Rebecca H. Jamison - Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale - Author Interview

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
My main character, Anne.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
Anne is the classic doormat, living her life for others and letting life happen to her. She dreads answering the phone because she knows someone else is going to ask her to do something she doesn’t want to do. She’s not really living, just surviving. She spends time thinking about her past instead of living in the present.

I’ve been where Anne is. I think a lot of women have. One of the fun parts of writing the book is getting Anne to a place where she’s in control of her life and enjoying it.

3. How did you come to create him/her?
A few years ago, I read Jane Austen’s Persuasion for the first time. Then I read it again, then again, then again. I was totally obsessed. It just seemed natural to bring Austen’s Anne Elliot--with her money problems, marriage fears, and crazy family relationships—into the modern world.

From the start, I had a really strong image of Anne running her very first garage sale because her father was in over his head in debt. I saw her wearing sloppy clothes without any make-up on. Of course, that’s when she runs into her ex-fiancé for the first time in eight years.

4. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
My first draft was written in the third person, but I decided to do the second draft in first person. When I let Anne tell her own story, her voice really came through and she came alive for me.

5. What do you like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
I like that Anne is really compassionate and calm. What I don’t like is that she’s so afraid to take any risks and lets her negative inner voice dictate her choices.

Book Summary

When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she’d never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil’s brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store. Anne is unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that come when Neil returns and starts dating her younger friend.

Convinced that Neil could no longer have strong feelings for her, Anne pushes away all thoughts of the past. But when the handsome man she’s been dating decides he can’t live without her, Anne must come to terms with her past.

Fans of Jane Austen’s Persuasion will enjoy this modern version of her most romantic story.

Price: $15.99
Number of pages: 240 pages
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Bonneville Books (Cedar Fort)
Release Date: Feb 7, 2012
To buy: http://www.amazon.com/Persuasion-Latter-day-Rebecca-H-Jamison/dp/1599559471/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326255452&sr=8-1


Author Bio

Rebecca Jamison met her husband on a blind date. His first words to her were, "Do you want to get together and play spin the bottle?"(He was trying to avoid another bad blind date, but she went out with him anyway.) Rebecca grew up in Vienna, Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, earning a BA and MA in English. In between college and grad school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Rebecca and her husband have six children. She enjoys running, dancing, making jewelry, reading, and watching chick flicks. You can learn more about her at www.rebeccahjamison.com

Connect with Rebecca:

Blog: www.rebeccahjamison.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/RebeccaHJamison

Youtube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKgM9tuCzSo

Jennifer Ann Holt - Delivering Hope - Author Interview

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
That’s a tough one, because I really love all of the characters in Delivering Hope, but if I had to choose one, I would say it’s Olivia.

2. Why is she your favorite?
She’s real. She’s not perfect. She gets upset and cries and yells. She struggles, but she doesn’t give up. Plus, throughout it all, she wants to be happy, and she learns that happiness is possible, even when life doesn’t go the way you had planned.

3. How did you come to create her?
Olivia is the embodiment of so many of the feelings I had when I was struggling with infertility. I wanted her to be an honest and candid picture of a woman dealing with this struggle while going about the business of living her day to day life; going to work, dealing with friends and family, trying to live up to the expectations that she (and others) had for her life.

4. When did she first enter your mind?
Wow, it was more than four years ago. At that point, I felt that my family was complete (after 5 years of fertility treatments and two adoptions). I was writing some non-fiction stuff, and one day the idea came to me that I needed to write a novel about two women. One who couldn’t get pregnant, and one facing an unintended pregnancy.

5. Where was she given life in the creative process?
Right at the beginning. When I first came up with the idea for the book, I had a scene in my mind where this woman takes a pregnancy test and discovers that (yet again) she is not pregnant. That ended up being the opening scene for the book, and Olivia is the woman.

6. What do you like the most about her?
I like that she does everything that she’s “supposed” to do, and her life still doesn’t turn out how she wanted it to be; and I especially like that, in the end, she is able to let go of that plan, embrace a new one, and find hope and joy.

Book Summary

Olivia Spencer wants to be a mom more than anything else in the whole world, but years of infertility have wounded her soul and placed a strain on her marriage to Michael. Now, Olivia finds herself wondering if the life she has built will even survive.

Allison Campbell is a recent high school graduate who discovers that a moment of excitement has led to an unplanned pregnancy and an overwhelming heartache.

