Author Interview: Alexis A. Goring

Welcome, Alexis—and congratulations on your new release! That first contract is always so exciting! Let me tell you a little secret though: It never gets old! Every contract after that is just as much fun! May you have lots of fun, exciting moments ahead in your career as a published author.

Let’s talk about your ‘new baby’:

What inspired you to write A Second Chance?

Honestly? I wanted to write a story about struggling journalists and focus on characters who needed a second chance at life and love.

I especially love second-chance romances. Which character in your new release did you most enjoy writing? Why?

Carla because she’s compassionate, feisty and brilliant.

Feisty is fun, especially when you’re writing. What, if anything, do you and your heroine have in common?

She and I are both entry-level journalists who are frustrated with our industry’s system of “paying your dues.”

I hear that! What spiritual theme does this book include? How did it come to be a part of this story line?

Trusting God’s perfect plan. It became part of this story line from the start because my story’s hero and heroine have trouble trusting God and believing that He knows what is best.

Those are things a good many of us have problems with.

Let’s talk about Alexis Goring, behind the smiling author photo.

What household task do you most dislike? Which do you most enjoy?

Cleaning the carpet because of how much time it takes. I enjoy washing dishes. The running water and cleaning methods are therapeutic.

I enjoy washing dishes too, especially during the winter, when the warm water feels soooo good. J What makes you laugh out loud?

Movies by Tyler Perry and the movie Love Different starring Jenn Gotzon.

What smell do you love most, and why?

The cherry almond professional shampoo brand that my stylist washes my hair in, because it makes my hair smell great for days after leaving the salon.

Nice, fragrant shampoos are awesome. What book are you currently reading?

I’m reading, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible. Shannon Popkin is the author of this book.

Now let’s take a look at you and God.

Do you usually insert a spiritual theme into your books? If so, do you have a favorite?

Yes. Trusting God is my favorite because at times, I still struggle with that theme.

You and me both…and I hardly think we two are an island in that regard. Where do you hide away when you want to pray, meditate, read, or just cuddle up with God?

The living room because my favorite reading spot is the big, oversized white sofa with huge pillows. It’s the perfect place to snuggle and spend time with God.

Sounds like a nice, cushy-comfy place to settle in. Please share a verse of scripture that is especially meaningful to you, and why it is special.

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

It’s special to me because my Mom “discovered” this Bible verse when I was going through a traumatic time as a teenager and it gave me hope.

It’s a great verse for delivering hope! Thank you for visiting, Alexis. I’ve enjoyed chatting with you.

About A Second Chance:

Newly single food critic and newspaper reporter Traci Hightower is done with dating. After the man of her dreams left her at the altar on their wedding day and ran off with the woman she thought was her best friend, Traci resolves to focus on work and resigns herself to being a bachelorette for life. 

Marc Roberts is a political reporter who is known as Mr. Nice Guy, the one who always finishes last. However, Marc’s compassion and kindness are of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina Braxton who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death.

Traci and Marc may be the perfect match, but they don’t know it yet. With God’s guidance and the help of Gina’s matchmaking skills honed by her career as a bestselling romance novelist, there is hope for a happily ever after for these two broken hearts.

Purchase A SECOND CHANCE

About the Author:

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

Author Interview: Tamera Kraft

What inspired you to write Resurrection of Hope?

I heard a sermon in church about how men need respect and women need love from their spouses. I also was toying with the idea of writing a story with a tornado outbreak in it. Ohio has a devastating history of tornados destroying entire towns. I found out that a deadly tornado hit Western Ohio on Palm Sunday in 1920 and the setting took shape. That time period, shortly after World War One and the Influenza Pandemic is such an interesting pivotal year. I knew I had all the elements I needed for a story set around Easter where I could inject the hope of the Gospel in dark times.

What spiritual theme does this book include? How did it come to be a part of this story line?

