Happy Birthday to Devyn’s Dilemma!
Happy Birthday, Devyn’s Dilemma. My second book in the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series has finally released! Here’s the storyline:
Longing for love, can she escape the shadows that follow her to Dark Island?
1910, Thousand Islands, New York. Others may consider The Towers castle on Dark Island an enchanting summer retreat, but to Devyn McKenna, it’s a prison. Yet as she works as a maid for Frederick Bourne, former president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, her life blossoms under the kindness of his family and fascinating entrepreneurs such as J.P. Morgan, Thomas Lipton, and Captain Vanderbilt. But more than anything, the growing friendship of Mr. Bourne’s valet, Brice McBride, begins to pry away the painful layers that conceal Devyn’s heart.
Brice is drawn to the mysterious Devyn even though he’s certain she’s hiding a secret, one far more dangerous than the clues they find in The Towers that hint of a treasure on the island. When Devyn is accused of stealing Bourne’s investment in Vanderbilt’s New York City subway expansion, he might not be able to protect her.
I love connecting with my readers and getting the word out about my newest releases, but no matter how you cut it, it’s a lot of work to let others know about any book baby you birth.
The reality is, there are so many books out there that it’s easy for Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Katelyn’s Choice, Christmas Charity, or The Fabric of Hope to get lost in the crowd. Would you be willing to help me in getting the word out?
Would you help me promote my book? It’s the best gift you can give an author. Here’s some ideas:
- Post an Amazon review. Your review doesn’t need to be fancy. Just a sentence or two would be great. Here’s the link:https://www.amazon.com/Devyns-Dilemma-Thousand-Islands-Gilded/dp/1645262731
- Post on Social Media. Share posts about Devyn’s Dilemma (or anything else you like) as well as post comments! You can post your review on your social media pages, and I can also email you other helpful stuff (Facebook posts, Tweets, etc.) that you can copy and use at your leisure.
- Take pictures. Post photos of you with the book (even holding it in your hands or on your lap), on a library or store shelf, at a book club, with your dog, etc., and be sure to tag me.
- Pass the word. Tell your friends, family, local library, etc.
- If you have a blog and would like me to be a guest blogger, I’d love to do that. Or if you know of someone who has a blog who might be interested in interviewing me, a personal introduction would be greatly appreciated.
- If you have a book club, I’d love to be a guest author for it in person or through Skype, Google Hangout, etc.
The truth is, word-of-mouth is the most powerful way to make a book successful. Thanks, for joining me on the journey. You are a blessing!
Meet marriage expert Sandra Glahn
Dr. Sandra Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author or coauthor of more than twenty books, including Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Marginalized, and Vilified Women of the Bible (Kregel Academic). Her areas of study are first-century backgrounds, women in public ministry, arts and culture, and sexual ethics.
Tell us about your newest book.
Years ago, I teamed up with a theologically-trained medical doctor to collaborate on a male/female-authored book on marital intimacy, Sexual Intimacy in Marriage (Kregel). At the time, the best-known Christian books on the market about sex were written only by males, and they lacked some essential research about women—not to mention a female perspective. We have re-republished several editions of the book since that first release—especially considering that the internet has changed access to pornography, and couples are waiting longer to marry.
What inspired you to write a fourth edition of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage?
Initially, we felt the female part of the marriage equation was missing. Since the last edition, my dear physician-coauthor suddenly passed away from a heart-related condition. So this time around, we’ve included a new chapter from a marriage therapist specializing in sexual addiction. We also take into account that the U.S. Supreme Court has redefined marriage, and we incorporate new research. We also talk more about same-sex attraction and its effect on heterosexual marriage.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Sexual Intimacy in Marriage is a physician/theologian, male/female look at God’s beautiful design for marital intimacy—which certainly includes sex but also takes into account the marriage relationship and the context in which sex is most likely to thrive. The book includes sex through the life cycle, exploring the changes humans undergo as they age and how these changes affect their intimate lives.