As the lives of these two women touch, you’ll see how deep love can pave the way for sacrifice and lead to the true source of hope, healing, and joy.

Published by: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Genre: General Fiction / Women’s Fiction
Pages: 224
Price: $14.99

Available for pre-order at:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599559021/sr=1-1/qid=1327008151/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1327008151&sr=1-1&seller=

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/delivering-hope-jennifer-ann-holt/1105707325?ean=9781599559025&itm=1&usri=delivering+hope

Author Bio

Jennifer Ann Holt grew up as a farm girl in Enterprise, Utah so she is very good at moving sprinkler pipe and mucking out calf pens. She can hold her own when handling a tractor as well. An avid reader singe age 4, Jennifer loves the power of the written word to heal, uplift, encourage understanding, bring people together, and entertain. She graduated Cum Laude from Brigham Young University, and went through 5 years of fertility treatments and was blessed with 2 adoptions to create her family of 3 beautiful children. She and her husband Shane have lived all over Utah from Enterprise to Logan and currently reside "north of the border" in Boise, Idaho. Besides reading and writing, Jennifer enjoys wakeboarding and visiting any zoo, aquarium, or museum with her daughter and two sons.

Connect with Jennifer:

http://www.facebook.com/DeliveringHopeNovel

http://www.twitter.com/JenniferAnnHolt

http://www.deliveringhopethebook.com

http://www.jenshopefulwriting.blogspot.com

Book trailer: http://www.bit.ly/peCixw

Rachel McClellan - Fractured Light - Author Interview

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
It would have to be Llona.

2. Why is she your favorite?
Because she’s got this voice that makes me laugh, which made writing about her very easy. As her “creator” I wanted her to do different things, but she literally took over the book and sent it in a direction I hadn’t intended.

3. How did you come to create her?
I was thinking one day about people who say they can see a person’s aura’s, you know, the “light” that surrounds us. I thought it would be cool if someone could actually use this as a power, and from there I began to explore all the things an Aura might do with her ability.

4. When did she first enter your mind?
My friend and I were swapping various writing assignments (we’re total nerds), and one of them was something like, “write about a person at a funeral.” I instantly thought of my Aura, and Llona appeared. This scene ended up being my first chapter in FRACTURED LIGHT.

5. Where was she given life in the creative process?
When I heard her voice. She’s so snarky and sarcastic.

6. What do like the most about her and what do you dislike the most about her?
I didn’t like that, at first, she was afraid to show her true self to others. Gratefully, that changed though. I loved that Llona didn’t need Christian, her love interest, to fight the final battle. She depended upon herself to get the job done and did a very good job of it. Girls, never need a guy, want a guy. Go girl power!

Author Bio

Rachel McClellan currently lives in Maine, but was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four small children. Her love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RachelMcClellan
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFefXbzlfo4
Website: www.rachelmcclellan.com
Blog: http://blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com

Book Summary

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After a Vyken killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Genre: Urban fantasy
Release: February 7, 2012
Pages: 312
Price: $16.99
Purchase on Amazon

Diane Stringam Tolley - Carving Angels - Author Interview

My thanks to Diane Stringam Tolley for stopping by The Character Connection for an author interview during the blog tour for her book, Carving Angels.

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?

That would be tough. I love Papa Adam. But there are so many other sweet characters peopling the North Pole community. I guess I would have to pick little Amy. She of the steadfast belief and undaunted spirit. And she's cute, too.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
I love that she loves her Grandfather and her family. I love that she is sweet and good and kind. And faithful. And I love her enthusiasm and her wonder. She is as I wish I was.

3. How did you come to create him/her?
I needed eyes for blind Papa Adam. But I didn't want anyone whom someone would normally turn to for help. I wanted someone who was equally handicapped and marginalized, but in a different way. It occurred to me that my best choice would be a child. A young child.

4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
Papa Adam was sitting on his porch, feeling old and useless. Amy startled both of us when she spoke her first word, "Grandpa?"

5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Amy joined her Grandpa within a few lines. Papa Adam had only just begun to gel. Amy was just a step behind. I realized that I would need someone who could do for Papa Adam what he simply could not do for himself. From encouraging and supporting him to sneaking him into the wood sheds at night.

