12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of cyberspace during the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop.

I'd like to give a heartfelt thanks to Intoxicated by Books for organizing this event. It’s a great way to connect with readers, authors and bloggers, win some super giveaways, and share in the Christmas spirit. 

My giveaway is an e-copy of book one of the Piedmont Island Trilogy series: 


DEFENDING GLORY

Suffering from survivor’s guilt and unable to resume his career with the FBI, Mac McKeown moves to northern Minnesota to start over as a general contractor and forget that fateful day that changed everything. When he discovers the body of his nemesis on Glory Palmer’s property, along with a warning for her to leave while she still can and abandon her dream of building a Christian retreat, Mac realizes his past has come back to haunt him and an innocent woman’s life is in grave danger. He vows to keep her safe during construction of the retreat... but how will he protect his heart?

"Ms. Albert has captured the essence of inspirational romantic suspence. With plot twists and characters one can relate to, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that kept me guessing till the end. I plan to read more from this great writer." ~ Amazon reviewer


"The only question you will have at the end is...when will her next novel come out? Definitely a keeper on my bookshelf." ~ Amazon reviewer

To enter your name in the giveaway draw:

(1) Follow my blog
You've done that already? Then:

(2) "Like" my Facebook Fan Page - HERE.
Goodness! You've done that, too? THANK YOU! ;-)

(3) Well then, I guess all that's left is to share this post to your Facebook page!

Oh, and please leave a comment telling me you selected #1, 2 or 3.


Thanks again for taking part in the 12 Days of Christmas Hop. I wish you and yours all the best of the holiday season. Happy blogging, and happy reading!

***I’ll announce the winner on Christmas Day.***

Enjoy the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop!

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Ann Gaylia O’Barr's Searching for Home

My guest today is Ann Gaylia O’Barr. She’s led an interesting life and served as a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Department of State from 1990 to 2004. Her assignments included tours in U.S. embassies and consulates in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Canada, Tunisia, and  Washington, D.C.

Her published books include Singing in Babylon (romance), November, 2010. Quiet Deception (mystery/romance) and Searching for Home (romance, international intrigue), both in August, 2011, all from OakTara Publishers. Under contract with OakTara: Distant Thunder (romance).

Anne K. Albert – Welcome to my little corner of the blogsphere, Ann. Tell us something about yourself that you would normally only share with close friends.

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - Something I’ve only recently realized: My stories often begin with the death of someone close to the protagonist. Perhaps this pattern comes about because of a subconscious connection with the death of my father (to whom I was very close) when I was thirteen.

Anne K Albert - Tell us about your book. 

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - My most recent book is Searching for Home. A frustrated artist and an ambitious U.S. diplomat marry within days of meeting to resolve desperate loneliness after losing loved ones. They must resolve differences of background, temperament, and faith journeys if their marriage is to succeed, even as world events threaten to pull them apart. A home endures and flourishes through the kind of love Jesus modeled for his disciples.

 

Anne K Albert - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - I love Patrick, a protagonist in Searching for Home. He’s known outstanding success in school and career. He craves the love he never had while growing up or when, in his first marriage, he gave his love only to have it repudiated, then lost the one person who loved him unreservedly. Revealing that need to his new wife requires more risk than performing his job in a war zone.

Anne K Albert - What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself from writing?

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - My characters and their stories lead me to find answers to my questions about life and faith.

Anne K Albert - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - Find enjoyment in life outside of writing. It will help you when you are rejected. Keep a balanced spiritual life to be open for God’s calling, whether in writing or other activities. Use writing as your gift, not your god.

Anne K Albert - Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - Author: For pure escape, Georgette Heyer’s regency novels (generic and formulaic as they come, but I love the witty dialog and the characterization.

Actor: Recently, I suppose Colin Firth in The King’s Speech.

Movie: Any of the Jane Austen movies.

Song: “The Clouds’ Veil” by Liam Lawton. I love Celtic music.

Quote: easy:  from Shadow of the Almighty, The Life and Times of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Anne K. Albert – Tell us something about your overseas experiences and how they've shaped you as a person and as a writer.

