath the surface of his jaw, darkly threatening to burst forth. Fray Alejandro’s brow was large and loomed above the recess of his eyes as if it was a cliff eroded by the pounding of the sea and ready to crash down at any moment. The black fullness of his hair had been shaved at the crown, leaving only a circular fringe around the edges of his head. His nose, once aquiline and proud, had become a perpetual reminder of the violence that had flattened it at some time in the past.

“For all its ugliness, Fray Alejandro’s visage could not mask the gentleness within. His crooked smile shed warmth upon his fellow man. His hands were ever ready with a touch to reassure or steady, or to simply grant the gift of human presence. When someone spoke, be they wise or not, he inclined his head and listened with his entire being, as if the speaker’s words had all the weight of holy writ. In his eyes was love.”

The other protagonist is Lupe, a Mexican shopkeeper from a small village, who enters the USA illegally in order to preach the gospel to us here. LOST MISSION describes her in terms of another man, a stranger, whom she has just met:

”From his appearance this man might have been her brother. Like Lupe, he was not tall. Like Lupe his features called to mind stone carvings of the ancient Mayans. Like Lupe, he had a smooth sloped forehead, pendulous ear lobes, and cheekbones high and proud. His golden skin was flawless, as was hers. Like hers, his lips were thick and sensuous, his teeth the flashing white of lightning, his eyes a pair of black pools without bottoms.”

Actor/famous person

Danny Trejo could play Alejandro, although Mr. Trejo is older than Alejandro is in the novel

The picture of Lupe is a photo I found of a woman who looks much as I imagine Lupe does (I don’t know who this woman is)

Strengths and weaknesses

Both Lupe and Alejandro have a simple faith, which is therefore a strong faith. I think that’s part of what Jesus meant when he said we must come to him as little children do. When a child believes, it is with total commitment, without doubts or complications. That’s how Alejandro and Lupe believe. Their doubts are always centered on themselves, never on God.

While Lupe and Alejandro share similar strengths, their weaknesses are different. Lupe is completely willing to suffer in God’s service, but in her willingness she has come to equate service with suffering, as if one cannot exist without the other. So when a great gift and a blessing comes for her, she misses it, because she cannot bring herself to believe it’s possible to serve God and also become richly blessed in earthly ways.

Alejandro, on the other hand, being a Franciscan friar, has already decided to shun all earthly blessings, so his flaw is different. He sees his fellow friars crossing ethical and moral lines, and recognizes what they’re doing for what it is, but he is so afraid of crossing the line into judgmentalism himself that he fails to hold his brothers accountable.

Quirk (if any)

I don’t know if you’d call this a “quirk,” exactly, but Lupe’s faith is so complete, when she experiences a miracle that would rock any normal person’s world, she accepts it as a normal part of life.

The strange thing about Alejandro is, although he fears judgmentalism in himself to the point of being paralysed in the face of other people’s sin, he is absolutely fearless when it comes to risking his own life for others.

Your inspiration for the character

I’ve heard other authors say they base characters on people they meet, or combinations of several personalities they’ve met, but I very seldom create a character based on anything in real life. Instead, I usually have a novel’s theme in mind at the very beginning, and I work out a plot that will explore that theme through action and symbolism. Then I pick or imagine a setting that supports the events of the plot, and only then do I get around to creating characters. So the characters in most of my stories were really inspired by the plot. In other words, I pick personality traits for each character based on what that character needs to do to take the plot where I want it to go. Then I think about the character’s back story, asking myself what events in their past might have led to their personality and life situation in a logical and believable way. Sometimes the physical features of a character are also based on what I need them to do to support the story. At other times, if the physical characteristics are irrelevant, I’ll remember someone I’ve met and describe them, but the physical features of a person are pretty much the only aspects I ever draw from real life, and I only do that occasionally. It’s far more common for me to give a character their physical features completely from my imagination.

