Meet author Donna Schlachter
A hybrid author, Donna Schlachter writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than sixty times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter.
Tell us about your newest book.
A young woman runs from her past, straight into the arms of a stranger. Was she going from bad to worse? Or did God hold her in His hands? A death-bed promise, a family legacy, an unexpected wife–how can he turn his back on them to fulfill a vow?
What inspired you to write The Road to Freedom)?
Actually, I wrote the blurb for another book, then sat down to write the synopsis for this one. And they got mixed up in my head. Which isn’t unusual, it seems. At any rate, I was about three chapters into this book and realized I’d really messed up. So I had to go back to the other book, change the synopsis, and then continued writing this story. The idea actually came from a discussion about the mafia connection in Denver, and so I did some research and found out about the mob in Chicago. I thought a story about a woman running from The Family following her husband’s murder would work for this series.
What genre do you focus on?
I love writing historical romantic mystery, because I always learn something new. But I also love writing contemporary mystery with a touch of romance, because I’m forced to write about people who are nothing like me. I feel like I live in a bubble, and usually the world doesn’t intrude. But to write realistic contemporary stories, I have to look at what’s going on around me.
Why do you write?
I have stories in my head that won’t let go or go away, so I have to get them written down. What drives me is the certainty that somebody out there needs to hear the story of God’s redemptive love for them and their situation, which is why my heroines and heroes all have bad pasts, something they’re running from.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I used to write because it relieved me of another story. Like those lottery balls letting out another number. Then I thought maybe I’d get rich doing this. Well, that hasn’t happened. But now I write because I respect these characters, and I want them to get out there and do what God intended for them.
What is your favorite pastime?
Binge-watching TV series, such as “Murdoch Mysteries”, “Midsomer Murders”, and their ilk.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Sure do. Dozens! Here is the link to my boks: www.donnaschlachter.com/my-books
What are you working on now?
Writing the next book in a series called “The Switchboard Sisterhood” of which Juliette was my first. You can check out the preorder for Morgana here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTCC5Y3W and the rest of the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNPJF8SJ
Website: www.donnaschlachter.com Sign up to received my monthly newsletter, and I’ll send you two free ebooks.
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ66NX1Q
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Meet author Brandy Bruce
Brandy Bruce is a wife, mother, book editor, author, and someone who really loves dessert! She makes her home in small-town Virginia with her husband and three children.
Tell us about your newest book.
Just One Spark is the third and final book in my series that began with The Last Summer. Each book stands alone, however, so it’s fine to pick one up without having read the others. Just One Spark is my first novel with a male main character, but I’ve been surprised by how relatable he is for all of us. For anyone whose life has not gone according to plan, whose dreams keep derailing, who feels like everyone else is getting ahead while you’re living in reverse or at a full stop—this story is for you.
What inspired you to write Just One Spark?
I honestly thought The Last Summer would be a one-and done kind of story. However, the characters in that story kept speaking to me and I realized that there was more to explore. After having written After the Rain (the second book in the series), I was so invested in Jason Garcia’s character that I felt he warranted his own book.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
For Jason Garcia, it’s always one step forward, three steps back. Nothing seems to come easy. When one night of celebrating with friends goes a little too far, Jason’s future changes in a blink. Everything he knew about himself is thrown into question as he struggles to meet the challenges he’s facing. But if there’s one thing he’s sure of, it’s that backing down is not in his nature and giving up isn’t an option.
What genre do you focus on?
I write inspirational women’s fiction with a dose of romance. I describe it that way because romance is never my main priority; my focus is character growth. But I’m sucker for romance and happy endings, so if a relationship is part of my main character’s storyline, all the better!
Why do you write?
I’ve loved writing since childhood; it stems from my love of reading. A good story—whether it’s in book form or film or even a song—inspires me. Once the idea of a story starts to grow in me, I have to write it down.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Jason Garcia’s name is borrowed from my cousin Jason Cavazos! The story is all about family and he has a slew of cousins in his life. This comes from my own life and my family. In fact, the book dedication is For My Cousins, Familia es todo. (Family is everything.)
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Some authors are good about writing every day. But I really struggle to write unless I’m inspired. So if suddenly I have a burst of inspiration, I’ll stop everything and write, maybe staying up all night!
