The Next Big Thing Blog Hop with...MOI: Andrea Boeshaar

Thanks so much to Wisconsin author Lily Silver who tagged me in 

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. 

I thought this might be fun so I agreed to participate. For this multi-author promotion, I've decided to give readers a sneak peek at my upcoming novel -- as well as my books already on store shelves and available as ebook downloads.

Here's the interview:

 What is the title of your next book?

         Threads of Love, which will be released in May 2013
                  (Isn't this cover GORGEOUS!?)

 Where did the idea come from for the book?

          This series is based on my Norwegian heritage and
          my family history (fictionalized!). Threads of Love
          is book 3 and the last novel in my Fabric of Time series.



       

 Books 1 and 2 are now available in both traditional print AND ebook formats. 

Threads of Hope (book 1) 

Threads of Faith (book 2)

What genre does your book fall under?

          Christian/Inspirational historical romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

           To play Jake Edgerton, I'd choose Luke Perry as he appeared in the Hallmark Channel movie 
           Goodnight for Justice. 
                You can watch the movie trailer by CLICKING HERE.
          

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your latest series?

          Follow the journeys of first Kristin in 1848 (Threads of Hope), 

          then Julianna in 1877 (Threads of Faith), and finally Emily in 1902 (Threads of Love) 

          as these women weave a tapestry of love, honor, and family unity into life's Fabric of Time.

          Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

         It's published by Realms -- a division of Charisma Media and I can usually write a 75.000 
           word novel in 6 to 9 months time. That is, if life doesn't get in the way.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My last series, Seasons of Redemption, was published by Realms/Charisma Media.

Other authors include: Lena Nelson Dooley, Martha Rogers, Jillian Kent, and Beth Shriver and many others. You can find out more about Realms/Charisma Media authors, their books and their websites, by going to the blog called JUST THE WRITE CHARISMA.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

 For my Fabric of Time series, my Norwegian heritage inspired me. For my Seasons of Redemption series I was inspired to write stories set during and just after America's Civil War. I thank God Almighty for giving me the gift of writing.

What else about your book might pique the reader interest?

My latest series, Fabric of Time, is set in Wisconsin, although my characters visit other places like England and Montana. My grandmother, an art and reading teacher in Tigerton, Wisconsin, painted a picture of Manitowoc's harbor. Many family members said the scene was "dark," and after my grandfather died, no one wanted it. But secretly I had always coveted the painting. It's no Monet, but my "Nana" painted it and I treasure it.

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Now it's time to pass the baton to additional authors so they can tell you about their amazing books. Their posts, which will have the same title as this one -- The Next Big Thing Blog Hop -- will be live on or around November 30th and over the weekend, so watch for them! Here are their names: 

Lily Silver
Loree Lough
Loz Tolsma

Also, check out the other authors I blog with on Just the Write Charisma and The Barn Door.

Today I have the honor of hosting one of my good friends, Lena Dooley. If you’re not familiar with Lena’s work, here’s her bio:

Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 690,000 books in print.

In addition to her writing, Lena is a frequent speaker at women’s groups, writers groups, and at both regional and national conferences. She has spoken in six states and internationally. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Gate Beautiful blog radio show.

Lena has an active web presence on Shoutlife, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Linkedin and with her internationally connected blog where she interviews other authors and promotes their books.

Lena is giving away her brand new book, Mary’s Blessing, so please leave a comment at the end of this interview and on Sunday evening we’ll draw a winner.

AND NOW FOR MY INTERVIEW WITH LENA!

1.      What genre do you write in? (Historical, contemporary, romance, etc.)

I have written both historical and contemporary books in several genres, but all of them have a romantic thread woven through. Right now, I’ve finished one three-book historical series, and I’m starting writing another contracted historical series for the same publisher.

2.      How does your faith affect your daily life?

Faith is an integral part of my life. I’ve walked with the Lord so long, that to remove Him from my daily life would require major surgery, which would be life-threatening.

3.      What message do you hope to convey to readers, either in this latest book or in all your books?

The last four books I’ve written have had a strong thread of unmerited forgiveness, and learning to trust God in all things woven through the stories.