What genre do you focus on and why?
Although I have written four novels, all in the medical suspense category, my primary focus is non-fiction. Lately, I have especially concentrated on the intersection of the Bible/theology on topics relating to sex and gender. So often the tone of such conversations (on both sides of the debates) has been vitriolic, and I’m hoping to help readers converse more winsomely.
Why do you write? What drives you?
I can’t not write. I love getting lost in the zone of ideas. As soon as I could hold a fat pencil over dotted lines, I started writing. And all these decades later, I’m still at it.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I pull a lot of my content from blog posts I’ve written for bible.org on Engage (their blog for women in Christian leadership), where I post twice a month. My academic schedule perfectly complements my writing life; during summers and between semesters, I have nice blocks of days for cranking out content. I do better writing in blocks of time than writing in “snippets. I read somewhere that when most writers get interrupted, it takes twenty-five minutes to get back in “the zone.” I would never even make it to the “zone” if I tried to write for fifteen minutes here or ten minutes there. When I do have those snippets of time, I work on social media. Or I outline where I plan to go or make lists of what research I need to track down. Or I read an article.
During the part of the year when I’m teaching, I may write for an hour per day. But I don’t spend all that time crafting paragraphs that become pages that become chapters. Instead, I’m writing blog posts, reviewing books (often writing summaries of research), and copying answers I wrote to people in emails. All this sits until I can organize it into something larger. Every Sunday when I can, I spend the entire afternoon reading. The information I gather feeds into the blog posts, which feed into the books. Reading is a big part of writing for me.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
It’s easy to underestimate how much time I need for thinking and processing. It takes a long time to come up with a great chapter title, for example. I’m told that the table of contents is second only to the cover in influencing a reader to buy a book. But it’s easy to think I can come up with a title in five minutes. Wrong!
If I sit staring out the window, I can look extremely unproductive. But good writing requires that thinking and processing. We tend to think of writing as sitting at a desk and, well, writing. But a lot of writing is thinking. I often tell my students that 90 percent of writing is actually having something worth saying.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
I love knowing that I have helped people gain a more generous view of God. So often people have been taught a lot of do’s and don’ts, especially when it comes to sex and gender, including views of women in ministry. Instead of thinking of God as the Creator who loves us and designed us all to thrive, many think of him as a slave master out to steal everyone’s fun. I do love to write, the process of writing. But even better for me is the actual content and its truths transforming the way people think and love and live.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
When my husband was in seminary, we housesat/babysat for a family with a sweet kid named Drew Brees. He has gone on to have a pretty decent football career.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
One way I’ve changed as a writer is in how I tell stories. I keep the focus on the story much more than I used to. Now when I teach from the Bible, I give the big picture and where the story or verses fit in the whole. I met a woman raised in church who thought the Bible was a book of quotes. I hope no one I’ve taught through the written word would ever go away thinking such a thing.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love traveling, especially travel to sites connected with the Bible and church history. Next up: Egypt and Jordan—assuming the Middle East stays stable!
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I do. I have a Bible Study series called the Coffee Cup Bible Study series (AMG), with eleven titles. I mentioned the five novels—the most recent of which was Informed Consent (Cook). And I have another Kregel Academic book due out in June: Sanctified Sexuality: Valuing Sex in an Oversexed World. I’m general editor for that along with my colleague Dr. Gary Barnes. In it we curate a collection of essays from a group of theologian-experts with a high view of scripture who address issues of same-sex attraction, celibacy, trans-sexuality, and related issues.
What are you working on now?
IVP Academic has asked me to submit a proposal for a book based on my dissertation about first-century Ephesus and Artemis, their primary goddess. She was a goddess of midwifery, and we read about her influence on that city in the Book of Acts. After the apostle Paul left Ephesus, he left his protégé Timothy there to correct some false doctrine. I have a hunch her cult affected phrases Paul wrote to Timothy (see 1 and 2 Timothy) that have confounded scholars for years—phrases about women keeping silent in church and about being saved through childbearing. If only I had a deadline for sending that proposal, I could get it done faster….
