Talkshow Thursday: Sitting Down with Hope Toler Dougherty

Talkshow Thursday: 

Sitting Down with Hope Toler Dougherty

Linda:  Thanks for joining me today. It’s nice to have you back again. I love the cover for Rescued Hearts, your romantic suspense novel. Is there a real building that gave you inspiration for the plot? Did you have any input about the cover photo?

Hope: Thanks so much, Linda. The talented Diane Cretsinger Turpin created that cover for me, and yes, it’s a real house on my road. I thought it looked like the perfect abandoned house in the story. I took a picture and sent it to Diane to show her what I was thinking. She took it from there. I had some input with the font and changed the bike from red to purple to match the one in the story.

LM: The age old question for writers – are you a planner or a “pantster,” and what is your favorite part of the writing process?

Hope: I’m mostly a “pantster.” Since I write love stories, I have the normal main story arc of girl meets boy; attraction occurs; conflict happens; conflict is resolved, and they live happily ever after. I may have a few scenes that I know will happen, but I don’t plan the whole outline. Sometimes writing the story is like reading it because I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen in the next scene. That’s when I pray really hard!

I love writing dialog. I like writing the first draft when it’s going fast and smooth. I really like editing, though, when I tinker with a sentence until it’s close to perfect. I’m such a nerd. I love looking for the exact word that fits a situation.

LM: How did you get started as a writer, and how did you decide to seek publication?

Hope: As an old English major/English teacher, I always wanted to write a book, but the reality of doing it was daunting. I couldn’t figure it out, so I wrote sporadically for local newspapers and magazines—never enough to make a living at it, but enough to keep my clippings file current.

When our oldest daughter was weeks away from high school graduation, I knew my life was beginning to change. Her siblings would follow right behind her, and my cushy but demanding gig as a domestic engineer would be over.

I wanted to focus on my freelance writing and decided to write a piece for Guideposts Magazine. As soon as I wrote what I thought would be the topic, I began daydreaming about Ireland. That daydream became one of the early scenes in my first novel, Irish Encounter. It took quite a while, however, before I admitted I was writing a book. I called it a writing project even as it grew to 60,000 words and beyond!

My husband pushed me to “do something with it,” so I went to my first writing conference, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and started meeting other writers, editors, and agents.

LM: I love the story on your blog about your rose garden. I’ve had terrible luck with growing most flowers, especially roses. How do you juggle your gardening with your writing?

Hope: I’m so flattered that you think I juggle writing and gardening! Ha! Unfortunately, I always have too many weeds. This is the first year of the rose garden, and we wanted it to get established well. We had some help with the planting and spraying. I love seeing those plants when I drive down our driveway. I love cutting the roses and bringing in bouquets. Spending a half hour in the garden is a nice break from writing and a good way to loosen any blocks in the creative process!

LM: Here are some quickies:

Favorite childhood book: The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Favorite color: Lapis blue

Favorite vacation place: We’ve spent several vacations in Ireland. In fact, Irish Encounter is partially set in Galway, my favorite city. My passport is up to date, and I could go back any time. We also love Deer Valley, a YMCA family camp in central Pennsylvania. My husband went there as a child, worked as a counselor for a few years, and our family loves every minute we get to spend there.

LM: What is your next project?

Hope: My agent, Jim Hart, is looking for a publishing home for my fourth manuscript. I’m taking notes for my fifth. I know the characters and the meet cute. I’m still trying to figure out a few more things before I actually begin writing.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Hope: https://hopetolerdougherty.com/

Thank you for having me on your blog. You asked some fun questions, Linda!

LM: You're welcome! I hope you'll come back to visit again!

Book Blurb: 

Children's clothing designer Mary Wade Kimball's soft spot for animals leads to a hostage situation when she spots a briar-entangled kitten in front of an abandoned house. Beaten, bound, and gagged by the two thugs inside, Mary Wade loses hope for escape when a third villain returns with supplies.

