Terri Blackstock: Illustrating Christ's Love to Readers

Dear Readers-

Years ago I read a book authored by Terri Blackstock called Never Again Goodbye." I LOVED THAT STORY, so I was hooked. I must admit that I haven't read some of Terri's latest suspense novels, but her latest book looks very tempting.

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million copies sold worldwide. She is the winner of two Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others. Her most recent suspense novel is If I Run, about a young female fugitive whose being accused of a heinous murder.  Other books include Truth Stained Lies (the Moonlighters Series), Intervention (the Intervention Series), and Last Light (the Restoration Series). 

Here's what Terri had to say about her new novel, If I Run:

"While I finished my Moonlighters Series, I kept seeing my new character Casey running from a murder charge. Her DNA is all over the crime scene, so she knows proving her innocence will be impossible. Because the justice system has let her down before, Casey runs to keep the police and others from catching up to her, so she has to constantly change her identity and her appearance, move from one part of the country to another, and leave no clues that would lead police to her.

"At first, I didn’t know how well this would work since I write Christian suspense novels. I knew Casey was going to have to break the law several times throughout the story, and the fear that drives her isn’t all that Christ-like. She’s a lost, but winsome character who tries to do the right thing. Then I realized that God didn’t mean for her to be a Christian when the story opens. Casey’s interaction with a God whose existence she doubts will show readers that Christ is concerned with the details of our lives even before we turn to Him, and that when we do call out to Him, we are guaranteed to find Him."

 Thank you, Teri.

Readers, see the complete list of Terri’s books at www.terriblackstock.com/books. 
Join her at Facebook (www.facebook.com/tblackstock) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/TerriBlackstock). 

SIT BACK AND GET TO KNOW LAURIE ALICE EAKES

Hey, everyone -- it's with great pleasure that I host my friend, Laurie Alice Eakes today. For those of you who aren't familiar with Laurie Alice, here's her bio:

Author of eleven books and two novellas, Laurie Alice Eakes has won the National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency and was a Carol finalist for The Glassblower. She has also sold numerous articles on writing including one for the debut issue of the new ACFW journal. She is an experienced writing teacher and speaker and has her master’s degree in writing. She lives in Texas with her husband and their dogs and cats.

Laurie, what is your latest novel about?

Here's a blurb:

All Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. But when she refuses to accompany her pregnant sister-in-law to help save her husband from an English prison during the War of 1812, Phoebe finds herself pressed aboard a British privateer crossing the Atlantic under the command of a man with a deadly mission.

Sounds like a story I'd love to read. I just finished my edits on a book involving a sea captain who commands a fast slip, transporting cargo from London to New York, like the famed Black Ball Line. But more about my book later!  :)

Note to my readers: Laurie Alice is giving away a free e-copy of her book, Hearts Safe Passage. It sounds like an incredible read, so be sure to leave a comment and get entered into the drawing. We'll select a winner Sunday afternoon or evening.

AND NOW FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE ALICE

What genre do you write in?

            My primary genre is historical romance with a fair bit of suspense woven into the plot.

What motivates you?

            My motivation stems from the work itself. I simply love to write stories.

How much spirituality do you weave into your story?

            The level of spirituality depends on the story and the line for which I am writing. I want enough to get the message, the theme of the story across, and little enough to not come across as preaching to my audience. The spirituality stems from the characters’ needs and relationships to God and one another.

What is your general purpose as an author?

            I consider myself in the entertainment business. The primary purpose in my books is to entertain the reader. Within that entertainment lies the purpose to teach, encourage, and uplift the reader.

What message do you hope to convey to readers?

            In my latest book, Heart’s Safe Passage, the message is forgiveness, of others and of oneself. This is a strong theme in many of my books because I believe it is one of the most difficult challenges we face in life. People hurt us. We can’t stop it. We can stop how we respond.

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 it in your novels)?