4.      Do you believe there is evil in the world and, if you do, how do you portray it in your novels (or do you portray evil in your novels?

Yes, there are all forms of evil in our world, and if some of them appear in my story, I try to make them realistic without being offensive in the way I write it. I want reader to feel safe about reading my stories.

5.      Did you ever have a memorable book-signing? (Sad, humorous, or awesome?) If so, please share it.

I’ve had a couple of wonderful book signings at Mardel’s for a Book Release party for a novel. I’ll have the one for Mary’s Blessing there as well. One thing I’m going to do with this book is to have a signing at Chan’s Mongolian Grill. One of the characters is the book is named for Tony Chan the proprietor, and he wants to have a book signing there. I think it will be fun and interesting.

6.      How do you deal with rejection letters or an irate reader?

Rejection is part of a writer’s life. I learned years ago to trust the Lord with the sales of my manuscripts. If I receive a rejection, I know He didn’t want that publisher to publish it, because he had other people He wanted to read the story that publisher wouldn’t reach.

About irate readers, I will answer their emails or messages and agree with them, because it’s a valid opinion. I won’t please everyone all the time. I sometimes ask the reader how they would change the book. I try to make a friend, even though we don’t agree about my book.

7.      What’s next for you as an author? Any books in the hopper?

As I said before, I’m starting a new series, and I’m excited about it. This is my Restored Hearts series about people whose hearts have been broken in some way.

I totally agree with your last statement, Lena. I wrote a book about that very thing called Broken Things. The updated version is available as a Kindle download on amazon.com.

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Lena! I’ve watched your career take off from your first Barbour novellas to your trade fiction for Charisma House. (Oh, and by the way, Lena and I both write for the Realms Authors’ Blog called Just theWrite Charisma. Stop by and take a read some time.)

 

And remember, Readers, Lena is giving away a copy of her brand new book Mary's Blessing. Be sure to leave a comment and your name will be entered into the drawing.

Until next time, keep those pages turning!

THREADS OF HOPE Book Give-away Contest

Announcing my first book give-away in conjunction with my brand new historical romance release, Threads of Hope. It's easy to enter, just leave me a comment below, completing the following sentences:

My favorite time of day to read a good book is ______________. The reason is__________________.

Fill in the blanks. You can enter as many times as you want to.

On Sunday afternoon, January 29th, I will randomly select TWO winners from the list of comments below. In addition to receiving a free copy of my book, Threads of Hope, winners will receive a special surprise gift, designed to enhance their reading experience.

So let me know about your reading habits and you could be the winner of a signed copy of Threads of Hope along with a surprise gift.       

Good luck, everyone!

Of Clipper Ships and Updated Blog Posts

It's been two months since I've posted. Many apologies to my followers. I've been busy with family and writing a new novel. Threads of Faith (Realms/Charisma House). It will be Book 2 in my new Fabric of Time series (Book 1, Threads of Hope, will release in January 2012).

I'm doing a lot of research about clipper ships and sailing from England to New York. I've learned that most skilled captains could make the run in about 15-17 days. That's, of course, if the weather held. 

I imagine my characters sailing on a ship similar to the famous Cutty-Sark (pictured in an 1880s photo). And I plan to visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum soon. Many clippers sailed into the Erie Canal and through the Great Lakes, delivering both cargo and passengers --

Like my characters, Daniel Sundberg and Julianna Wayland. But that's all I'll tell you about the novel for now. However, I will post more about my research.

One of the many interesting things I've learned is that the clipper ship's helm is at the stern and the poop deck is located near it so the captain can gaze out over the deck and make sure his crew is diligently working. He can also navigate the waters. I had first imagined the helm in the center of the ship -- and it could be, depending on the ship model. As I said, I chose a clipper for Book 2 in my new series. I'll be telling you more about that later.

In the meantime, I'll get back to work. Yep, it's how I'm spending my Friday night. But it's all so interesting, really. We're in New York in 1877 and we'll be traveling by, first, train and then by ship to Manitowoc, Wisconsin soon. 

At least my characters lead exciting lives!   :)

~AKB