We have a winner!

And the winner of Stephanie Morrill's new YA book, Out With the In Crowd, is...

Lizzie Boyd!

Congratulations, Lizzie. Please email me at robing8300 at gmail.com with your mailing address, and I'll forward it to Stephanie so she can send you the book.

And if you missed the fun interview and all the information about Stephanie's book, you can catch it right here.

YA Author Stephanie Morrill: Interview PLUS a chance to win her new book!

Today we not only have a fun interview with YA author Stephanie Morrill, but also a chance to win a copy of her new book, Out With the In Crowd. Leave a comment on this post if you would like to be entered in the drawing. (See details and boring legalese at the end.)



Stephanie Morrill is a twentysomething living in Kansas with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband and their daughter. She’s the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and loves writing for teens because her high school years greatly impacted her adult life. That, and it's an excuse to keep playing her music really, really loud.

Of course, the first question has to be--tell us about your new book!

Out with the In Crowd is the second book in The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series. In the first book, Me, Just Different, 17-year-old Skylar got herself into a bad scrape at a summer party and decided she wanted to change her lifestyle. Where Out with the In Crowd picks up, Skylar discovers while she may have vowed to change her partying ways, it's not so easy to change her friends. Even though the old Skylar is gone, she's still not sure who this new Skylar really is. Add to that two parents battling for her loyalty, a younger sister struggling with a crisis pregnancy, and a new boyfriend wishing for more of her time, and Skylar feels like she can't win.

What about your other writing? Have you published other YA novels? Adult novels?

The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series is the only one I have released at the moment. There’s a third book, So Over It, releasing in July.

Recently I’ve played around with the idea of writing a novel for adults, but it’s very different from writing for teens and doesn’t feel quite so natural to me.

Why do you write YA?

Because those are the only story ideas I consistently have. Seriously, that’s how I knew it’s what I should write. I’m so thankful that I do. I’ve never written for adults so I don’t know what the reader e-mails look like, but I love the energy in the ones I receive from the girls. And I think receiving those letters makes me a better writer. I’m able to see what in the story connected most with them.

What YA books do you like to read, or would you recommend?

My favorite in the Christian market is Jenny B. Jones, both her Katie Parker and Charmed Life series are fun, fabulous reads.

In the general market, I really enjoy Sarah Dessen. She writes quiet, soulful types of books that really stick with you.

What about us older folks? Are there YA books you think we should be reading, regardless of our age?

I read This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen the summer I got married, and I probably enjoyed it even more than I would have as a teenager. The main character has some serious control issues, same as me, so she was a character I really connected with. I also enjoyed a lot of the subtle messages about the value of relationships, particularly ones that might not last forever. Good stuff for anyone, I felt.

The other obvious one that I should mention is Twilight. I hardly meet a woman these days who hasn’t read those books or seen the movies, and most of them love them just as much as the teens I talk to. (Not as many Jacob fans in the older set, though.)

And what about writing for young adults? For those of us who would like to do just that, do we need to be young, ourselves? (If so, I'm in trouble!) Hang out with young folks? What's the biggest requirement in becoming a good YA writer?

Wow, big question. First I’ll tackle the age issue. I’m young, I’m 26. I graduated in 2001. But even with how short of a time I’ve been out of high school, SO much has changed. Like nobody texted. If you were really cool, you had a camera on your phone. If you were normal, the screen on your phone wasn’t even color. Nobody was on Facebook or MySpace. If YouTube existed, I hadn’t heard of it. So even for someone as young as I am, I can’t fully rely on my high school experiences. The emotions are the same, of course. But we didn’t worry that someone who didn’t get invited to our birthday party would see the pictures on another guest’s Facebook page, you know?

Hanging out with teens is a good idea. My husband and I work twice a month in the toddler class at church, and we always have middle and high school volunteers. I try to get as invested in their lives as I can. If you have time, volunteering for youth ministry is a great way to go. It doesn’t work for me right now, so I settle for the volunteers in the toddler room, and eavesdropping on conversations at the mall or movie theater.

The other big suggestion I have is staying in touch with teen media. Watch movies geared toward them, watch TV shows they like, read the books in the teen section. Study the dialogue in those things, and that can go a long way toward strengthening your own writing.

What do you think teens are looking for most in their reading material? What turns them off?

Same thing adults are—something real, something that connects with who they are. And they’re turned off by the flip of that. Situations and dialogue that reads fake or preachy, and characters they don’t like.

I always have to ask writers these questions. How long have you been writing fiction, and how did you first get published?

I wrote my first (and suckiest) novel at age 17, so I’ve been writing novels for almost ten years now. I got published through trial and error, and learning from my mistakes. Like when I wrote my first novel, I just printed off all 90 single-spaced pages and started sending them to publishing houses. I slowly learned about concepts like unsolicited manuscripts, query letters, literary agents, and book proposals. I met my first agent at a writer’s conference, which is something I totally recommend. Once I signed with her, everything happened within a couple months. It doesn’t always work that fast, in fact I’d say it rarely does. I received my first contract about 8 years after I wrote that first book.

Anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

The first chapters of both Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd are available for download on my web site, http://www.stephaniemorrillbooks.com/. Definitely take advantage and read those before you buy the books!\

And now for the best part! Stephanie is providing an autographed copy of Out With the In Crowd for one lucky reader. Just leave a comment on this post (and be sure I know how to contact you if you win) by the end of this week, January 24, if you'd like to be entered in the drawing. I promised you boring legalese and here it is: No purchase necessary to enter or win. You must be a legal resident of the U.S. to enter. Odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Thank you!

The Word Reclaimed: An Interview with Author Steve Rzasa

Today we're featuring an interview with Steve Rzasa, author of "The Word Reclaimed," which was released by Marcher Lord Press in October 2009. The book is available from www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble.com. And now, let's hear from Steve:

Welcome, Steve. Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books—especially science fiction novels and historical volumes—at an early age. I earned my bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications in 2000, and then spent seven years as a reporter and assistant editor at weekly newspapers in Maine.