            Yes, I believe in evil in the world. I have met it face-to-face and defeated it by the grace of God. In my novels, I portray evil through the actions of men—and women—who have ill-intent for greedy, selfish, and just plain mean motives. Evil is a powerful force in Heart’s Safe Passage and nearly destroys the hero.

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

            I have a number of books in the hopper. My next book A Flight of Fancy, is a Regency romance with a heroine who wants nothing more than to be an aeronaut, a balloonist. It’s just been released for preorder and the cover is breath-taking.

Well, thanks, Laurie Alice, for being my guest today. Readers, if you want to find out more about this fabulous author, log on to her web site:  http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com

 And don't forget to leave a comment for Laurie Alice and enter the drawing for a FREE e-copy of her novel, Hearts Safe Passage.

What's Grace Greene's Greatest Challenge?

Author Grace Greene is my guest today through Wednesday on Everything Writerly. If you're not familiar with Grace and her work, here is her bio:

Grace Greene writes fiction with romance, suspense and inspiration, always with a strong heroine at its heart, and there's a happily-ever-after ending--most of the time. Her debut novel, Beach Rental, released in 2011 and her second novel, Kincaid's Hope, released in January 2012.

Your latest novel sounds interesting, Grace. What is Kincaid's Hope about?

Beth Kincaid left her unhappy childhood behind and created a life free from untidy emotionalism, but even a tidy life has danger, especially when it falls apart. Beth returns to her hometown to settle her guardian’s estate, but runs smack into the problems she left behind and discovers she must also settle with the past to find love and build a future worth living.

**Note to readers: You can read some sample pages on amazon.com.

CLICK HERE to read them. **

AND NOW MY INTERVIEW WITH GRACE:

     What genre do you write in? 

         My genre is Women’s Fiction, but there’s also romance, suspense and inspirational elements. Each book has a different proportion of romance, suspense and inspiration, but ultimately the story is about the heroine and her journey.

      What motivates you? 

         What-ifs motivate me. A concept, a theme, or a setting…something gets stuck in my head and   gradually evolves into a story.

    
     How does your faith affect your daily life? 

         Faith has always been a huge part of my life and sustains me through rough times. Faith is constant – I am less so, and get distracted by life’s demands, but when I am lost in doubt or indecision I remember faith is there – just a prayer away.

      

     How much spirituality do you weave into your story? 

       The amount of spirituality varies. It is important to me that it occurs organically as part of the story. My debut novel, Beach Rental, has a large amount of inspirational content showing the spiritual growth of the heroine, but in my most recent release, Kincaid’s Hope, the inspirational elements are less evident until trouble comes along. Like so many, my characters begin to remember the power of prayer when things get really tough.

.    
     What is your general purpose as an author? 

        I like to tell a story. I hope to entertain and if a new idea or concept lingers with the reader after they close the book, then that’s the absolute best I could hope for.

      What is your greatest challenge in your writing? 

         My greatest challenge is to keep moving forward. There’s all sorts of things – life, obligations, time and emotional drains – to interrupt and take a writer off-track. And sometimes it’s the writing itself that throws up obstacles, or the writing process gets discouraging…but that’s where faith comes in again, doesn’t it?

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

          Recurring themes in my books seem to be faith, hope and forgiveness. We can’t move forward and be the best we can be as long as we hold on to guilt and grudges.

      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? 

         I do believe there is evil, but most often in my stories it’s just your basic bad. Bad choices. That moment when a person could go one way or the other – and once chosen, the bad choice will often multiply beyond what the person ever imagined.

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

        My next book is in its final draft but not contracted for yet. I’m excited about it. I think it’s a fun book – kind of a twist on a southern Gothic, but contemporary and with a heavier dose of suspense than in my prior books. You can keep up with my news, including upcoming releases, on my website www.GraceGreeneAuthor.com

Grace, thank you for stopping by Everything Writerly. It's been fun getting to know you better.

To my readers: Grace is giving away a FREE COPY of Kincaid's Hope. So be sure to leave a comment and we'll have a drawing and announce the winner on Wednesday April 11, 2012!