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Marketing. I just want to write, but you have to be diligent about building your platform and trying to find readers.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
The best part is holding one of my books in my hands. Every time, it feels like an actual dream come true.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I’m passionate about book clubs. Reading and getting together with friends to discuss is one of my favorite things.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I think every writer can look back at their first books and can and should be able to see growth from that point. For one thing, we learn from every experience. For example, I know more about pacing and sentence structure than I did when I first began. Culture changes, language changes—these things affect writing because we need to be able to speak to our audience in ways that will reach them.
What is your favorite pastime?
Is napping an option? Ha! But seriously, with three children, life is hectic over here. When I can get some time to myself, I like to read or watch period films.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes! I’ve mentioned the other books connected to Just One Spark, but I also have a collection of books about an Italian family, The Romano Family Collection. And I’ve written two holiday novellas I’m so excited about. Both are loosely connected to my book collections but can stand on their own. A Merry Little Christmas and A Holly Jolly Christmas.
What are you working on now?
I’m on a little bit of a writing break at the moment. I’m also a freelance editor and have a couple of book projects coming on the horizon. I needed some breathing space after the hectic pace of last year. But there are a few ideas niggling at my brain, and when inspiration hits, I’ll dive in!
Website:
Link to book: https://a.co/d/eDaW6Nw
Social media links: www.authorbrandybruce.com
www.instagram.com/alittlebitofbrandy
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The Columbian Hotel Disaster
The Columbian Hotel, along with the Wellesley Hotel that still exists today, sat in the center of the Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island, a charming Victorian summer community in the heart of the Thousand Islands. It was a place for the neighbors to meet and greet, to visit during a luscious meal, or to listen to fine music or dance the night away.
The Columbian was built in 1893 in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to America and provided accommodations for over 250 guests in its five stories. Wide verandas surrounded the entire structure on each level so that, if a fire was to break out, guests would have a safe and easy way to exit. The hotel was known to have one of the finest views and the most refreshing breezes around overlooking a beautiful lawn with abundant shade trees and the St. Lawrence River in the distance.
The Columbian Hotel also boasted of the most modern amenities available. It had electricity and indoor plumbing, a fine restaurant, and all the modern 1912 guest might expect in a resort-quality establishment. It had its own orchestra with daily concerts and evening dances, and at the time of the Great Fire, it was fully booked and packed with luncheon diners.
At midday, on July 9, 1912, a fire broke out in a nearby store. Within an hour, the hotel had caught fire and burnt to the ground, but only one person died. The fire continued to rage, pushed by wind and dry heat, and before sunset, more than a hundred businesses and cottages had been destroyed as well.
One hundred and twenty guests from the Columbian Hotel were taken to the Murray Hill Hotel on Murray Island as well as to other hotels. Some survivors were welcomed into unburned cottages. Many people spent the night in hammocks and still others choose to sleep on the lawn, next to the few belongings they’d saved from the flames.
Whole blocks of cottages and businesses were nothing but ash. The Syracuse Journal reported that by 2:30 p.m. “all that remained of the Columbian was the brick abutments and a mass of intensely hot twisted ironwork.”
I tried to imagine being there, and writing about it was a visceral and emotional journey I covered in Mary and George’s story of this tragic time. You can experience it too, in Mary’s Moment.
Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author
ABOUT MARY’S MOMENT:
Summer 1912
Thousand Island Park’s switchboard operator Mary Flynn is christened the community heroine for her quick action that saves dozens of homes from a terrible fire. Less than a month later, when another disastrous fire rages through the Park, Mary loses her memory as she risks her life in a neighbor’s burning cottage. Will she remember the truth of who she is or be deceived by a treacherous scoundrel?
Widowed fireman George Flannigan is enamored by the brave raven-haired lass and takes every opportunity to connect with Mary. But he has hidden griefs of his own that cause him great heartache. When George can’t stop the destructive Columbian Hotel fire from eradicating more than a hundred businesses and homes, he is distraught. Yet George’s greater concern is Mary. Will she remember their budding relationship or be forever lost to him?
