Women of Faith and Fiction ~ Linda K. Rodante

February 20, 2018June 18, 2018 / Gail Johnson / 13 Comments

Good morning and Happy Tuesday! Today, I’m talking with friend and author Linda K. Rodante. Readers, Linda is offering an autographed paperback or e-book of Amber Alert. If by chance you’ve read it, she will offer another another book (U.S. only, please). Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. Now, let’s get busy.

Personal

Linda, tell us about yourself.

linda2 2015 Wow. Okay. My bio starts with “Linda K. Rodante is an author and lover of sweet tea now living in the foothills of Tennessee. She sometimes misses her native state of Florida—the beaches, the swamps, and the forests–but she loves the coolness and seasonal changes in Tennessee. Especially the fall leaf change!” And that is so true. I grew up in Florida and spent a number of years living at a place called Juniper Springs. My family ran the park and campground. It was a great place to live. Actually, both my husband and I are both native Floridians. We only recently moved to a small town in Tennessee. I’m loving Tennessee, the mountains, the cooler weather, and the slower pace.

Professional

I like Tennessee too. But my heart is in Georgia and Virginia. 🙂 Next question…Where did you get the idea for your latest WIP or your current release? And where did you get the inspiration for your setting?

My newest release is titled Pursued. Before we moved to Tennessee, I heard so much on the news and from friends in law enforcement about the drug/opioid epidemic in our area that I knew I wanted others to realize how addictive prescription drugs could be. While doing research, I realized that it was even a bigger problem than I’d heard, and that it was nationwide. While still writing on the story, we moved to Tennessee; and the first thing on the news there was the problem they were having with prescription drug addiction—and that drugs were spreading into the high schools and middle schools. This made me realize a book showing this problem was right on time.

Of course, my books are romantic suspense, so I also had this scenario at the back of my mind about a couple horseback riding and the kiss the guy would initiate when they climbed off the horses. Yeah, there’s the romantic in me. I love love.

I have one other book that is set in Tennessee (Looking for Justice), and since my husband and I were moving there, I thought I’d take up that thread and do another book in the mountains.

Great idea! Favorite thing to do when not writing.

Really, I love reading, but I also love worshiping the Lord and listening to great messages. I recently took part as a prayer intercessor at the Passion Conference for 18-25 year olds in Atlanta, GA. It was such a great time for these young adults to hear terrific speakers and to press into God. I’m so thankful I could be a part of it.

Wow. What a great experience. Now, Linda, please share a writing quirk—a ‘must have’ or a ‘must do’ to get words down on paper.

I listen to praise and worship songs to get focused. I feel that God uses them to help me keep my eye and concentration on Him and not get lost in the story itself. I’m not listening to it all the time, but often, especially if I feel I’m “floating.” I don’t want to write just anything, but something that is pleasing to God, something that will help someone else with their walk with God, something encouraging.

Worship music is awesome. Okay, last question.

Inspirational

This year’s theme is First Things First. Setting our priorities is a must if we’re to be about our Father’s business. What advice would you offer someone struggling to spend time with Him? And, how has spending time with Him changed your life?

I remember seeing my mother reading her Bible every morning when I came out from my bedroom. Every morning without fail. That was such a statement and witness to me. I’ve tried to do the same thing, but I haven’t always. However, most mornings I get into the Word of God first thing. It speaks to me, helping me see life more clearly, lifting me above situations, keeping my feet on the right track. The other thing is I take time to worship God by myself—I listen to praise and worship songs and sing along. God has used the words of songs to minister to me so often. I feel His love and its power.

Click to Tweet: “I listen to praise and worship songs and sing along.” #Interview and #giveaway with Linda Rodante @GailJohnson87 #WomenofFaithandFiction