Discovering the kidnapped woman ratchets the complications for undercover agent Brett Davis. Weighing the difference of ruining his three months' investigation against the woman's safety, Brett forsakes his mission and helps her escape, the bent-on-revenge brutes following behind.

When Mary Wades' safety is threatened once more, Brett rescues her again. This time, her personal safety isn't the only thing in jeopardy. Her heart is endangered as well.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074SXJLH4

Traveling Tuesday: Nevada and WWII

Traveling Tuesday: Nevada and WWII

Nevada gets short shrift in comparison to its famous city, Las Vegas. The state offers much more than gambling and chorus girls, and during WWII stepped up to “do its bit” like the other U.S. states and territories.

Mining was a major industry in Nevada well before the war began. However, as demand for copper, silver, and other important raw materials rose, mining companies expanded operations, hiring thousands of personnel who worked around the clock. In just two years production almost doubled when it rose to $43,864,107. One of Nevada’s most important contributions was magnesium. At its peak, the state mined five million pounds per day for a total or more than one hundred sixty six million ingots by war’s end, one-quarter of all magnesium used by the War Department for munitions casings and aircraft parts.

As with other states in the West, Nevada’s weather, wide open spaces, railroad connections, and proximity to California made it an excellent location for training pilots. Four airfields (Reno, Tonopah, Indian Springs, and Las Vegas) became the major installations, but there were others throughout the state. Targets were set in the deserts so that B-17 and B-24 crews could prepare for missions. Six hundred gunnery and 215 co-pilots graduated every five weeks, and by the end of the war 45,000 gunners had completed training in Nevada, including those who were tasked with dropping the atomic bombs on Japan.

Despite its remoteness from either coast, Nevada was not used as a site for the internment of Japanese or prisoners of war. Governor Edward Carville refused on the grounds that he didn’t not want his state used “as a dumping ground for enemy aliens.” The few enemy aliens who did reside in Nevada were faced with mixed response. Not all Japanese were forced to move to relocation camps, but many who stated were required to adhere to new restrictions and laws such as registering themselves and turning in all weapons and short-wave radios.

Hoover Dam Bunker

Built between 1931 and 1936, Hoover Dam (formerly Boulder Dam) is located over the Colorado River on the border of Nevada and Arizona. A major provider of hydroelectricity for the defense factories in California, the facility was considered a vulnerable target. Government agencies monitored possible German and Japanese threats and precautions were taken to ensure its safety. In addition to being protected by over eight hundred men from Camp Williston, access to the dam by visitors was restricted, and navigation on Lake Mead around the dam was prohibited.

Men and women from around the state served in uniform with distinction, and nearly 600 soldier, sailors, and airmen lost their lives.

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Allison Garcia

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Allison Garcia 

Linda:  Welcome to my blog! You are one busy lady. You recently released a book in September and just published another as part of a novella set called A Merry Navidad. How did that project come about and what was your inspiration for the story?

Allison: Thanks for having me, Linda! Well, I was looking for sensitivity readers for Finding Amor and Cindy Flores Martinez accepted the offer, and I found out she also wrote Latino Christian fiction. I was soooo excited because I thought I was the only one writing in the genre. She told me she knew a couple more writers of Latino Christian fiction, and we formed a Facebook group called Latino Fiction Writers in the Light, where Cynthia Marcano (one of the members) brought up the idea of a Christmas novella set featuring Latino Christian fiction. That was the birth of A Merry Navidad. My novella in the set is called “Navidad & Familia” and takes a look at a couple side characters from Finding Amor, Nancy and her daughter, Kayli. They are new Christians, so I wanted to capture the joy of Christmas understanding its true meaning for the first time while also celebrating traditional Mexican holiday food and emphasizing the importance of loving your family.

LM: Research is a necessary part to writing any book. What sort of “wow” or “aha” moment have you had when researching one of your books and you knew you had to include the information?