Ann Gaylia O’Barr - My tours in the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service took me to several Muslim-majority countries. I read about Islam and began to understand that the unique gift of Christianity is God’s love, in a person, Jesus Christ. Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet but cannot understand how a sovereign God could allow himself to be killed, thus, they do not accept Jesus’ death or his divinity. I began to see this act as the definition of Christianity: God’s love, sacrifice, forgiveness, resurrection, and call to a new life is our unique message to a hurting world. 

After my tours overseas, I saw my country and especially American Christians with a new perspective. We are a missionary faith, yet sometimes seem stuck only on domestic concerns. We need knowledge of the rest of the world if we are going to minister to it. Thus, many of my blogs and stories deal with Christians and their place in world events. I draw attention to the Middle East and the world-changing events happening there, from the overthrow of dictators to how the corresponding Islamist awakening will affect Christians and other minorities in those countries.

Anne K. Albert – Where can readers reach you online?

Ann Gaylia O’Barr – At my website: www.AnnGayliaOBarr.com and at Oak Tara: http://www.oaktara.com/AnnGayliaOBarr

Anne K. Albert – Would you share an excerpt with us of Searching for Home?

Ann Gaylia O’Barr – Yes!

          Patrick touched her arm. “Did you know we can get married here in three days if we pay a special fee? Otherwise it’s three weeks.”

          People sailed a boat past them, chattering, laughing. She didn’t understand the language. Greek, she guessed.

          He peered at her. “Say something.”

          “I’m sorry?”

          “I’m asking you to marry me. Say something.”

          “Marry you?”

          The luminosity left his eyes. “Bad joke?”

          “No,” she said, “not a bad joke. But terribly unexpected. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re doing—joking.”

          “I’m serious.”

          “Do you often ask women to marry you after knowing them three days?”

          “No. You’re the first.”

          “Why? Why should we get married?”

          He studied the boat going out. “It seems to me that we suit, don’t you think?”

          We suit? When Vance proposed, he told her not only that he loved her, but that he needed her and couldn’t live without her. This man was asking her to commit herself to him because—because they suited? What kind of arrogant elitist was he?

          Before she could speak her anger, he turned to her, and his eyes, bleak as a winter moor, captured her. Some need or hurt spoke mutely like a child whose dandelions, meant as a gift of love, had wilted.

          “I need to think about it,” she said.

          “Why?”

          “Why? Surely, Patrick, you don’t expect an answer tonight? Marriage for me is for keeps. I have to think about my family, my religion, my career.”

          “You’re twenty-three years old; we’re both Christians—serious ones, in your phrasing—and you know you’re not cut out for that job.”

          A yearning seized her.

          Perhaps his training taught him to sense weakness in an opponent and thrust through it. He said, “We can exchange e-mail addresses and send little messages back and forth. But you know as well as I do that we’ll soon drift apart. My work—it’s pretty demanding. I can’t handle a long-distance courtship.” He looked toward the boat, distant, then back at her. “Now, or we leave as friends, nothing more. What’s your answer?”

          Was it the need she saw in his eyes or the horror of those cubicles?

          “All right,” she snapped, as though he dared her and she called his bluff.

          He kissed her while the Mediterranean tide smacked against boats, and a lone sail flapped. The remnants of her anger dropped like an anchor into the sea.

Anne K. Albert – What a fascinating excerpt! I can’t wait to read more. Thank you so much, Ann, for visiting with me today. I wish you every success with Searching for Home, and as always, happy writing!

* * *

LoRee Peery's Sage and Sweetgrass

My guest today is LoRee Peery. A lifelong Nebraskan, LoRee is the oldest of seven and grew up on a Nebraska farm. Thanks to her mother, she learned to read when she was four and has devoured books ever since.

LoRee and her husband have tackled some interesting projects over the course of their married life. For one, they built the home they live in with their own hands. They used to want more acres further away from city life, but one day LoRee realized they had their “greener on the other side of the fence” already. All it took was removing that fence made of trees and bushes.

She feels grounded in her sense of place and considers it a blessing to have lived most of her life in the country. LoRee has a contemporary romance series, Frivolities, with White Rose Publishing: Moselle’s Insurance, Rainn on My Parade, and coming soon, Sage and Sweet Grass. Found in the Woods has been contracted.