Book Blurb

After a disastrous engagement to an abusive boyfriend, Sharee Jones tells God that she’s not dating anymore. If he has someone for her to marry, he’d better just drop the man in front of her. She’s not thinking of the tall, handsome man who moonlights as the church’s maintenance crew of one—a man she feels sure doesn’t know the Lord.
Since the tragedy in his own life, John Jergenson wants nothing to do with God, but every time he turns around lately, Sharee is in his face—wanting help with her Christmas program, needing help with her car, even threatening him with a pair of stakes—and talking about God. He’s not sure what to do about her, but he doesn’t like the mutilated dolls they’ve found, or the homeless hitchhiker she picked up, or the fact that she never watches out for herself. With someone terrorizing the new mom at the church, and Sharee playing detective, can he keep his past secret and keep her safe long enough to figure out if he’s ready to love again?
Amber Alert is a warm romance, with intrigue, ‪‎mystery‬ and suspense; a ‪‎whodunit‬ with heart and faith. And an ACFW Genesis and First Impressions finalist. Best-Selling author Sandra D. Bicker said, “Amber Alert…takes the reader on a suspenseful ride with unexpected twists…and characters you’ll care about.”
Author E. J. Willis said that, “The characters…pull you into their story… there’s just the right mixture of romance and suspense. If you like Karen Kingsbury or Dee Henderson, I believe you’ll enjoy Linda’s books as well. They’re hard to put down!”

Author Bio

Linda K. Rodante is an author and lover of sweet tea now living in the foothills of Tennessee. She sometimes misses her native state of Florida—the beaches, the swamps, and the forests–but she loves the coolness and seasonal changes in Tennessee. Especially the fall leaf change!

Connect with Linda:

Author website

Facebook

Twitter

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Women of Faith and Fiction ~ Karen Jurgens

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 / Gail Johnson / 21 Comments

Welcome to Women of Faith and Fiction. Author Karen Jurgens is with us today, and she is giving away a copy of A Perfect Fit to one lucky winner. Be sure to leave a comment and your name will be placed in the drawing. Let’s get started, shall we? Karen, tell us a little about yourself.

Personal

I was born in Cincinnati, where my growing up years are my sweetest memories. As a young child, I became a devourer of books, and I promptly got hooked on The Bobbsey Twins series. Since the stories were about solving mysteries, I expanded my appetite to Nancy Drew, and later, to Agatha Christie.

Since I had no siblings my age, I occupied myself with paper and pencil, writing all kinds of stories. After reading Gone with the Wind at age ten, my love affair for writing romance began. At age eleven, my first “novel,” Love is Forever, flowed from my imagination and is still tucked among my stacks of early handwritten stories.

In high school and college, I pursued creative writing courses. But when a non-fiction piece of mine was published in a national magazine, the desire to write professionally grabbed me and has never let go. After retirement as a secondary English and French teacher, the time was right to pursue my dream.

Today I live in Texas along with my two adult daughters and my mother, who will soon celebrate her 96^th birthday.

Professional

I love a good mystery too. On to the next question. Where did you get the idea for your latest WIP or your current book?

My idea for my books comes from my ministry, Touched by Him. I write Christian stories that reflect God’s Scriptures about His recipe for love and marriage. A Perfect Fit is about finding a Christian mate based on 2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? My current WIP is titled Stained Glass, which deals with infidelity in marriage. God makes a way back to original commitment through repentance, forgiveness, and rebuilding trust. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you ~ Ephesians 4:32 NKJV.

Can’t wait to read it! This next question from a reader. Where did you get the inspiration for your setting?

My setting comes from my hometown, Cincinnati. It’s modeled after real places and a mindset typical of the Midwest. The characters attend an actual college—Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Since I had visited Miami only once or twice, I delved into research about it. Although a public institution, it’s highly respected as a substitute ivy-league school for students who can’t gain acceptance into places like Harvard or Yale.

My research also led me to some surprising discoveries, such as an interesting tidbit about a ghost who supposedly haunts Peabody Hall at night. But romantically speaking, a campus landmark, Upham Arch, lent itself well to the book’s ending because of its tradition: if a couple kisses there at midnight, it means they will marry. I found that to be the perfect time and place for God to heal my protagonists’ broken relationship, and it lent a satisfying ending to their romance.

Ooh, I like the arch story. Time to have some fun. Favorite thing to do when not writing.

My other love besides writing is gourmet French cuisine, born from my undying love of France, its culture, and beautiful French language. As a teenager, I experimented from some state-of-the-art cookbooks, watched chefs on TV including Julia Child, and enrolled in French cooking classes.

I experienced only one disaster during those learning years—the time I set the oven on fire. The made-from-scratch Danish hadn’t been sitting at 375 degrees for more than five minutes before the butter melted and ran off the cookie sheet, igniting into flames. Of course, my perfectionistic mother almost never allowed me into her kitchen again. But, after the scorched oven regained its original color, she relented but forbade me from making puff pastry in the future.

