LoRee Peery - Paisley's Pattern

Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, LoRee Peery visits Lagniappe to discuss her latest release, Paisley's Pattern.

Welcome Back, LoRee!

Tell us a little about Paisley’s Pattern

Paisley took root in my mind when I saw an invitation to write a short-short story as part of a White Rose authors’ appearance on Long and Short Reviews in April 2011. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/?s=LoRee+Peery

Author Tanya Stowe sent an invitation to other authors to choose one heroine to write about. The premise:

A delivery boy has four gifts, a bouquet of roses, two teal-colored love birds, a box of chocolates and an invitation. But there's been a glitch. He has four addresses, no names and five women! Where do the gifts belong?

I was intrigued, thinking it the perfect opportunity to use transposed names for a hero and heroine. Paisley Robbins and Robin Paisley were born, and they kept bugging me to tell their full story.

LoRee--This is a fascinating idea. I love it!

Give readers your brand/tagline and share how you came up with it.

Redeeming Grace with a Sense of Place

As a new author, I knew I had to come up with something for an e-mail signature. I prayed, noted other authors’ signatures, and searched author web sites for brands and taglines. I ran various phrases by my critique and writers’ groups. We always came back to this one. I heard no negative comments. Christians know all about God’s redeeming grace through Jesus. My characters grow in grace. And I have a strong sense of Nebraska as my earthly place, where my stories are set.

What is your hope for the readers of your books?

I wish for readers to connect with the characters, to identify with their situations, and to grow with them as my hero and heroine discern the Lord’s will for their lives. Since I write romance, I also hope readers sigh over the happily-ever-after endings.

If you could have one of your senses (Touch, sight, taste, smell, hear) be a superpower which would you choose and why?

The word healer came to mind when I read this question, so I’m going to say the sense of touch. This world would be so much more joyful if one person’s touch relieved another’s pain.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from?

My mother. She read to me until I could read for myself, which was age four. I wish she was still alive so I could ask how long I listened to her read to my younger siblings. But if I were to guess, I probably took over that pleasure when she went to work outside the home and I took on care-giving responsibilities. I borrowed Mom’s copy of Gone With the Wind when I was thirteen. I’ve been a lover of romance ever since.

Where do you write? Can you describe your favorite writing place? (If you’d like to send pictures that would be great! Attached to the email please don’t embed in the Interview word doc.)

My study is upstairs in the room that once belonged to my son. Shortly, we’ll be painting the walls. There are eight bookcases (my husband built the first two) full of books. I have a Gone With the Wind collection of plates, a Scarlett doll with various outfits, figurines, and many writing-related treasures.

I prefer to revise and edit on paper, which I do away from my desk. I sit on a porch bench or outside in one of my rock gardens.

LoRee, I love your writing spot and that gorgeous Tiffany Lamp!


What can we expect from you in the future?

Another novella releases in July. 

You’ll hear more about Where Hearts Meet right here with Marian.

I have a Christmas novella with my editor now, a story in the works, and two to polish and submit.

LIGHTNING ROUND   

Plotter, Pantser, or Planser?  Planser

Laptop or Desktop? Desktop

Sweet Tea or Unsweetened Tea? Unsweetened

More important: Plot or Characters? Characters

LoRee Peery has written for many years. She tried to quit more than once, seriously in the middle of 2009. Then after several months the words, the voices, started resonating in her head. She found herself jotting notes in the middle of the night, trailing toothpaste across the floor on her way to pen and paper, or noticing character and conversation while out and about. 

She received her first book contract on her birthday in 2010. LoRee attempts to see God’s presence every day. Often that gift comes from nature, and she is most relaxed in the outdoors. The call of a cardinal draws her to look for the distinctive flash of crimson. A meadowlark’s melody always transports her to the farm where she grew up. A rainbow holds special significance, since one appeared the arced over her father’s grave the day of his funeral. Nature is great, but the people God creates are the miracles. What could be better than a grandchild’s smile and a young voice greeting, “Grandma!” Well, maybe the hug that follows.

 BUY LOREE'S BOOKS HERE:

Pelican http://tinyurl.com/om2wfsr

Amazon http://tinyurl.com/l6lyajx

CONNECT WITH LOREE HERE:

www.loreepeery.com

https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk

Thank you, Marian. It’s always a pleasure to appear on Lagniappe.

LoRee, thanks so much for sharing! It's always a pleasure to have you here!

Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.

LoRee's Question for You:

Is there a life situation you’ve never read about in the form of story, and would like an author to tackle?

Readers, let us hear from you!

I pray you find 

"a little something extra"

in each of your days.

Marian

Catherine West - Bridge of Faith - Digital Giveaway!

Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, Catherine West visits Lagniappe to discuss her latest release, Bridge of Faith.

Welcome, Cathy!

Tell us about Bridge of Faith

Two lives taken down different roads - one enduring love - one shot at starting over.                   If only they believed in second chances.

