SURRENDERED – New Release

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Gail

I’m glad to welcome Jennifer Sienes this week, who shares her new release, Surrendered, with us. Jennifer, I can relate to the jumping around that sometimes occurs with publication dates for a series! Jennifer is offering a free e-book to a commenter this week.

Since I was twelve years old, I’ve been writing stories. I even wrote fan-fiction before it was a thing—a Happy Days episode, which I’m sure dates me. I took every creative writing class I could, starting in high school, and even declared journalism as my college major until I realized I like fiction a whole lot more than truth, because I can create the characters any way I like.

Tess O’Shay, the main character in Surrendered,came by way of accident. She was a minor character in my first novel (which will be the last published in the series) and my critique group loved her. They wanted to know if she would have more scenes. She did not. In fact, she was deleted with the rewrites.

But I couldn’t get her out of my mind—it was like she’d become a real person and refused to be ignored. Surrendered was the first novel I wrote inspired by a fictional character rather than an incident. Tess isn’t based on anyone I know, just a figment of my imagination. I loved writing this story because Tess O’Shay and Jake Holland ran away with it and all I could do was try to keep up.

The first two novels I wrote were inspired by actual events—my brother’s suicide in the first and my daughter’s near-fatal car accident in the second. These are dark themes, yet I wanted to present them with humor and hope—both of which have gotten me through some tough circumstances.

I strive to create characters my readers can connect with—three-dimensional and human—but also fall in love with. I think the best books are those that leave us wanting more.

So you may be wondering where those first two novels are today. It’s true that these three novels are a series. However, what ties them together is the same small town (Placerville, California) and one side character (the voice of reason.)

When my publisher asked me to submit to her whichever was my favorite, I submitted Surrendered. Not because it’s a better story, but because I felt it was the most polished of the three. Book two (which I wrote second) releases next May and book three comes out May 2021.

There are a few more days to get in on the Kindle preorder perks. My publisher set the ebook at an introductory price, which will go up (by $1) after April 30th. Those who preorder will also receive the prequel novella, Julia, as a gift.

Preorder Link: https://amzn.to/2tusOWH

Paperback will be available afterl April 30, 2019

Amazon gift form for Julia:

Link: https://goo.gl/forms/7AGjBUr0y6KYBo222

The form must be filled out in order to receive the novella through the publisher.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Sienes-Writer-186643172596/

Instagram: instagram.com/Jennifer_Sienes

Goodreads: goodreads.com/Jennifer_Sienes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jennifer_Sienes

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Jennifer_Sienes/surrendered/

All For The Cause

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Gail

Seventy-seven years ago today, what occurred in the World War II timeline? April 9, 1942…am I referring to something in Europe or possibly North Africa?

No, this day marks the fall of Bataan to the Imperial Japanese forces in the South Pacific. In general, we seem to know far less about the surrender of the Philippines than about other dire situations in World War II history.

But my new novel ALL FOR THE CAUSE will hopefully increase understanding of this war theater. Why? Because the fall of Bataan–and of Corregidor about a month later–affected so many Americans.

Tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses stationed in the Philippines left worried families back home. And when the news of the Allied loss hit the airwaves, those families’ worst fears increased.

Had their loved ones survived the horrific bombing that led to this surrender? Would the troops now be taken to prison camps? What would become of them…and when could the families hope for word?

ALL FOR THE CAUSE introduces Private Stan Ford, a Wisconsin native who signed up with the National Guard and arrived in the Philippines before the Pearl Harbor attack that ignited the U.S. declaration of war on Japan. Because of the press surrounded that horrific attack, what occurred in the Philippines might be lost in the shadows.

But our troops stranded on the island of Corregidor endured intense deprivation and trauma. Those who survived the battle may or may not have lived through the terrible march up the mountains to a Japanese prison camp–the Bataan Death March.

At the encouragement of his Captain, Stan chose to flee to the mountains to join guerrillas fighting the enemy until General MacArthur returned to liberate the islands. But what he observed on the way–captured American prisoners on the impossible trek to a remote POW camp–imprinted in his mind forever.

Back in the States, Twila Brunner seeks to contribute to the war effort and discovers a possibility reported in the local newspaper. Who would ever have imagined a prisoner of war camp built in the middle of an Iowa cornfield to house Nazi captives? In accepting a position at the camp, Twila finds far more than she ever could have dreamed.

When Stan is forced to return to the States, his journey intersects with Twila’s. All he wants is to return to liberate his comrades on Bataan, and he puts every effort into making this happen. But sometimes, unexpected joys lie along the path of duty.

Here’s the new cover!