6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
I love that she is perky and unafraid. Outspoken but obedient. Unfailingly cheerful. Loving. The only thing I don't like is the fact that she can't be 'seen'.

The North Pole is described by Papa Adam, who cannot see. Thus we, too, fail to see the flaming red hair and braids. The saucy, upturned nose and bright, blue eyes. The little red mouth. I would so love the reader to see her!

About the Book
Carving Angels

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2011
Genre: Children, ages 9-12
Format: hardcover
Price: $12.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Papa Adam, an elderly elf and former chief carver for Santa, has given up. Blind, frail and useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die.

But a challenge to carve, given by his youngest granddaughter, reawakens Papa Adam. Helps him to realize that he is not finished. And definitely not useless.

The two of them, the 'marginal' oldest and youngest members of North Pole society, begin a remarkable project that will change their community forever. Prove that the most paralyzing thing you can do is underestimate or undervalue anyone, especially yourself.

And that with the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

About the Author
Diane Stringam Tolley

Diane Stringam Tolley was born and raised on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada. Educated in Journalism, she is the author of countless articles and short stories and 4 e-books including a novel for young adults, Essence. She and her husband, Grant are the parents of six children and live in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada.

Connect With Diane:
Blog
Author Web Site

Book Web Site
Facebook

Twitter

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			November	/December
	28	29	30	1	2	3
	I am a Reader, Not a Writer/	The Character Connection/	Book Dreaming/ The Plot Thickens/	Bookworm Lisa/	Bab’s Book Bistro/	Laurie LC Lewis/
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Makobi Scribe/	Live to Read/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Keepin’ Up with LDS Bookstores/	Connections with Christy/	Practical Frugality/	Hippies, Beauty and Books. Oh my!/ Reviews by Molly/	Words are Timeless/ Starcrossed/

Susan Dean Elzey - Miracle of the Christmas Star - Guest Post

My thanks to Susan Dean Elzey for stopping by The Character Connection for a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Miracle of the Christmas Star.

Guest Post

My favorite character in my novel Miracle of the Christmas Star would have to be Sariah, the mother in the story who is the main character. She lives during the time Jesus lived on the earth and has a baby the same night He is born. Her baby, Hannah, is born dead, however, until the light of the Star of Bethlehem shines into the window and onto Hannah, bringing her to life. She is left crippled, however, to use the vernacular of the day, but after Sariah hears reports that it is the long-awaited Savior whose light shone on her baby, she begins to look for Him and believe that He can help her daughter.

Sariah is my favorite character because we have a lot in common. I also have a daughter with cerebral palsy, upon whom the character of Hannah was based. Sariah is the mother I strive to be—loving, patient, full of faith, courageous, and always, always devoted to her daughter.
I have often been impressed by the stories of the brave and loving families who brought their family members to Jesus to be healed, especially the courageous people who actually took a roof apart and lowered a crippled man down into the house where Jesus was so that he might be healed. I wanted to tell a story of the hardship, love, and faith of family members during the life of Christ who dared to hope that He would help the one they loved and then did whatever was necessary to bring that to pass.

I have always believed that had I lived during that time and heard there was someone who could heal my daughter, I would carry her on my back, crawling if I must, to take her to the Savior to be healed. Those thoughts played around in my mind for several years until one day I was inspired to create a mother like the one I hoped I would be. The story line crystallized rather quickly in my mind, and I just had to commit Sariah’s story to paper. It was out there; I just had to capture it in words.

I wanted her to be strong, so I created her as a character with a skill, which she used throughout the book. I wanted her to be full of faith, but to occasionally falter to be more human and to give others the opportunity to help her. She loves and is loved and is kind and patient—much more so than I am! As the story progresses, she must be stripped of everything besides her faith so that when she needs it, it’s all she has left and it is enough.

What I like most about her is that she is so totally selfless and wants only to do what is best for her Hannah. She doesn’t see what pure-hearted person she is, though, so I created a friend for her to point that out to her when her faith in herself fails. There isn’t really anything I dislike about her, except that maybe she doubts her faith, but I don’t really dislike that because that humanizes her so that she doesn’t become unrealistic and within the story, gives her opportunities to grow in her faith and trust in God.

About the Book
Miracle of the Christmas Star

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2011
Genre: Holiday Christian Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 176
Price: $12.99

Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
Hannah died the night she was born. The new star's light brought her back to life, but left her stricken with palsy. Sariah, Hannah's mother, believes Hannah can be healed, if only she can find the Savior. Miracle of the Christmas Star is a tender story of love, faith and endurance that will touch your heart and remind you why miracles happen.