Anne - Welcome, LoRee. I’m so glad you could drop by to talk writing. Let’s get down to business! Tell us a something about yourself that you would normally only share with close friends.

LoRee - Before 9/11, I nearly passed out giving a blood sample. Since then, I’ve donated at the community blood bank on a regular basis. I think it’s 52 times now.

Anne – Congratulations on overcoming your fear, and helping so many others at the same time. What do you enjoy most about writing? What part do you loathe?

LoRee - I absolutely love it when I’m in a scene between the hero and heroine and one of them does or says something that comes out of nowhere, without any forethought on my part. And when a line of dialogue sparks my next, unplanned connection between them; or a title, or an idea for my next story comes through. Creativity sparks creativity.

Loathe is a pretty strong word. I’m going to say I get upset with myself when I’ve edited a work a dozen times only to discover, usually in edits from my editor, where I’ve used a word or phrase umpteen zillion times, or said the same thing in the same way, that should have been discovered much earlier on.

Anne – I can relate to being repetitious! Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

LoRee - I would say Abby Wilson, the heroine in my first novel. Abby returns to her hometown and ends up in trouble while trying to disclose that her father’s accidental death was really a homicide.

I learned most everything I know about writing while working on her story (which will remain in its storage tub). Over a span of ten years, I worked on Abby while I took a Writer’s Digest course, a couple fiction writing courses at community college; and I discovered how to critique, how to take criticism and be encouraged, how bad I was at story elements at first, that my true passion is romance with a hint of solving a problem or disclosing a secret, and to discover my own process.

Anne – Abby sounds like a wonderful mentor! What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself from writing?

LoRee - When I’ve set aside a project and gone back to it, only to discover words I didn’t recall writing. The words came from deep within, on a different level of consciousness, from a source outside myself. So I don’t take any credit, but simply say, “Thank You, Lord.”

Anne - Tell us about the defining moment when you felt as if you’d finally made it as an author.

LoRee - My first contract was for Moselle’s Insurance. The manuscript was rejected twice by White Rose Publishing editors, with the invitation to resubmit. I was devastated by the second, very detailed letter, and quit writing for several months. At our RWA chapter retreat in January of 2010, fellow writers encouraged me to reconsider that best-kind-of-rejection letter. So I went through the editor’s comments, agreed with her, revised, and resubmitted. Moselle’s Insurance was accepted in less than a week, and I received my first contract on my birthday.

Anne – What a fabulous made-it moment! I can also relate to those ‘best’ rejection letters. Like you, one took its toll and I stopped writing as well. And yes, it was just before I got “the call!” Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you work through it?

LoRee - I don’t call it being blocked, only misdirected or sidetracked. Often, if the words don’t flow, I’ll go outside and consider where I’m stuck in my story. I’ll play with the dog, and mull over where I want to go with my writing, either with the characters or in the scene. I spend time looking for God in nature, letting where I am in the story worm its way through my thoughts.

And I’ll pray. His strength is reinforced through my weaknesses. I’m always enlightened by something God has created, an odd-shaped rock, tree, or cloud formation, flowers or butterflies in summer, or the beauty of the seasons. If my fingers don’t fly when I return to my keyboard, I’ll do something else. 

While I’m cleaning or shopping or exercising, I’ll have a flash of what to write next. After it’s worked its way through my thinking process enough, my fingers will fly when I sit back down at the keyboard. I’ve learned that I can’t force it. However, just writing creates writing. I can always go back and delete what doesn’t make sense. It often goes back to the inability to edit or fix a blank page.

Anne – “Just writing creates writing.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before, but it’s so true. Thank you! Now, would you share an excerpt with us from Sage and Sweetgrass? Btw, the cover is gorgeous!

LoRee – Thank you!

~ ~ ~

The sky was clear and enormous where it met the horizon. The whinny of horses carried up from a pasture on the other side of the barn. The acreage represented everything Lanae loved about being outside the city limits. Expanse, horses, a sprinkling of trees in the distance…God’s country.

When she caught sight of the cowboy, the vision was complete.

She sighed. Home. How crazy. She felt like she’d come home.

The cowboy rounded the corner of the wood-sided barn that she guessed to be sixty feet long. He loped in the loose way of a man comfortable on the back of a horse.