The theme of Resurrection of Hope is the hope that Christ brings. In the story, Vivian has lost everything: her family, the love of her life, her material possessions, even her faith in God, but God resurrects hope in her life using Henry, a man who has his own issues. Hebrews 6:19 says, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” I wanted to illustrate that even in the most hopeless situation, Christ gives us the hope that is an anchor for our souls.

What book are you currently reading?

I am currently reading 30 AD by Ted Dekker. I am fascinated by the story of Mavia, an Arab, who encountered Jesus. I love historicals that are epic adventures, and this fits that description.

Do you usually insert a spiritual theme into your books? If so, do you have a favorite?

I don’t really insert a spiritual theme, but a theme always ends up inserting itself. I have favorites. I love stories where redemption plays a key role. Resurrection of Hope has this element. I also love stories where the heroine or hero is called by God to fulfill an impossible task and must decide to risk all to obey God.

Please share a verse of scripture that is especially meaningful to you, and why it is special.

I can’t share only one. I have two passages I call my life verses. The first one is found in Roman 12:1-2. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” This is basically what God expects from me. It was preached the night I gave my life to the Lord.

The second verse is what God has promised me. Isaiah 43:1-2 says, “...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” With a promise like that, how can I help but trust God through any trial?

About Resurrection of Hope

She thought he was her knight in shining armor, but will a marriage of convenience prove her wrong?

After Vivian’s fiancé dies in the Great War, she thinks her life is over. But Henry, her fiancé’s best friend, comes to the rescue offering a marriage of convenience. He claims he promised his friend he would take care of her. She grows to love him, but she knows it will never work because he never shows any love for her.

Henry adores Vivian and has pledged to take care of her, but he won’t risk their friendship by letting her know. She’s still in love with the man who died in the Great War. He won’t risk heartache by revealing his true emotions.

Purchase on Amazon

About the Author:

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2^nd place in the NOCW contest, 3^rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’s been married for 38 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren. Tamera has two novellas in print: A Christmas Promise and Resurrection of Hope. Her first full length novel, Alice’s Notions, is due to be released in April. You can contact Tamera on her website at http://tameralynnkraft.net.

You can also contact Tamera online at these sites.

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Guest Post: Patrick E. Craig (with GIVEAWAY!)

A warm welcome to Author Patrick. E. Craig! I love this post, and I think you will too, my fellow sheep. As if the post isn’t a sweet enough reason to be right where you are right now—here on Chirp ‘N Chatter—Patrick will be giving away THREE copies of his latest release, THE AMISH PRINCESS! Read the post and leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win one of them.

No Wonder He calls us Sheep

by Patrick E. Craig

My wife, Judy, and I used to raise sheep. We gave them shots, we sheared them, we cleaned up their feet when they got foot rot, clipped their hooves, cleaned their boils and abscesses… it was a never-ending story. If we didn’t feed them by 6 a.m. they stood at the back fence and bellowed until I came out. When the ewes lambed, we had to put them in the barn with the baby for three days so they would bond. We had to give the mama a bucket of molasses water to help her get her strength back. We had to make sure that the mama had enough milk and if they didn’t we had to bottle feed the lamb

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for a month. That meant getting up at 12 a.m. and feeding them every four hours for thirty days. We did all these things for their good, and still they fought us every step of the way. They struggled, they cried, they ran away when we needed to get them in the pen. When it was time to give them their yearly shots, I had to chase them down, drag them to the barn and “cast them down,” which means that I wrestled them down on their back with their feet up in the air. When they are in that position, they are completely helpless.

Bet you didn’t know that when you read “Why art thou cast down, O my soul” in Psalm 42:5. God is describing a sheep with his legs stuck straight up in the air, hopeless and helpless.

Being a writer is like being a sheep in some ways. We want to do it our way. We want fame recognition, publishing contracts, an agent, a New York Times Bestseller, and all the rest. God leads us in one direction and if it goes against what we want, we fight Him every step of the way. In my latest book, The Amish Princess, the primary conflict for all the main characters—Opahtuhwe, Jonathan, Joshua and even some of the secondary players—is the age-old battle: doing what God wants, or doing what we want.

