When a Heart Stops

When I began reading When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason, I expected medical examiner (ME) Serena Hopkins to be under duress in China . . . considering that’s what the epilogue of When the Smoke Clears, book one in the Deadly Reunions series, indicated.

At the very least, I expected her work with the earthquake cleanup in China to be mentioned sometime throughout When a Heart Stops.

Neither of those scenarios happened, but that didn’t distract too much from the whodunit suspense found upon the pages I kept turning long into the night. With each new twist and turn along the journey (none of which I’ll be sharing, so you’ll have to pick up a copy of the book to discover the sneakiness for yourself), my heart beat faster and faster as I attempted to anticipate what would happen next.

I was wrong so often!

But that’s part of the fun of reading a Lynette Eason novel. If they were predictable, they wouldn’t be so addictive.

Book three I recently purchased because I knew I’d want to read it after finishing this one. I was right. I want to read it NOW!

In When a Heart Stops, ME Serena Hopkins and FBI agent Dominic Allen are baffled to discover that the Doll Maker Killer is back—even though he’s sitting in prison. How is this possible? They aren’t quite sure, but you can be certain they’ll use all their knowledge and resources to find out!

This novel is an edge-of-your-seat suspense that will keep you up late, flipping pages while the moon inches higher and higher in the sky—not that you’ll notice. If you haven’t yet read any of Lynette Eason’s books, the Deadly Reunions series is a great one to start with. You’ll be hooked before you know it!

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn’t put down? What drew you into the story so thoroughly? What tips do you have for authors who want to write books that keep you flipping those pages?

The Grace that Leads Us Home

After reading What Once Was Lost, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on its prequel, The Grace That Leads Us Home.

This eShort claims new territory for Kim Vogel Sawyer. She had never before written a book of any size specifically for eReaders. It is my hope that she will continue to explore this venue to provide more inside looks into the characters that don’t get quite as much attention in the full-sized novels she releases.

In a time when an $18.00 debt was insurmountable, Oscar Deaton perishes, leaving his wife to repay a loan she knew nothing about. Atop that, she also has to raise their two young children. Times are tough and jobs are scarcely available. Will widow Alice Deaton find employment in time to pay the month’s rent and the loan looming over her? If she does find a position, will it pay enough to feed and clothe her children in the harsh winter months? Or will she have to resort to begging for her children’s supper?

My heart broke in two when Alice wondered, in chapter one, “How would she and the children survive without Oscar?” I’ve seen hard times before and relied on God to provide for my family, so I well understood the desperate place Alice found herself in. When you’re down and out, you face difficult decisions you never thought you’d have to make in your life. It’s times like those when we find out what we’re really made of. Do we have the courage to carry on when the outcome looks bleak? Do we have the strength to follow the instructions of Ephesians 6:13? “Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” (ASV, emphasis mine)

It is my prayer for each of you to obtain the courage and faith it takes to stand firm when all else fails. May God be with you and your families during times of plenty and seasons of struggle.

The Grace That Leads Us Home is now available for your eReaders. Here is the link to purchase it on Amazon. Haven’t discovered Kim Vogel Sawyer yet? Learn more about this woman’s stories of hope at her website.

Tell us about a time in your life when all your attempts failed but God provided for your needs. What did you learn through that process?

I'm also a guest on Meghan Gorecki's Every Good Word blog today. Will I see you there?

My Hope is Found

“Letting go can be a harder way to love than holding on.”

That’s what was told to Gideon in chapter four of the final book in Joanne Bischof’s Cadence of Grace series. That line set up the struggles Gideon, Lonnie and Toby would all face throughout the pages and chapters of My Hope is Found.

As Gideon makes his way back to Fancy Gap and the family he was forced to leave behind all those months ago, he has no idea what awaits him. Toby has patiently waited for Lonnie to overcome the grief losing Gideon had caused, but his patience is wearing out. Lonnie feels torn between the man she knows she must let go and the man who offers her a bright future. Will these three sort out their differences and come to an understanding? Or will they trust that God has a plan for each of them through the trials ahead? Or will past mistakes catch up to them, stirring up trouble too overwhelming to overcome?