Julia Connelly is finally free from twelve long years in an abusive relationship. Now able to live the life she’s longed for, Julia takes her two children back home to Vermont, hoping for peace and healing. The last person she expects to see is the man she eloped with at eighteen—who then abandoned her two months into their marriage, with little explanation.

When an assignment in the Middle East ends in tragedy, popular news correspondent, Reid Wallace, returns to his hometown seeking answers and peace of mind.

Confronting his past was not in the plan.

Now he’s asking different questions. Like why the only woman he’s ever really loved still mesmerizes him. Why the haunted expression she wears reaches right into his soul.

And why her twelve year-old son looks just like him.

They say you can’t go home again. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.

Here's the Amazon link for Bridge of Faith: http://amzn.to/1cqx4vM

What Bible verse speaks to you the most?

Cathy: I always love this question. Lately it’s been Isaiah 43:19

“Behold I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

SO much truth in that! Because God is ALWAYS faithful!

Give readers your brand/tagline and share how you came up with it.

Cathy: “Stories that resonate.” My goal with the books I write is not simply to entertain, but I really pray my words will touch someplace deep inside, that my readers will come away changed in some way. I want them to remember the story and the characters long after the last page is turned, and I truly pray that they see a glimpse of God’s grace and mercy in every book I write. Any more than that is totally up to God, but He can do anything!

Give us the description of the ideal person you wish would read your book.

Cathy: My ideal reader is probably pretty much like me. I like an intense story that deals with real issues at a believable emotional level, and leaves me wanting more at the end. They enjoy characters who may be flawed, but willing to do something about it, and they want their stories to dig a little deeper. I’m not much into fluff and I don’t believe in sugar-coating, so my ideal reader won’t either.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Cathy: Apart from buying the books?! LOL! Word of mouth is absolutely key. If you like a book, tell people about it! Write a review on Amazon or GoodReads or other venues. Write to the author and tell them what you enjoyed and why. This is actually how I created my Promotional Team for Bridge of Faith. I kept a list of names of readers who’d taken the time to reach out in some way with my other novels, and I invited them to join the team for this one. And the fun thing is, most times all these excited readers turn into friends too!

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from?

Cathy: I think my parents. They were big readers and I started at a very early age, and soon learned to love books. Trips to the library were just the highlight of my week! I was always good at writing at school, and as I got older I’d make up my own stories in my free time. So I suppose the writing bug bit hard and stuck. I’m so grateful to my Mom & Dad for always encouraging me to read, and to pursue my dream of becoming a published author.

Can you give us a brief summary of your writing process from idea to holding a published book or a download onto your eReader.

Cathy: Oh, my word, I don’t think we have enough time for that!! LOL! Actually, ideas sort of pop into my head and I play around with them until something sticks. I develop a few characters and let them have at it. If they won’t stop talking to me, then I know I’m onto something. I usually just start free-writing at this point. If the chapters flow and I don’t get stuck, I keep going. Unfortunately I am NOT a plotter, so I just have to let it pour out, then go back and fix it later. Usually it makes sense, which is great, but oftentimes there’s quite a mess to clean up. But I’ve tried plotting and it seems to send my muse running off into the sunset … so I muddle through.

If you could have been the author of any classic book, which one would you choose and why?

Cathy: AH! Pride & Prejudice! Because who doesn’t ADORE Jane Austen? This is such a classic, but timeless romance and I never get tired of reading it! And I have to say I love the movie version too! And now I want to watch it again!

What can we expect from you in the future?

Cathy: Well, there are some exciting things on the horizon for me! I'll be able to share more about this soon, but my readers can definitely expect more books from me in the future!

Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, Hidden in the Heart, released in September 2012, was long listed in the 2012 INSPY’s and was a finalist in the 2013 Grace Awards. Catherine’s latest novel, Bridge of Faith, is now available on Amazon.

When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at:

 Website – http://www.catherinejwest.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CatherineJWest

Twitter - https://twitter.com/cathwest

GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4715219.Catherine_West

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/cathwest/

Google + - https://plus.google.com/u/0/108781711729974539211/posts

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-West/e/B004RWZUHK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Cathy, thanks so much for sharing!

Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.

To win a digital copy of Cathy's book, answer one of the following or all five:

Pride and Prejudice or Gone with the Wind?
Coffee or Tea?
eReader or Paper book?

Dogs or Cats?

More important: Plot or Characters?

The winner will be chosen next Monday so 

check back to see if you've won!

I pray you find

"a little something extra"

in each of your days.

Marian

Angela Ruth Strong - False Security

Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, Angela Ruth Strong visits Lagniappe and discusses her latest release, False Security which she published with the other members of Team Love on the Run.

Welcome, Angela! 

Tell us a little about Team Love on the Run.

Team Love on the Run is a group of four writers who love romantic suspense. We are going to be putting out a book set of novellas twice a year. Our first one just came out, and it’s so much fun. I’m honored to get to work with such great Love Inspired Suspense authors. My story is titled False Security and was based on the idea of a character like Danny Ocean from Ocean’s Eleven getting saved in jail. Of course, nobody is going to believe he’s a changed man. Especially the woman who arrested him.