About the Author
Susan Dean Elzey

Susan Dean Elzey was raised an Army brat and moved to southern Virginia when she was a teenager. She is the mother of seven grown children, stepmother to two, and a grandmother to an ever-increasing brood of grandchildren. Her oldest daughter has cerebral palsy and is the inspiration behind the character of Hannah in her latest novel, "The Miracle of the Christmas Star."

Susan works as a writer and an adjunct English professor at a community college in a constant battle against comma mistakes and sentence fragments. For years, she has written a weekly humorous column entitled "7XMOM" (Seven Times Mom)for the "Danville Register & Bee" newspaper in which she shares the experiences of her life and of her family that, as her children say, "make us look stupid."

"Miracle of the Christmas Star" is Susan's fourth novel.

Connect With Susan:
Author Web Site

Book Web Site
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			November	/December
					25	26
					The Character Connection/	The Plot Thickens/
27	28	29	30	1	2	3
		Fire and Ice Photos/		A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Keepin’ Up with LDS Bookstores/
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
		Practical Frugality/	LDS Women’s Book Review/	The Wormhole/	Reviews by Molly/	Why Not? Because I Said So/

Carla Kelly - Marian's Christmas Wish - Author Interview

My thanks to Carla Kelly for stopping by The Character Connection for an author interview during the blog tour for her book, Marian's Christmas Wish.

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
One's favorite characters are generally the protagonists of a story, else why bother to write it? In Marian's Christmas Wish, it would be Marian, or course, and also her brother Alistair, who started out as pretty much a self-absorbed care-for-nobody, in Regency language, and turned into something much more. I won't give away the plot to explain further. It's the same with Marian. I based her character on my three daughters, who were in high school and the upper elementary grades when I wrote this book. (It was first published in 1989 by Signet-Penguin/Putnam; Cedar Fort's edition is a reprint.) Young girls sometimes seem immature and silly one day, and quite grown up the next. It's all part of the maturing process, and readers see that in Marian. By the end of the story, she is a woman, but still a woman who will always be delightfully fun.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
See above.

3. How did you come to create him/her?
Well, I thought and thought and a novel came out! I wanted a cheerful Christmas story, but there is a lot of pain in Marian's Christmas Wish. The Wynswich family is losing their estate, and Marian wants to have one good Christmas, even though everything conspires against her.

4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
It's all part of the writing process. I usually get a plot first, and then people it. Both seem to develop at the same time.

5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Maybe I'm too literal for your blog. She was given life when I put it on the computer screen, or in Marian's case, the typewriter. Remember those?

6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
Marian is my protagonist. I liked everything about her that I wrote, but I made sure to include her foibles, which Gilbert Collinwood so clearly sees...and loves her anyway.

About the Book
Marian's Christmas Wish

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2011
Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday
Format: Paperback, ebook
Price: $8.99 paperback, $2.99 ebook

Buy Links: Amazon, Kindle

Blurb:
Miss Marian Wynswich is a rather unconventional young lady. She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man. And she s certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing. But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected--- a young and handsome English lord.

This is a Christmas story about a loving, if eccentric, family that has fallen on hard times. In order to keep the mortgaged estate, one of the daughters has to marry into money, and soon. The older daughter also has a secret beau, but he is the poor-as-a-church-mouse vicar. The younger daughter has decided she doesn't want to get married. She thinks she's too smart to fall in love. Enter Gilbert Collinwood, Lord Ingraham, dashing diplomat, who is going to try to change her mind.

About the Author
Carla Kelly

Carla began to write novels in the first grade, with “The Old Mill,” written on her mother’s typewriter. The book had only two sentences, but there was a plot.

In her writing career, which began in 1984 with Daughter of Fortune (set in colonial New Mexico), Carla has written some 26 novels and umpteen short stories, as well as scholarly works about the fur trade and the Indian Wars: her “footnote projects.” Many novels have been Regency romances, simply because a long-ago editor suggested she try that genre, and because Carla has a scholar’s interest in the Napoleonic Wars. The Regencies have large international audiences, so she’s been a bit typecast, writing Regencies.