Although I was sad to learn My Hope is Found would be the last novel in Joanne Bischof’s debut trilogy, I must admit I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Lonnie and Gideon and Toby, after having fallen in love with them in Be Still My Soul and Though My Heart is Torn. My only worry was if this tale of lost love and looming mistakes could possibly come to a satisfying conclusion. If I say whether or not I was satisfied by the end of the story, I might give away what happened. So, I suppose that means you’ll just have to grab a copy and read it to find out for yourself what transpired for Gideon, Lonnie and Toby. I suggest you begin with Be Still My Soul, and read the entire trilogy in order to get the full picture of where these characters started. Their journey is a powerful one, filled with trials that remind us of our humanity and need for saving. It makes us consider where we came from, what it took to get where we are now, and where we’re headed on our life journeys. Keep a notebook handy to jot down the things that come to mind about your own journey as you read about Lonnie’s. God might just meet you in the chapters of these books.

As for the author, JoanneBischof is a new favorite of mine. The subtle sweetness woven through the plot and characters—particularly the supporting characters of Jebediah and Elsie—touches the heart and moistens the eyes. The reminders to look for joy in our pain came easily as the story unfolded. What’s next for this author? I’m not sure yet, but I can hardly wait to see. It’s sure to be great!

When was the last time a book got you thinking about your spiritual life? What was it about the story or characters that had you looking deep inside yourself?

Author Interview with Melissa Tagg

This week, we have quite a treat. One of my Facebook friends, Melissa Tagg, author of Made to Last, has stopped by to chat with us. Her debut book is available now, and it's certain to wiggle into your heart with its small-town charm.

Andrea: Made to Last (MTL) is your debut novel. What surprised you most about your journey to publication?

Melissa: Ooh, interesting question. I think probably the thing that surprised me most was the incredible amount of relationships and friendships I’ve developed in these past few years. I had no idea when I started writing seriously in the fall of 2009 that God would bring such amazing people into my life. Mentors like Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck. An amazing craft partner and other writing friends. It really blows me away.

Andrea: Did any of your characters take the plot into their own hands while you were writing Made to Last? Or did you have everything well in control?

Melissa: Oh my goodness, yes, characters definitely mucked up my original plot plans. Haha! Probably my biggest surprise was when an important character showed up a couple chapters earlier than I’d planned…it was just the most perfect writing moment. I remember squealing at the timing of it. But it forced me to go back and change a lot of what I’d planned.

Andrea: Which character was the most challenging to write? Why?

Melissa: The most challenging character was also the easiest character. :) Miranda Woodruff is my heroine and she’s very different from me in terms of career, talents and skills. But her emotional journey very closely mirrors mine. So writing her was easy in that I felt like it was pretty natural to write her responses to situations, etc. But it was also challenging in that it meant going through those emotional highs and lows right alongside her.

Andrea: What piece of advice would you give to a writer suffering with writer's block?

Melissa: Just write. Truly, I think that’s the best cure for it. Sit down and write. I think a lot of times we wait for inspiration or muse or a magical burst of creativity. But those moments are going to come and go. We can’t depend on them. They’re fickle. If we really want to make progress, the best thing we can do is learn to write through those dry spells, be determined and keep going. We can always go back and revise later…but if we spend too much time waiting around for inspiration, we’ll never get to “the end.”

That said, I do think there are things we can do to refuel our creativity and inspiration. I like to take walks and bubble baths. Exercising is great thinking time for me, even though I don’t generally love the actual exercising part! And I love watching movies with good dialogue…that always sparks my own writing.