And she enjoyed every step as he approached.

He even tipped the brim of his hat. “Mornin’. You Lanae?”

Wow was the only thing she could think to say. But she kept it to herself.

Her mouth went dry.

His nose was bent, just off to the right of center. He had a full bottom lip, thinner upper, all accented by what she supposed was a year-round tan. Myriad facial lines gave testimony to a life lived outdoors.

She cleared her throat, mustered up some moisture for her vocal chords in order to answer, “That I am.”

“Sage Diamond.”

When he drew close enough, Lanae was dumbfounded at the impact of his eyes. They were an unbelievable piercing blue with a hint of lavender.

“Did you have any trouble finding the place?” Sage spoke in an unhurried manner.

Lanae wondered if he felt rushed about anything. She started to open the door.

“You always leave your car running?” A hint of amusement tugged at his mouth.

Oops. She turned the key. Great first impression.

He held the door.

Still caught in the lavender blue of his eyes, shadowed now from his hat, Lanae swallowed what felt like the chaff of an August hayfield.

No more singles ads for me.

~ ~ ~

Anne – I love Lanae’s inner dialogue about Sage, LoRee, and can’t wait for Sage and Sweetgrass to be released! Where can readers reach you on line?

LoRee – At my website: www.loreepeery.com

Anne – Thank you so much for chatting today, LoRee. I wish you every success with Sage and Sweetgrass. Happy writing!

* * *

Interview with Deborah H. Bateman

My guest today is Deborah Bateman. Deborah loves studying the Bible and is dedicated to “Sharing God’s Word”. She is the Founder of Christian Daily Resources a Christian Online Ministry. Deborah also enjoys cooking, crafts, interior decorating, and working on her computer creating websites and blogs. She is a wife, mother of two daughters, and a grandmother to five grandchildren. 

Deborah has a Daily Bible Reading Blog where she does a Daily Bible Study. This is where “The Book of Ruth” was started. Bible Verse Tweet is another of Deborah's blogs where she shares a Daily Bible Verse. She also has a family favorite recipes blog she calls Recipe for Life.

Deborah has learned to trust God through the many trials of her life. She can relate to Naomi and Ruth’s dependence on God to see them through their life’s experiences.

Anne - Welcome, Deborah! Tell us about your book.

Deborah - The name of my book is: The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption. It is available at Amazon and most online eBook retailers.

Anne - What do you enjoy most about writing? What part do you loathe?

Deborah - I enjoy studying the Bible and sharing what I learned with others. The part that I hate is when I am in a time crunch and don’t feel like I have given it my best.

Anne – Feeling rushed does hamper one’s creativity. When did you first realize you were destined to be a writer?

Deborah - I guess you would say I stumbled upon it. I started a class to learn how to build websites and blogs, and started sharing on there. Then, I started writing articles, and took an eBook course and decided to turn some of my Bible Studies into books.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Deborah - I would tell them not to give up, but in the meantime consider self-publishing.

Anne - What activity (cause, charity, or organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard? 

Deborah - I keep three of my grandchildren in my home five days a week. I pick them up from two different schools. I also pick up products that are donated by our local grocery store and take them to a women’s shelter in town. I like participating in the Women on Mission group and going to Bible studies at my church when I can work it into my schedule.

Anne - Tell us about the defining moment when you felt as if you’d finally made it as an author. 

Deborah - I am new to all of this so I don’t know if you would say I have arrived yet or not. However, there was actually two moments that moved me to tears. One was when I first downloaded my book for publication. The other was when I had the Book Launch on November 15, 2011 and found out that The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption ended up on two bestseller lists.

Anne – Where can readers reach you online?

Deborah – At my website: http://www.DeborahHBateman.com. At my Daily-Bible-Reading blog, and on Facebook.

Anne – Thank you, Deborah. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you today. I wish you every success, and of course, happy writing!

* * *

Anne Greene's A Texas Christmas Mystery

My guest today is Anne Greene. Anne delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. After falling in love with several countries and their people, Anne set a number of her books in exotic locations. She and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene, have visited twenty-five countries, including three communist countries. A visit to Scotland resulted in her book, Masquerade Marriage, published by White Rose Publishing. Her newest book, A Texas Christmas Mystery, set in Galveston, in her home state, is also published by White Rose Publishing, and releases December 1st.

