Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Overcoming the issues of the day with HIM - Come visit with June Foster

 
Author June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. June's book, Ryan's Father, will be available from WhiteFire Publishing in the New Year. For All Eternity, Red and the Wolf, and Misty Hollow, are set to be published in the near future. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the issues in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives.

Let's talk to June for a few minutes.

SKC:       What book or project would you like to tell us about today, June?
 
JC    My novel, Ryan's Father, will be out in January with WhiteFire Publishing. The print copy will be available in April. This book is very dear to my heart. I've broached a sensitive subject in this contemporary romance but felt it was one God would have me write. My hero, a young school teacher, is a devout Christian. For years he's questioned why he never had the attraction toward woman that other guys talk about. As he begins work on an annex to his church for needy children and teens, he discovers a secret he thought he'd buried. He feels an attraction for his male partner in the project. I need to say that I wrote Ryan's story from a Christian, Biblical worldview yet at the same time tried to keep my character's thoughts and feelings realistic for someone experiencing same sex attraction. To set the record straight, the reading is appropriate for late teens to adults.
 
SKC:       What inspired you to come up with writing in your genre?  

JC:    All my books are contemporary, inspirational romance. I think I chose this genre because within the romance between two people, I spotlight more than just romance. My characters struggle with everyday problems yet find victory through the Lord and His word. I pray that readers can identify with the issues and find help in their own lives.
 
SKC:       What do you think it takes to write a good book?

JC:   I believe first, there needs to be a good story with a pertinent message—one the author believes in. One the writer is passionate about. Then the writer needs to become skilled in using the tools of writing to  pen a compelling tale.
 
SKC:   What is your process of writing a novel, briefly—from conception to revision?
 
JCFirst, I have an idea in my mind. Then I begin by doing research. I become familiar with the place where the novel is set, any particular quirks or characteristics of my hero and heroine, the lifestyles of people about whom I'm writing, etc. Since I'm definitely not a "seat of the pants" writer, I create a chapter by chapter synopsis and ask one of my amazing critique partners to look it over and see what changes I need to make. Then I do a first draft, writing the entire book. But that's just the beginning. Later, I edit my own chapters probably 3-4 times adding in needed internal dialogue and character actions, then send it out chapter by chapter to my critique groups. After their critiques, I make the suggested changes. And a lot of the time, I hire a freelance editor to take it from there. It's a long process but I love telling the stories the Lord puts on my heart.
 
SKC:  What was the difference to you with writing a trilogy and writing a standalone novel?
 
JC:   No real difference. My writing techniques were the same. But I loved writing my Bellewood trilogy for Desert Breeze because the setting and the characters remained the same. In each novel, I added a new hero or heroine, depending on the story. One of the advantages was I already "knew" most of the characters as I continued their story.

SKC:   Please give us some hints about your trilogy and also which one you would like to add as a giveaway.
 
Give Us This Day -
Jess Colton battles a food addiction, and Holly Harrison will never escape from her mistake. Can their romance survive their rocky pasts? 
As We Forgive -
Controlled by his past, Pastor Tim Garrett must overcome anger or lose his job and the woman he loves. 
Deliver Us -
The college man who coaxed Jillian Coleman upstairs that night is no more than a blur in her memory, but the consequences would haunt her forever. Ten years later, Riley Mathis can't tell Jillian he's the father of the child she aborted. The truth would destroy them.

A signed copy of Give Us This Day or As We Forgive is going to made available to one of the guests who leaves a comment for June. 
 
A few purchase sites for the trilogy books will be listed. Take time to check them out.


 








Give Us This Day



As We Forgive
Deliver Us

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bellewood-book-three-june-foster/1114971517?ean=2940016427324


VISIT JUNE AT HER WEBSITE
https://www.facebook.com/authorjunefoster


LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS.
ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL TO WIN A BOOK
 

 

Monday, December 9, 2013

No Matter the Circumstances...

Join me in a talk with Author Lynette Endicott.
When a high school writing assignment resulted in publication of an article in a youth magazine, at age 14, Lynette Endicott was hooked. Writing has always been part of her life; journaling, grants for work, or newsletters for non-profits where she worked have kept th
at alive.
She has been part of the Disability Rights movement since 1979, and continues to consult with organizations that serve people with disabilities.
Lynette grew up in Illinois, met her husband in Western Nebraska (they’ve been married since 1974), lived 25 years in Kansas where their daughter was born, and has been in Fresno, California since 2000. She has a son-in-law (who lives with her daughter nearby), and with the kids has rescued two dogs, three cats and a bird.
During the fun collaboration with Tami Dee, Lynette and Tami learned that they each owned a calico cat and a cockatiel — and both appear in the Time After Time Saga. Paula’s cat, Slainte’, appears in Animal Instinct and both a cat and a bird appear in Survival Instinct.
Shirley: Tell us about your heroine. Without sharing any spoilers, give our readers a hint about what makes her tick; why it's important to write a book about her; if she is strong or weak or otherwise, and how she might handle conflict.
Lynette: Eliza O'Malley is a teenager when her father returns from Wyoming territory to take her and her brother Allen away from Ireland and their mother to the wild West of America. She is based on my husband's great-grandmother. When my mother-in-law and I were conducting family genealogy research we found newspaper stories and other history which, combined with the stories she's heard first hand and her own recollections, helped us get to know the strong, successful woman that Eliza became.
 
Even though some of the story is fantasy (there is a time traveling enemy after all) the foundation of the story is the real life of our family's Eliza.
Shirley: Tell us what is most interesting thing about you
Lynette: My 6 year-old dog and I volunteer as a Therapy Dog team. Ollie is a Tail Waggin' Tutor and children read out loud to him to improve their reading.
Shirley: When you aren't using your creative juices to write, what do you do for fun?
Lynette: I have a large flower garden and a vegetable garden. This year we have a winter garden, and are still enjoying fresh salads. Fresno isn't as mild as southern California but we enjoy a much milder Winter than we've had anywhere else we've lived.
Shirley: As a writer, what do you put off doing?
Lynette: Oh, my. I put off sitting down to do the first draft of the story. I write the draft fairly quickly -- often in a week -- but it takes my full concentration to keep the story rolling. I enjoy letting the story rattle around in my mind with lots of optional directions and scenes -- and once I sit down to write they have to be more structured.
Shirley: What sort of message are you sending in your stories if any?
Lynette: No matter the circumstances we can prevail -- through love.
Shirley: What is your favorite type of book to read? What is your least favorite type of book to read?
Lynette:  I love reading almost anything. From historical to modern romance, from fantasy to science fiction to mystery to history to nature. I read it all.
Shirley: Please share a short blurb of the book you have out now that you hope to share with one of our readers and let us know where we can find you and your books.
Lynette: The third book in the Time After Time Saga, by Lynette Endicott and Tami Dee.
 
When Eliza O'Malley leaves Ireland for America her mother hopes and prays she will escape the heartache that was inherited with the Heartmark.
It was not to be. As she keeps house for her father and brothers, and holds the family together through Wyoming winter and a terrible tragedy, she is being watched by a neighbor who will do anything in her power to keep Eliza from her true love.
Shirley: Thank you for sharing with us at A Pen for Your Thoughts.
Please drop Lynette a note, and we will put you on the list for a free copy of her book. 
The name of our winner will be drawn at random from our entries. 
To visit with Lynette and read more about her books: 
Amazon Author page (for paperbacks of the Starting Over Series) http://www.amazon.com/Lynette-Endicott/e/B008E8P1AO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1384806342&sr=8-1
And from Desert Breeze Publsihing