You see, it’s no mystery why God calls us “the sheep of His hand.” Everything God does for us, He does for our absolute good, and yet we continue to "struggle against the goads." That’s why sometimes He must apply “the rod and the staff,” or even “cast us down” by adverse circumstances, so that we are absolutely helpless. It is then that the Holy Spirit inspires us to cry “Abba, Father, help us.” It is then that we come back into the relationship that God desires—one of complete dependence on Him. Our writing will only accomplish His purposes when we put our hopes, dreams and desires in a subordinate position to His purpose for us.

You know we really should listen to what He wants and follow His plan. After all, He made the universe. He’s at least a genius…

About THE AMISH PRINCESS

Opahtuhwe, the White Deer, is the beautiful daughter of Wingenund, the most powerful chief of the Delaware tribe. She is revered by her people–a true Indian princess. Everything changes when the murderous Delaware renegade known as Scar brings three Amish prisoners to the Delaware camp. Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger are twin brothers that Scar has determined to adopt and teach the Indian way. The third prisoner is Jonas Hershberger, their father, who has been made a slave because he would not defend his family. White Deer is drawn to Jonathan but his hatred of the Indians makes him push her away. Joshua's gentle heart and steadfast refusal to abandon the Amish faith lead White Deer to a life-changing decision and rejection by her people. In the end, White Deer must choose between the ways of her people and her newfound faith. And complicating it all is her love for the man who can only hate her.

About the Author:

Best-selling author Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor. In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first two books in the series, The Amish Heiress and The Amish Princess, were published by P&J Publishing . Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

Find Patrick online:

Webpage

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Purchase Patrick’s books:

Amazon

You're invited to the Spring Raine Multi-author Beach Bash!

It's an online beach party, and YOU are invited! I'm celebrating the long-awaited release of SPRING RAINE, Book 1 in my Paradise Pines series. This is a set of four romance novels, set in and around the gorgeous seaside community of Cambria, California. There'll be one novel for each season of the year, starting with this debut, SPRING RAINE.

I'll be joined at this event by other PBG authors with books set on the seaside.

          Dianne J. Wilson: Finding Mia
          Jean and Mary Banks: Sea Red, Sea Blue
          H.L. Wegley:  On the Pineapple Express
          Therese M. Travis:  Fixing Perfect

Pack your beach bag and join us "at the coast" this Friday, Feb. 24!

Author Interview: Tanya Stowe

I'm delighted to welcome my dear friend and fellow author, Tanya Stowe, to Chirp 'N Chatter! I enjoyed our chat, and even learned a thing or two I didn't know about her. That's always fun... :) 

Welcome, Tanya! I'm honored to have you on my blog...always! Let's talk about your latest book. What inspired you to write Santa Fe Sunrise?

I love, love, love, Santa Fe. It’s such a unique blend of history and modern. It has fantastic clothing and art, plus a background that reaches back beyond the American Revolution. And it’s pretty too. So I have to say Santa Fe and its surrounding area inspired me.

Arizona and New Mexico lay claim to some truly beautiful areas, many of which are so rich in history. Your books always make me want to make a trip to desert country. :)  Which character in Santa Fe Sunrise did you most enjoy writing? Why?

I think I enjoyed writing Brett most, mainly because he underwent such a character change. He was a minor character in Sedona Sunset and frankly, I wasn’t very fond of him. He was more like a robot trapped in a pattern of obedience to his employer and he lost sight of himself. At the end of Sedona Sunset, he quit his job to go on a sabbatical across the Southwest. When we see him again in Santa Fe, he’s found his honesty, compassion and most surprising to me, his sense of humor. I loved the hero he became!

I have to agree. Brett went through a major transformation (a truly positive one!) during his sojourn between Sedona and Santa Fe. What, if anything, do you and your heroine have in common?

I like to think of myself as business-oriented like Rafaella, or at least more practically oriented. Like her, family is everything to me. I’m also a little stubborn like this heroine. So I guess we have a lot in common.

