Book Spotlight: Betrayal and Forgiveness by Linda Armstrong-Miller

In the Bible, the Lord asked that we not make promises unless we are sure that we can keep them. Lisa made a promise and has done everything in her power to keep that promise. a lesson her father needed to learn. Before he was able to practice keeping his promise, he lost the love of his daughter, his best friend, and he was about to lose the love of his son. Time was running out for all of them, but they didn’t know it.

Linda Armstrong-Miller is a retired registered nursed. She lives in Ga. With her husband Mike and daughter Cayla. Jesus Christ is my Savior. He is the way the truth and the light. I Believe.

Linda’s latest book is Betrayal and Forgiveness.

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FOLLOW THE REST OF LINDA'S TOUR

Tuesday, July 24

Book Review at Musings by Maureen

Wednesday, July 25

Book Feature at The Book Faery Reviews

Thursday, July 26

Book Giveaway at The Book Loving Busy Mom’s Daily

Friday, July 27

Book Review at Mary’s Cup of Tea

Tuesday, July 31

Guest Blogging at My Book Addiction and More

Interview: J.J. Hebert, Author of Unconventional

Joining us today is J.J. Hebert, author of the Christian novel, Unconventional. I usually write up a short bio at the beginning of each interview, but I really liked his, so I'm stepping out of the way.

J. J. Hebert is a writer. Surprising, huh? He has written fifty-two novels, including the immensely successful, award-winning Willard’s Heart. J. J.’s also an archaeologist, and he recently unearthed an ancient religious scroll in Jerusalem that, in time, will prove absolutely nothing about anything important. He presently resides in Yemen, where he enjoys being the richest man in the land.

Of course, the aforementioned isn’t true (except for the “J. J. Hebert is a writer” part), but you found it entertaining, right? Perhaps just a little funny?

Honestly: J. J. Hebert’s debut novel, Unconventional (paperback), became an Amazon.com best-seller in three categories on July 19, 2009. The Kindle version has been the #1 Inspirational Book in the Kindle Store numerous times. J.J. is also the founder of MindStir Media, which helps authors successfully self-publish and distribute books worldwide. Currently, he lives alone in New England, home to some of the greatest sports teams in the world (for now), where he’s at work on his latest novel, Saving Dad, and a children’s book, Weepy the Dragon.

Visit J.J.’s website at www.jjhebert.net or his blog at www.jjhebertblog.com. Connect with him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/authorjjhebert or Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorjjhebert.

Welcome to The Book Connection, J.J. It's great to have you here. Loved the bio! Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

 
I hope my bio showed you that I have a good sense of humor ... I try not to take myself too seriously these days. Oh, and I love beaches in the evening, cafes, parks (wow, this is starting to sound like a personal ad, so I’m going to stop right here)...

Where did you grow up?

In the backwoods of NH, right in front of a mountain where my friends and I used to play lots of wiffle ball, football (and other sports), and we even created movies with an old VHS camcorder. Those were good times!

When did you begin writing?

Long ago in elementary school. Ha... I started writing with publishing in mind somewhere around 2003, while I was working on my first novel, Defiance Rising, which hasn’t been published.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I seem to be more creative at night but I can write any time.

What is this book about?

Unconventional focuses on James Frost, a young janitor who decides to pursue his dream of becoming a published author. His journey from mopping floors to finding love, God, and literary stardom is inspirational and quite entertaining.

What inspired you to write it?

I wanted to inspire others.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My family, girlfriend, and fans.

Who is your favorite author?

Karen Kingsbury.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and virtually all online retailers.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

Please visit my official website at www.jjhebert.net and my blog at www.jjhebertblog.com.

What is up next for you?

Staying busy with MindStir Media, the self-publishing/book marketing company I own, and then publishing a new novel and children’s book at some point.

Thanks for spending time with us today, J.J. We wish you great success.

Interview with Tanya Stowe, Author of Tender Touch

Joining us today is Tanya Stowe, author of Tender Touch. Tanya has had an eclectic career in market research, arts education and event coordination. She has written for the real estate industry, television, publicity firms and national publications. Her first novel, Time’s Embrace, a time-travel adventure, was released in the United States in 1993 and internationally released in 1995. Most recently Tanya contributed to a collection of women’s survival stories titled, "Triumph! The Beautiful Face of Courage" and collaborated on her first full-length play, a Christmas musical titled "The Night Before Christmas."


