Reciprocal Blog with Interview with Betty Owens

Dear Readers, since this is a reciprocal blog, I hope you will read Betty's info below then scoot on over to read my interview on her blog today. http://www.bettythomasonowens.com/2014/09/rose-mccauley-authorview.htmlYou get two for the price of one--FREE!

Hi, Betty, Please tell us about your favorite book as a child and your favorite book as an adult. Can you see a connection between those books?

As a child, my all-time favorite book was The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. As an adult, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Do you see the connection?

I absolutely can. The strong, determined heroine overcomes a troubled childhood, and a loveless life. Mary brings new life to a hopeless, dying garden. Jane brings warmth and life to a hopeless, dying soul.

Two of my fave books also, Betty. I love your connections. What is your favorite Scripture? Do you also have a favorite Scripture that encourages you in your writing?

There are so many! I love the Word of God.

I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

For writing and other work: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV Ephesians 2:10

If you could go to any place in the world to research/write a book, what setting would you choose? Orcas Island, in the Puget Sound. I find it inspiring and achingly beautiful throughout the region. I think my blood calls me back to the Pacific Northwest, where my mother grew up. Where I was born.

4. I often wonder if I would write if I had to do it the old-fashioned way without computers and spell-checks and email. Is there anything about technology that you don't like? Or anything about it that you feel enhances your writing?

I don’t like when it malfunctions. Sometimes, I’ll admit, it’s user error. Inspiring? The shiny white page, pristine and empty, inspires me to fill it with thoughts and words. But I remember the same inspiration when presented with a sheet of paper and a pencil, or a fresh sheet of typing paper positioned on the platen. Ah, but technology makes it so much easier and you can’t see where you’ve erased. Remember the dirty eraser marks?

Yes, I do remember those eraser smudges! As a writer how have you had to grow and stretch out of your comfort zone?

I think this is our greatest challenge. Promoting myself. Swallowing my pride. Believing in myself. To not be afraid to push “send.”

Amen! What advice would you give to a beginning writer that you wish someone had given you?

Don’t be afraid to wipe the slate clean and start over. And...nobody’s perfect. We all start out in the same place.

Do you want to add anything about your book such as how to order it?

I have two fantasy-adventure novels published by Sign of the Whale Books, an imprint of Olivia Kimbrell Press, The Lady of the Haven and A Gathering of Eagles. You can read about them and order them here: http://www.bettythomasonowens.com/p/blog-page_16.html

Special Note: For those of you who live in the Lexington, Kentucky area, I will be at the Local Kentucky Author Book Bazaar at Bakery, Blessings & Bookstore at the Bar on Saturday, October 18th, 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

I also have a 1920’s historical releasing very soon through Write Integrity Press, the first in the 3-book Legacy Series, Amelia’s Legacy.

Bio

Born in the Pacific Northwest, Owens grew up in such exotic places as West Tennessee and San Diego, California. She lives in Kentucky with her husband. They have three grown sons living in the area, along with their daughters-in-law, four beautiful granddaughters, and two handsome grandsons.

Though she’s always had an interest in storytelling, her writing career began to take off in 1986. As a busy homeschooling mom, she needed an outlet for all the extra joy in the house. She has two fantasy-adventure novels in a second edition published by Sign of the Whale Books, an imprint of Olivia Kimbrell Press.

Now semiretired, Betty spends most of her time writing, studying about writing, and critiquing other peoples’ writing. She is one of twelve authors featured in the romantic novella, A Dozen Apologies, released Valentine’s Day, 2014 by Write Integrity Press.

Betty is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), where she leads a critique group, and Bluegrass Christian Writers, a lively group of Kentucky writers, who meet quarterly in a Lexington, Kentucky bookstore.

Visit her webpage at www.bettythomasonowens.com, or find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Book Review--Sincerely Yours by J. Kirkpatrick, A. Cabot, L. A. Eakes, and A. Shorey

I love anthologies like this one with four novellas by four different authors with various locations and subjects. The four stories in Sincerely Yours range from early 19th century to early 20th, and we get to vicariously travel on a steamboat, ride (and even paint) a merry-go-round, pose as a writer, and go on a secret mission, all from our chair or bed.

The earliest novella by Laurie Alice Eakes is entitled "Moonlight Promise." I promise this steamboat ride is not at all what our heroine expected. Or the hero.