My wife Carrie and I moved to her home state of Wyoming in 2007 with our two boys so I could take a job as editor of a weekly newspaper there. Now I work at the Johnson County Library in Buffalo, Wyoming.

I read in your Marcher Lord Press interview that you're proud that "not only does my oldest son read the Bible, but he also knows the difference between an X-wing and a TIE fighter." Let me just say that I do, too! What fun for me to interview a fellow Star Wars fan! Reading the synopsis of your book, I seem to catch a bit of the Star Wars influence. I'm picturing a boy finding the remnants of Christianity (when he stumbles upon a Bible) rather than the remnants of the old Jedi religion. Am I on track at all?

Pretty much, though I did not intentionally pattern the book after “Star Wars.” That said, I am a child of the 1980s – “Star Wars” informs much of what I like to read and create. The idea came when I asked myself, “What would a guy do if he found a Bible floating in space?” The idea expanded into a universe where all print materials are illegal, and a secret police force oppresses any and all religions that claim to have the sole route to salvation or paradise or what have you. This puts Christianity at the top of their hit list. But “The Word Reclaimed” is also an adventure tale that touches on politics, combat and family.

In your interview at Marcher Lord Press, you mention how hard it is to find science fiction with redeeming spiritual themes. Why do you think that is?

I think some of that comes with the territory. Science-fiction generally appeals to an audience that has given up on God, and looks to the stars for answers. I should know – I was one of those people. Science-fiction allows you to dive into a world where science and technology can solve mankind’s ills, both literal and spiritual. But it is a genre that also makes a wonderful setting for great adventures. It is ripe for spiritual redemption.

Are there other current SF books or movies or even TV shows that you're excited about?

Well, the one show I’m most excited about is long-cancelled – “Firefly” by Joss Whedon. Cowboys and pirates in space – need I say more? I am also very much looking forward to James Cameron’s “Avatar” this winter and am still reeling from the eye-popping “Star Trek” from this summer.

Wow, you're definitely at home on this blog! My co-blogger and niece, Kristi, has a Facebook group called something like "Joss Whedon Should Hire Kristi Israel." (Kristi, correct me if I got that wrong.) And I did a post last summer about the new Star Trek movie.

Do you think a writer may accomplish some things better through speculative fiction than other types of fiction?

Speculative fiction offers a better setting for adventures than other genres, in part because the authors can feel free to create a new world. I also think speculative fiction is more entertaining because it is far removed from everyday life, and that makes it easier to tackle themes on a grander scale.

What do you hope to accomplish through The Word Reclaimed? Sheer entertainment? Warn us of a possible, grim future? Or something entirely different?

I hope to do a little of both – entertain with a tale of adventure, danger and space battles, but also warn of a future in which all information is controlled through electronic monopolies. There is no substitute for the printed word.I also want the reader to see the power the Word of God has in people’s lives. It draws people to its pages but also leads them to raging extremes to destroy it. Or perhaps I should say, try to destroy it.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? And is The Word Reclaimed the first book you've written?

I have always wanted to be a writer. It wasn’t until high school and college that I really settled on that as the thing that I wanted to do, however. “The Word Reclaimed” is the first published novel I’ve written, and is actually the first half of the manuscript reviewed by Marcher Lord Press. The second half is the sequel, tentatively titled “The Word Unleashed,” is due out this spring from MLP.

I did also self-publish a short Christian sci-fi novel called “This Stirring Strife” shortly after college. It was kind of an experiment – I had a story I wanted told, and wanted to see it in print. So now there are a few used copies out floating around on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble somewhere.

How did you go about creating the world of your novel? Do you have a science or technology background that helped out?

I have next to zero background in those subjects – beyond public school education – but I usually read any space/future tech-related article in news magazines I come across. I spent a lot of time over the years putting together the future tech for “The Word Reclaimed,” figuring how it would impact their society, and knowing how it works. I also wanted to give the universe a feel of realism, so I made the effort to research foreign languages and put them into the book.

Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

I had little time to write fiction when I was a reporter. When you spend all day writing for a living, the last thing you want to do when you get home is park yourself in front of a keyboard. So my book proceeded slowly. In 2008 however, I changed jobs and my writing took off. Within a year, I’d completed the book and send out submissions. Jeff Gerke from MLP picked it up in the summer of 2009, and the rest, as they say, is history. It was quite a whirlwind ride.

Do you have any words of advice for other writers--especially those struggling to find that first publishing contract?

Yes – keep trying. I know that’s terribly cliché advice, but it’s true. I had several rejections along the way, but thankfully MLP was right there as the perfect fit for “The Word Reclaimed.” Do not give up on your writing, if it is a story for which you have an undeniable passion. And don’t be afraid to take the advice of others and change your work. It’s very hard for the writer’s ego, but the end result will be worth it.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

By far, the coolest sci-fi characters in existence are Han Solo (Star Wars), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Sandor Kreja (Merchanter’s Luck by C.J. Cherryh). Coolest ship ever? The USS Defiant from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine!

Thanks again for being our guest today. And best wishes with the book!

A Star Curiously Singing: An Interview with Kerry Nietz

Today we're featuring an interview with a new author, Kerry Nietz, whose Christian speculative novel about a world under Sharia law manages to be both futuristic and timely at the same time.

Q: Hi, Kerry, and thanks for being a guest on my blog! I just took a look at your information on the Marcher Lord Press site, and I have to tell you that A Star Curiously Singing has a fascinating premise. I was already thinking it reminded me a little of I, Robot, but with an extra dash of cosmic mystery thrown in. I love the line in your MLP interview that says it's like "I, Robot meets Muhammad." So now that we've intrigued everyone, do you want to tell us what the book is about?