Today, I only put on my chef’s apron for birthdays and holidays when I enjoy creating beautiful table settings and flower arrangements to compliment a culinary experience. One major wish twinkles yet on my bucket list—to dine at the Tour d’Argent atop the Eiffel Tower.

I’m with your mother on this one. LOL! Please share a writing quirk—a ‘must have’ or a ‘must do’ to get words down on paper.

In college, I couldn’t sit down to study at my desk until my room was tidy. Today, I’m the same with my computer. Before I can write, I must go through email, check social media, and play catch-up. Absolute silence with no interruptions is a must. The best time for me to be creative is at night when I’m the only person awake. My sleep schedule is really terrible, but that’s when inspiration drives me to work well into the wee hours.

Inspirational

This year’s theme is “First Things First.” Setting our priorities is a must if we are to be about our Father’s business. What advice would you offer someone struggling to spend time with Him? And, how has spending time with Him changed your life?

I have a long-established habit of tithing the beginning of my day to the Lord. I read His Word at breakfast before I look at anything else. Afterward, I always pray. When I used to drive to work, I prayed in the car—just because that was the only place I could be alone. The habit is so natural to me that I still always talk to Jesus while I’m driving.

Spending time with the Lord is my lifeline, my way of survival as I sojourn through this world. My relationship with Him brings me grace and peace in my daily life. The My ultimate desire is to write and speak His words of encouragement and comfort to those who are hurting, and to be used to bring God’s truth and hope to a lost world.

Karen, thank you for joining us today on WFF. Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win Karen’s book.

Click to Tweet: The made-from-scratch Danish hadn’t been sitting at 375 degrees for more than five minutes before the butter melted and ran off the cookie sheet, igniting into flames. #Interview with Karen Jurgens @GailJohnson87 #WomenofFaithandFiction

Link to buy

Formally titled Desire’s Promise – Newly revised and expanded. Carlie Livingston is steering into her last year of college in Oxford, Ohio, confident that she and Lance Holloway are headed to the altar after graduation. Those plans are wrecked, however, by her dad’s infidelity, causing her parents to walk through a messy divorce. Will she have the same fate if she marries her college sweetheart who comes from a secular family? Her mother insists she will.

She tests God’s Word by letting Him take the wheel of her life. But if God is in control, why are all her close relationships crumbling? Nothing makes sense.

Just when it appears hopeless, Clay McKinney two-steps into Carlie’s life, promising to provide everything she’s looking for in a Christian mate. But if he’s God’s answer, why can’t her heart release Lance? Where will her final destination be on this journey of trust?

Living in Texas for more than 30 years has been an adventure, but Karen still proudly claims her Cincinnati roots. She spent her career as a high school English and French teacher and will always be a lifelong learner. She loves everything French, especially creating gourmet cuisine for birthdays and holidays, and you will likely find French culture and language in whatever she writes.
She began a new ministry, Touched by Him, where she blogs monthly. Her passion is to share answers from God’s Word about life’s trials and to incorporate those answers into her fiction stories, especially written for women seeking God’s best in marriage.
Her greatest accomplishment has been raising two lovely daughters who are now grown and living out their own adventures. Along with her mother who is now 95, the four of them enjoy fun times together shopping, dining out, and traveling.

Connect with Karen:

Website
Fb Author Page
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
Amazon author page
A Perfect Fit Link

Women of Faith and Fiction ~ Dora Hiers

November 21, 2017November 24, 2017 / Gail Johnson / 19 Comments

Good morning, dear reader! Today on Women of Faith and Fiction, we are talking with Dora Hiers. Dora and I met online through social media a couple of years ago. I treasure her friendship and look forward to meeting her in person one day. Good morning, Dora. Tell us a little about yourself.

Dora Hiers-author image Let’s see. It takes a couple cups of extra strong, extra bold coffee in the mornings to rev my motor enough to crank out 1,000+ words on my story before lunch rolls around. I’m married to a foodie fire chief. We’re eating our way through Charlotte and blogging about our experiences on Fiction Faith & Foodies. And he’s a seriously good cook, too! Smoked ribs, people. Need I say more? Lol.

And…earlier this year two sweet labs adopted us. Well, one is sweet, the other is not-so-sweet, but we still brought that roller derby wannabe home. Picture the little dude using his 100-pound sleeping brother as a launching pad to jump onto the couch. He’s so crazy, you can’t help but laugh.