Allison: For my current project, I have been looking for information about the U.S.’s involvement in some of the chaos in Central America (as in the Buscando Home series, the main characters are from El Salvador). I learned that decades ago Guatemala was going to do reparations towards their indigenous populations because of land taken from them, but that the U.S. didn’t want to lose their banana plantations there, so we sent arms and money to overthrow their government, which led to a brutal decades-long war that made their country unstable. That broke my heart for so many reasons, and I knew I had to have one of the characters, Lauren, stumble across that information at some point so the reader learns it too. There’s so much we don’t learn about in school!

LM: What do you come up with first: Title, character names, or plot?

Allison: I think plot first….then a combo of title and names. I usually get an idea for a character(s) and what is going to happen to them in the story. Then I like to think about a name that fits them and also a name that fits the book. I usually get character names before book titles, I think. Sometimes I have loads of fun looking up names!

LM: What writers influence you the most?

Allison: I really enjoy Reyna Grande, Barbara Kingsolver, the Bronte sisters, Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling, and the authors and the Author of the Bible. J

LM: Here are some quickies:

Favorite Actor/Actress: Tom Hanks/Meryl Streep

Favorite Bible Verse: Romans 5:3-5

Favorite Season: Spring

LM: What is something that you wish you knew how to do?

Allison: Skateboard. I loved playing Tony Hawks games and watching videos. I don’t even think I could stay on it for ten seconds…

LM: Can you tell us what writing projects are on your plate right now?

Allison: Currently I’m doing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I’m working on book 2 of the Buscando Home series, Finding Seguridad. So far, I’m closing in on 30k words. I’m getting to an interesting spot so I’m excited about writing it!

Linda: Where can folks connect with you?

Allison: There are lots of ways! I love connecting with fans!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/allisonkgarciaauthor

Instagram: @allisonkgarciaauthor

Twitter: @athewriter

Blog: http://allisonkgarcia.wordpress.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/findingamor

A Merry Navidad: Four Latino Christmas novellas-each story with a set of traditional Latino Christmas recipes.

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/dp/B07K37WL84

Traveling Tuesday: The Sunshine State Does its Bit

Traveling Tuesday: The Sunshine State Does its Bit

Like all other U.S. states, Florida sent its sons and daughters into war zones. More than a quarter of a million Floridians served in uniform, approximately 3,000 of whom gave their lives. The state also participated on the home front in many ways.

Because of Florida’s warm climate and an extensive amount of vacant land, it was an excellent choice for housing and training soldiers, sailors, and airmen. In 1940, there were eight military installations. Just three years later, there were over 170, ranging from extremely large to relatively small camps. Two of the larger complexes were Camp Blanding, near Starke, and the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

Blanding became Florida’s fourth largest city during the war, growing to 180,000 acres and housing 55,000 soldiers and several thousand POWs. Construction entailed the use of over 22,000 civilians. Unfortunately the pace of construction created severe housing problems, forcing some workers to sleep in their cars or pitch tents for lack of lodging facilities.

Flat lands and beaches offered training opportunities for myriad campaigns including the landing at Normandy. Military facilities became so overcrowded that the government turned to the hotel industry. Some billeted troops while others were converted to makeshift hospitals for personnel returning from overseas.

The shipbuilding industry exploded, and many began to refer to Florida as the Steel State.  Wainwright in Panama City built 108 vessels with 15,000 workers. Another 9,000 employees worked in Tampa, and even landlocked Orlando produced 9,000 assault boats using in amphibious landing operations.

One of Florida’s largest contributions to the war effort was their agricultural industry. For the first time, the state surpassed California’s production of citrus. In 1942, Florida growers patented a process to make frozen concentrated orange juice. Much of this such was a result of importing more than 75,000 Bahamians and Jamaicans to work in the fields, taking the place of citizens who had left for the armed forces.

War arrived in Florida in the shape of German U-boats who managed to sink over twenty-four ships off both coasts. One of the most famous of these incidents occurred near the Jacksonville Pier. The Gulfamerica, an 8,000 ton steam tanker, was on its maiden voyage. One scholar commented about the “chivalrous” actions of the German commander: rather than finishing off the tanker by shooting toward the pier crowded with civilians, he surfaced the sub between the pier and the ailing ship and shot toward the open ocean.