You...stubborn? :) So, what spiritual theme does this book include? How did it come to be a part of this story line?

My spiritual themes develop as the characters grow. I don’t usually plan them until the last. I like to see what kinds of spiritual problems my characters encounter with their distinct personalities. However, I have noticed a recurring theme in my stories. My characters don’t trust people, themselves…God. That theme seems to appear over and over again. Even in Santa Fe, Rafaela couldn’t believe or trust that God loved Her so much he wanted her to have her heart’s desire. So difficulty trusting runs through most of my work.

Let's talk about YOU, beyond the byline:

What household task do you most dislike? 

Laundry.  

Ugh. Me too. Which do you most enjoy? 

Cooking.

Oh. Just when I thought we were a little alike... lol  What makes you laugh out loud?

Children. A baby’s laughter. A burbling toddler. A teenager acting silly. I love their spontaneity and I’ll laugh with them.

'A baby's laughter.' Oh, what joy! What smell do you love most, and why?

Flowers. Any kind. All kinds. I don’t know why, but when I was eight years old my mother gave me a soil bed in the yard to plant vegetables or whatever I wanted. It overflowed with the prettiest purple pansies you ever saw. I know they don’t smell but I think that started my love of flowers. Gentle roses top the list of smells but all of them are wonderful.

What book(s) are you currently reading?

I’m a very eclectic reader. Right now it’s a science fiction by Bob Mayer, part of his Area 51 Series. Bob also happens to be a very smart guy when it comes to publishing. I read his blog all the time and many of his books, so I decided to start his ground breaking first series. But How to Charm the Beekeeper Heart by Candice Sue Patterson is on my to-read-next list, so I bounce around.

God and you:

Do you usually insert a spiritual theme into your books? If so, do you have a favorite?

I don’t really know if the lack of trust in my stories relates to my personal relationship with God. But as an ex-atheist, I have to assume it does. After all these years I still question and doubt that He could love a sinner like me.

Where do you hide away when you want to pray, meditate, read, or just cuddle up with God?

Wellll…..that’s an interesting question. Since I just downsized from a 2500 square foot home to a motorhome, I’m not sure I’ve found a special spot to hide away. There’s not much room for that. But I can say that we have very large windows, and my motorhome was parked in Arizona where the sunsets were spectacular. Now I’m sitting in a forest where the bluebirds and red-headed woodpeckers are flitting around a bird feeder. I guess I can say that all of my home is my special spot, wherever it’s parked.

You have the whole world as your hideaway! 

Please share a verse of scripture that is especially meaningful to you, and why it is special.

Philippians 4:13 — I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I have a very large family—four children and twenty-one grandchildren. We’ve gone through a lot...from teenage pregnancies, to foster care, to a stroke in the womb—something I’d never even heard of before, but it happened to us. The Lord has been by our side through it all and He keeps my feet going.

Please share your conversion experience, if you’re comfortable doing so.

I had never really experienced God’s presence, so at a very early age, I doubted His existence. I also felt that if the people I was meeting were examples of His people, I wanted nothing to do with them, or Him. I began to believe that God was made up to help weak people get through the days and nights.

I accepted the emptiness of eternity but after I married and had children, the horror of eternity without them tore at me relentlessly. Not to mention the fact that life was difficult. I lived near LA and the Night Stalker was on the rampage. Crazy people were snatching children off the streets and from their own front yards. I realized that no matter how hard I tried I could not truly protect my children. Those fears kept me up at night and sent me into a deep depression. The only thing keeping me alive was the fact that I couldn’t abandon my children or my husband.

I decided that one way or another, even if I had to fake it for the rest of my life, my children were going to grow up in a church. I began instructions and for the first time, actually experienced God’s presence. In my earlier church experiences, I had heard so much about what happened after death. What I discovered in my new experience was how to survive life.

Wonderful! And from what I've seen, you've discovered also that there's no need to fake it. God is so real and so present in our lives! Tanya, thank you again for visiting. It's always a pleasure!