A: A Star Curiously Singing is a speculative Christian novel with a decidedly cyberpunk feel. It takes place in a future hundreds of years from now, when much of the world is living under sharia law.

It is a dualistic society, where average people live on the streets in near-squalor and the powerful ride above them in cable car-like conveyances. This latter group is shrouded in high tech, to the point of needing specialized debuggers to handle their machines.

That’s where my protagonist comes in. Sandfly is a debugger who’s summoned to solve the mystery of why a bot malfunctioned. The extenuating circumstances? The bot has been on an interstellar voyage in an experimental ship. Something about the trip made it malfunction. So it is a sci-fi mystery of sorts.

Q: Not only does this premise sound futuristic, but also timely. So timely, in fact, that I could see the theme being a little controversial--or at least not "politically correct." Are you getting any feedback, either positive or negative, on the aspects of your book that deal with politics and Islam?

A: All the responses I’ve gotten about the book thus far have been quite positive. Of course, it is still early. Actually, there was one reviewer on Amazon who questioned the use of the name “Abdul.” In the book, Sandfly uses that name to refer to anyone who isn’t like him. You see, Sandfly has an implant in his head that not only connects him to the stream (think, future Internet) so he can perform his job, but also controls his behavior. Outlets for rebellion or disrespect on his part are fairly limited. Referring to non-implants as “Abduls” is one of the few ways he--and others like him--can rail against the machine.

Anyway, the reviewer thought I might have used it too much. Like it was unnecessarily disrespectful. It’s a fair point, but my first response was to wonder whether he would feel the same way if I’d used the name “Frank”? (I’m guessing probably not.) Regardless, I never gave it any thought when I was writing the book. Sandfly sort of writes himself.

Plus, there is significance to the name “Abdul” for Sandfly and his cronies. You’ll have to read the book to have it fully explained.

Q: This is your first published book, but not the first book you've written, correct? You've mentioned that you were writing A Star Curiously Singing mainly for yourself--and yet, it's the one that got published. Do you think that was simply a coincidence, or is there something different about this book from the others you've written?

A: Actually this is my first published novel. I do have a published non-fiction book called FoxTales, a memoir of a portion of my life in the software industry.

To answer the second part of your question--everything I’ve written has its own personality, a personality derived from the story and its characters. I would say, however, that A Star Curiously Singing is the most unique book I’ve ever written. To start with, it is written in first person present tense which is almost never used for novels. It also has a religion-based totalitarian world that is rarely touched upon in novels, much less in science fiction. Plus, the book has a lot of interesting future gadgets and human interactions that I think are unique as well. There is a review that was just published on Christian Fiction Review that does a pretty good job of outlining the book’s distinctiveness, I think.

Q: I also loved the story in your interview about the elderly author you met on a plane who--when you told him you were dabbling in writing--told you to start early, so you might actually publish before you die! I can SO identify with that line, and I imagine a lot of the other pre-pubbed writers who visit this site can, too. Did you collect a lot of rejections, or find yourself getting discouraged? And if so, how did you handle that and keep writing?

A: Oh yeah. I spent years and years of writing, editing, submitting and getting rejected. It can be very disheartening. In fact, I thought A Star might be the last book I wrote. That’s why when I started it, I told myself “this one is just for me”—meaning I didn’t care if it was publishable, or if anyone else ever saw it. I was just going to write the book I wanted to write, getting as creative as I wanted to get. Ultimately, I think that helped the book. It freed me creatively.

Sometimes that’s what it takes though. Tolkien had this word “euchatastrophe," which meant that just when things seem they are at their worst, good finally breaks through. That sort of describes my writing career…

Q: Do you have any advice for other writers who are struggling to keep writing in the face of discouragement and rejection?

A: Keep trying. You might get published before you die.

Q: The idea of Christian speculative fiction is very interesting to me. On the one hand, so many Christians have written great fantasy and spec fiction. But then this type of "out there" writing seems to make other Christians a bit nervous. How do you think speculative fiction fits in with a Christian worldview?

A: I think speculative fiction fits quite nicely with the Christian worldview. Wasn’t it the Apostle Paul who wrote that the gospel was a “stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Gentiles” and yet was both “the power of God and the wisdom of God”? So why should Christians feel nervous about a story with a few robots or aliens in it? What we as Christians are telling the world seems preposterous on the face of it: God became a man, walked the Earth and then died and came back to life. Plus, he lives today to repair and change lives! Preposterous—it might make you nervous--but also true! The same could be said for speculative fiction. It’s a perfect match, I think.

Q: We've mostly been talking about your book, but there are some pretty interesting events in your life story, too. One in particular has to do with Microsoft. Can you tell us about that?

A: Yes, I worked for Microsoft for seven years as a computer programmer, primarily on a database program called FoxPro. The reason I was employed by Microsoft, though, was because the company I worked for before that was purchased by them. (Fox Software.) At the time, Fox was the largest purchase Microsoft had ever made. Pretty significant for a company of only a couple hundred people...

Fox was much smaller when I started, though—less than a hundred people—and many of the employees were related. The owner of the company was also my boss, and he was a real character. Brilliant, driven, but also a little lacking in people skills. Bullying was his favorite motivational tactic. It was an interesting place to work. Lots of crazy stuff happened. For instance, my boss once picked me up during a snowstorm, drove me to work, and left me there. How many people can say that?

Q: Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?

A: I really appreciate the interview. I encourage everyone who is reading to get a copy of my book, A Star Curiously Singing, and tell me what you think. Also be sure to check out any of the other speculative titles available through Marcher Lord Press. They’re all great.

Oh, and if my non-fiction book interests you, that is called “FoxTales: Behind the Scenes at Fox Software”.

Thanks so much for being our guest today!

Upcoming Author Interviews and Give-Aways!