When she’s not deployed with her husband, Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Two of her four children live nearby. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor. In 1990, Anne graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies from the University of Texas, Dallas. Her highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. To learn more of Anne and to view pictures from her extensive travel, visit her at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.    

Anne K. Albert – So good of you to drop by! Now that you’re here let’s talk writing! Tell us a something about yourself that you would normally only share with close friends.

Anne Greene - My family thinks I’m pretty quirky. I’m accused of living in my own world-whatever that means! I do sometimes get so involved in whatever story I’m writing that I forget appointments or show up at a social event on the wrong date or at the wrong address. I think I’m rather like the Absent-minded Professor.

Lots of writers like to work in their pjs. I like to be completely dressed, including make-up. Who knows when I’ll want to run out and see a friend for lunch or run an errand? I’m pretty spontaneous. I can only write for a period of time before I need some social interaction. But then it’s back to the grindstone.

And I dread exercise! Going to the gym. So easy to pass that by. When my mind is occupied with a book, my body wants to sit in that chair and write. Time passes and before I realize it, the day is gone.

I love hanging with friends, new ones as well as old ones. I love sports—where I’m playing, not watching. I love sailing, vacationing, travel. Life is made up of favorite things. Jesus said He came to give us life and to give it more abundantly. And He does!

Anne K. Albert - Tell us about A Texas Christmas Mystery.

Anne Greene - A lady Coastguardsman searches for a killer. An oil rig troubleshooter accused of murder races to clear his name. The murderer strives to silence them both. As Amber Meredith seeks to arrest Derrick Darbonne, sparks fly. She needs to solve her first case. But the handsome Cajun suspect makes her heart race and her toes tingle. Derrick has worked all his life for his high-paying, adventurous job. When his past threatens his future, will he endanger the woman he loves?

Anne K. Albert – Would you share an excerpt with us?

Anne Greene – Absolutely!

Only one thing scared Derrick Darbonne. He had no fear of fire, hurricane, sabotage, high seas, drunken roughnecks, reckless roustabouts, brawls, or hard work. But losing the job he’d slaved all his life to obtain terrified him.

He’d worked himself up from oaks draped with Spanish moss, murky alligator-filled water, and a tiny cabin on the banks of the bayou with no running water or electricity. He’d finally gotten to where he wanted to be. And now someone was trying to pin a murder on him. Some Christmas present.

Derrick crushed the schematics he’d been scanning and jammed them into his pocket. He braced his legs wide on the steel floor of the oil rig and raised the powerful navigational binoculars. A Coast Guard cutter slashed a white wedge through the sparkling Gulf waters straight toward his oil platform.

His jaw tightened, his spine stiffened, and he swallowed. 

Standing beside him, Joe Bridges, the MIC, Man in Charge, swore.

If Derrick had been a swearing man, he would have joined Joe. Instead, he gripped the navigational binoculars tighter. “Third time this week. If I had anything to hide, I’d jump ship.” He smacked his hard hat so thoroughly his ears rang. “Thought so! That guardsman is a female.” Here was a Coastie bearing down on him with the authority to shut down the operation. The men would be out of work just in time for Christmas. What pretense to investigate the murder was the Coast Guard using this time?

Derrick lowered the binoculars and frowned. “She looks familiar.”

“Ever since you arrived for the routine inspection, Cajun, the Coast Guard’s been on our backs.” Scowling, Joe thrust out a hand for the glasses. “Then there was the murder. That’s the reason the big boss’s keeping you out here again, so long.”

“Don’t I know it! I’m looking for a saboteur as well. Probably the same guy.” Derrick slapped the binoculars into Joe’s hand and tried to lighten his foreboding with a jabbing tease. “Now I’ve got to get the Coast Guard environmental crew out of your hair.”

“Rib me, will ya?” Joe repositioned his yellow hard hat over his bald head and shook a work-hardened finger. “I’ll bet you I can get that Coastie to go for me and my shiny head before she goes for you and that Cajun accent of yours. Loser pays a hundred bucks.”