She writes mainly about ordinary people, because she believes somewhat in the dictum that an author should write about what she knows. She knows the sea, too, as well as the Indian Wars, earning a master’s degree in that subject from the University of Louisiana – Monroe.

The daughter of a naval officer, Carla has a real affinity for life on the rolling main. Her recent Channel Fleet series took on captains, surgeons, marines, a retired admiral, and finally, an American POW in Dartmoor. She is now turning her attention to the American West, specifically, the Indian Wars, which she knows well from work at historic sites with the National Park Service, and various monographs.

Carla has two Rita Awards for Best Regency of the Year from Romance Writers of America; two Spur Awards for Best Short Story of the Year from Western Writers of America; a career achievement award from Romantic Times; and good will from readers. Carla only writes books she’d like to read; she’s selfish that way.

She’s recently taken a fond look at her own religious background, with Borrowed Light, about a Mormon chef from Utah who hires out to cook for Wyoming cowboys. Poor thing. A sequel is in the production stages now. Next up is a book set at Fort Laramie due for Harlequin Historicals, and then two more works of fiction for Cedar Fort, Inc.

Martin and Carla Kelly spent the past 13 years in North Dakota, where Martin was Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, and Carla was an adjunct professor, and then a ranger at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, on the North Dakota-Montana border. After Martin retired in 2009, they moved to Wellington, Utah, in Carbon County, because they like wide open spaces and empty roads. The Kellys are the parents of five adult children.

A recent addition on their house means Carla now has her own office. It’s a step or two up from the laundry rooms and furnace rooms where she used to write. Carla volunteers at the Western Mining and Railroad Museum in Helper, where she does research and writing for the museum.

Connect With Carla:
Blog

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			November
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
The Character Connection/	The Plot Thickens/	Fire and Ice Photos/	LDS Women’s Book Review/	Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem/ Hardcover Feedback/	Sweeping Me/	Blooming With Books/
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
My Book Addiction and More!/	Reviews by Molly/ Bookworm 2 Bookworm/	Keepin’ Up With LDS Bookstores	A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Practical Frugality/	LeGrande Codex/ My Reading Room/	Bab’s Book Bistro/ The Book Garden/ A Book A Day/

Cindy C. Bennett - Geek Girl - Guest Post

My thanks to Cindy C. Bennett for stopping by The Character Connection with a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Geek Girl.

Guest Post

Character development has to be one of the easiest, and most difficult, parts of writing a novel. Easy because before a writer sits down at the keyboard, they generally have an idea of whom their story is about; difficult because you want them to be realistic, likable as protagonists, unlikable as antagonists, and able to carry the story.

Recently, I was talking to another author about characters. Writers are famous for changing our minds about our characters physical descriptions mid-story. Green-eyes become blue, a blonde becomes a brunette. (In my original version of Geek Girl, I even changed Jen’s last name from one point in the book to another.) This author had the brilliant idea of writing down everything about every character before you begin: height, weight, eye color, hair color, age, birthday, brief history, personality traits, quirks, and first and last name. Then keep that information available while writing, either on a printed paper by your side, or in an open window on your computer. Refer to it often. It seems so basic, and yet how many writers take the time to actually do this?

Once you have this in place, your character will fit nicely into your story. Whether you outline, or write by the seat of your pants, the one thing that shouldn’t change is the basic information about your character. Of course certain things about them will change in the course of the story as they learn and grow—how boring would your story be if they remain exactly the same at the end as they were at the beginning? But some things should never change—mainly physical traits, and certain parts of their personalities.

Don’t forget your secondary characters. This is something I struggle with. I’m pretty good at pulling them in at the beginning of the story, and developing them into something more than flat characters, but once I get into the meat of the story, I have a bad habit of leaving them by the wayside. No one would do this in real life, and if you’ve invested your reader in your secondary characters, be sure to keep them there for the whole ride.

Above all, keep your characters realistic. Even if they have supernatural powers, which aren’t realistic, they still need to have a bit of humanity about them so that your readers can relate to them. Your heroine can fly, but she also worries about how bad her hair looks when she lands. That’s realistic. Your antagonist is cruel, but he wouldn’t twirl his mustache. No one does that. However, he might have flashbacks to his childhood, and either feels guilty about his actions that his mother wouldn’t approve of, or maybe he does them out of anger for the way she treated him. That’s realistic.