Andrea: In MTL, Miranda Woodruff volunteered with Open Arms, a shelter for children with special needs, giving of her time and talents to help those in need. Have you ever been a volunteer? If so, would you share with us something that surprised or inspired you along the journey?

Melissa: Well, I have volunteered before, yes, but probably the thing that even more inspired that storyline is my dayjob. I work at a Christ-centered nonprofit which provides food, clothing, shelter and long-term life-recovery for those who are homeless and hungry. Volunteers are vital to our work, so that’s always in my head. And then, too, my nephew Ollie was born with Down syndrome and multiple heart defects…so he inspired the shelter piece of the story. As I’ve watched my sister and brother-in-law take care of him, I’ve often thought, man, what is life like for children like Ollie who don’t have the same kind of awesome parents he does?

Andrea: Is Open Arms an existing organization, or was it a creation of your own imagination? If the latter, did any specific organization or person in your life inspire it?

Melissa: I made up Open Arms, but I know there are places like that which exist. And I’m glad they do. And I mentioned Ollie above…he definitely inspired that piece of the storyline. I’m convinced he’s the coolest kid in the whole world. :)

Andrea: Miranda has traveled to Brazil to build houses. Have you ever participated in foreign missions? Did it involve house building?

Melissa: Yes, as a teen I went down to Mexico with my church youth group and we built a house. It was definitely a cool experience. And then when I was reporting, I wrote several stories about Habitat for Humanity—I love what they and other organizations do to help families in need.

Andrea: Are you a DIY (do-it-yourself) expert, like Miranda? How did your experience with tools help you write Made to Last?

Melissa: Haha, I am not at ALL a DIY expert. I’m just not crafty…and my main experience with tools has been people taking them away from me. I’m very intimidated by stores like Home Depot. So in writing Miranda’s character, I had to do a fair bit of research. I watched quite a few This Old House how-to videos and spent a lot of time Googling this and that. I will admit, there are some tools mentioned in MTL which I couldn’t pick out of a lineup of tools, I’m sure!

Andrea: What do you hope readers take away from Made to Last? What did you learn as you were writing it?

Melissa: At its core, Made to Last is about discovering who we really are underneath the trappings of successes or failures or relationships or lack thereof. So I really hope readers walk away thinking about who they are through a new lens. For me personally, this story hit me right where I needed it. I am someone who does tend to determine my self-worth or identity by what I do or don’t do…so writing this story was one constant reminder that my real identity is found in Christ.

Andrea: What's up next for you? When can we expect your next novel, and may we have a hint at what it's about?

Melissa: My next book is called Here to Stay and it releases in May 2014. It’s all about Blake, the fake husband, from Made to Last. I just loved the guy more and more as I wrote MTL, so I knew his story had to come next. :)

Andrea: Thanks so much for hanging out with us today, Melissa! I enjoyed your debut book, Made to Last, and am eager to see what you'll come up with next.

Melissa Tagg is a former newspaper reporter and total Iowa girl. Her first novel, Made to Last, releases from Bethany House in September 2013. In addition to her homeless ministry day job, Melissa is also the marketing/events coordinator for My BookTherapy. Melissa blogs regularly and loves connecting with readers at www.melissatagg.com.

Ways to contact Melissa Tagg:

Website/Blog: www.melissatagg.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaTagg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Tagg

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/melissatagg

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/MelissaTagg

Rain or Shine?

Courtesy of prozac1 and
freedigitalphotos.net

I live in North Texas, where it seems we are constantly in a drought, rain shortage, or being asked to conserve water. (As if some families—like mine—don’t do that already.) We carefully watch the weather forecast, hoping for even the slightest blip of cloud cover on the radar. When the chance of scattered showers finally pops up on the 7-day forecast, we hold our breath . . . and then sigh as we remember it typically skips our part of the county.

  

Then, one day it happens. The clouds gather overhead and the heavens open. Droplets of water splatter the ground and every brave person who dashes outside to check the mailbox. (Very important when expecting influencer copies of books!) If the downpour lasts longer than 30 minutes (okay, more like 15), the grumblings start.