And here’s the purchase link:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=all+for+the+cause+kittleson&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131132227?ean=2940156442669

Apple iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1458797641

Available in e-book, paperback, and hardback from WordCrafts Press.

I hope you enjoy this story and hold dear the men and women who gave their ALL FOR THE CAUSE – and please leave a review on Amazon if you do.

Earth to Gail…

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Gail

Two nights ago, Lance took some photos of the moon just before it became a “blood moon.” This was about 9 p.m. Arizona time, and we could just see a rosy haze rising due to refracted light.

He didn’t think they’d turn out, but…well, I’ll let you be the judge.

He’s been snapping dozens of elk, deer, javelina, and bird pics too…but this total eclipse only happens once in a… quite a few years.

I’ve neglected blogging for the past few weeks, and could explain that I’ve been head over heels into my next WWII story featuring the POW camp in Algona, Iowa. But that would sound like an excuse, so I’m just starting in again…hopefully you’re all in a compassionate frame of mind.

The good news is that I am approaching…not there yet, but CLOSE to completing this final (I HOPE!!) edit of a manuscript that has given me some surprises and frustrations along the way. Aren’t things supposed to become easier with practice???

And just for good measure, here are a couple more pics from our day trip to Sedona.

I love the way the background and foreground integrate. Reminds me of how the main characters and secondary characters in a novel complement each other.

Each of their personal stories shares a common premise. It stands to reason that during war, that premise may become even more complicated than normal.

Picture a small midwestern town chosen to host hundreds of Nazi prisoners…many of them from Hitler’s elite SS, taken captive in North Africa. What would it be like to guard them…to provide milk, eggs, and other essentials to feed them, knowing that chances are slim Allied prisoners were being treated according to the Geneva Convention?

Doesn’t this sound a little complicated? Stay tuned – ALL FOR THE CAUSE is on its way!

So I Wrote This Book…

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Gail

Lisa Lickel, an encouraging online writer-friend, describes her novel Requiem For the Innocents. I read this story a couple of months ago, and highly recommend it if you like to read hard-to-put-down tales that make you think. And…Lisa is giving an e-book away to one of you who leaves a comment.

So, I Wrote This Book…

In 2008 I met my first agent. We had recently signed a contract for my first published book for Barbour’s new cozy mystery book club supposedly releasing later that year. I had signed up for one of those luxury writing conferences, the kind where you have to take a plane, then a shuttle from the airport, and eat food you don’t recognize served in tiny portions and try to find people and classrooms and stand in line for an hour to get an autograph. I came prepared with four story concepts to pitch, one of them I titled Innocents Pray.

I’m not great at titles which you must have in order to explain your book to potential publishers, even when you know they’re going to change it. The theme of this story was who does God answer when people offer fervent opposing prayers? Like, if you’re a Cardinals fan, and your friend is a Brewers fan, and the teams play each other for the league championship, and you both pray really hard for a win, does God like your prayer better if the Brewers win? Or did it matter?

I liked the irony behind “innocent” people praying with all their hearts for a particular answer. The same title had only been for a nonfiction book several years earlier, and since it wasn’t heavily used, I kept it, even though informal surveys of my writerly friends had strong mixed feelings. Since no one could come up with anything that strongly said, “this is it!” I worked with the cover artist and did it my way.

Sales tanked. Actually, they never launched. I had trepidations about the whole thing and trembled over the release. You see, I signed or was offered contracts with three successive agents using this novel as my audition. None of them could sell it, and one agent withdrew the offer of representation. At first I was told it was a denominational issue, then it was a “sorrow” issue; there was always some divisive issue about this story. But I loved it. I had worked on it for six years, and when self, or Do-It-Yourself publishing became slightly less objectionable and horrifying for traditionally-published authors, I went all-in and used the imprint of my publications business to publish this book completely on my own.

My writing buddies endorsed me. My book club picked it up for discussion, and I garnered a few good reviews, but book stagnated. I had to do something. I’d researched cover concepts and felt the art was good. The teaser was good, according to more desperate surveying: “One wants her to live, one wants her dead, and one wants her cells.”

The title still puzzled readers. Here’s the back cover copy:

Justice, mercy, and humbleness collide when four people pray for different answers to the same situation. How will God answer all of them?

What is wrong with trying to cure cancer? Brother Able, hospice chaplain, asks himself that question every day. His boss, Dr. Rich Bernard, performs closet genetic experiments at Paradise House. He blackmails Able into keeping his secret. When a grieving husband asks Able to pray for his dying wife, Able finally breaks his silence.