Readers of Christian historical romance will enjoy this exciting tale set in 1912 Thousand Island Park, NY. Available on Amazon and Ingram.
Meet author Lorri Dudley
Lorri Dudley, author of The Duke’s Refuge and Leeward Island Series, lives in Ashland, Massachusetts, with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone-filled household.
Tell us about your newest book.
Summer on Bellevue Avenue is a novella set during America’s Gilded Age. Wealthy heiress, Amanda Mae Klein, plans to marry business tycoon, Wesley Jansen, until a woman is found unconscious at the bottom of his stairs, claiming Wesley pushed her. To avoid being drawn into the scandal, Amanda flees to Newport, RI. But when Wesley follows, swearing he awoke to the sound of the woman’s tumble, Amanda must choose whether to trust the man she loves, despite the strange life-threatening occurrences pitting them against one another, or break their engagement. Jilting Wesley would decimate her heart and leave her to navigate her social fears without Wesley as her life raft, but it also could save her life.
What inspired you to write Summer on Bellevue Avenue?
My family and I vacation in Rhode Island, and once my boys were old enough, we’ve visited the Newport Mansions each summer. The elegant lifestyle and extravagant parties of the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Oelrichs spurred my imagination along with the conflict between old money “nobs” and new money “swells.” Similar to England’s Regency Era, there was discord between above stair and below stair domestics but with an added rivalry between the newly immigrated Irish and Italians.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I typically write Regency romance that is either set in the Leeward Islands during Britain’s colonization of the isles or the rolling green hills of England’s Cotswolds. I’ve always been fascinated with the Regency Era. The complex societal rules and etiquette make for great conflict and plot lines, but what leaves me all woozy is how a gentleman is taught to respect and protect a lady even at the cost of his life. America’s Gilded Age holds a similar charm and richness.
Why do you write?
I love the creativity of writing. It’s as if I get to play pretend in my mind as a grown up and not feel guilty about it. It also gives me a girlie outlet from my three boys and all the wrestling matches, lacrosse, basketball, and football games where I spend my other spare time.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Amanda Mae Klein is a wealthy engine manufacturer heiress whose mother’s scandal and death instilled in Amanda social anxiety. Her reserved nature entices the Newport elites because she comes across as snobbish and someone to impress, when in reality she suffers from social anxiety. The name Amanda Mae Klein is typical of that era and the Dutch roots of New York’s Knickerbockers who summered in Newport. My favorite aspect of her name is that the hero, Wesley, uses it as a term of endearment that rolls off his tongue, Mandy Mae.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m blessed to have Fridays off my regular job to write, so that is when the majority of my writing takes place. There is something to a consistent writing time to push through and meet word counts or deadlines, and I find I can also accomplish a lot in the hour between my children leaving for school and me going to work.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Time management and deadlines are challenging. With a busy schedule it’s hard to balance family time and writing time. The thought I should be writing constantly runs through my mind, and I’ve learned to carry my computer with me while I sit in the car waiting for my sons to get out of their sports practices.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
My favorite part is the excitement of writing. Even though I plot my stories, my characters will take on a life of their own and do something even I didn’t expect. One of my hero’s passed out at the sight of blood after cutting his hand on a loose nail. I didn’t see that coming but it tied in nicely to the end and the things he needed to overcome. Writing can also be a worship experience, especially when a character sees God’s hand in their life and how He’s carried and upheld her by His righteous right hand.
What is your favorite pastime?
Other than writing, I enjoy drawing and painting. Before writing, I used to teach art on Fridays at a Christian elementary academy and loved seeing the kids faces light up when a project turned out better than they expected. My favorite artist is impressionist Mary Cassatt, who featured mother and children portraits done in pastels or oils.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I’ve written the Leeward Island Series, which is a six book Regency Era series that starts with The Duke’s Refuge. I loved exploring different islands with my readers and calling the compilation the Leeward Island Series allowed me to island-hop in various books. My favorite spot was Nevis, so three out of the six books take place there including The Duke’s Refuge. Nevis boasts of white sand beaches, rich mineral hot springs, rainforests, lush foliage, and a sugar and spice history complete with Caribs, pirates, and a legacy of slavery and colonization. It also helped that the island was under British control during the Regency Era.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m in the process of writing a four-book Agents of Espionage series that takes place in the Cotswolds of England. I’m enjoying combining Regency romance with secrets, spies, and clandestine surveillance. The first book Revealing the Truth will be releasing May 30, 2023.