Tanya has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1992. She’s taught at writing conferences and numerous workshops as well as seminars and conferences throughout California. On her blog, Creative Writing Forces, she blogs about all things writing. Follow the workshops, classes and ups and downs of writing at www.creativewritingforces.blogspot.com.
Tanya has been married to her high school sweetheart for thirty-seven years. They have four children and seventeen grandchildren.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Tanya. It's wonderful to have you here. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My husband was an Air Force brat. He lived all over the world, including Japan and Germany. I was born in Colorado and lived there until I was 11 years old.

We figured out that we were in Colorado about one hundred miles apart for about a year before he went to live in Germany. Then we both ended up in California and became high school sweethearts. Thirty plus years later, we’re going to travel again but this time together!

When did you begin writing?

I started writing in junior high because I didn’t like how my favorite television stories ended so I rewrote them in my head to my satisfaction. Finally I decided I could start the stories too, so I wrote my first book. I only stopped writing long enough to have my babies. When the fourth child was about three, I started writing again and never stopped.

What is the inspiration behind Tender Touch?

The inspiration for Tender Touch came shortly after I started writing again. My husband needed to go back to school. He worked and went to school full time so I was basically a single parent with four rambunctious children. My sister decided to help me out and planned a trip in her motor home through the California gold country. I loved the quaint towns we saw and I wondered how they survived after the gold ran out. It took me a long time to figure out why Lacy, my heroine, was living as a recluse on a mountain above a gold mining town.

What is one of the challenges you deal with as a writer?

I have a hard time with my characters. No matter how many character charts or interviews I do, I can’t get a handle on my characters until I write their story. I have to sit down and start writing. I have to let the characters play before I get a feel for them. And sometimes when I come to a dead stop, I know it’s because I’m making the character do something that isn’t right for them. When that happens, I know I finally have a realistic character. I couldn’t find the real Lacy for a long time. I had her as an early environmentalist, abused, multiple back stories and none worked until I finally realized she needed to be a healer.

What is Lacy's story?

She’s graced with the gift of healing. She can save strangers…even those undeserving…yet fails to save her mother. Rejecting her gift, God, and society, she's content to live alone high above the mining town of Harperville. But her solitude is shattered when Royce Darnell builds a water flume through the middle of her mountain. To protect her sanctuary, Lacy sabotages his efforts. Little does she expect Royce to track her through a blizzard and end up half frozen to death on her doorstep. She can heal him, but why should she when he threatens to steal her peace...and her heart? With the livelihood of the miners and their families depending on his project, Royce refuses to stop building, no matter how good the reason or how lovely the masked saboteur turns out to be. Besides, he's convinced God wants Lacy to use her gift for good and not to hole up in her cabin like a reticent recluse afraid of human contact. But first, she must learn to trust, and Lacy doesn't trust anyone, not Royce and especially not God. Soon Royce finds himself in a battle to save the two things he loves the most…Harperville and Lacy. Is his faith strong enough to save them both?

Where can readers purchase a copy of Tender Touch?

Readers can purchase Tender Touch online through my publisher, White Rose Publishing, http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/. The website also has other fabulous stories to download and a great reader’s loop!

Is there anything you would like to add?

I’m running a contest on my website, http://www.tanyastowe.com/, titled God’s Healing Touch. I love stories about God working in our lives so I’m looking for short, 2 paragraph submissions about His healing, mental or physical, in your life. The winner will receive a lovely handmade necklace and I’m going to post the story on my blog, http://www.creativewritingforces.blogpsot.com/ in February. In between all the interviews, signings and contests for Tender Touch, I’m working on the story of two secondary characters. Alex and Penny have a heart wrenching story of their own to tell. I hope to finish Tender Trust sometime in the spring … before I head over for our big adventure in the Middle East!

Thanks for spending time with us today, Tanya. We wish you continued success and safe journeys.