Libby Davis might be prepared to accept death, to sacrifice herself for Rich’s greater cause but fails to comprehend the love of a husband who cannot let her go and the son who’s a whisper from the edge of reason. Brother Able wades into battle for those innocents in her life. If he wins, it won’t be only Libby’s family he saves.

Like many authors, I needed to get out of my own way.

Just because I liked the idea of my characters’ not-so-innocent actions translating into a play-on-words title that would hopefully drop jaws of potential readers didn’t mean I would get my way. And I didn’t. So I changed the title about two months later.

What I am learning is to be flexible and find surer footing in presenting my books. I am confident that my stories do touch readers, but finding that beautiful key to unlock the adventure for readers is a continuing challenge to meet and overcome.

Where to buy the book and book info:

Print ISBN 13: 978-0-9904281-0-7

ISBN 10: 0-9904281-0-9

$14.95

6 by 9 inches, 340 pp

Ebook ISBN-10: 0-9904281-1-7

ISBN-13: 978-0-9904281-1-4

$4.99; some sites have a $.99 sale

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016908998

Key words: healing, cancer treatment, family drama, Christian fiction, Catholic, hospice, genetics, book club books

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/requiem-for-the-innocents

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/innocents-pray/id1120384134?mt=11

BN shortlink http://bit.ly/2bMI9Zx

Kindle shortlink: http://amzn.to/2d0nr9R

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/664454

Lisa Lickel, a Wisconsin writer, lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. A multi-published, best-selling and award-winning novelist, she also writes short stories and radio theater, is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and sometimes magazine editor. She is part of Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat, Inc., mentoring writers from across the US and Canada. Visit http://www.LisaLickel.com.

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

Goodreads: http://www.facebook.com/lisalickel

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel

Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2bPxi2X

Echoes of the Heart

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Gail

I’m pleased to introduce Donna Schalter with The Story Behind the Story of Echoes of the Heart. To one commenter, Donna will give the reader’s choice of an e-book or a print copy. Thank you so much, Donna.

If you’ve ever wondered if a writer’s conference is worth the time, effort, and expense, let me assure you: it is!

My involvement in The Pony Express Romance Collection began several years ago at at an ACFW Conference, where I met up with my dear friend, Mary Davis. I asked her what she was working on, and she said she was putting together a proposal for a Pony Express novella collection. I said, “I’d love to be part of that.” She already had the four authors she needed, but if anything changed, she’d contact me.

The next month, hubby and I were planning a long weekend away, and I suggested we do some Pony Express research, “just in case”. So we traveled to Julesburg, Colorado and on into Wyoming, following the trail. Along the way, we stopped and talked to folks at visitor information centers, museums, and anywhere that advertised the Pony Express. People still love the romance and allure of the Pony Express, and it seemed as though everybody had a story.

Another month goes by, and Mary emailed to say an author had to drop out because of other commitments, and was I still interested. You bet I was! The initial concept was four stories told in chronological order at the same station, Echo Canyon Utah, with some carryover of characters from one story to the next.

And so began my romance with the Pony Express. We went through several iterations of the proposal, and the format changed to nine authors at different stations with no overlap of characters.

If I hadn’t been at that conference, I wouldn’t have known about this opportunity. At other conferences, I’ve made contact with other editors, publishers, and book packagers and been blessed to work with them on various projects. So while classes are important, don’t forget the benefits of networking!

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, her first-line editor and biggest fan. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid publisher who has published a number of books under her pen name and under her own name. Her current release, Echoes of the Heart, a 9-in-1 novella collection titled “Pony Express Romance Collection” released April 1. Donna is also a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. Donna loves history and research, and travels extensively for both.

www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com

www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter

Books: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq

Echoes of the Heart: http://amzn.to/2lBaqcW

Catching Up With Daylight -MASSIVE GIVEAWAY!

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Gail

Welcome to the WhiteFire Publishing Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to go back to stop #1 and collect all the clues in order. Once you have them all, you’ll have uncovered a secret message. Turn that in at the final stop for a chance to win one of THREE amazing prize packages!

The Hunt begins at Roseanna White’s site

Take your time! You have all weekend to complete the Hunt—entries will be counted until Monday June 26—so have fun reading all the posts along the way and getting to know each author
Lots of extra prizes! Many of the authors are featuring unique giveaways as well, for even more chances to win!
Submit your entry for the grand prizes back at Roseanna White’s blog.

On an evening flight from Des Moines, Iowa to Colorado Springs, the man in the seat behind me quipped, “We’ll be catching up with daylight on this trip.” Voila! The perfect title for my memoir.