The key to any good story is intriguing, interesting characters. Even the best plot will fail without that. So take the time to write their bios out before you begin the story, and you’re already halfway there.

About the Book
Geek Girl

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: December 2011
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback

Pages: 280
Price: $15.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Jen’s life of rebelling and sneaking out has grown stale. On a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a nice little geek, into a “bad boy.” Hanging out with the geeks, however, pulls Jen into a world she never dreamed existed. But when Trevor finds out about the wager, all bets are off.

Excerpt:
"Think I could turn that boy bad?"

My two best friends--my only two friends, really--follow my gaze and laugh.

"Trevor Hoffman?" Beth scoffs. "No way, Jen."

"I bet I could," I say, shrugging.

"Why him?" Beth asks. "Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?"

"Because," I say slowly, "he isn't your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down--more of a challenge, you know?"

About the Author
Cindy C. Bennett

I write contemporary YA, though I am currently working on a book which dips a tiny toe into the paranormal. I have four amazing kids - two boys, two girls. I'm married to a man who makes it possible for me to pursue this crazy dream. I live in Utah, have my whole life, and can't imagine living anywhere else.

I started writing a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . no, wait, that's Star Wars' intro, not mine. I did start writing a long time ago, that part is true. I can't remember when I started making up stories and putting them down on paper, it seems I always have. Then, in high school, I had an amazing English teacher, Mr. Bickmore, who really expanded my passion for writing. Every day as we came into class, he had a "ten-minute writing" assignment, which is exactly what it sounds like. I looked forward to that ten minutes each day like you can't believe. He taught me a love of pure, creative writing, and a love of great literature. (Who knew Romeo and Juliet begins with two pages of dirty jokes?)

Then at some point, YA became a popular genre, and, having two teen daughters, I found my house inundated with it. So I read many of the books, and fell in love with them. I mean seriously, who doesn't have a crystal clear remembrance of that time in your life: the awkwardness, the insecurity and drama - the flush of new love. A few years ago, I began writing Heart on a Chain, (the story of why can be read here, so I won't reiterate). And I found my niche.

I followed the completion of that manuscript with Geek Girl (the history of which can be read here). My daughters encouraged me to publish them. I decided Geek Girl was the easier sell, so I began writing the dreaded query letters. In the meantime, I joined an online critique group from a real editor, telling you whether your first page would capture the attention of an agent, and subsequently a publisher. I received high praise for my first page, and with renewed enthusiasm began sending out even more query letters, deciding the original agents who had rejected me didn't know what they were talking about.

After much more rejection from agents, disheartened, I signed up for an online class on how to write a winning query letter. That had to be the problem, right? (I will say that when it comes to selling my work, either by query, synopsis, book blurb, or verbally, I pretty much suck.) I did get a nice, polished query letter out of the experience, as well as a new title. I had originally called the manuscript Geek Boy, then just Geek. The instructor of the class gave me the idea for Geek Girl as a title, which sounded perfect to me. But that wasn't the most valuable thing I received. What I received was two amazing authors who wanted to exchange chapter-for-chapter critiques. Jeffery Moore and Camelia Miron Skiba are now not only my partners in critiquing and editing one another's manuscripts, they have become my dear friends, the one's whose shoulders I can cry on when I get a bad review, the one's who completely understand my writing style, and help to make it better, who are in this swirling maelstrom of writing, publishing, and marketing right by my side.

Around this time, I had pretty much given up on the idea of an agent, and through some research, had discovered the option for publishing my own ebook. A light bulb exploded over my head at the realization: I can do this. I put it forth to Jeff and Cami, and Jeff was the one who introduced me to CreateSpace. With bounding excitement, I designed a cover, wrote the dreaded blurb, and uploaded Geek Girl to be published. Until you've experienced it yourself, you have no idea how very good it feels to hold a book in your hands, with your name on the cover as author.

At that point, I sat back and waited for the book to begin flying off the virtual shelves. I began editing Heart on a Chain while I waited. And waited. And waited. Hmmm. Why weren't they selling? Apparently, people around the world aren't out there waiting for a book to be put forth by Cindy C Bennett for them to devour (she says, tongue in cheek).

Thus, I learned how to market. And I thought editing was bad! Marketing is not hard, per say, it's just extremely time consuming. About the time I had Heart on a Chain ready for publication, I finally had begun to scratch the tip of the iceberg in the marketing arena. This is where I discovered the power of, and the invaluable services of, book bloggers.