“I wish it wasn’t raining.”

Courtesy of foto76 and
freedigitalphotos.net

“I hate being stuck inside!”

“Too bad the sun’s not out. The gray sky is so depressing.”

“Okay, so we needed the rain. But did we need THIS MUCH of it?”

Stop. Right. There.

We complain when it’s dry. We gripe when it’s wet. We want rain. We don’t want rain. (The story’s the same for snow, by the way.)

When do we pause to say, “Thank You, God, for THIS DAY”? When do we appreciate the weather He gives us?

Seasons of writing are similar to weather patterns. When the ideas are flowing and words litter the computer screen, we long for an agent to ask for a complete copy of our manuscripts. When we secure representation, we want a contract with a huge publishing house. When we grasp our first published novel in hand, we wish our next book would be released in seven different languages.

Stop. Right. There.

Don’t jump ahead in your writing journey. You might miss an important something God wants to show you. Or you may overlook an AH-HA! moment when He inspires a brilliant scene you may have otherwise overlooked. Worst of all, you might lose the golden opportunity to cherish our Lord’s presence and activity in your life.

Courtesy of Sujin Jetkasettakorn
and freedigitalphotos.net

Stop. Right. There.

Take a moment (or two!) to praise God for where you’re at on your writing journey.

And dance in the rain. (Or whatever type of weather you might be experiencing.)

Made to Last

When her homebuilding show is on the brink of being shut down, Miranda “Randi” Woodruff rents a husband to jazz up viewer ratings. What she didn’t count on was a handsome reporter snooping around, trying to dig up her secrets. Little does she know, reporter Matthew Knox has some buried secrets of his own. Will Miranda evade Matthew’s journalistic curiosity long enough to save her television show? Or will she cave under the pressure? Will Matthew’s secrets push him past the point of no return, where his conscience is concerned? Or will he gladly toss aside his personal ethics to get the scoop on Randi Woodruff and catapult himself to new career heights?

Made to Last is the debut book of author Melissa Tagg. I must say I was surprised by this lighthearted romance. It dug into deep topics, challenging me as a reader and a writer. As a reader, the theme of identity made me stop and consider who I am. Am I defined by my career choices, marital status, and cleanliness of my home? Or is my identity found elsewhere? The answer I found is this: I am a daughter of God. All other identities (writer, tutor, daughter, sister, friend, etc.) fall into place, secondary to my place as a child of God.

The surprises Miranda and Matthew faced as the chapters went along kept me off balance and turning pages. It challenged the writer in me to consider every possible plot twist for my work-in-progress (WIP). I especially enjoy novels that catch me off guard, as Made to Last did. They usually nudge me deeper in my own writing process. There’s nothing quite like reading a fellow author’s work to push my own writing skills to a new level.

One of my favorite lines from the book is at the tail end of a discussion between Miranda and her TV show’s producer, Lincoln Nash.

Miranda: "I don't have a husband."

Lincoln: "So we get you one."

This simple exchange promised quirky, awkward moments for Randi Woodruff, and Melissa Tagg delivered! I loved the storyline and how the three different men in Miranda’s life played so well off of each other. One scene built upon another until I was holding the book mere inches from my face in eager anticipation of what would occur next. This book is an easy read that is sure to keep you entertained and yearning for more.

Look out, world! Melissa Tagg has arrived!

Melissa, thank you for including me in your Tagg Team of influencers. I appreciate the complimentary copy of Made to Last in exchange for my honest review and social media support.

Readers, don't forget to visit Melissa Tagg on Facebook and/or her website! She recently jazzed up her website, so I know you'll want to check that out.

Have you ever been in an awkward situation? Did you find the humor in it, or did you want to just sit down and cry? What did you learn from your experience?