Website: lorridudley.com
Link to book: https://www.wildheartbooks.org/lorri-dudley.html
Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063777469647
Meet author Eileen R Hickman
Eileen R Hickman writes fantasy with a science fiction slant. Her stories take place in her Seven World Dominion, and one of her greatest delights is discovering new things about this many-faceted cosmos. When she isn’t writing and world-building, she’s reading, traveling, making music, or watching Star Trek. She lives with her husband on the Colorado Front Range.
Tell us about your newest book.
At the Boundary of Daylight and Shadow is a fast-read novella. I consider it Fantasy, but with a strong Sci-Fi slant. I call it High-Tech Fantasy, though I don’t think that category exists among booksellers (yet). It takes place on my high-tech world in my seven-world fantasy universe and has as strong suspense element.
What inspired you to write At the Boundary Between Daylight and Shadow?
I was playing around with various stories for this particular world and this character (Agent Ranita) showed up as a minor character. But I was intrigued by her and decided to write something that would let her shine and would also show the reader a slice of what life it’s like on this world. I was also working on learning to write shorter, so I chose just one episode in her life, a two-day mission that would be typical for her and at the same time provide a pivotal point in her life. Her attitude toward the Dark Spinners (aliens) that control her world and how that attitude might be challenged provided the thematic material and after that, the story just fell together.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Ranita is a human agent for a small, clandestine resistance movement. When Dark Spinner government forces raid a safe house and capture resistance recruits, Ranita must rescue them before they reveal vital information. But the First Ministry building where they are imprisoned is protected by a security system operated by a series of highly classified codes. When a Dark Spinner offers to give Ranita the codes, she knows it’s too good to be true. Now she has to decide whom to trust. Her life, the lives of the prisoners, and the safety of the entire resistance depend on her choice.
What genre do you focus on?
Fantasy and Science Fiction have always been my favorite genres, so writing in those genres was a natural step. But I also consider Speculative Fiction written from a Christian worldview to be an important part of presenting Christ to the world. C. S. Lewis spoke of what he called fairy stories as stories that can get past the dragons. By this, he meant that people who would never accept an openly Christian story, with discussions of Christian issues and perhaps a salvation scene, might read and enjoy a fairly story, never suspecting that they are getting a glimpse of the beauty and truth of Christianity. My stories may never reach the quality of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia, but I hope they will present a Christian worldview in a form that might reach someone that would never pick up a Christian romance or suspense novel.
Why do you write?
One thing that drives me is the hope that I mentioned above in my discussion of my genre. But at a more fundamental level, I write because there are just so many stories in my head waiting to get out. Besides that, I love words, and I enjoy using words to bring my mental visions into a form that can be shared. I guess that means, I write because I can’t help it, and the stories demand it.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m always writing a book, or more than one, but I live a pretty unstructured life, and I can’t say I really have a work schedule. Although I admire people who have a disciplined schedule, I don’t think I could ever work under such constraints. I take care of other things in my life that I must (housework, church and relationship commitments), I set aside a certain amount of time every day for reading, and I fit the writing in as I can and when I feel like it. Fortunately, I often feel like it, and I’m motivated to get the stories written, so I do get a fair amount of writing done. I usually write pretty fast and spend a larger chunk of time on the revising and editing, which are both tasks I enjoy.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I think the best part of being an author is being able to justify spending so much time indulging my imagination. I’ve always been a daydreamer, and stories play out in my head all the time, but as an author, I can count the daydreaming time as work time. Also, the reading time. Conventional wisdom in the writerly world says that to be a good writer you have to be a reader. And I read a lot. I get to count that as a side task to my writing and never feel guilty about the time I spend reading.