It was also around this time that I decided to try to get a publisher to pick up Geek Girl. I began searching for a publishing house that would take on a previously self-published book. There aren't many, mostly smaller publishing houses. I resubmitted the dreaded query to the ones who would even take a look, received a couple of rejections, and then (cue angelic music and light from the heavens) I received an email from Cedar Fort Publishing, saying they wished to publish Geek Girl.

I quickly emailed or wrote to all of the other publishers, letting them know I had received an offer, and signed with Cedar Fort on March 1, 2011, eight months after I first self-published it. I took it off sale from all of the places I had it available, and in an ironic twist, that month I had the highest sales numbers - actually, let me rephrase. I sold more copies of Heart on a Chain that month than I had sold of both books combined - ever - total! I figured it was the result of the post-Christmas receipt of Kindle's and Nook's that drove the sales that month.

Now, I'm in the middle of the craziest time of my life. Heart on a Chain continues to do well in sales, with my constant marketing efforts. I'm trying to finish my next book. I'm working closely with Cedar Fort in the final product and pre-marketing of Geek Girl to have it ready for a blog tour in November, and re-release December 8, 2011.

In the midst of this wonderful insanity, I'm still being a mom, helping my husband run our cabinet business, co-hosting a podcast with my son called The RyTime! Geekcast, where we talk all things geek, along with the time I spend volunteering with a group of girls ages 12-18. Jeff, Cami and I have added another author to our little group, Kimberley Patterson, as we all work on our next books together. I could use a clone of myself to double my time!

All I can say is: Life is wonderful!

Connect With Cindy:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Tour Participants:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					4	5
		November			Night Owl Teen/ Nuttier Reads/ Jolene’s Been Writing/	Reading Eating and Dreaming/ Five Alarm Books/ Coffee, Books, and Me/
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Inklings Read/ The Character Connection/	Wordpaintings Unlimited/ Vampire Wire/	Forbidden Passions/ As the Spine Breaks/ The Plot Thickens/	Thoughts at One in the Morning/ Bookworm Lisa/ Books to the Sky/	Totally Obsessed/ Passion for Novels/ Twisting the Lens/	Nocturnal Book Reviews/ Getting Your Read On/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Jeanz Book Read and Review/ LDS Women’s Book Review/ Books Complete Me/
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Pages of Gold/ Book Spark/	Zone Out Mode/ Taffy’s Writings/	Mrs. Papillion/ Lani Woodland/	Princess Reviews/ A Book Lover’s Review/ Reader of Fictions/	Reading For Sanity/ Coma Calm/ Nightly Reading/	Creating Childhood Memories/ Jagged Edge Reviews/ Just Another Book Addict/	Starcrossed/ The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer/
20	21	22	23	24	25
Young Readers/	Six Mixed Reviews/ Fictitious Musings/ Letters Inside Out/	Mudrock and Pink Nail Polish/ Practical Frugality/ All About Me/	Living, Loving, Laughing, Reading/ This Great Perhapsless/	Imaginary Reads/ TToria/ Mommy Wants to Read/	Ali’s Bookshelf/ Biblio Junkies/ Book and Movie Dimension a Blog/

Prudence Bice - The Kissing Tree - Author Interview

My thanks to Prudence Bice for stopping by The Character Connection with a guest post during the blog tour for her upcoming book, The Kissing Tree. (release date: December 8th)

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?
Wow! That’s hard to choose because I love all my characters and feel connected to each one in a different, yet personal way. If I have to choose though, I would pick the main character, Georgiana.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
I love the fact that though faced with tragedy and tough choices, Georgiana remains true to her heart. She doesn’t allow others to dictate her choices. Though she is tempted to take the easy road, in the end she makes the right decision.

3. How did you come to create him/her?
I sometimes wonder that myself. Do I create my characters, or do they just introduce themselves to me? It feels sometimes more like I am pawn in their hands rather than the other way around. They are like actors in my mind. I just watch and listen to what they do and say and then write it down.