“You want us to distract her with our masculine charm so she won’t sniff out any violations that could shut us down?” Derrick surveyed the rig’s two-hundred-foot deck looking for any OSHA or EPA trouble the Coast Guard might use to give a citation. Sunlight slanted off the metal plates causing enough glare to hurt his eyes. He didn’t like Joe’s plan.

Anne K. Albert – Sounds like a lot of trouble headed their way! What do you enjoy most about writing? What part do you loathe?

Anne Greene - I don’t dread any part of the writing process. And I love to rewrite and polish. I love working with words and images and bringing them to life. I do begrudge the time I spend marketing. One day I’d love to hire a PR person.

I find the whole process of writing rewarding. I like becoming the characters and living in the settings. I like the adventure of finding out what’s going to happen. If I didn’t write I’d like to be an archaeologist. I’d love to spend time on a dig and unearth treasures of the past. I’d like the camping out with like-minded people who get their hands dirty and keep their minds agile. I’d like to sit around at night after a profitable day in the field and discuss larger than life characters who made a mark in time.  

Anne K. Albert - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Anne Greene - I absolutely identify with all of my characters.  I become one with each of my characters. Just as an actress takes on the character of each person she portrays, so I become the character in each drama. She/he tells me what is happening inside and what she plans to do about it, and then I let her/him do it. That’s what so much fun about writing. I live each journey, each adventure of each character.

I love to write about redemption in every form. Second chances, forgiveness, grace, finding God’s will, and finding and walking with the Savior. I love the grace of God, and His unexpected ways of showing His love. The spiritual theme of my books come directly from the characters and whatever problems they struggle with.

The character I love writing about the most—is the one I’m currently working on. However, I do think I like being in the male point of view slightly more than the female. I like being macho and looking at life from a different perspective. I like being strong enough to handle a couple of thugs. Of course my detective knows martial arts, but she doesn’t use her fists. I love having a woman use her wiles and smarts when that’s all she has going for her.

Anne K. Albert - What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Anne Greene - Definitely join a writing group like American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith, Hope and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. They have classes, critique groups, and you get to meet other peculiar people.

The craft takes years to learn for most writers. Every element is important. But, I think the writer’s imagination is the most important. Her voice, what makes her who she is, and what she is passionate about. Of course, even the most talented writer must learn about characterization, plot, vivid words, and all the ABCs of writing style.

And join a critique group and enter contests. These people give valuable feedback on what works in a story and what doesn’t.

Anne K. Albert – Great advice. Thank you for chatting with me today, Anne. It’s been a pleasure! Readers, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. 

Happy reading!

* * *

Tessa's Teacakes by Mary Manners

My guest today is Mary Manners. Mary is an award-winning author of inspirational romance who lives in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Smoky Mountain Romance Writers.

In her free time, she likes to garden, take long walks with her husband, and read romance novels in a hammock beneath century-old shade trees.

Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere, Mary. Let’s talk writing!

Anne - Do you have a fear, phobia, or habit you’d rather no one knew about?

Mary - I have a tremendous fear of heights! I get lightheaded driving over bridges, especially if they are over water. Last July I visited relatives in Western New York and they took me to see Niagara Falls. It was thrilling…and a real challenge for me. My husband is very understanding, and does the driving when it involves bridges, etc. If there’s one obstacle in my life I’d like to overcome, it’s my fear of heights.

Anne – Tell us about Tessa’s Teacakes. Btw, I adore the cover!

Mary - Thanks! Tessa, the youngest Spencer sister--and the most impulsive--rushes into the Mount Ridge crisis center bent on saving her brother-in-law. She's ready to handle Brent's abductor, with or without help. What she's not ready to handle is the effect policeman, Colin Phillips, has on her.

Romance is the last thing on Tessa's mind. She longs for the adventure and fast-pace of New York City, not being tied to Mount Ridge and a man who insists she shouldn't be so impetuous. After all "independent spirit" is what Tessa does best!

Colin transferred from the police force in Atlanta in order to find closure after the brutal murder of his younger sister. He wants a nice, safe future, not one filled with caring and worrying about another impulsive woman. His sister was naive and unpredictable, and while Colin is drawn to Tessa's spunk and vitality, her willingness to rush into danger scares him. No way could he cope with another devastating loss. His heart must remain closed where Tessa is concerned.