Background to the story

LOST MISSION is set in two times, but one place. In the late 1700’s we have Fray Alejandro, a Franciscan, founding a mission to the pagan Indians of what was then called “Alta California.” In the same place, which is now called southern California, we have Lupe de la Garza, an undocumented immigrant who comes to the USA to preach the gospel to Americans, whom she believes are in desperate need of it. Here’s a quote from the press release sent out when the novel was launched:

“Lupe de la Garza, a simple shopkeeper in a mountain village in central Mexico, believes God wants her to go to America to preach the gospel. She is guided on her quest by her people’s greatest treasure: an altarpiece painted by the eighteenth century Franciscan friar who founded her village after fleeing the mysterious destruction of his California mission outpost. When Lupe is distracted by desire for a young minister, and when her preaching in a southern California beach town inspires only apathy and laughter, she begins to lose faith in her quest. Then the slumbering evil that destroyed the friar’s Franciscan mission rises up again after two hundred years, and Lupe once more looks to the altarpiece for guidance, only to find the true purpose of her quest in the midst of her single greatest fear.”


Thanks for sharing, Athol ~ it's been fascinating :) My review of Lost Mission will be coming soon to TitleTrakk.com.


On Thursday, join me as the spotlight shines on Kimberly Stuart's Mia Rathburn from Stretch Marks ~ thankfully she has finished feeding the baby ;-)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Athol's website and blog

Buy Athol's books at Amazon or Koorong

What is everyone else saying about Lost Mission? Check out the whole blog tour!

Contest!

Tweet this and be entered to win signed copies of Athol’s award winning books:

Tweet 4 words that describe Athol Dickson’s #LostMission along with this link: http://tr.im/BPD1

Or

Athol Dickson’s redemptive tale #LostMission is a MUST read! Gripping story about mistakes and miracles! http://tr.im/BPD1

(To be clear – to be entered into the contest your tweet must have these 2 elements 1. Athol Dickson’s #LostMission 2. this link: http://tr.im/BPD1).

Blog Tour of The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom

ISBN: 1426700695
ISBN-13: 9781426700699
Format: Paperback
Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: August 2009
Retail: $13.99

About the Book:

(Eugene, Oregon) – An arranged marriage, a runaway bride, and an ugly family heritage of brutal and inhumane slavery operations leave no room for a fairytale story. Grace Winslow, daughter of an English sea captain and African princess, finds herself in a horrific position of betrothal. Doomed to marry an obnoxious white man, whom she does not love, Grace runs away to escape the slavery she’s been surrounded by all her life. Instead, her journey from home brings her face-to-face with issues of extreme slavery, abuse and human trafficking. In the end she discovers slavery is more than just chains and finds grace that exceeds a name given to her by her parents.

Written by Kay Marshall Strom, The Call of Zulina links historical slavery issues with the modern-day crisis tainting many countries. On the heels of important legislature regarding human trafficking, Strom tackles the subject boldly as she sheds light on the practices and techniques used by angry slave traders. Seen as an advocate for those who have no voice, Strom finds words to communicate the message of history to today’s readers. While this book shines the light on an uncomfortable subject, the message of hope, freedom, and justice prevail and eternal truths discovered.


About the Author:


Author Kay Marshall Strom has two great loves: writing and helping others achieve their own writing potential. Kay has written thirty-six published books, numerous magazine articles, and two screenplays. While mostly a nonfiction writer, the first book of her historical novel trilogy Grace in Africa has met with acclaim. Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, writers’ conferences, and special events throughout the country and around the world. She is in wide demand as an instructor and keynote speaker at major writing conferences. She also enjoys speaking aboard cruise ships in exchange for exotic cruise destinations.

