Today her debut novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, comes out! The back cover copy ::

In this historical romance loosely based on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, a woodcutter’s daughter becomes the town healer’s apprentice. Rose’s job is to care for the sick and injured in Hagenheim Castle. But she gets sick at the sight of blood and is more suited to making up stories than sewing up wounds. She is determined to overcome her weakness and prove herself a competent healer, or she faces marrying a disgusting old merchant her mother has picked out for her.

Lord Hamlin, the future ruler of the region, is injured and Rose must overcome her squeamishness to save him. He is everything that is noble and good, but loving him is forbidden. He is already betrothed to a mysterious woman in hiding. With two noble-born brothers vying for her affections, Rose learns that the people of Hagenheim are not always who they seem.

Melanie, thank you for stopping by to visit with us today! Your novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, is a medieval romance. What has attracted you to this genre?

Thank you, Heidi, for having me on your blog! I’m excited to be here.

I have always loved medieval times, knights, castles, girls in beautiful long dresses. The period is so colorful and romantic. I’ve also always loved fairy tales as well, and one day I got the idea to take the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and flesh it out and twist it a little bit, making the story more realistic. In other words, how would this story play out if it really happened? At the time I didn’t even realize the “fairy tale retelling” genre existed.

The trailer to The Healers Apprentice can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2m9-Ap4IZE

What’s your favorite classic fairy tale movie and why?

Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite.

What’s your favorite current fairy tale movie and why?

I like lots of fairy tale-ish movies, such as Ella Enchanted, Enchanted, and Penelope. Mention “fairy tale” and I’m in! I think it has to do with being a hopeless romantic. J

I love those three current movies as well! Melanie, your bio on your website is slim of personal facts, so enlighten us: Coffee or soda?

Soda, but it has to be caffeine free, unfortunately. My body decided, a few years ago, that it can’t tolerate caffeine. I’ve never been a coffee drinker.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Pool, lake or ocean (for the view or the swimming?)

I’ll go with … lake. For the view. I can’t swim.

Favorite television show?

I don’t watch television! Not at all, I’m afraid. Not even the news.

Yikes! I don’t watch much television either, but zero? GOOD for you! Favorite recent movie?

I love movies! I recently saw Letters to Juliet. It was pretty good. I took my daughters to see Ramona and Beezus and that was good too. Penelope is a recent favorite. Oh, and I loved Bright Star! Very, very sweet and romantic, though sad at the end. It’s the story of Keats and the woman he loved.

Favorite time of the day to read a novel for leisure?

I usually only read at night, when I’m too tired to write or do housework! It’s the only time I don’t feel guilty for reading!

Same here!! Fascinating, I can always tell a lot about people with a little bit of personal history mixed in! So, if you don’t mind, tell us a little bit about your position as the coordinator of the ACFW Book Club.

Well, I was the ACFW Book Club coordinator for a couple of years, but I stepped down several months ago. Nora St. Laurent is doing an excellent job in that role now. But I enjoyed being the coordinator. I felt like I was doing something to give back to the ACFW organization, which had given so much to me. I was serving Christian fiction fans as well as the authors whose books they were reading. It was a fun experience, and I only stepped down because of life’s responsibilities and a lack of time. The day I told Margaret Daley that I had to quit, I actually cried! It was sad. L

Thank you for taking that time to give back to the writing community, everyone involved appreciates it! Please share how you plot and what your daily writing goals are.

It varies greatly! I don’t have a set way to plot. I usually let the plot come to me gradually. Sometimes I use the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook to help me a little bit with plot. Mostly I just lie awake at night and think about all the possibilities. And my daily writing goals vary according to whether my editor needs me to do revisions. Normally, my goal is to get as much done as possible between the time my kids leave for school and the time they get home!

You have a degree in special education, why did you go to school for that degree and do you use it currently?

I went to school to be a special education teacher of the hearing impaired. I was fascinated with sign language and deaf children learning to speak and interact after I saw a documentary on PBS. I used my degree by teaching in public schools for three and a half years. I stopped teaching when my first child was born, and my career goal now is to write novels for the rest of my life!

Thank you for stopping by to visit today Melanie. Your novel sounds intriguing and the front cover is absolutely wonderful! Enjoy your book signings coming up soon J

Thank you, Heidi! I’ve enjoyed our conversation. Now I hope your readers will talk to me and let me know what kind of books they like to read. Do you like romance? How about lots of drama, or comedy? Does the idea of a fairy tale retold in a realistic way appeal to you? Do tell! I’m curious.

Yes readers, talk to us!!

September 1, 2010: Always the Baker Never the Bride – Abingdon Press

Just ask Emma Rae Travis about that. A baker of confections who is diabetic and can’t enjoy them? When Emma meets Jackson Drake, the escapee from Corporate America who is starting a wedding destination hotel to fulfill a dream that belonged to someone else, this twosome and their crazy family ties bring new meaning to the term Family Circus. The Atlanta social scene will never be the same!