But God has His own plans--and His own way of changing hearts and cultivating love.

Anne - What do you enjoy most about writing? What part do you loathe?

Mary - I enjoy the early mornings, when I rise while the rest of the world is sleeping and write, write, write! The long stretches, coupled with a hot cup of flavored coffee, make my heart soar. I love seeing my characters take on their own personality, and they never cease to surprise me. On the other hand, I’m not exceptionally computer-literate, and some of my darkest moments come when I’m updating my website. Arghhh…computers can be the most frustrating beasts!

Anne – They certainly can be, but I have to be honest, I doubt I could exist without them. Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Mary - I adore Jake Samuels, the hero of my upcoming release, Wisdom Tree. He’s got such a tender heart, and he’s trying to make sense of a world that seems to make no sense at all. As a pastor, he fears no woman, especially Carin…the woman he’s fallen in love with, will ever see him for the ‘man’ he is. And to top things off, he’s raising his thirteen-year-old brother, who, um…adds a bit of a challenge to his dating life.

Anne - Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Mary - I have been a teacher for 26 years, and I have taught everything from special education classes to first grade, fourth grade, sixth, eighth and currently seventh grade English and math. I am so blessed to have been able to touch the lives of so many children over the years, and I certainly pray that I’ve made as much of a difference in their lives as they have made in mine!

Anne – Would you share an excerpt from Tessa’s Teacakes with us?

Mary – My pleasure!

“What do you mean—a hostage situation?”

The shock in Tessa’s honey-brown eyes took Colin’s breath away. Something in her stance reminded him of his sister Bailey—maybe the defiant tilt of her chin or the narrowed gaze that let him know she’d take on the world if she had to.

“This is Mount Ridge. We have soccer games and Fourth of July picnics…not hostage situations.”

“Take a breath, Tessa. You’re awfully pale.” Colin felt a sudden overwhelming desire to protect her. He took her elbow and led her down the steps and around the side of the building. “Follow me.”

The spiked sandals slowed Tessa as he eased her away from the crowd, off to the grass beside the crisis center. His foot throbbed where she’d tried to skewer him with her heel. Her sister—Mattie, was it?— followed. The two looked nothing alike, except for maybe the sets of their jaws, the no-holds-barred gleams in their eyes.

“Where are you taking us?” Tessa’s voice had an edge—a mixture of fear and worry that Colin was more than familiar with. Her eyes glittered with tears beneath the glow of floodlights along the perimeter of the crisis center. The hair stood up on his arms. He imagined the gravity of the situation was just beginning to sink in. Her brother-in-law was held prisoner by Jason Sloane, who, according to what Colin had gathered, had lost the will to live.

Colin took Tessa by the elbow. “You’ll be safe and stay dry inside one of the cruisers.”

“I don’t care about staying safe and dry,” Tessa protested as he opened the cruiser door and gave her a slight shove. She stumbled onto the passenger seat. “I want to help Brent.”

Colin leaned forward to peer into the cab. “Then shut your mouth and stay in there, and let me do my job.”

The force of his words had the effect Colin intended. Tessa’s eyes went wide and her voice silenced as he slammed the cruiser door. He strode away from the car, shaking his head as he glanced back to assure she stayed put. A real firecracker, that one. He felt a bit sorry for the sister, who probably suffered full-time trying to keep Tessa in line.

But Tessa’s words haunted him as he studied the shadows in the second-story window. The brother-in-law—Brent—had a wife and maybe a kid or two, as well. He had people who cared about him. Colin hoped Sergeant Becker, who was attempting to open communications with Jason Sloane, knew what he was doing.

Colin couldn’t bear another funeral.

Anne – I want to read more of Tessa's Teacakes! Where can readers reach you online?

Mary – At my website: www.marymannersromance.com and my blog: www.creativewritingforces.blogspot.com Plus at my author page on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Manners/e/B004AL16YY/

Anne – Thank you Mary for dropping by to chat about Tessa’s Teacakes. It’s been such fun!

As always readers comments are welcome and appreciated.

Happy reading!

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