Website: aspire2.com
Social media links:
Twitter: @sandraglahn
Facebook: /aspire2
The Luck o’ the Irish!
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and because it’s the 3rd birthday of my debut novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, I thought you might enjoy knowing a little more about my personal story and why I wrote this book. Those who’ve read it are often surprised that it’s my story.
The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy is based on my family story—my great great grandmother, Margaret, and loosely based on my personal story as well. It’s a parallel story line so you who enjoy historical fiction and you who enjoy contemporary fiction will enjoy this novel. And for anyone who is Irish or wish they were, well, this story is Irish through and through.
My family certainly brought their Irish heritage with them, and over a hundred years later, I got a healthy dose of it, whether from the Hawkins, O’Neill, or Graham side. For my family, St. Patrick’s Day was the most important holiday of the year, complete with lots of Irish music and corned beef and cabbage (which I didn’t appreciate at the time). Green walls. Green furniture. Green dishes. Yup, we had them all.
Moreover, we went to St. Patrick’s Church and St. Patrick’s School (K-8). We watched the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the grownups drank green beer (yuk!). We made shamrock-shaped sugar cookies tinted green, and we wore everything green (including our school uniforms all year long). I learned a strong work ethic and my Irishness became a part of me.
In my novel, the historical family are Margaret and James Hawkins, poor farmers who have six children from ages nine months to thirteen years. They emigrate from Northern Ireland to Canada after the Irish Potato Famine of the late-1840s. Can you imagine immigrating on a famine ship with six young children? It was terrifying to say the least. And how did they feel leaving Ireland and moving to the New World? When Irish immigrants came to the U.S. and Canada, they weren’t looking for a handout. They were looking for hope and a future for them and their children, a topic I cover in depth in my story.
The contemporary character, Maggie, has struggles quite similar to my past. She’s a single mother who has lots of challenges, especially when her only daughter nearly dies in Africa. Maggie struggles to survive and heal from the hurts of her past. And she learns to trust God with everything. Yes, The Fabric of Hope is two stories of my personal journey in one novel.
Whether you have an Irish heritage or not, you do have a heritage—traditions, beliefs, and achievements that are a part of your history. Your heritage has laid a foundation for you, whether you are conscious of it or not. Exploring that heritage will enrich your life, if you take the time to do so. It sure did for me.
So Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you, Irish or not. If you haven’t had the chance to check out, here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Hope-Irish-Family-Legacy/dp/1542890861
I think you’ll be blessed.
Happy 1st Birthday to Katelyn’s Choice!
Horray! It’s the first birthday of Katelyn’s Choice, the first novel in my Thousand Islands Gilded Age series. It’s gotten great reviews and recently won the Illumination Book Award bronze medal!
My second book, Devyn’s Dilemma releases in a few weeks, on April 3.
I hope you enjoyed reading Katelyn’s Choice and wrote a review. If not, please consider popping over to Amazon and writing a quick 2-3 sentence review. It’s the best gift you can give any author.
Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Katelyns-Choice-Susan-G-Mathis/dp/1946016721 and all you need to do is scroll down to “Customer Reviews,” click on “Write a customer review” and give your opinion on the book. Thanks in advance for considering this.
For those who are new to my blog and haven’t been introduced to Katelyn’s Choice, here’s a snapshot:
Katelyn Kavanagh’s mother dreamed her daughter would one day escape the oppressive environment of their Upstate New York farm for service in the enchanting Thousand Islands, home to Gilded Age millionaires. But when her wish comes true, Katelyn finds herself in the service of none other than the famous George Pullman, and the transition proves anything but easy.