About Santa Fe Sunrise:

Brett Fraser has quit his job, loaded his earthly possessions into his black sports car and headed out to find himself in the great Southwest. Somewhere on his successful climb up the corporate ladder, he lost sight of the man God intended him to be. But Brett intends to find himself again.

Rafaela De Silva has an art gallery to run, a sprawling piece of family property with back taxes due, and a younger sister to care for who suffers from anorexia. She doesn't have time for broken shoe laces, sprained ankles or tumbling into the arms of a handsome stranger, especially one whose past involves scandal.

Brett's determined to help the beautiful runner he rescues from a fall. After examining the smooth edges of her broken shoelace, he's convinced her accident wasn't accidental. But if he's going to help her, he'll have to convince her to trust him'a difficult task given his past.

Under the sun-kissed skies of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Brett must rediscover his purpose in life before he loses Rafaela forever. Who is trying to harm Rafaela? Will she live long enough for Brett to win her heart?

About Tanya Stowe:

TANYA STOWE is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…gifts of the spirit and miracles, mysteries and exotic travel, even an angel or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a journey to the Old West or to contemporary adventures in foreign lands…be prepared for the extraordinary. 

Website  Facebook  Blog

Guest Post: Author Mary Alford

The Beauty of Broken

by Mary Alford

Have you ever felt so broken that you didn’t see any way of coming back from it? Brokenness can come either from the circumstances forced on us or the self-infliction caused by us, and I think at some point in our lives, we all feel a little less than perfect.

Maybe you’ve made so many mistakes in your life that you believe there’s no fixing them, not even for God. Well guess what, nothing is too big for God.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Just look in the Bible and you will find multiple examples of broken people finding redemption.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and yet He came up with a different plan for their lives.

David had his friend killed to be with his wife. Broken, David called out for forgiveness and God blessed him. 

Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale. I’d say he reached rock bottom. But God lifted him out of the whale and he fulfilled his mission in Nineveh.   

Paul had Christians put to death until God found him on the road to Damascus, and he became a great apostle.

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So you see, beauty can be found in brokenness and so can healing.

When I set out to write my February 17^th White Rose Press release, Grace And The Rancher, I wanted to show that kind of beauty and healing in my characters. 

As an author, I love writing about broken and flawed people because I think readers can relate to them the most. We don’t want to read about perfect people living perfect lives. Watching the hero and heroine go from broken to restored just makes for a great romance.

For my heroine, Grace Bradford, forgiving herself is the hardest thing to do. Grace suffered abuse at the hands of the man who was supposed to love her.

Grace was a rising star on the country music scene. Everyone thought her life was perfect, but in truth her marriage was falling apart. After an argument that ended in a car crash, Grace’s husband was killed and Grace’s career finished. Running away from her problems seemed like the only answer. But what Grace found when she moved to Delaney Mountain was not only restoration, but redemption. And forgiveness from herself.   

Kyle Delaney, the hero of the story, is an alcoholic, just like his father. Kyle’s family life is dysfunctional at best. When Kyle almost killed his brother when he drove his vehicle while drinking, Kyle realized he had to get away from his poisoned home life to ever have a chance of changing. He moved to Texas and became a success in his career, but still something was missing from his life. When his father reaches out to him asking for forgiveness, what Kyle finds when he comes back home to Delaney Mountain is the home he’d always dreamed of, and the love that is missing from his life.

So, wherever you are in your life, no matter how dark your world may seem, there’s mending for the shattered. Restoration for the crushed. And hope for the hopeless. It can all be found in God. You just have to look up. 

www.maryalford.net      

About Grace and the Rancher:

Grace Bradford is living a lie. To the world she has the perfect life: A promising country music career and a husband who adores her. But her husband isn't the man everyone believes him to be. When a car accident widows her and ends her career, Grace escapes to Delaney Mountain. But moving to the remote town doesn't wipe away the ugly secret of her marriage. Kyle Delaney never intended to return to Delaney Mountain, but he promises his dying father that he'll turn their land into a working cattle ranch. He uproots his life in Austin, sells his flourishing business as a music agent, and returns to the Colorado town of his childhood. Can a runaway singer and a makeshift rancher, thrust together by circumstance and held together by the common thread of loss and a love of music, find hope and a happily-ever-after under the stars of Delaney Mountain?