The next story, "Lessons in Love," by Ann Shorey, involves an author who is keeping a secret from her editor. Her piano instructor agrees to help her keep her secret for awhile, leading to a developing relationship neither thinks will work. Can they learn the lesson God has for them?

What is the "One Little Word" the heroine in Amanda Cabot's story is waiting to hear? It may surprise you! Besides the love story, this novella showcases scads of information about merry-go-rounds in a fun, entertaining way.

Jane Kirkpatrick is a master writer of many books. I am so glad she shares her skills with us in this novella collection so many new readers can enjoy her story "A Saving Grace" and check out her other well-written books.

I highly suggest you read these four stories about the four letters that set our heroines on their journey of love. You won't be disappointed you went along for the ride.

This book is the first novella collection by Revell, but I hope it won't be the last. Revell sent me the book to review, but these thoughts were not influenced in any way by the gift.

Debut Author Ane Mulligan about her characters for Chapel Springs Revival

I am so happy to welcome my long-time friend Ane Mulligan to my blog again today to celebrate her debut novel, Chapel Springs Revival, hot off the presses. 

First, a little about Ane!

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast). She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Thank you, Rose, for letting me come talk to your readers. If y’all don’t know, it was Rose who pinned my brand on me, and I’ll be forever grateful. Southern-fried Fiction is exactly what I write!

And today, I want to introduce you to Claire and Patsy. Best friends since kindergarten, they're not quite Lucy and Ethel, but they tend to stumble into trouble and catastrophe. Bighearted and loyal friends, these two lead readers on a romp through miscommunication in marriage.

Years ago, I overheard a gal say she married before learning God had a husband chosen for her, so she was going to divorce hers and find the perfect one. I pulled her aside for a "Titus 2:4" moment, then logged that incident in my mind for further exploration.

A few years later, God reminded me of that conversation. I thought what if a woman in her late forties found her marriage is ho-hum? When she became a Christian, she thought life and her marriage would be included in the new creation part. But her thighs are just as big, her husband just as ornery, and he still won't go to church with her. Toss in a BFF whose husband had grown non-communicative and was never home, and I had the foundation for a story.

I ran with it.

From God's nudge and that first "what-if," Claire Bennett, Patsy Kowalski, and the small village of Chapel Springs were born. Along with a supporting cast of funny, quirky characters. I even created a map of Chapel Springs.

Claire is tired of being nothing more than a sheet-changer, a towel-folder, a pancake-flipper. She resolves to emulate her Great Aunt Lola, who refused to be slighted by any man. Why, the first morning Aunt Lola's husband forgot to kiss her goodbye, she packed her bags, went off to Hollywood, and became a big star in silent films. Would Claire really do what Great Aunt Lola did?

When Patsy's nest became empty, she thought her husband would retire and they could finally do some travelling, but he hasn't mentioned slowing down. In fact, he's not talking much at all. When he starts coming home well after she's in bed, she becomes convinced he's having an affair. With Claire's help, Patsy's determined to catch him with the trollop who's trying to break up their once happy home.

As I worked on the plotting and backstory for Claire and Patsy, I saw the same things I'd heard the young women say at church: Patsy focusing on what her husband did wrong, and Claire is trying to find Mr. God-Ordained-Right.

Now, Claire has a tendency to be judgmental. She blurts out exactly what she thinks. She also moves before she thinks, which leads to a number of catastrophes. Patsy tries to hide her troubles; pretend they don't exist and they'll go away. Only it never works.

While Claire is eyeballing and discarding every man she sees, she and Patsy are determined to revive their marriages. At the same time, Chapel Springs could do with some reviving. The town has grown shabby and the tourist trade has declined. Complicating matters are a pair of curmudgeons, the mayor and his cohort, who would prefer to see the town stuck in the fifties and closed to outsiders.

I had so much fun with these characters. Claire is funny, a loyal friend, and someone I love spending time with. Besides, every time she turns around, she's in some kind of trouble. It's a blast just following her. And everyone needs a friend like Patsy, someone who has your back.

I’ve completed the sequel called Chapel Springs Survival. Can Claire and Patsy, and the town, survive their revival? That story grew out of something our son did. While it turned out to be wonderful in his life, the manner in which he revealed it called for Mama's retaliation. It went into a book (insert evil laughter).

It's my hope that through humor, readers will see God's hand in their choice of a husband. God is a faithful keeper of little girls' dreams for a knight in shining armor.

Chapel Springs Revival

With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel.