I've been a bit lazy about blogging the last week or so. Actually, it wasn't so much laziness as being too busy in every other area of my life. But we have great things coming in the next week or so to make up for it.

I'm featuring interviews with two new speculative fiction authors with Marcher Lord Press. One has some great words about persevering and his journey to publication. Both authors have fascinating book premises. One is about a future world under sharia law. The other is about a world in which religion is outlawed, and a boy stumbles across a Bible.

So be sure to stop by tomorrow (Monday, November 16) to read the interview with Kerry Nietz, author of A Star Curiously Singing.

Friday (November 20) we'll feature Steve Rzasa, talking about his book, The Word Reclaimed.

And don't forget that on Monday, November 23, I'll hold a drawing to give one person their choice of any one item from my online shop, featuring handmade jewelry, knitting, and crochet. It's not too late to enter. Click here if you'd like to leave a comment and get in on the fun.

A Gem From Jim Hines

Does anyone know anything about Jim Hines? It looks like he's a fantasy writer. I may have to check out his stuff, although I'm not sure if stories about goblins as MAIN characters would interest me. I'm not THAT big of a geek, am I? I like my goblins where they belong- in supporting roles.

In any event, here's his blog address...http://jimhines.livejournal.com/467074.html

Check out his poem, Slush I Read.

Hope everyone is having a grand week.

MaryLu Tyndall Gives Us Some Inside Info

Today we have Part 2 of our visit with MaryLu Tyndall. If you missed last Tuesday's review of her new book, The Blue Enchantress, I'm sure you'll want to go back and check it out after reading this interview.

I think I first became acquainted with MaryLu Tyndall on someone else’s blog. She and I ended up involved in a lively discussion of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Will’s tragic fate. I’ve been intending to read her fiction ever since then, knowing she was fascinated with pirates, too, but just now got around to it. I just finished reading The Blue Enchantress and loved it!

MaryLu, I have to say, as I was reading along I was enjoying the book but was also thinking, darn! I must have started with one of her books that doesn’t include pirates. Then Captain Poole and The Enchantress showed up and the book really picked up for me, LOL! I have to say, I loved Captain Poole and the way you made him dangerous and a REAL pirate—yet I felt there was something redeemable and noble about him. Will we be seeing more of him in future books?

First of all, Thank you Robin for having me on your blog! Now about Captain Poole. I would LOVE to write a story about him someday. In fact, that’s why I left his story open-ended to include that possibility. The problem I’m having right now is selling pirate stories to the Christian market. My current publisher has asked me to steer away from the pirate theme for now. It’s a business after all and if pirate books aren’t selling, then that’s the way of it. But, personally, I can’t imagine readers not enjoying a great pirate tale from a Christian perspective!

And what about Abigail? Loved her, too—and the hint of a romance between the missionary and the pirate. Will we be seeing more of Abigail?

What I’d love to write is an entire novel about the growing romance between Abigail and Captain Poole. I mean, a missionary and a pirate? Sounds like an awesome premise, eh?

I think I read that you grew up in Florida and were fascinated by tales of sea-faring and pirates when you were young. What books and movies did you love as a child? What stories influenced your writing?

My favorite all time pirate book is Captain Blood by Raphael Sabatini. Don’t be turned off by the title. It’s an exciting, clean adventure with a bit of romance thrown in. I’ve read it several times. Other books I loved growing up were The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, All of Jane Austen’s books (of course), and The Last of the Mohicans.

Did you start writing stories when you were young? If so, did any of those stories or characters carry over into the novels you’re writing now?

I wrote several stories when I was growing up but just for fun. I never thought I’d ever get published. But no, none of those characters have resurfaced into my current novels. I think because I was not a Christian at the time and I had a very naïve knowledge of human nature. We learn so much as we mature and face struggles in life.

In reading your bio, it sounds as though you found God and rediscovered your writing a few years ago. How do you think these two events relate—if at all?

They are directly related! I believe God’s plan all along for me was to become an author, and He was only waiting for me to FINALLY turn my life over to Him. I spent many years wandering around in the desert like the Israelites, trying to find my own happiness on my terms and making quite a mess of things. I’m surprised God didn’t just open up the ground and swallow me whole and be done with it! But I’m glad He didn’t. I’m so thankful for His love and patience. As soon as I submitted myself completely to Him and His will, I felt the strongest urge to write a novel! Weird, huh? I hadn’t written in years. But it was that very novel that got me my first contract and ended up getting a Christy nomination as well. God is good!

I always like perseverance stories. Do you have any tips for those of us pursuing a dream (whether that’s writing or some other goal) when we fall into doubt, or wonder if we’re ever going to have any success?

Remember Joseph from the Bible. God told him that he would be a leader, that his entire family would bow before him. Then what happened? He was sold into slavery, lied about and thrown into prison with no hope of ever getting out. Not just for 1 year, but for 15! If God has called you to do something and you are truly submitted to Him, whatever the outcome, He will bring it to pass. Hang in there and believe. I once heard a famous preacher say when asked how you know God’s will for your life: “Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and then do whatever you want.” In other words, if you’re truly following Him, He’ll put His desires for you on your heart.

Thanks! Can’t wait for the next installment of the Charles Towne Belles series!

Thanks so much for having me, Robin! The Raven Saint releases in January so you won’t have too long to wait.

Christina Berry's Familiar Stranger: Reviewed

"Craig Littleton has decided to end his marriage with his wife, Denise, but an accident lands him in the ICU with fuzzy memories. As Denise helps him remember who he is, she uncovers dark secrets. Will this trauma create a fresh start? Or has his deceit destroyed the life they built together?"

First, I must apologize to Christina Berry.

Yes, I looked forward to reading her book. After all, she's a friend--at least a virtual, online friend--so I'm excited that her first published book is now a reality. Plus I knew from reading her blog and newsletter that she's a good writer. However, I really thought I could predict the whole story from reading blurbs like the one at the start of this review.