Author Interview with Kim Vogel Sawyer

Today, I'm talking with author and Facebook friend, Kim Vogel Sawyer, whose latest book What Once Was Lost releases to bookstores tomorrow.

Available September 17th

Andrea: In your most recent book, What Once Was Lost, Tommy Kilgore was such an enjoyable character to get to know. Did someone in particular inspire his character?

Kim: No, Tommy is purely from my imagination, but I certainly grew attached to him.

Andrea: What piece of research surprised you most? Were you disappointed in any of your research?

Kim: The terminology which was perfectly acceptable surprised me--referring to poor farms as "asylums" and the residents as "inmates." I encountered these terms on historical sites and the images in my head, painted by today's use of those words, were quite different from the reality of that time. I find it intriguing how language evolves.

Andrea: Your descriptions in Tommy's point of view (POV) made it easy to feel what blindness would be like. Did you use a blindfold to better imagine the scenes? Or was there another technique you used? Or was it pure imagination?

Kim: I closed my eyes when writing in Tommy's POV. It sounds simplistic, but it's amazing how your other senses "step up to the plate" when you limit the use of one. Try plugging your ears sometime in a public place and see how keen your observation becomes. :O)

Andrea: Do you plot your books or write as you go? Are you ever surprised by the twists or outcomes in your stories?

Kim: I am a seat of the pants writer, so I am constantly surprised by what transpires. Every day is an adventure! I love it.

Andrea: When did you realize you wanted to write historical Christian fiction novels?

Kim: I always wanted to be a writer, and I always wanted to write historicals, but I think I became focused on Christian writing when I read my first Janette Oke story. I loved how God was a main character, and I wanted to write stories of the hope only He can give.

Andrea: How has the added responsibility of running The King's Inn Bed & Breakfast affected your writing schedule?

Kim: I like to start my day focused on writing. Now I have to wait until we've served breakfast and visited with guests before I can focus. Since I am most productive in the morning, it was a real adjustment for me to put something else ahead of writing, but it's balancing out. Fortunately the Hubs is good about doing all the clean up, so once the guests are served I can scoot up to my office and get busy.

Andrea: The theme of helping others is dear to my heart, which is one reason I especially love What Once Was Lost. How do you decide which themes to focus on in your novels? Are there any certain factors you consider while planning your stories?

Kim: The only thing I plan is my characters' emotional/physical/spiritual arcs. I know what each of them hope to achieve and why it is important to them. Beyond that, everything else that transpires is a natural out-growth of the characters' journeys. I am often amazed at the themes that develop.

Andrea: Who was the most challenging character to write, and why?

Kim: Tommy ... because I couldn't use his sight and I am a very visual person.

Andrea: What's up next on your busy schedule? May we have a hint at what your next book is about?

Kim: Up next is a story set in a Kansas chocolate factory and features a female investigator who is going to turn the life of the Dinsmore Chocolate Factory owner's son upside-down!

Andrea: Lastly, but most importantly, how's that new grandbaby of yours doing (and her parents)? Is she close enough to spoil regularly, like your little Wugmump? (Of course, all your grandkiddos are precious! I always enjoy the photos you share on your website and blog.)

Kim: Our newest one is growing like a weed and learning to smile, which is always so precious. I wish she was closer--three hours can seem like thirty when you want a quick visit--but thankfully Skype allows us to see and talk to both Wugmumps whenver we need a fix.

Andrea: Kim, thank you for visiting with us here at Writing to Inspire. You write such endearing stories.

Kim: Thanks, Andrea!

Since the release of her first novel in 2006, Kim Vogel Sawyer has become one of the most beloved writers in the Christian market. Drawn to her gentle stories of hope and the life lessons contained between the pages, readers eagerly anticipate the newest release. When Kim isn't writing, you can find her serving guests with her retired-military hubby at The King's Inn Bed and Breakfast Inn or spoiling her grandchildren. You can learn more about Kim and her writing and speaking ministries at www.KimVogelSawyer.com.