Author Spotlight: Red Ink by Kathi Macias

Yang Zhen-Li defies not only her Communist parents but the government as well when she marries a poor Christian peasant and converts to his faith. When she begins to distribute Christian materials, particularly to children, she is arrested and sentenced to ten years of hard labor. Will her husband and son wait for her and support her throughout their long separation? Will she even survive to return to them once again? Or will the evil guard Tai Tong, who has taken a personal dislike to Zhen-Li, convince her to deny her faith? Two elderly saints halfway around the world are determined to pray her through, though they’ve never met her and don’t even know her name. God’s faithfulness in the midst of unimaginable trials will bring about an ending that could never be anticipated—but will never be forgotten.


Read an Excerpt!

Yang Zhen-Li was nearing thirty but at times felt twice that old. Her back was becoming permanently bent forward from the heavy pails she carried daily, one attached on each end of the thick bamboo rod that stretched across her shoulders, mirroring the heaviness of her heart. There had been a time when she’d been acclaimed as a beauty, but she could scarcely remember why…or imagine that it would matter.

She tried to fight the encroaching darkness, tried to hold fast to what she knew was true, but the constant lies and propaganda were taking a greater toll even than the physical labor and abuse or the burning, gnawing hunger. If her situation didn’t change soon, she knew she would never live long enough to see her husband or son again. And with nearly eight years of her ten-year sentence left to serve, the possibilities of her emerging from prison alive grew dimmer by the day.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. She forced herself to focus on one of the many scripture verses she’d had opportunity to memorize between the time she accepted Zhu Yesu as her Savior and her arrest by members of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) on charges of teaching religion to children, including giving them papers containing religious writings. Even before her arrest, her parents had written to her—warned her, begged her, threatened her—and finally had her kidnapped in an attempt to convince her to go along with the government rules, especially the one limiting each family to one child. After all, she already had a healthy son. Why would she want another baby when they could scarcely afford to feed the first one? But though her abductors had forcibly aborted her second child, they had not succeeded in convincing Yang Zhen-Li to abandon the faith she had adopted before marrying her Christian husband. If anything, the ordeal had only strengthened her resolve to take a stand for the meaning of her name—Zhen-Li, “Truth,”—and spurred her to begin actively sharing the Good News of Yesu every chance she got. As a trained teacher, that quite naturally included talking with children about the gospel, a practice expressly forbidden by the government.

And now she was paying the price. Separated from her family and sentenced to ten years of hard labor and “re-education,” Zhen-Li struggled to survive against pain, exhaustion, and bitter loneliness. Worst of all were the times she felt God had abandoned her. It wasn’t enough to know in her mind that He promised never to leave or forsake her. She needed a visible reminder—soon—if she was to continue to remain faithful behind these prison walls.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about Red Ink!

“Red Ink follows a variety of characters on opposite sides of the world and shows their different spiritual journeys. It’s a beautiful and sometimes brutal story about the power of unconditional love, of ultimate sacrifice, and of the faithful, unshakable allegiance of several believers toward their one true God. Though there are many players in this novel, their lives intersect in an unseen tapestry of faith that is crafted by the loving hands of a merciful God. This is a life-changing story that is not to be missed.”

–Michelle Sutton, author of more than a dozen novels including It’s Not About Me, Danger at the Door, In Plain Sight, and Never Without Hope

"...Macias does a great job of putting readers into this  frightening world where even in the midst of incredible darkness, God continues to show His face to the ones He loves."

--Christy's Book Blog

"Five stars does not do this book any amount of justice."

--Book Reviews by Molly

Watch the Trailer!




We'll be announcing the winner of a copy of Red Ink (Extreme Devotion Series, Book 3) over the weekend.

Look for my review of this book coming on December 17th!

Kathi Macias is a blogtalkradio host and an award-winning author of more than 30 books, including her popular Extreme Devotion series from New Hope Publishers and Valeria’s Cross from Abingdon Press. A wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Kathi lives in Southern California with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their spare time riding Al’s Harley—hence, Kathi’s “road name” of Easy Writer! Her latest release is Red Ink, the third book in her popular Extreme Devotion series.


You can find out more about Kathi and her writing/speaking at www.kathimacias.com or her blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com.