Boy, was I wrong.

I almost read the entire book Sunday and finally made myself put it down and go to bed, because I really, really wanted to know what the heck was going on in The Familiar Stranger.

The story starts with a long-married couple, Craig and Denise. They're arguing because Craig is planning to skip not only church, but a deacon's meeting as well, and go hiking instead. The tension is simply crackling in this house, and you just know things aren't going well in this marriage. Because the story is told in alternating viewpoints, you soon learn that things are even worse than bickering and tension. Although we don't know exactly what Craig is up to, it's apparent that he isn't just going hiking.

Denise takes their sons and goes on to church, as usual. But at the end of the service, she gets a horrifying phone call. Craig has been in a car accident that's left him badly injured and another man dead. She soon finds out that Craig remembers nothing about his life, or about her.

Okay, at this point and from the blurbs, I thought we had a nice, straightforward contemporary fiction book about a man who was probably cheating on his wife. Through the accident, Denise would discover Craig's infidelity, but the accident would cause him to depend on her, to see her in a new way, perhaps even to repent of his past actions. It would be compelling but not terribly suspenseful.

Instead, Ms. Berry thickened the plot on me at every turn of the page. Who was the man who was killed in the crash? Why was he seen arguing with Craig before the accident? What about the mysterious teenage girl who is also in the hospital?

I don't want to say much more, because I don't want to give away the delicious twists and turns. I must say, though, that I'm amazed at the intricacy of Christina's plotting, and her ability to create suspense. She knows exactly how much to reveal and when, and how to phrase things to throw us poor readers off. At one point I actually figured out what was going on, but her misdirection was so skillful that I doubted myself and she led me off in another direction entirely.

The Familiar Stranger is the kind of suspense that I love. Not the campy kind with a villain chasing some poor heroine with a gun. It's the kind of suspense that comes from believable characters and skillful writing. From the psychological "evil that lurks in the minds of men." I absolutely urge you to pick up a copy of this book.


Oh, and by the way, Christina is giving away several copies of The Familiar Stranger. Just leave a comment on this post and she will enter you in the drawing to be held at the end of this month. How easy can you get! (Now that I've gotten you all curious about what Craig is up to, however, you might not want to wait.)


Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

More places to find Christina:

Thursday (9/17) at Novel Journey, the next stop on her blog tour (where you can also enter again for her book drawing)

Her blog: http://www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/


Her "infrequent, humorous newsletter":
www.ashberrylane.net/update.aspx
(Just by signing up, each person will be entered to win a 4GB iPod Shuffle or free books for the life of her writing career!)

Entry deadline extended for Nancy Grace signed book drawing

That was a very convoluted headline, but the point is we're extending the deadline for the drawing for the autographed copy of Nancy Grace's new novel, The Eleventh Victim. You must leave a comment saying you want to enter--along with a way to get in touch with you if you win--no later than September 17. I'll announce a winner on September 18.

For more details about the book and the drawing, click here.

My Latest Creation: Historical Romance Pendant Watch

I decided to make something to donate to ACFW's (American Christian Fiction Writers') silent auction to be held at their conference next month. Since there will be so many romance readers and writers there, I settled on making this Historical Romance Pendant Watch.

It's got everything--cameos of Jane Austen-like ladies, reading and books, and of course, hearts and flowers.

Funny. I'm not able to go to the conference this year, but my jewelry will be there...

Anyway, if you're planning to be there, look out for the pendant watch and maybe another goodie or two at the silent auction.

If, like me, you aren't going, I'll probably be doing a jewelry give-away for the rest of us during the conference in late September, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, you can always check out my shop on Etsy. I'll be adding items soon, including a pendant watch for sale.

And don't forget to enter the drawing for a signed copy of Nancy Grace's new, best-selling novel, The Eleventh Victim!

Win a Signed Copy of The Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace!

The Eleventh Victim: by Nancy Grace

As a young psychology student, Hailey Dean's world explodes when Will, her fiancé, is murdered just weeks before their wedding. Reeling, she fights back the only way she knows how: In court, prosecuting violent crime...putting away the bad guys one rapist, doper, and killer at a time. But dedicating her life to justice takes a toll after years of courtroom battles and the endless tide of victims calling out from crime scene photos and autopsy tables. Just as she grows truly weary, a serial killer unlike any other she's encountered begins to stalk the city of Atlanta, targeting young prostitutes, each horrific murder bearing his own unique mark. This courtroom battle will be her last.

Hailey heads for Manhattan to pick up the pieces of the life she had before Will's murder, training as a therapist. In a vibrant new world, she finally leaves her ghosts behind. But then her own clients are brutally murdered one by one by a copycat using the same M.O. as the Atlanta killer she hunted down years before. As the body count rises across Manhattan, Hailey is forced to match wits not only against a killer, but the famed NYPD.

Unless she returns to her former life and solves the case, still more innocent people will die at the hands of a killer who plans to get her, before she can get him!

Last Saturday, Nancy Grace was back in our home town to do a signing for her new novel, The Eleventh Victim. Nancy and I have known each other since the first grade. I would tell you how long ago that was, but Nancy would probably kill me. Suffice it to say, we've known each other a long time!

My friend Robin P., sister Frankie, me, and Nancy

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading her novel--which is a first for her. She's done almost everything else in the world--prosecuting attorney, has her own show on CNN, mother of twins, writer of a non-fiction book. But this is her first novel.

I still remember a story that Nancy wrote (and read aloud) for a creative writing assignment in high school. I remember waiting for my turn to read my story to the class and thinking, I wish I had written that! Even then, I couldn't seem to come up with an idea that could be contained in a short story--or that had anything to do with real life. Mine had all these fantastical or historical elements and twisted Dickensian plots. Nancy's story was something simple about two best friends who were growing up and growing apart. Simple and powerful.