October 1, 2010: Love Finds You in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California – Summerside Press

Annie Gray has an epiphany: she is not living the life she’s always dreamed of. She decides to start fresh, drawing inspiration from her favorite classic Hollywood films. First, Annie moves into the picturesque Carmel bungalow belonging to her grandmother – a retired film star. Next up: landing an exciting job as a private investigator’s assistant. But Annie’s new boss is no Humphrey Bogart, and the work isn’t quite what she pictured. Just when everything in Annie’s screen-worthy plan teeters on the brink of disaster, she has another epiphany. Will this one land her in the arms of her own leading man?

RECOGNITION for Sandra D. Bricker:

• Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The Write Touch Readers’ Awards.
• Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The National Readers’ Choice Awards.
• Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest.
• Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida is a 2010 finalist in the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest.
• Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida is a 2010 finalist in the Booksellers’ Best Awards.

Sandra, thank you for stopping by to visit with us today. Congratulations on the release of Always the Baker, Never the Bride on September 1^st.

Thanks so much! I’m really excited to be here.

With three novels (The Big 5-OH!, Always the Baker, Never the Bride and Love Finds You in Caramel-by-the-Sea, California) releasing in 2010 (and three novels released in 2009), how have you juggled writing new novels and marketing the newly released novels?

In the beginning, it was quite a challenge, especially since I also work a full-time “day job,” so 40+ hours every week belong to someone else. But once I got into the groove of scheduling, it started to fall into place. Normally, the contracted novel has to be turned in about 8 months to a year before it’s released. So once the book has been written and turned in, that’s when I work on the proposals for the next ones. As those proposals make their rounds, I work on the revision edits of the contracted books. It’s kind of like one of those circus acts where they run around from one pole to the other to keep the plates spinning.

Would you share how you plot?

I’m not really a plotter, at least not in terms of outlining my whole story before I start writing. I usually start with one or two scenes or situations in my head, and I use that to inspire me as I write by the seat of my big old pants.

You’ve written romantic comedy, romantic suspense, mystery, and novels for middle grade readers. What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

Romantic comedy seems to be where publishers want me, and what continues to sell to them. It was a bit of an accident that this is the genre where I’ve been branded, so publishers are going to buy from me what they think my readers will want, and that has turned out to be romantic comedy. I don’t really regret that because I’ve always been a big fan of the genre, but for some reason it’s just not where I’d expected to land as a writer. Now that I have a few of them under my belt as a writer, however, it feels like home.

My preference to read is normally suspense. I really love a book that will keep me thinking, and that keeps me on the edge of my seat.

You have a Collie named Sophie, I have a rescue Jack Russell Terrier named Sophie! My favorite thing about my Sophie is that she loves unconditionally. The scariest thing is that she likes to hunt and has killed many snakes, including a copperhead that she killed (but it bit her and sent her to the ER for two days). What is your most favorite thing about your Sophie and scariest (if you have one)?

Oh wow. I’m sorry about your Sophie’s drama! Jack Russells are such high energy explorers though, so it’s not surprising that she went flying into battle against the wrong opponent. My Sophie is more of a comedienne. She’s always doing funny things to entertain me, and she really responds when I start to laugh at her. Sometimes I’ll watch her laying in the grass in the back yard, staring up at the sky, and I swear I can just see her wheels turning about what she’s going to do next. The only thing about her that really scares me is that she’s so unbelievably sensitive. If I raise my voice and correct her, she completely falls apart and takes it to heart, to the point of making herself sick. I have to keep that in mind all the time.

Sounds like your Sophie has a tender heart. So sweet!

I see you co-wrote a novel, Be Still and Let Your Nail Polish Dry, with Loree Lough. She is such a sweetie, was it a laugh a minute working with her? And how did you plot a novel with three authors?

Loree is truly one of my dearest friends. I’ve known her for ten years or more. She was one of my biggest supporters when I had cancer, and she’s one of the first writers I turn to when I need to brainstorm a new plot. Working with her on Be Still was a joy; all four of us really forged a special bond through that process, but it was a special situation in that it wasn’t a novel. It was a devotional, so each of us knew what our role was, but we worked on our portions of the book individually. I’m not sure I’d be able to plot a novel with anyone else.

Oops, I didn’t notice Be Still was a devotional, that cover so looks like a novel! I need to spend more time researching instead of being a SOP interviewer!

Thank you for stopping by to visit today Sandra, it’s been fun having you!

Thanks so much for having me.

WEB SITE: For more information, visit the author’s Web site at www.SandraDBricker.com.

BLOG: http://sandradbricker.blogspot.com

Jen lives in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She teaches third grade at a Christian school and is very active with the youth in her church. A member of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Nashville Christian Writers Association, she writes in her “spare” time. Her first novel, The Heart’s Journey Home, released in February 2010. The second book in the Harvest Bay series, The Heart’s Lullaby, is scheduled to release in March 2011.

Backcover copy for The Heart’s Journey Home :: Three years after the unexpected death of Kate Sterling’s husband, she moves back to Harvest Bay, Ohio, with her young daughter. She soon discovers that things have changed in the sleepy little community she grew up in. When she suffers another devastating loss, she finally understands that the One who loves and cares for her has given her a second chance at love. But is God leading her to a love linked to the past . . . or to one who will walk with her into the future?