4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
In the case of Georgiana, her character …her story began with one line that popped, or rather pushed itself into my head while I was taking a breath from frantically writing my first story, The Widower’s Wife. I walked into my bedroom that day and sat down on the edge my bed, when suddenly the first line of the prologue came into my mind, “Georgie ran behind the tree in a fit of giggles…” At once, I got up and searched around for a notebook and began writing. At that point my husband walked into the room and asked me what I was doing. “There’s another story taking over my brain,” I said. He laughed, but told me not to start writing it until I finished the book I was working on. I’m afraid I am notorious for not finishing things. We agreed that I would finish writing the prologue, and then set it aside. Six months later, I picked the notebook back up with my hastily written scrawls in it. Rereading the prologue was all it took for Georgiana’s story to come to life once again. The rest is history.

5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Georgiana was given life instantly. As soon as her story entered my head, I knew exactly who she was and who she would become.

6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
I like the fact that Georgiana’s spunky while still being a lady. She’s got grit…substance. There’s more to her than “just a pretty face.” If I have to dislike something about her, it would the fact that she jumps to conclusion hastily without getting all the facts. Her impulsiveness tends to get her into trouble. But, she quickly adapts to her circumstance and moves forward.

About the Book
The Kissing Tree

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Release Date: December 8, 2011
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Paperback

Pages: 272
Price: $15.99

Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
After five long years, Georgiana McLaughlin returns to the only place she's ever considered home---the same place she stole a kiss from Ridge Carson under the kissing tree; But this time he's a man, and reconciling their past is just the beginning. You'll find yourself applauding each new chapter filled with fun, romance, and adventure in this captivating, heartfelt tale of love, friendship, and finding your way back.

Extended Look:
“Can two young hearts, separated by chance and circumstance, overcome the new challenges that come their way? Or does fate still hold a claim on their future?”

Ridge-

“Pig Tails, ribboned braids, and stolen kisses are what come to mind when Ridge Caron learns his boss’ daughter will be returning to Crystal Creek. At first glimpse, there’s no mistaking she isn’t a child any longer. After years of trying to forget his lost love, in an instant, the old yearning is back. But this time he’s man and she is the most delicious thing he’s ever seen. But she’s changed in more ways than one. Are her new manners and big city ways too high class for a homespun country boy, or will they be able to rekindle the friendship and hidden love they once shared?”

Georgiana-

“Finally, after five long years, Georgiana McLaughlin is returning to the only place she’s ever really considered home. When she literally falls in to the arms of the man she has predetermined to avoid at all cost, Georgiana is forced to search deep within herself to find the real reason she has never been able to commit to any man. Could Ridge still hold of piece of her heart? And if he does, what does that mean for the handsome and outrageously wealthy Dawson Alexander, anxiously waiting back in New York for her answer to his proposal?”

In order to decide their future, they must first unravel the past.

In this captivating, heartfelt tale of love, friendship, and finding your way back, you will laugh, cry, and find yourself applauding each new chapter filled with fun, romance, and adventure.

Don’t miss a word of this second novel by author Prudence Bice, and don’t worry, all bets are off until the preacher says “man and wife.”

Excerpt:
“Ridge! It’s really you!” Georgiana thought.

Her eyes were drawn to his mouth, and she remembered the last time she had seen him five years ago…Now here he was rescuing her from a most humiliating circumstance, and all she could think about was that kiss.

About the Author
Prudence Bice

Prudence Bice has loved writing her entire life. Born in Orange County, California, one of eleven children, she always felt drawn to stories that spoke and enkindled her romantic heart. Having overcome tragedy in her own life, inspiration for her first novel was spark by her desire to ignite true romantics everywhere with a wholesome, feel good story about the power of love, rising above the pain and suffering from loss and circumstance.

She resides in St. George, Utah with her husband Ray and their five children, four daughters and one son. Her hobbies include drawing, photography, music, writing, and of course reading anything she can get her hands on! Currently she is majoring in English at Dixie Sate College and loving it. The future is bright, she says, every day I wake up with a prayer in my heart and story in my head. I never thought life could be so good!

Connect With Prudence:
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Tour Participants:
November 1
Getting Your Read On
The Character Connection

November 2
A Casual Reader’s Blog

November 3
Bookworm Lisa
The Plot Thickens

November 4
Reviews by Molly
Starcrossed

November 5
Debra’s Book Cafe

November 7
Nightly Reading
Six Mixed Reviews

November 8
Imaginary Reads

November 9
LDS Women’s Book Review

November 10
The Sweet Bookshelf
Burning Impossibly Bright

November 11
Place of Reeds

November 12
Practical Frugality