A few years later, WhiteFire Publishing issued me a contract for this manuscript, a compilation of essays, quotes, and women’s stories. The process of nurturing this work to publication taught me so much about life, even though I was a late bloomer with my writing.

I learned that memoir borrows some fiction techniques, such as grounding the reader in each new chapter. And of course, the genre requires imagination.

You may be singing your heart out like this little wren in our back yard, but must alert the reader to the whys and wherefores.

Memoir relays one’s unique journey, but mine definitely benefitted from editors’ objectivity. In the end, the published books delivered to my door one day gave me deep satisfaction. I believe I may have hugged the Fed Ex man.

Taking the journey is one thing, but turning your private writing into public writing entirely another, and I’m so grateful WhiteFire gave me the opportunity.

From there, the road has stretched on to writing World War II fiction focused on characters’ journeys. Their joys and sorrows become as real to me as my next door neighbor’s.

But for me, memoir needed to come first – making meaning of my own experiences. Eudora Welty wrote, “To imagine yourself inside another person…is what a story writer does in every piece of work; it is his first step, and his last too, I suppose.”

Here’s the Stop # 7 Scoop:

You can order my book at: http://amazon.com/author/gailkittleson

Clue to Write Down: imagination

Link to Stop # 8, the Next Stop on the Loop: Joy Palmer

Need the full list of stops?

Melody Carlson (hosted)

All finished? Submit Your Entries!

And now, for my own little giveaway! I’m adding a World War II replica flour sack dishtowel to our group giveaway, since that era affected my childhood so much, and therefore plays into Catching Up With Daylight.

Jot a comment here, perhaps about how memoir has touched you, and leave a LIKE or a smile on my FB author page (if you’ve already LIKED it) to qualify.

Never Too Late for Friendship and Thanks

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Gail

I just spent some extended time with a new friend, and she shared this little saying with me. We don’t know the author, but she/he certainly coined a powerful metaphor.

Note the essential elements:

focus – concentrate on a task or need

capture – this reminds me of “Carpe Diem”, seize the day

develop – use our creative abilities

The final verb, “take”, comes into play when plans go awry, as they often do. I hope to waste far less time bemoaning my failures and mistakes during the rest of my life than I have in the past. What a waste!

And I’d also like to practice gratitude far more faithfully. I can start easily this week: Thank you to everyone who helped me by hosting me on their blog or left an encouraging comment, posted a review, or bought my new release, With Each New Dawn, I’m truly grateful for all the support.

Just as it’s never too late to develop a new friendship, it’s always the right time to say a hearty thank you.

A Holiday Toast to “Old” Writers…

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Gail

We woke up to the season’s first snow this morning, transforming our grey, early-December Iowa into a wonderland. Today I’m sharing author Jane Kirkpatrick’s November post, because it holds encouragement for “old” writers. Like a fresh snow covering, we have a great deal to offer the world. May her words bless your Christmas stockings off!

Francis Bacon wrote: “Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.” I present this wisdom as four “old” authors this past month have spoken to me about getting published. They have terrific story ideas, the time and energy to pursue their craft and demonstrated perseverance. What they’ve shared about finding a publisher is astonishing. At one conference, an editor said publishing older authors for the first time is just not cost effective because they “don’t know how to do social media or even what a platform is.”

Of course we know what a platform is. It’s a pair of shoes. No, really, it’s a mission statement, what one is willing to stand behind and for. We older authors have had platforms for years as young people going to war or taking stands against them; about the environment; as parents advocating for kids; as business owners and/or employees working long hours with integrity because we believe in what we’re doing and in the communities we’re doing it in. We know how to create a writing platform, one we can stand on and for, just as we know how to write a story.

More importantly, we bring life experiences to the stories we tell. We know how to create empathy for a character because we’ve shown empathy for others in order to live in community. We know how to give voice to those seldom heard because we’ve been listening for years. And we know how to memorialize, how to write about what matters not only to ourselves but as ways to reach others, most of whom are much younger than we are. Perhaps we can prevent in real life the mistakes that our characters make by telling stories constructed on our platforms.

As for social media…one of my “wise” author friends noted, “We have networks from years of working, contacts made while researching, people excited for us in retirement as we pursue another occupation, that of becoming an author.” We can get thousands of friends and “likes” and Twitter followers. She noted too that while many of us aren’t savvy about social media, we have resources to hire people to help us with the technology required of this writing world. At the very least we have 15-year-old grandkids or nieces and nephews to offer guidance. And because we read and are a part of this fascinating world, we also undertake new challenges with vigor knowing that even old rats, when given new mazes, grow new brain cells. If an old rat can learn new tricks, I can!