If you could be any character, from any book who would you be? Why? 
Lady Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel. I read this book in 8^th grade, and I believe it’s where my love of hidden identities started. I mean, her husband was practically the world’s first super hero, and she didn’t even know it. How intriguing is that?

What's on your writing playlist these days? 
Train. Their song Mermaid would be the perfect opening song to my manuscript Romancing the Throne (currently being shopped by my agent), and Save Me San Francisco fits my next novella for Team Love on the Run. But I’m probably partial to the band because my husband proposed to me in a movie theater to a slideshow of our lives with the song Marry Me.

What Bible verse speaks to you the most? 
Right now it’s I Samuel 16:7. “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” This verse fits with the whole idea of hidden identities and also inspired False Security.

Give readers your brand/tagline and share how you came up with it. 
“Light-hearted and life-changing.” I may write suspense, but it has to have some humor in it and it has to make the reader think deep thoughts, otherwise I don’t feel like I’ve done my job.

What led you to choose the genre in which you write? I’ve always loved romance. That is until my ex-husband left me right after I sold my first novel Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho. Then I had to write the thing while my own love life was falling apart, and I decided to never write romance again. That is until I met Mr. Strong. *swoon* Love changes lives, people. There’s nothing else I’d rather write about. The suspense part just kinda happened when FBI agents started showing up in my stories and stuff.

What author's books do you enjoy reading? 
Besides the other authors on Team Love on the Run—Heather Woodhaven, Lisa Phillips, and Becky Avella—I also enjoy reading books by Deeanne Gist (also light-hearted and life-changing), Tracey Bateman (she makes me laugh and cry my eyes out), Rachel Hauck (do you see a theme here?), and Denise Hunter (she’s just amazing).

What is your hope for the readers of your books? 
HOPE. I love that word. It’s my life mission. So I HOPE to inspire, create, and encourage HOPE in myself and others through my writing.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? 
Heck yeah, I read reviews. I write for those people after all. If they love the book, I want to know. If they didn’t get it, I want to know. I appreciate feedback and try to learn from it. I can always grow.

What is the most awkward situation you've ever put your character(s) into? 
Whoa, baby. I am so mean to my characters. In False Security, Laney pulls a gun on the man who loves her. And that’s just the beginning of my cruelty.

Where is one place you want to visit that you haven't been before and is it a place you'd set a story? Everywhere. And yes.

Give us the description of the ideal person you wish would read your book. 
You.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from? 
My parents. Dad tells stories. (Seriously. When playing “The Dating Game” my mom was asked what was one thing she would change about her husband and she said, “He wouldn’t tell so many stories.”) And Mom writes. (When I was little she sold an article about me to Woman’s World. They printed it along with a picture of me and my 8-year-old mullet haircut.)

What's the worst job you've had and how has it helped your writing? 
Last fall I took a seasonal job at what I thought was going to be a gift shop like Harry and David’s. Good hours. Good pay. But … I also had to help out with butchering dead animals. For eight hours a day. Wearing an XXL butcher jacket in a freezing warehouse. My mom came to get a gift box and laughed her head off at me. Joe, the Mexican butcher, liked to lecture me about how I should have a real job and not just write at home. And the owner liked to make fun of how I always wore pretty shoes even though they got bloody. I hated it at first. HATED. But then I changed my attitude. And ended up changing the whole attitude of the place. Plus I realized how vanilla most of my characters are compared to real people who work at butcher shops. I will fondly remember the experience as “the Christmas of bloody pig butts.”

What can we expect from you in the future?

Falling Hard will be book 2 from Team Love on the Run, releasing this fall.

I’m entering a contest with Love Inspired Suspense, so I hope to be writing for them soon.

My agent is shopping a full-length romantic suspense titled Romancing the Throne. Fingers crossed…ahem…I mean, God’s will be done.

I also write for kids. My Fun4Hire series will delight reluctant readers ages 8-12. The third book, The Food Fight Professional, released last month. 

Check it out at www.angelaruthstrong.com.

LIGHTNING ROUND   

These are sooo hard.

Plotter, Pantser, or Planser?

eReader or Paper book?

Biscuits or Dinner Roll?

Nora Roberts or Diana Gabaldon?

Birthday Card: Email or Snail Mail?

Angela sold her first story to a national magazine while still in high school and went on to study journalism at the University 

of Oregon. Her debut novel Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho released in 2010. She started IDAhope Writers to inspire other authors, and she has currently won the Idaho Top Author Award two years in a row. Find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.angelaruthstrong.com.

BUY LINK FOR HER BOOK:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Team-Love-Run-Box-Set-1-ebook/dp/B00TVD8UUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428688582&sr=8-1&keywords=team+love+on+the+run

Angela, thanks so much for sharing!

Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.

Angela's question to you:

What is your life mission?

Leave a comment to tell us YOUR answer! 

I pray you find 

"a little something extra" 

in each of your days.

Marian