As a result of these attacks, patrols were formed to defend the coastlines. Mr. Guy Allen of Tampa is credited with establishing an unofficial motorcycle corps which later became part of the State Defense Council and escorted military convoys.

Talkshow Thursday: June Foster's Story Behind the Story

Talkshow Thursday: June Foster's Story Behind the Story

A Harvest of Blessing was inspired by a real life couple my husband and I met in Pensacola, Florida. Several years ago we were traveling and living in our RV full time. Since my husband is retired army, we generally stayed on military posts in their RV parks. This year we stayed at Pensacola Naval Air Station and attended the military chapel.

One Sunday we got to talking to a great couple and wound up going to lunch with them after church. Their story amazed me. They were both visiting the graves of their dead spouses when they met. They even pointed out the graveyard as we passed on the way to lunch.

Cupid went to work, and they eventually married. Their story has been on my mind for several years, and I finally got the chance to tell it in A Harvest of Blessing where my hero and heroine who're in their mid fifties meet in a graveyard. But that's where the similarity ends. I deviated from the real couple and made Nadia's husband a jerk and Jared's daughter an obstacle between the two of them.

In the story, Nadia's son David is serving a tour of duty in Germany. I put him in Germany because my husband and I were there before he retired from the army. Wood carvings abound in the European country,  and I thought it would be fun to have David bring one of the lovely pieces—like the one I own—back home for his mom. The real wood carving used to hang on my mom's wall. Today it sits on a cabinet in my dining room.

The carving is special to me as it is the artist's rendition of a loaf of bread and a chalice, an important element in Christianity—communion or the Lord's Supper.

I loved writing A Harvest of Blessing as this is the first book I've penned where the characters are middle aged. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Book Blurb:

If there's one thing Nadia Maguire knows, Jon Maguire robbed her of a godly marriage and left her in financial ruin. The night he was killed in an accident, guilt threatened to suffocate her. She wasn't sorry he died.

When Nadia accidentally sits on a stranger's lap in the graveyard where Jon is buried, she's horrified to learn the good-looking guy with salt and pepper hair is her new boss.

Jared Abrams is a widower who longs to move on. He's intrigued by the beautiful woman who puts God first in her life. But as their friendship grows, an unexpected obstacle separates them—his daughter Sarah. No one can replace her mother. Especially not Nadia Maguire whose son harmed her in high school.

If Nadia can't find the funds to get her house ready to sell, she'll have to balance two jobs with no time left to nurture a relationship with the man she loves. Will she and Jared find a Harvest of Blessings, or a season of drought?

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H36HMJN

Mystery Monday: Crimebake Mystery Conference

Mystery Monday: Crimebake Mystery Conference

This past weekend, I attended Crimebake, an annual mystery writing conference in Woburn, Massachusetts jointly produced by Mystery Writers of America and the New England chapter of Sisters in Crime. This year marks my eleventh conference, yet I learn something new (usually lots of "somethings") every time I come.

A Master class in forensics was chock-full of information to ensure I'll get my facts correct. Panels on writing short fiction and upending cliches rounded out the afternoon. A seminar on marketing tips and techniques is always helpful, and it was nice to find out I'm doing some of right! During his interview, Guest of Honor Walter Mosley shared that he was rejected seventeen(!) times for his latest book before it was accepted by a publisher. You would think fifty-four books in thirty years would have publishers lining up to release it.

As much as I love coming for the writer-part, I love the reader-part of rubbing shoulders with authors
I admire, some of whom are NY Times or USA best sellers for good reason, others who haven't received awards, but write some of the best mystery fiction I've read. Here are a couple of goose-bump-worthy incidents:

While I was standing in the registration line on Friday afternoon, Hank Phillippi Ryan intentionally approached me, gave me a big hug, and said how glad she was to see me. Hank, who has won countless awards for her investigative reporting and for her writing! Hank, treating me like a friend and cohort. And she does it every year.