With my latest book This Road We Traveled about (in part) a 66-year-old woman who didn’t accept her adult children’s plan for her life and struck out on the Oregon Trail with her own wagon, I’ve become especially sensitive to the passions of age. It was what Tabitha Moffat Brown accomplished after she was 66 years old in 1846 in her adopted state of Oregon that moved the 1987 legislature to name her “The Mother of Oregon.” Many of the historical women I write about came “of age” in what we might call their “old age.”

The Psalmist wrote “The Lord knows my lot. He makes my boundaries fall on pleasant places.” Personally, I think publishers are missing the passion of a great story when they let a border like age define an otherwise very pleasant place. Bring on that old wood, aged wine and trusted friends! And yes, old authors.

Thanks so much, Jane. If you’ve yet to read any of her wonderful historical fiction, now would be a great time for a taste!

Are all writers Authors?

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Gail

Carol Parsons has been writing a long time. But what qualifies a writer as an author? Take it away, Carol . . .

I started writing when my oldest daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 1980. She was 3 years old and I needed answers, but I couldn’t find anything. When I found even the smallest amount of helpful knowledge, I would journal it so I could refer back to it later.

As time passed, we had two more children and decided to homeschool. I couldn’t afford homeschool curriculum, so I rewrote the public school’s lessons to suit our beliefs. Each week we would read library books, and I often thought I could write better, or spin an old story with a creative ending. Mostly, my writing was just for my family. Eventually however, I started writing newsletters for our church, pamphlets for the 700 club crisis line, plays for the church youth group, then employee manuals and such at my different jobs. In the process, I fell in love with writing, and after awhile I couldn’t remember a time I didn’t write.

For years, I had fantasized about writing a “real” book but never thought I could since I wasn’t…You know… A “real author”. As a public speaker I wrote my own materials, and when asked if I had books I laughed it off. So this year I took my materials from my workshops and other events and created e-books for Amazon. I was shocked at how well received they were. The sales started immediately.

Now, with two books and actual readers, I thought “maybe I am an author”. I began reading and learning all aspects from cover designs, editing, marketing, and formatting. I started writing a book that I had started years ago, and set a June 1^st deadline for myself. And through the Grace of God that deadline was met.

Today, I want to share with you my book. “Reaching the Mountain Top” is based on Isaiah 40:31, and written for anyone going through a challenge in their life. It shows four promises that God offers as we wait upon Him. I hope you will get the chance to check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Find out more on Amazon.com at; Reaching The Mountain Top

My other books can be found here” Manic Success

And From Hobby to Business

CONNECT WITH CAROL

Website: CraftersCornerCafe.com linkedin.com/in/crafterscornercafe

Twitter: twitter.com/CraftersC Facebook: /Carol-L-Parsons-694353317374143/

Amazon: amazon.com/author/cparsons

Julie Arduini – The Entangled Series

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Gail

Welcome, Julie. I’m glad to have you visit, with three posts this week to celebrate your new releases. I’ve always enjoyed your quip about someday surrendering the chocolate. (See below.) Today, I’m looking forward to hearing about Entangled-Surrendering the Past.

I’m excited to present the second book in my rebranded Surrendering Time series (formerly Adirondack Surrender Romance). This is Carla Rowling’s story, Jenna Anderson’s best friend from ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present. In ENTANGLED, Carla’s been handed her dream. She’s able to leave her “pay the bills” job as sheriff and attend cosmetology school. It’s such an extravagant gift Carla feels unworthy, still unable to forgive herself for becoming a mom as a teenager.

Carla struggles with guilt, and leaving her now teenaged son, Noah, as she goes to school. When Noah’s father, Wayne Peterson, moves to town and asks Carla to give him one more chance, she’s torn. Her flannel-wearing, truck driving boyfriend, Will Marshall, has supported her through all the changes. As she tries to excel in beauty school, she deals with fear of Noah making teen choices that are too familiar to her own history. Wayne’s right there, wanting to pick up where they left off in high school. Will doesn’t know Carla’s torment because she hasn’t told him her problems. Will Carla’s choices cause as many entanglements as a bad perm?

ENTANGLED is scheduled for release in May. Look for ENTRUSTED to re release for free (ebook) in the same time frame. Follow Julie Arduini on Amazon, Goodreads, and throughout social media as @Julie Arduini to stay in touch for the latest information.

Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and —maybe one day—the chocolate. She’s the author of the upcoming re-release, ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as the sequel, ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past, set for a spring release. She also shared her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities at JULIE ARDUINI: SURRENDER ISSUES AND CHOCOLATE and the weekly e mail. SUNDAY’S SURRENDER AND CHOCOLATE.