She has said she's been distracted by all the other life events from creative writing and that she's glad to get back to it--and that it took her a long time to write this book. That's encouraging. Maybe I'll get somewhere with one of mine eventually, too.

Anyway, I got an extra copy of it signed for one lucky reader out there. The Eleventh Victim is hot off the presses and on the New York Times bestseller list, so I think this would be a great prize!

Just leave a comment here before September 15 (NOTE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPT. 17) telling me you'd like to be entered in the drawing. Two rules: I have to know how to contact you if you win, and you have to respond within a week when I contact you or the prize goes to someone else.

Simple enough! Good luck!

Win a Copy of Words Unspoken (Reviewed)

If you read Monday's interview with author Elizabeth Musser, you know that her latest book is titled Words Unspoken. In my humble opinion, it's her best yet, and I say that with confidence having read all her others.

I dare you to put it down after the prologue--the sudden hailstorm on the Interstate, the nervous young driver, and the freakish accident that sets the rest of the events in motion.

Chapter one begins with the aftermath of that incident. Bright, high-achieving Lissa Randall's life has come to a standstill as a result of the wreck that took her mother's life--and because of the voices in her head that constantly tell her she's a failure and guilty. Those voices have basically trapped her in her home. She's unable to drive, unable to take any risks, unable to start college. The only thing that seems to motivate her is a desire to be able to drive and see the mysterious "Caleb," someone who apparently needs her desperately. But after once again failing the test to get her driver's license reinstated, Lissa hits rock bottom. In a moment of despair, she comes close to swallowing a handful of pills and ending it all, but instead decides to grasp at one remaining hope, a driving instructor named Ev McAllister who has been recommended to her. Lissa phones Ev MacAllister, a wise old man who seems to offer driving lessons as a ministry to troubled young people like herself. And so begins one of the most important relationships of Lissa's life.

The only part of Words Unspoken that might give you a problem is the second chapter--at least, if you're not expecting it. The story seems to be about Lissa and Ev and the driving lessons, but then in chapter two, we're introduced rapid-fire to several characters that seem unconnected to the pair or each other. There's a young missionary in France who has just lost her son, a wheeling-and-dealing stockbroker, an ambitious young man at a publishing company, and a socialite in the midst of a divorce. If you're not expecting the shift or if you don't like multiple points of view, you might feel a little lost. But trust me, the payoffs start to come soon as you discover, bit by bit, the fantastic story that connects all these threads and all these people.

One of those threads involves a sub-plot about a famous author named Stella Green, a reclusive woman who has published numerous best-sellers and received critical acclaim but who refuses to reveal her true identity, grant interviews or allow herself to be photographed. No one knows who she really is or why she's hiding her identity, but bit by bit we see that Stella Green's story touches all the other disparate characters in the book.

Some of the central characters are kind and giving, some are grasping and ambitious, but they all have another thing in common: the voices in their heads. We come to see that the ones who appear so noble may be trying to make up for some misdeed in their past, and the ones who seem so loutish on the outside are fighting their own mental battles.

Another unique feature of Elizabeth's novels is that they are "recent historicals." This one takes place in 1987, which may seem like a totally random date to you young folks. But to me I remember being very insecure in my job in 1987 and quite fearful of the future because of the stock market crash. So I figured that crisis was probably looming for these characters, too. As Elizabeth has mentioned in her interviews, she had no idea when she was writing just how timely this subject would be.

I suppose you've figured by now that I highly recommend this book. The characters and settings are rich and you'll keep turning the pages to pick up clues and try to piece together the mysteries.

I'll end with some good news. I'm giving away a copy of Words Unspoken! If I've gotten you interested, be sure to post a comment and let me know you'd like to be entered into the drawing . I'll announce the winner next week.

Author Elizabeth Musser on the Voices in our Heads

I've known Christian fiction author Elizabeth Musser for several years now and consider her to be a good friend as well as a wonderful writer. One of her most gracious acts was to drag this little introvert around at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference and introduce her to authors and agents that she would never have approached all by herself.

I'm very excited to be reading her new book, Words Unspoken, which I will review in a few days. Elizabeth is from Georgia but has lived in France with her family, where they serve as missionaries, for years. I always love the way her books have the down-home flavor of Georgia infused with a bit of French culture for spice. It's a refreshing combination.

I'll let Elizabeth speak for herself now:

What inspired you to write Words Unspoken?

Initially, I wanted to explore the idea of the voices we hear in our heads and how those voices influence us and our decisions. A major breakthrough in my life as a Christian and as a young woman came when I understood which ‘voice’ to listen to and which ‘voices’ to tune out. Through studying Scripture, I learned how to make a ‘battle plan’ when I was tempted to listen to the wrong voices. When God reveals something life-changing to me, I want others to know about it, so I figured these ideas would eventually turn up in a story.

Also, since my son was learning how to drive and describing his lessons to me (he was in the US, me over here in France), I had the idea of making the main character a young woman who was learning to drive—again. My son told me of taking driving lessons in a little school in Fort Oglethorpe, GA near a military park, and voila!

You have quite a few main characters in this novel—can you tell us about them?

I decided to take seven characters who seem unrelated at the beginning of the novel and let each one tell parts of the story from his or her point of view, all the while having several driving forces that would eventually bring all of these people together.

My characters are a colorful crew, to be sure.

You’ve got Lissa, a bright 19-year-old, competitive with so much going for her whose life has been put on hold because of a tragedy. She deals with panic attacks, and debilitating fear and is often unable to move forward because of the negative voices she hears—‘never good enough’, ‘all your fault’. She deals with false guilt.

Ev is the 65-year-old driving instructor, quite eccentric with plenty of wisdom and several big secrets too. He’s a godly man who realizes that the Lord is putting His finger on an issue in Ev’s life that needs resolution. We all experience this as we grow in Christ—the Lord pointing out something else that we need to deal with. Ev also suffers from a weak heart.