Purchase the book:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About the author: 

Mary grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come natural to her.

As a teen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.

She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.

Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still creates people facing dangerous situations. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.

Learn more about Mary at www.MaryAlford.net, or send her an email at maryjalfordauthor@gmail.com. 

Author Interview: Barbara M. Britton

It is my pleasure to welcome Barbara M. Britton back to Chirp 'N Chatter! We're talking about her new release, BUILDING BENJAMIN: NAOMI'S STORY. Barbara will give away an electronic copy of this exciting book of biblical fiction, OR a print copy of PROVIDENCE: HANNAH'S JOURNEY. Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing.

Welcome back, Barbara! I'm eager to hear about your new release. I gotta say, I'm intrigued with this series. And both of your Tribes of Israel covers are absolutely stunning!

Thank you for having me back to talk with your readers. I am so excited to be launching another Tribes of Israel novel into the world. BUILDING BENJAMIN: NAOMI'S STORY releases today in e-book. The print edition comes out April Fool’s Day. I’m going to have to think of something fun to do on April 1^st.

Absolutely! You can't pass up an opportunity like that. :) Are your characters based on real people?

In my first book, I was inspired by the servant girl in the story of Naaman (II Kings 5). The servant girl was mentioned briefly, but we didn’t know her backstory or whatever happened to her. Building Benjamin is inspired by the chaos in the last three chapters of the book of Judges (Judges 19-21). I had no idea this Sodom and Gomorrah story was in Judges and that the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out—by the other tribes of Israel, no less. We know the incident from the Bible narrative. I threw some characters into the mix.

How interesting! What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

I love all my books, so it is difficult to pick a favorite. I will say that Naomi’s story was the most difficult to write because it is an enemies-to-lovers story. I had to change Naomi’s feelings for Eliab 180 degrees. And I changed them in a short amount of time. I found that hard to do and make it seem believable. I find boy-next-door romances or handsome stranger romances much easier to write. But I’ll never say never on doing another whirlwind transformation. 

I love coming up with titles for my own books. How did you come up with the title for this one?

At the end of Judges, the tribe of Benjamin is left with 600 men and no women or children. Wives are a necessity if the tribe is going to survive. But alas, the rest of the tribes have taken an oath not to give their daughters in marriage to those nasty Benjamites. What’s a man to do when God has forbidden the Hebrews from marrying foreign women? Well, some Benjamites hide in a vineyard and steal Ephraimite women when they come out to dance. What would it be like to be one of the women stolen? Naomi, Cuzbi, and Jael find out. The tribe of Benjamin needs babies to continue on. The tribe needs to be built up, so Building Benjamin.

On a Biblical note, both Saul, the first king of Israel, and Saul of Tarsus (later named the apostle Paul) come from the tribe of Benjamin. God had a plan to rescue the tribe.

Now let's get really up close and personal... lol  What did you edit out of this book?

Nothing. This was a shocker! I thought I would have to tone down some sensuality, but I sailed through the editing process. I mean, this is Christian fiction, so there are no sex scenes, but my characters do fall in love. I did however have a ton of comments on one certain scene where a lame ewe is left on the roadside. Oh my, did I get scolded. Now, being the author, I knew what was going to happen, but my poor editor didn’t. She was so relieved later on in the story. So when you hit that scene, trust me—even though you might shed a tear.

When you wrote this book, did you have an idea of how it would end at the beginning?

I followed the Bible narrative, but the last chapter of Judges treats the capture of the women matter-of-factly. The ending loses steam compared to the accounts of all the battles and the kidnapping. I added a bit of spice based on what might have occurred from the text. The ending remains the same, as the tribe of Benjamin was saved.