I also enjoy interacting with other writers. What a wonderful group of people. Writers understand me the way no one else really does, and I’ve found most of them to be generous, energetic, delightful people. I think if I ever stopped writing (unlikely) I’d still want to hang out with writers.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
My general sense of purpose for my writing is much the same as it was twenty or thirty years ago, but my skill level has grown so much. Because I’ve delayed publishing until I’m older, I’ve had time to practice my craft and implement many of the things I’ve learned. I see such growth in my ability to write a good story, and my own unique voice has matured over the years. I think writers who are in too big a rush don’t give their voice a chance to develop, which is unfortunate. I’ve also moved from writing strictly Epic Fantasy to pulling in aspects of other genres, especially Science Fiction, and I feel my stories are more interesting because of this.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading. I have a book with me at all times, and I’m usually reading three or four at once, though occasionally one pulls me in so completely that I drop the others until it’s finished. I read across many genres of both fiction and non-fiction, though Speculative fiction has always been my favorite. I also love to travel and am on the road a lot.
What are you working on now?
I have two active projects right now, both in my seven-world story universe (as are all my projected stories). One is a short novel set on a world shared by a small group of high-tech humans and a clan culture of sentient cats. I hope to have it out by mid-year.
The other project is a full-length duology. It follows my protagonist across all but one of my seven worlds and shows a little more how all the worlds connect. It has my usual Science Fiction elements, but thematically follows the classic fantasy ideas of light vs. darkness—good vs evil. The first of the two books is in the advanced stages of revision and I hope to publish it by the end of the year. Book two is also drafted and should be out in 2024.
Website: eileenrhickman.com
Link to book: https://books2read.com/u/bzVQYq
The above link provides access to e-book button, but the Kindle and Nook buttons will also provide access to the print version.
Meet author Danielle Grandinetti
Danielle Grandinetti is author of the Strike to the Heart series and has won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award. She’s fueled by tea and books, and the occasional nature walk. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.
Tell us about your newest book.
Wisconsin, 1930—While fleeing for her life, Adaleigh Sirland’s rescue of a child introduces her to a family who provides her safe harbor. When her identity comes under threat of exposure, she must choose between running once more or helping the man who teaches her to hope again.
First mate David Martins is intrigued by the mysterious woman taken in by his grandmother, but she wrestles with a troubled past. When his estranged father is arrested for murder, can David put aside his own struggles in time to discern which secret threatens Adaleigh before it kills them both
She’s lost her future. He’s sacrificed his. Now they have a chance to reclaim it—together. Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge. Confessions to a Stranger is the first book in the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series.
What inspired you to write Confessions to a Stranger?
Have you ever revealed a secret to a stranger? Or struck up a deep conversation with a fellow passenger in the airport? Psychology has studied this idea of sharing private thoughts with people we don’t know, that somehow we actually feel safe doing so. There are also those people who attract the telling of secrets and Adaleigh is such a character, though she has a host of secrets of her own.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Confessions to a Stranger is the story of battling one’s past in order to have a future.
What genre do you focus on?
Confessions to a Stranger is historical romantic suspense, my three favorite genres all put together. In other words, what better way to have two people fall in love than while in danger and in a historical time period like the Great Depression.
Why do you write?
I love story and firmly believe in the power of story. I also been telling stories since I was a child and can’t not write.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m a mom of young boys, so I write whenever I get a free moment. It means I grab every chance I get to put words on paper.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part is putting myself out there and talking about myself. I’m an introvert and reader at heart, so I’m not as fond of the spotlight.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
My readers! I love how encouraging and supportive you are! You make this writing journey so fulfilling!
What’s one unusual fact about you?
While I haven’t canned strawberries, like in the book, I have picked raspberries, which I then helped my mom turn into jam and then can. It was delicious!
What is your favorite pastime?
As cliche as it sounds, reading is my favorite pastime. I usually finish a book every 1-3 days, and blog about most of those.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I do! I have a complete historical romantic suspense series, the Strike to the Heart series available in paperback, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited. The sequel to Confessions to a Stranger is Refuge to the Archaeologist and releases in July; it’s available for preorder. Also, my debut Love Inspired romance will be in stores in September; watch my newsletter for more info.
What are you working on now?
All sorts of things! Different books are in different stages of completion. I’m currently writing a super-secret project.
Website: daniellegrandinetti.com
Link to book: Confessions to a Stranger | Kindle | Paperback
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