Friday night, Tiger Wiseman and I ran the SinCNE game "Pin the Wound on the Corpse." (Yes, you read that right!) Chatting with one of the contestants I mentioned I wrote historical fiction and had several books published. Didn't two women overhear me and rush over to ask me about my books. They also asked questions about the industry, and I was pleased to be able to share from my experiences.

The weekend passed in a flash, and I'm already looking forward to next year's conference.

Do you attend industry conferences for your job? I hope they are as exciting as Crimebake!

Talkshow Thursday: Author Linore Burkard

Talkshow Thursday: Author Linore Burkard

Linda:  Welcome back and thanks for joining me today. My readers love historical fiction, so they will be very excited to hear about your latest box set release, The Regency Trilogy. It sounds intriguing. What was your inspiration for these stories?

Linore: I am a big fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, but when I looked for Christian fiction set in the regency (1811-1820, England) there was none. Not a single authentic regency romance in Christian fiction. My goal was to change that. With the help of Nick Harrison, then editor at Harvest House, we did. With his help, Harvest picked up my first book, Before the Season Ends, which was previously self-published. I wrote two more books for HHP, the sequels which make up the box set. Readers—and other writers—loved the books and soon there were regencies coming from other fiction houses.  So that today regency romance is an established genre for Christian readers! 

LM: How do you come up with your characters? Are they based on any real people in your life?

Linore: I don't think any author can wholly avoid incorporating traits of people they know, or of themselves, for that matter, into their characters. But I never fashion a character entirely upon anyone that I actually know. 

LM: Research is an important part of writing, but especially in historical fiction. How did you go about researching Before the Season Ends and did you find any special tidbits you knew you had to include?

Linore: I wanted to include features I most enjoyed in the authors I loved, so that humor in the vein of Heyer is in my books, and language faintly in the style of Austen (many reviewers mention that. One called it "Jane Austen Lite.") I wanted to give my readers the best of both worlds, so to speak. 

LM: What do you do to prepare yourself for writing? For example do you listen to music or set up in a specific place?

Linore: I don't do anything to prepare for writing, other than have an idea about where I want to go in the story. If it's a new story, it's only new to the page; meaning, I've been simmering it in my head for a long time before I write it out. This isn't to say that I don't sometimes take writing retreats away from home and family. When the writing is hard in a new book, or when the revisions are difficult (I call it 'brain surgery') I sometimes have to get away.  It's the only way to have uninterrupted time.

LM: What one thing would you like to learn how to do?

Linore: I'd like to learn how to squeeze in more reading time while still meeting my writing and publishing goals! 

LM: Quickies:

Linore:

Favorite Color: Mauve/Rose

Favorite Book: The Bible (or, The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck—one of my faves)

Favorite Movie Actress: Rosamund Pike, Keira Knightley or Reese Witherspoon

LM: What is your next project?

Linore: I have a time-travel regency with my agent as I write. Next I'm working on a compilation of true-life God encounters! My first non-fiction book.

LM: Sounds exciting. Where can folks find you on the web?

Linore: 

Websites: http://www.LinoreBurkard.com,  http://www.LRBurkard.com,  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorNewsfromLinore/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinoreRBurkard
Blog: http://todayswomanoffaith.blogspot.com


Book Blurb:
Lovely Ariana Forsythe arrives at her wealthy aunt's London townhouse just in time for the season, called the "marriage mart." Thrust into a world of the upper crust, an innocent blunder entangles her in a treacherous rumor that threatens her good name. She is forced to team with the Paragon, the darkly handsome but taciturn Phillip Mornay, to disprove the lie. Ariana can trust God's hand in her life, but can she resist Mr. Mornay's increasing claim on her heart? When she finds herself betrothed to him, she is faced with a terrible choice--she must make it soon, before the season ends!

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFFHW5L