Blog Tour Interview:


1. How did you come up with the storyline of The Call of Zulina?

While in West Africa working on another project, I toured an old slave fortress and was struck dumb by a set of baby manacles bolted to the wall. The characters of Lingongo and Joseph Winslow, Grace's parents, are modeled after real people who ran a slave business in Africa in the 1700s. I "met" them when I was researching Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, a biography of the slaver turned preacher and abolitionists, author of Amazing Grace. The more I thought about them, the more I wondered, "If they'd had a daughter, who would she be? Where would her loyalties lie?"

2. What inspired you to write a book so entrenched with uncomfortable issues?


I used to think that non-fiction was the meat and potatoes of writing and fiction was the chocolate mousse dessert... fun, but not of much value. But I've come to understand that truths can be revealed through fiction just as powerfully as through non-fiction. Sometimes, more so! The fact is, for so long we have tried to look away and pretend that this horrible chapter in history never happened. But it did, and we still feel the effects today. Moreover, the roots of slavery--hunger for power and money, fear and diminishment of people unlike ourselves, and humanity's endless ability to rationalize evil actions--abound today. The time seemed right.

3. How haveyour travels around the world equipped you for writing such a historical novel?


People ask me where my passion for issues such as modern day slavery come from. To a large degree it is from the things I have seen and heard on my numerous trips to India, African countries, Cambodia, Nepal, Indonesia, and other places around the world.


4. Tell us a personal story regarding modern day slavery.


A most pervasive type of slavery is what is known as bonded servitude, where entire poor families are bound into virtual slavery--sometimes for generations--because of a small debt. This is especially common in India. I visited a village in central India where the women had been freed from bondage and set up with a micro loan that allowed them to raise a small herd of dairy cows. They worked so hard and saved every rupee. When they had enough saved, they persuaded a young teacher to come and start a school for their children. Then they used further profits to make low interest loans to others in the area so they could start their own businesses, too--a little bank. I sat in a circle with the five women who made up the "board of directors." Only one could read and write. I asked, "How will the next generation be different because of what you have done?" They said, "No more will be like us. When people look us, they see nothing. But when they look at our children, they see real human beings with value."


From invisible slaves to human beings... all in one generation!


5. Grace, the lead character in The Call of Zulina, forsakes all to escape the slavery of her parents and an arranged marriage.How common is this scenerio today in other countries?


Horrifyingly common. Slavery today takes many forms. According to UNICEF's more conservative count, there are about 12 million people living as slaves today--three times as many as in the days of the African slave trade. As for child arranged marriages, I have talked to girls "enslaved" to husbands in many countries. Examples include a girl in Nepal married at 9 to a middle-aged man, one in India married at 11, a 13-year-old in Egypt married to a man older than her father. I've seen it in Africa, Eastern Europe... so many places!


6. What about in America, are there slavery and trafficking issues here?


Unfortunately, there are. The U.S. State Department estimates between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the Untied States each year, although it concedes that the real number is actually far higher. And it's not just states like New York and California that are affected, either. According to the U.S. Justice Department's head of the new human trafficking unit, there is now at least one case of trafficking in every state.


7. You've had 36 books published, and more written and contracted for future release. How has this one impacted your own life?


Some books report, some tell stories. This book has torn my heart.


8. Briefly tell us about the next two books in this Grace in Africa trilogy.


In Book 2, Grace watches her reconstructed life smashed by slavers and revenge, and she is forcibly taken to London. There she faces a new kind of tyranny and another fight for freedom... and for her husband, who is enslaved in America.

Book 3 is set in the new United States of America, in the heart of the slavery. It is a story of slavery at it's worst and redemption at its best.

What Can Concerned Citizens Do to Raise Awareness?


Find out all you can about Modern Day Slavery: then watch for chances to pass on what you have learned.

Write to your elected officials: Petition them to place a high priority on enforcing anti-slavery laws and to put pressure on countries that tolerate forced labor or human trafficking.


Buy Fair Trade products: Fair trade provides a sustainable model of international trade based on economic justice. To find out more, see http://www.fairtrade.net/ .