Que and Bolder by Dora Hiers centerofhiswheel

I DON’T LIKE traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, or a sad ending to a book or movie. That’s why my books always end with happily-ever-afters!

That’s it for me. I’d love to know more about you!

Dora, you are a gem. I love seeing your pics of Que and Bolder and following your food recommendations. Reader, if you are looking for a restaurant in the Charlotte area, be sure to check out Dora’s blog on Saturdays. Good food, people! Moving on to the next question. This month’s theme is thankful. Please share your thoughts with our readers.

Well, you see those sweet darlings up there? Not sure what we were thinking adopting a not-even-close-to-being-potty-trained puppy in the throes of winter! Because Que suffered severe separation anxiety, I had to venture out in frigid temperatures and arctic blasts of wind and bucketloads of rain with two dogs every thirty minutes. And then, once back in the warm house, watch the little proceed to wet on the floor! I complained more about that than thanking God for these little sweethearts, and I’m quite sure they were probably inwardly grumbling about the crazy human who dashed outside all the time. Lol. As contrary as it seems, the Bible instructs us to “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT) Not just the joyful, happy events, but even during the painful seasons of our lives. I’m not gonna lie. It’s easy to say, not so easy to do.

I agree with you! I’ve done the potty training in the winter. Not fun. LOL. Now, life is a continual journey of learning, applying, and transforming. Have you ever experienced a season when you found it challenging to remain thankful? How did you overcome?

More than one occasion comes to mind, but the hardest and most challenging season was when we moved from Florida to North Carolina. Don’t get me wrong. We’d been praying about a move for over a decade, and God answered our prayer in a mighty way! NASCAR heaven for hubby, and a chance to work another fifteen years or so in a career he loves. Unfortunately, our youngest son wasn’t quite on board with the move and chose to stay in Florida until graduation. Ripped my heart out to lose 2 ½ years with him, years I’d never get back. On top of that, our oldest son who also stayed in Florida struggled through a real tough period.

Was I thankful? Most definitely not! Honestly, I recall blaming God for not answering our prayers sooner. Why, when we’d been praying for so long, had He waited until our son was in high school?

How did I overcome? Much, much prayer. Christian counseling. An understanding hubby. And choosing to focus on the good rather than the ugly.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. ~Philippians 4:8-9 The Message (MSG)

What was good about our son staying behind? Having family still in Florida to house and love on him. Having enough savings to provide for the additional needs, like a car to get him back and forth to school, and to pay for my/his monthly flights. The soul-deep realization that my heavenly Father had carried me through some pretty rough waters in the past and that I just needed to trust that His path held a higher purpose, one I might not ever understand in this lifetime.

Isn’t that God’s way with His children? Leading us to that realization, to that point of peace and acceptance? And now, dear friends, let me tell you how awesome our God is! Our youngest son actually chose to attend University of North Carolina for college AND because of our NC residency, we paid reduced in-state tuition rates! And our oldest son, his beloved wife, and our two precious grandkiddos live about five minutes from our home now. Wowza! Go, God!

I can so relate. My first born lives 8+ hours away. I miss seeing him daily. And yes, we serve an awesome God. Even though, Levi isn’t with me, I see the hand of the Lord in his life. So thankful for that. Tell us, in what genre do you write and how does your faith influence your writing?

I write Christian romance as Dora Hiers and mainstream romance as Tori Kayson, but you’ll find messages of grace and forgiveness and second chances sprinkled in all my stories. All my books are clean and wholesome, so no need to hide them from your kids or grandkiddos.

Dora, thank you for visiting with us and sharing more about yourself. You have a heart of gold, my friend.

Thank you so much for your gracious hospitality, Gail. I’ve enjoyed visiting with you and your friends!

Author Bio:

Journey's End by Dora Hiers Dora believes that a person should love what they do or choose to do something else. She’s doing exactly what makes her heart sing, and considers every day a gift. When she takes a break from cranking out heart racing, God-gracing romances, Dora adores reading, chowing down on her hubby’s lip-smacking home-smoked ribs, and sipping coffee on a mountain cabin deck. Life’s too short to be stuck in traffic, to drink bad coffee, or to read books with a sad ending. Dora and her real-life hero make their home in North Carolina, but with a world full of amazing places to explore, that’s only a landing point.

Come hang out with Dora on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. She loves hearing from reader friends at DoraHiers@gmail.com. Dora also writes sweet romance that sizzles under the pen name, Tori Kayson.