I was wondering if any of your readers were familiar with this Bible story before today. I remember Sunday School and VBS stories about Deborah, Samson, and Gideon, but never this story from the book of Judges.

How about it, readers? Are you familiar with this story in Judges?

About BUILDING BENJAMIN: NAOMI'S STORY:

Love Grows Where God Grafts the Tender Shoot.

Naomi desires to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner. Her father needs a substantial bride price due to the deaths of her brothers at the hands of the tribe of Benjamin. But when Benjamites raid the Ephraimite feast and capture young girls, Naomi is bound and carried from her home by Eliab, a troubled shepherd who needs a wife.

As Naomi awaits rescue, she finds Eliab has a strong faith in God and a just reason for abducting her. A reason that affects all the tribes of Israel. The future of the tribe of Benjamin hangs in the balance, but if Naomi follows her heart and stays with Eliab to rebuild his lineage, she must forfeit her family and become a traitor to her tribe.

About the author:

Barbara M. Britton was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but currently lives in Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction for teens and adults. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barb kicked off her Tribes of Israel series in October with the release of PROVIDENCE: HANNAH'S JOURNEY. Naomi’s journey is set to release this spring. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America.

Want to learn more?

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Purchase links:

Amazon                         Pelican Book Group

New Release: Angela K. Couch

A great big welcome to Author Angela K. Couch, with her novel THE SCARLET COAT. Angela will give away one copy of this book in digital format. Leave your comments below to be entered in the drawing.

A Revolutionary Love

What a turbulent world we live in with terrorists, shootings in schools and churches, wars and rumors of war. Emotions run high when people start talking about politics or religion…or both together. I know many who like to lose themselves in fiction for a few hours, some turning to historical romances and “simpler” times.

I turn to the past with my writing, but not to escape. I desire to explore what we are experiencing now under a different light… Perhaps a “simpler” light?

The American Revolutionary War, for example. Not just the North against the South, like the Civil War, but neighbor against neighbor throughout the colonies as those loyal to Britain and those seeking more freedom plunged into armed conflict.

Emotions ran high.

In the midst of battles and loss of loved ones, where is there room for simple commandments? Such as love thy neighbor as thy self? Or love one another?

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Mathew 25: 35-40 KJV)

So when the smoke clears on the battlefields, whether of gunfire and saber, or words and legislation “… must we forget Christian love and compassion?” (The Scarlet Coat)

I hope not. Let us never forget Christ’s love or that it is for all!

The Scarlet Coat     

(Hearts at War – Book 1)

A Woman Compelled by Christian Charity
Surrounded by the musket fire of the American Revolution, Rachel Garnet prays for her family to be safe.  When the British invade the Mohawk Valley, and her father and brother don’t return from the battle, she goes in pursuit of them. She finds her brother alive but her father has been killed at the hand of the enemy. Amidst the death, how can she ignore a cry for help…? Rachel reluctantly takes in a badly wounded British officer. But how long can her sense of Christian duty repress her hatred for his scarlet coat?

A Man Lost to the Devastation of War
Passages of Scripture and fleeting images of society are all Andrew Wyndham recalls after he awakens to the log walls of his gentle prison. Even his name eludes him. Rachel Garnet insists he is a captain in the British army. He mourns the loss of his memory, but how can he hope to remember war when his “enemy” is capturing his heart?

A Scarlet Uniform Holds the Power to Unite or Divide
Andrew’s injuries are severe, his memory slow to return, and the secret of his existence too perilous to ignore. As Rachel nurses him back to health, his hidden scarlet coat threatens to expose the deeds of her merciful heart, and Andrew is forced to face a harrowing decision—Stay hidden and risk losing the woman he loves or turn himself in and risk losing his life.

Available at: 

Barnes & Noble           Indigo/Chapters         Amazon

About Angela K Couch:

To keep from freezing in the Great White North, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s 2015 Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the 2016 International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in there, as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and warm) by chasing after three munchkins.