Stella is the mysterious author ‘S.A. Green’. She’s very fun—she gives everyone a hard time and is described by others as ‘batty’, ‘nutty’, having ‘a wicked sense of humor’, ‘eccentric, smart and intimidating.’ I really like this character because of the mystery that surrounds her. I love to add mystery into each of my novels.

Silvano is an Italian jerk, young and determined and full of himself. A name-dropper, an opportunist. But he has his reasons…

Janelle, a missionary in France, has lost a child—a toddler—in a terrible accident and deals with ongoing grief.

Katy Lynn is the snobby socialite from Atlanta. She is out for herself and determined to hold things together on her own strength and keep up appearances. She definitely has an attitude!

And then you have poor Ted, the successful young stock broker who is making big money and living the high life, intent on impressing his wife and giving his family the best Atlanta has to offer… If only he weren’t so greedy…

It’s always challenging to throw a bunch of characters together. They don’t always do what I want. But actually, I love that! It’s like fitting together a big jigsaw puzzle. And my readers tell me that they feel like they’ve lost good friends when they finish my novels.

You often create a strong sense of place in your novels. Is that the case for Words Unspoken?

Definitely. I chose these settings because, as a Southern writer (I write about the South in the US AND in France), I am familiar with these places and I can bring them to life—sometimes a place in my novel almost becomes another character.

For instance, Lookout Mountain overshadows much of the story, literally—it’s where Lissa lives. I chose the mountain because the road up the mountain is very precarious to drive with many hairpin turns as well as amazing views of the valley below, gorgeous colors of the leaves in the fall. All in all it was a good setting for some nerve-rattling driving lessons. Figuratively, the reader feels the wealth, intrigue, danger and regret all tied up in that mountain.

I used many other real places: Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia with its Chickamauga Battlefield Military Park, the setting for one of the worst battles in the Civil War; the well-known tourist attraction of Rock City; the cities of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and Montpellier, France.

Not only do you like to have a sense of place, but also time. Can you explain?

I call my writing ‘recent historical inspirational fiction’. That’s a mouthful. Basically, I enjoy fitting my stories into important (although perhaps little-known) moments in the 20th century.

Words Unspoken takes place from late September through late December, 1987. In the background of the novel is the stock market crash of 1987, ‘Black Monday’, which has an effect on several of the characters. One of the most interesting things I encountered as I wrote the novel was how the storyline became so very timely. I thought that most people could relate to the idea of ‘hearing voices’, but what I didn’t expect was that the time period I chose, October 1987, would be so similar to what the US is experiencing now—a stock market crash.

One challenge for me as far as time was concerned is that the story takes place during three months. So I had a lot of main characters pushed into a short timeframe with a very fast plot. I definitely had to keep my calendar and time charts up-to-date. Again, I enjoy making the story fit together, even when it seems impossible. As a novelist, it is fun to have a problem to solve.

What is the underlying theme/message of the book?

As with all of my novels, Words Unspoken has several themes. The first is the question I have already discussed: “whose voice will you listen to?” I examine how negative voices from the characters’ pasts have continued to influence them in their decision-making. As a result, they make poor decisions involving greed, selfishness, a desire to get ahead, keeping up appearances, feelings of failure and never being good enough, depression… Is there a way to quiet the negative voices and hear the truth? What is the truth?

One of the main characters Ev, the driving instructor, is a mature believer and hears the truth. As he strives to help the young girl Lissa to learn to drive again, and overcome panic attacks, he talks to her about a ‘battle plan’. I would love for my readers to consider forming a ‘battle plan’ of their own to help them choose truth and make good decisions.

Another theme is that God can redeem the terrible mistakes of our past. Little by little the reader realizes this about Ev—his life hasn’t been one easy trip. He and his wife have learned through suffering—both from circumstances beyond their control and poor choices they made in the past.

The whole idea of driving lessons is a metaphor for the theme of a girl who is not only learning to drive again, but to LIVE again.

Another theme I examine is what GREED does to people—very timely as we see the state our country is in.

And I examine the question of grieving—how long does it take? Do you ever ‘get over’ losing a loved one?

Finally, I weave throughout the story the idea that life is not random, that what appears to be coincidence may be more than that. There is a God who is in control.

Sounds like you have a lot of things going on in your novel.

True. I often say that I write ‘entertainment with a soul.’ So it’s not just entertainment. If a reader is looking for purely fluff, I don’t think he or she will appreciate my novels. I do like to make my readers think. Yes, I offer a fast-paced plot but my characters also deal with meaty issues. Words Unspoken deals with contemporary problems—greed, depression, the role of our conscience in decision making, monetary failures, financial crisis. But the story isn’t depressing. It’s a fast-paced AND thought-provoking read, interlaced with hope and redemption: God is a God of hope and new beginnings; He does not waste our pain; the best way to move forward in life is with a ‘battle plan’—a plan that prepares one to hold onto God in the midst of life’s difficulties; the Holy Spirit is the best ‘voice’ to listen to. And ‘life is not random’.

I think the message of my books stays with my readers. It is not unusual for me to hear that readers have read my books two or three times and that the characters feel like ‘real’ friends dealing with ‘real’ problems. I do not offer simple answers, and I am not afraid to raise hard questions as I relate the Gospel. I combine colorful characters, an intricate plot, and deep themes, as well as in-depth research and fun historical tidbits thrown in along the way.

You live in France. How does that affect your books?

As I’ve said, I like to challenge my readers in my stories. I have been challenged in so many ways by living overseas, and I think Americans need to have their eyes opened to different cultures. So some of the issues I raise will hopefully cause my readers to think about their belief systems and what is actually truth. Living in France has definitely broadened me, made me want to communicate the importance of getting outside our comfort zone and getting to know other cultures. In my writing, there are always issues about race and culture.