Everybody in the small town of Chapel Springs, Georgia, knows best friends Claire and Patsy. It's impossible not to, what with Claire's zany antics and Patsy's self-appointed mission to keep her friend out of trouble. And trouble abounds. Chapel Springs has grown dilapidated and the tourist trade has slackened. With their livelihoods threatened, they join forces to revitalize the town. No one could have guessed the real issue needing restoration is their marriages.

With their personal lives in as much disarray as the town, Claire and Patsy embark on a mission of mishaps and miscommunication, determined to restore warmth to Chapel Springs —and their lives. That is if they can convince their husbands and the town council, led by two curmudgeons who would prefer to see Chapel Springs left in the fifties and closed to traffic.

 Rose again! Hope you want to read this book as much as I do after reading this article and blurb! Just click on the link above and it will take you to Amazon!

Guest Blog by Jennifer Johnson "Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?"

Bio

JENNIFER JOHNSON and the world's most supportive redhead are happily married and raising the three cutest girls on the planet. Jennifer is a 6^th grade language arts teacher in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. (Pray for her.) She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Jennifer loves to read, write, and teach. She also likes to shop with her daughters- much to her husband’s chagrin. Blessed beyond measure by her heavenly Father, Jennifer hopes to always think like a child - bigger than she can imagine and with complete faith. You can reach her at jenwrites4god@bellsouth.net or check out her website at www.jennifercollinsjohnson.com.

Blurb

How many of you believe in love at first sight? When you read about it in a book or watch it on a movie, do you think, “please, that never happens.” Guess what, it does!

The year was 1988. I was cheering in the very first football game in a brand new school. I thought I knew pretty much everyone. I mean, I’d gone to middle school and high school with my classmates. The only reason for the new school was overpopulation at the old one. Essentially, they just split us all up.

Well, like I said, I was cheering for my brand new team. Boy, I loved cheerleading. I was giving it all I had when suddenly one of our football players was hit in the back after the whistle. Our guy gets the breath knocked out of him, but he stands up, walks to the bench and kinda plops down on the side of it. He takes his helmet off, and I notice his red hair.

“Who’s that?” I asked one of my cheerleader friends.

“Albert Johnson.”

There was something about him. I don’t know how to explain it. I didn’t even get a good look at his face. I just knew and even said, “I’m going to marry him.”

And you guessed it, I did. Poor guy didn’t stand a chance. He and I had the same Spanish class. I’d send him little notes with footballs and pom poms drawn on them telling him what a great game he’d had. (He was our amazing quarterback.) It took a couple weeks, but he finally found out who the chick was sending him all those goofy letters. I found out later he thought I was a bit immature, but that I’d probably be fun to be around, so he asked me on a date.

I was crazy about him. C-R-A-Z-Y!

Twenty-three years of marriage later…I still am. I suppose we’ve both gained a few pounds. He’s lost a little hair. We’ve birthed and almost finished raising three girls. He put me through college and sent me to writing conferences. Our relationship started with me being his cheerleader. In life, he’s been mine.

Do I believe in love at first sight? Does it last? Well, I’d have to say I do, and it does. Of course, there is one key ingredient. Can you guess it? Jesus! He’s the key. Jesus!

Another winner and Another Giveaway book for this month--A Suspicion of Strawberries by Lynette Sowell

The winner of Ann Gabhart's Love Comes Home book is Barbara G. Ann will be mailing it to her as soon as she receives her mailing address.

And the book I am giving away this month is A Suspicion of Strawberries by Lynette Sowell, another friend of mine. Here is part of the back cover blurb to pique your interest!

"When Charlie Rae Thacker and her bridesmaids show up at Andi's soap shop in Tennessee for a  morning of pre-wedding pampering, Andi bends over backwards to make it a pleasant experience for them all. but then Charla keels over and dies...after she uses Andi's personally blended cherries jubilee facial scrub..."

Sounds like an exciting cozy mystery! Be sure to leave a comment this month along with your email address so I can contact you. Every one with a US mailing addy is eligible. Drawing to be held on October 1st.

And the two winners for August are...

This was a good month for my blog. I posted 4 times plus a guest blog by Ann Gabhart for a total of 5 blogposts, which is more than usual, and Ann had 30 comments which is a lot more than usual, too!

So we have two winners to announce today. Karen K won Jennifer Johnson's book A Love Discovered, and the winner of Ann's giveaway of Love Comes Home will be announced as soon as I hear from Ann, so I will post it soon. Thanks for all the visits and comments!