Support organizations that are in a position to make a difference. When you find an one that is doing a good job on the front lines, contribute to their cause so they can continue on.

Be willing to step into the gap. If you suspect someone is being held against his or her will, call the Department of Justice hotline: 1-888-428-7581. Or you can call 911.

Grand Prize Giveaway!!!

Kay Marshall Strom is giving the following books to one fortunate commenter from The Call of Zulina blog tour. The prize package includes several of Kay's books:

Seeking Christ: A Christian Woman's Guide to Personal Wholeness & Spiritual Maturity
John Newton:The Angry Sailor
Making Friends with Your Mother
Making Friends with Your Father


Rel:~ Come back on Thursday to learn more about Kay's lead character, Grace Winslow, in our Character Spotlight post!

Blog Tour of The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren with Aussie Giveaway

About The Great Christmas Bowl:

Marianne Wallace is focused on two things this holiday season: planning the greatest family Christmas ever and cheering on her youngest son’s team in their bid for the state championship.
Disaster strikes when the team loses their mascot-the Trout. Is it going too far to ask her to don the costume? So what if her husband has also volunteered her to organize the church Christmas tea.

When football playoffs start ramping up, the Christmas tea starts falling apart. Then, one by one her children tell her they can’t come home for Christmas.

As life starts to unravel, will Marianne remember the true meaning of the holidays?

My take:

As an Aussie, I don't know much about American Football, but I know plenty about family expectations, Christmas traditions and mother guilt! As a result I giggled and sympathised my way through this story of one mum's desperate attempt to keep her son happy and bring the family back home at Christmas. Susan's book is a little gem, overflowing with small town community - the good and the bad - a reminder of God's grace and the things that are truly important as we celebrate Christmas.

About Susan:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her 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!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com

The Great Christmas Bowl website

The website features a note from the author, fun updates from Big Lake Gazette, info on how to host your own Great Christmas Bowl Tea to benefit a local ministry or charity and a fun Recipe Exchange contest!

CONTEST: Be a part of the Great Christmas Bowl recipe exchange!

Susan loves getting recipes from friends, and sharing the delicious cookies, soups, breads and other fun fixings that go with celebrating the Christmas season. More than that, she loves the crazy stories about favorite Christmases – serious, touching, funny…whatever. Find the recipe contest here

Will you share your story and recipe with Susan and the readers of the Great Christmas Bowl? She will post your story and recipe on the FRONT PAGE of the Great Christmas Bowl website, and send you a link when it goes up so you can tell all your friends. Then, at the Great Christmas Bowl party (December 5th, 10am, online! Details TBA) she’ll make the entire cookbook available for download!

For every recipe/story you submit (up to 3), you will be entered in a drawing to receive one of SMW’s collections (Noble Legacy, Team Hope, Heirs of Anton, Deep Haven Series, Josey series, or THE ADVANCED COPY of Sons of Thunder – Susie’s brand new epic World War 2 novel, due out in January 2010!)

Go – run, get your recipe, then come back here and click on the link below to share your Christmas memories!

Blog Tour Schedule here!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Susan's website

Buy the book at CBD or Koorong

Aussie Giveaway

To enter:~

1. You must have an Aussie mailing address

2. Post a comment by Sunday 4th October, 2009 telling me your favourite family Christmas tradition

Special Character Spotlight ~ Randy Singer's Jason Noble

Today the spotlight shines on............................Jason Noble

Randy Singer is a must read author in my book! His brilliant courtroom dramas are filled with intriguing characters, plenty of unexpected twists and with his latest, The Justice Game, an ending determined by his readers!

Don't miss this insight into his young protagonist, Jason Noble and be sure to run out and get a copy of The Justice Game!

Thanks Randy:~

Brief physical description

I hope this is not cheating but I pulled a couple of descriptive passages from the book:

“Jason didn’t have the stone-carved jaw of a movie actor, but he was in good shape and had received more than a few comments about his eyes. ‘Sleepy.’ ‘Intriguing.’ Or, on courtroom days like today, when he had his green contacts inserted, ‘piercing.’”