You have thirty seconds to pitch your book to a potential reader; what would you tell them?

Have you ever been bothered by negative things from your subconscious—you know, those voices from the past that whisper ‘you’re not good enough’, ‘you’ll never succeed’, ‘you’re a failure’ or ‘you need more, more, more to be happy’? Well, I’ve written a novel about the lives of seven characters who are motivated by voices from the past. Words Unspoken, which arrives in bookstores in early May, is about a young girl who is trying to learn to drive again after a tragic accident has effectively put her life on hold. You’ll also meet a ‘rogue’ stockbroker, motivated by greed, a mysterious best-selling author who is determined to remain anonymous and a driving instructor on the verge of retirement with plenty of secrets of his own. Come with me to a girls’ school and a military park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and to beautiful Lookout Mountain in the fall of 1987 where mystery and the effects of Black Monday are awaiting. Words Unspoken promises you the ride of your life. Won’t you join me? Hold on tight!

I’ve put out a video on YouTube to give my wonderful readers a chance to get to know me better and have a peek into some of the places where Words Unspoken takes place. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVAKxLogoDQ

Thanks for the interview!

To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, please visit her website at http://www.elizabethmusser.com/.

Interview with Debut Author Stuart Vaughn Stockton

I've blogged earlier about my excitement over new Christian publisher Marcher Lord Press. I love how they're giving opportunities to authors whose work is so fresh and unique. Stuart Vaughn Stockton, one of their latest authors, has a book that definitely fits into that category, and he graciously granted an interview to Dimensions, even though there's a lot going on in his life right now. When I told my husband that Stuart's first novel was released on April 1 and his first child was born on April 2, he asked me, "What did he do on April 3?"

Probably collapsed with exhaustion, I would think!

Here's my interview with Stuart:

Your debut novel, Starfire, was just published with Marcher Lord Press. Can you tell us a little about the book?

Starfire is a science fiction action-adventure story about a young warrior who is imprinted as the protector of a mysterious artificial intelligence and must make his way through a growing war in order to find the one weapon that may just be able to save his empire from a surprise invasion. But that weapon may also doom his world. The warrior, Rathe, must fight his way through deadly battles, discern ancient prophecy and uncover treachery in his quest for the Starfire.

This sounds to me like the kind of story with a long history. When did you first conceive of this world and its characters?

The first character of this world sprang to life riding a pogo-stick during a science class in Jr. High. Obviously it has come a long way from then, with the large-scale world creation kicking off in high school. So I’ve been working on the world and characters for a good part of the last twenty years. You can read the whole history of building this world here: http://www.ritersbloc.com/galacticlore/sauria/howitbegan/index.htm

A novel with no human characters is pretty unique. Did that make it a difficult sell to publishers?

Well if the characters had been something like elf or dwarf non-humans that may have made it easier, but the whole alien dinosaur angle pretty much made selling Starfire to traditional CBA publishers almost impossible. At the same time that is what helped make Starfire the perfect fit for Marcher Lord Press. It’s just the kind of weird they look for and understand.

I hear two different kinds of advice given to writers whose works don't exactly fit a particular genre or market. Some say follow your heart and write the story you're passionate about, and it will eventually sell. Others say we have to remember that writing is a business and we should therefore study the markets and adapt our writing to fit. What would you advise?

I would advise that you decide whether your passion is in writing the story or in being published. But for the first novel you write, write the one that stirs your passions the most. Then if that novel doesn’t seem to be finding a market try to find a story you can be passionate about that is more marketable. Don’t get hung up on that first novel, most don’t sell and can become a black hole that eventually sucks away your creativity and passion as you constantly tinker and submit. Always move forward with your writing. And most importantly, seek out God and give your writing over to Him.

Obviously you have a love to speculative fiction. What are some of your favorite books and movies--especially ones that inspired your writing?

The books that have most inspired my writing are mostly fantasy titles by R.A. Salvatore (especially his Cleric Quintet) and Weis and Hickman’s Dragonlance Chronicles. Stephen Lawhead’s fantasies and science fiction was also an early influence on me.

Some of my favorite movies are Dragonheart, Into the Woods (A stage musical) and the original Star Wars Trilogy.

Do you ever encounter Christians that are a little leery of speculative fiction? What would you say to those folks about the Christian's place in reading--and creating--works of fantasy or science fiction?

Actually I haven’t encountered Christians that are leery of spec-fic. I’ve read about them online, but I haven’t met any in person. What I would say to them though is that is that fantasy and science fiction gives us ways to explore the truths of God and his creations in ways that can challenge our imagination and help us see things from new angles. But I can understand that the genres aren’t for everybody.

This book isn't the only major life event for you this spring, is it?

Nope! On April 2 my daughter Victoria Elizabeth was born! This is the first child for my wife and I and has eclipsed the release of Starfire a bit. But I’m okay with that. She is precious and beautiful and a little bit stubborn. I love holding her and watching all the various faces she makes.

That's a lot to have going on at one time! How are you handling it all?

I’m just taking it one day at a time and trying to keep everything balanced and support my wife as best I can as we explore this wonderful new chapter in life together.

What is this about a Brandilyn Collins character being based on you?

When Brandilyn started writing her Kanner Lake series, she had a character who would be writing a science fiction novel. A rather odd and eccentric fellow who was all wrapped up in his created world. She remembered me from an ACFW conference where I had spoken in my Saurian language and a bit of my writing she had read and asked me if she could use my story for her character’s book. I was thrilled at being asked, and even had a chance to blog as the character, Ted “S-man” Dawson on her character blog Scenes & Beans.

It’s been a real fun fact-meets-fiction-meets-fact story as in the last book of the series Ted had sold Starfire to a publisher which actually corresponds well with when the real Starfire released from Marcher Lord Press.

Thanks, Stuart! And congratulations on all the wonderful things going on in your life!