Thomas O’Neill, brother of her best friend, is all grown up and also working on Pullman Island. Despite Thomas’ efforts to help the irresistible Katelyn adjust to the intricacies of her new world, she just can’t seem to tame her gossiping tongue—even when the information she’s privy to could endanger her job, the 1872 re-election of Pullman guest President Ulysses S. Grant, and the love of the man of her dreams.
I’d love for you to celebrate with me by purchasing a copy (it’s still free through Kindle unlimited). You might also want to give it as a gift to someone who loves historical fiction or the Thousand Islands.
Thanks for joining me in the journey of discovering the Thousand Islands Gilded Age and all its wonders.
Meet historical author Vickie McDonough
Vickie McDonough is the best-selling author of fifty Christian fiction books and novellas. She writes inspirational romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards, including the Book Sellers Best and the Inspirational Reader’s Award. Visit her website: www.vickiemcdonough.com
Tell us about your newest book.
Mail-Order Standoff is about five mail-order brides who get cold feet once they meet the men they are to marry. We often read happily-ever-after stories about mail-order brides, but in truth, many of their lives were difficult and disappointing. Our brides do find happiness, but first, they experience second thoughts and put their poor grooms through the ringer.
What inspired you to write Twice the Trouble?
I thought it would be fun to write a story where identical twin brides refuse to tell their future husbands who is who until they get to know the men better and make sure they are honorable and trustworthy. The poor unsuspecting grooms are planning to marry the sisters on the day they arrive in town, but their plans are derailed. And it was never mentioned in the letters they exchanged that the sisters were a perfect match. I wrote this story just for the fun of it.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Marriage plans are put on hold in the Old West when four mail-order brides have second thoughts.
What genre do you focus on and why?
Historical Christian romances set in the late 1800s. I’ve also been known to write a contemporary on occasion.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
In this story I have two heroines. Their names are Keeley and Katie Quinn, and I’m sure you can guess that they are Irish. When researching names, first I wanted truly Irish names, and then I just picked two names I liked that started with the same letter. Pretty simple.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
You have to be very self-disciplined. There are so many distractions these days with phones, TVs, computers, not to mention a husband and kids, as well as responsibilities at home. Also, when you work at home, people don’t seem to respect your work time like they do if you’re in a corporate office, so there tends to be more intrusions.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I get to work from home, and because of that, I was able to have my elderly mother live with us and was able to spend extra time with her before she died. I was also able to care for my granddaughter when she was small. And then I have been known to sneak out for lunch with a writer friend or two.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I always wear socks except for when I shower. I don’t like going barefoot at all. So my socks go wherever I go.
What is your favorite pastime?
I enjoy doing crafts. I recently got a Cricut machine and am making t-shirts with designs and other things to sell in my Etsy store. I’m just getting started with it so there isn’t much for sale yet, but here’s my link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/vickiesvillage
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I’ve had 50 books and novellas published. Some of my favorites are:
The Texas Boardinghouse Brides
The Anonymous Bride
Second Chance Bride
Finally a Bride
Land Rush Dreams
Gabriel’s Atonement
Joline’s Redemption
Sarah’s Surrender
Also, I have two non-fiction books:
Stained-Glass Mandalas
USA Word Find
What are you working on now?
I’m getting ready to start work on a novella that deals with someone getting a puppy for Christmas. That’s the premise, and I can’t really tell you more because I don’t know the story yet.
Website: www.VickieMcDonough.com
Link to book: https://www.christianbook.com/the-mail-order-standoff/vickie-mcdonough/9781643522449/pd/522449?event=ESRCG
Social media links:
Newsletter sign-up: https://madmimi.com/signups/80262/join
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vickie-mcdonough
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickieMcDonough
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickiemcdonough
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/vickiemcdonough
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/VickieMcDonough/
Heroes, Heroines, and History blog: http://HHHistory.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101317.Vickie_McDonough
Instagram: instagram.com/vickieamcdonough