Later in the book, I share Kelly Starling’s first impressions about Jason—Kelly is the lawyer opposing Jason in the case.

“When Jason Noble and Case McAllister came walking down the aisle, Kelly sized them up, positioning herself so it looked like she was talking to her client. McAllister looked old, weathered, and confident, walking with a slight limp. His thin and rounded shoulders revealed his age, but his eyes were sharp, and he had a sly half-smile on his face, as if surveying a masterpiece he had just painted. Jason Noble was young and decent-looking, in a carefree surfer sort of way. He had penetrating green eyes and dark shaggy hair. He looked like maybe he had just left a frat party at the University of Georgia, the yin to Case McAllister’s yang.

Kelly made a note—Jason would probably do okay with young female jurors. But other than a kind of roguish charm, she couldn’t figure out why MD Firearms might have chosen him to help on the case. He was only two years out of law school—nearly five years younger than she. And Kelly herself was relatively young and inexperienced to be trying a case of such magnitude. Jason, she concluded, was probably just there to carry Case McAllister’s briefcase.

Actor/famous person

This is hard because I really didn’t have a famous person in mind as I created Jason. However, I think the closest celebrity is Jim Sturgess, especially as seen in his role in 21—a geeky rogue trying to make his way in a world where he is incredibly gifted but also out of his element.

Strengths and weaknesses

He is a gifted performer which makes him a very talented trial lawyer. I remember as a law student clerking at a firm in New York and telling an experienced lawyer that I thought my debate background would help me do well in trials. His reply: “Not really. If you want to prepare for a career as a trial lawyer, try acting.”

One of Jason’s greatest strengths is that he is a gifted actor. He has an innate flair for the dramatic and an ability to connect with people. But, like many great performers, he is ill-at-ease around people in social settings. He has a number of weaknesses. A very rocky relationship with his father. A devastating past secret that he would do anything to cover up. And a willingness to sometimes push the ethical limits if he believes a higher cause is at stake.

His biggest challenge is maintaining the front of being a laid-back and self-confident trial lawyer when he actually feels like he’s going to throw up at any moment.

Quirk (if any)

I don’t know if you’d call this a quirk, but he is rather shy around women. This can lead to some erratic (though not necessarily quirky) behavior.

Your inspiration for the character

Jason came about because I wanted to explore the dynamics of living with a devastating secret and how that secret affects someone emotionally and spiritually. Blackmail is the order of the day in The Justice Game and Jason must decide whether to come clean about his past or compromise his client’s case in order to keep the past under wraps. I once heard Rick Warren say that courage comes when you have nothing left to hide. I wanted to explore that in the life of Jason. I also wanted to look at the conflicted life of a person who tries to project an image that is very different from who that person really is at the core of his being.

Background to the story

After the target of an investigative report storms a Virginia Beach news studio, he executes one of the reporters on live television before the SWAT team is able to take him down. Following the victim’s funeral, her family files a lawsuit against the gun company who manufactured the killer’s weapon of choice.

The lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant—Kelly Starling and Jason Noble—are young, charismatic, and highly successful. They’re also easy blackmail targets, each harboring a personal secret so devastating it could destroy their careers. Millions of dollars—and more than a few lives—are at stake. But as Kelly and Jason battle each other, they discover that the real fight is with unseen players intent on controlling them both.

Wonderful insight, as always - thanks so much, Randy :) I always enjoy anticipating what you are going to come up with next!



On Thursday the spotlight shines on Colleen Coble's Shannon Astor & Jack MacGowan from Lonestar Secrets - yay!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of By Reason of Insanity

Character spotlight on Quinn Newberg from By Reason of Insanity

Visit Randy's website

Buy Randy's books at Amazon or Koorong