Jen, thank you for stopping by to visit with us today and congratulations on your debut novel, The Heart’s Journey Home. Grab a cup of coffee and we can chat!

Thank you so much, Heidi! I’m so glad to be here today! You have such a beautiful site! Oooo, I love coffee – plain with flavored creamer. My favorite is the International Delight flavor white chocolate macadamia nut. Be right back! J

What was the inspiration behind writing The Heart’s Journey Home?

Well, I’m a wife, a mama, and a teacher so I knew I had to incorporate those aspects in this book. Of course, there had to be some romance and faith issues. Also my parents divorced when I was really little and my daddy passed away nine and a half years ago, and I really wanted to connect with my readers who might have experienced some sort of loss in their life. However, I had no idea that writing this book would help me heal and in the end it actually inspired me!

How do you plot?

I’m a terrible plotter! Mostly I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer which has been the cause of some major blocks lately because I’ll reach a point where I’m just not sure where I want the story to go. It sounds corny, but I print up a blank calendar covering the time frame in the book and then fill it in with critical events/scenes in the story. That’s it, Heidi. Nothing fancy. I wish I had more to tell you.

I ask EVERY writer what their plotting trick is and no one seems to have the answer up their sleeve. I use My Book Therapy concepts, and they make sense to me. Back to you and you novel :: I see you went to Disney between the Christmas / New Year’s holidays for two days. I’ve been there in October a couple of times, but never over the holidays. I’d love to be there over the holidays, but have a little bit of claustrophobia with crowds and I’ve heard it is very crowded that time of year. But I’ve also heard the decorations are simply wonderful, so tell us about the decorations. And could you share the funniest moment from your trip (did you fly (re : Random Tidbit #21))?

NO!!! We didn’t fly. Whew! I almost had anxiety with just that question! (Okay, that’s exaggerating a little. But just a little.) My fear of flying is one of the biggest things I wish I could change about myself.

OMGosh! Crowded was not the word for it! It was ridiculous, definitely NOT for claustrophobics, but strangely enough it was more or less a minor inconvenience. Everyone was happy and the Disney workers made up for the few cranky people. The decorations were so amazing! There were lights everywhere (Obviously nighttime was prettier than during the day.), parades several times a day and, of course, Santa Claus! Words can’t describe it so I included a few pics. Hope that’s okay, Heidi. The girls are in their Christmas dresses – Olivia in the pink and Alison in the gold – and had just had their hair and makeup done at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. It was a dream come true! For me, too!

The best moment was probably watching the girls get their hair and makeup done. The ladies treated my girls like royalty. It was precious! I can’t think of a funniest moment. I mean it was all just happy. Really. But there was one scary moment. There was a parade going on that we didn’t know about and we walked right into a large crowd of people so we watched and waited. Finally it was over and we started moving but there was no room to move and my then 5-year-old, Olivia, walked right into the metal bowl of a drinking fountain! She actually cut the corner of her eye, but her eye was okay, and it healed up quickly. I just felt so bad for her! You can see it in the picture of them with my husband on the It’s A Small World ride.

That trip sounds like FUN!! Your website has a map of the fictional town Harvest Bay, who drew this map? Give us the story behind it, I simply love it!

Thank you, Heidi! I love it, too! Wanna know a secret? I have it blown up and hanging in my house. The series is based on the town, NOT on characters, so I was talking with my publisher one day and told her I thought it might be a nice touch to have a map created for this fictional town that could go in every book. She said for me to sketch out the way I see it, and she’d have the very talented Jim Brown, who created maps for her Revolutionary War series, see what he could do for mine. Oh my goodness! If you could only see what I gave him!! Little boxes with the names of time buildings here and there and straight lines for roads. It was terrible! The only other instruction was that I wanted this map to give my readers the same feeling Jan Karon’s readers got when they looked at a map of Mitford. When I got the first draft, I cried. I couldn’t believe how Jim breathed life into this town that’d been confined to my head. Every time I look at it I find something new I love about it! But my very favorite part of the map is that Jim created Frosty Jack’s, the ice cream shop, to look like a giant milkshake!

Random Tidbit #11 : I see that you are a terrible housekeeper, your words not mine, and I totally agree with you on the housecleaning and laundry and dishes (well, I added the dishes part). Seems like when you are done with a household task, it needs to be done again. It is so frustrating! So, here’s my fun question for you :: If you had a spare $150 per month and could spend that money on anything you want, would you employ a housekeeper? If not, what would you do with that extra money?

ABSOLUTELY!!! And I’m not ashamed to say it! Some people, my sister for one, actually enjoy cleaning. Here’s my thing: I LOVE a clean house! But I HATE to clean it! So why not clean two birds with one rag?! Haha! Although I still wouldn’t have a housekeeper do my laundry. The idea of having someone else handle mine and my husband’s unmentionables creeps me out.

Yup, I’d love a housekeeper too, maybe one day! Tell us about the second book in this series, The Heart’s Lullaby which releases in the Fall of 2011.

Actually the release date was bumped up! It’s scheduled to release in March of 2011! Must remember to go on my website and change that!!

The Heart’s Lullaby is a tender yet intense story about some really tough issues and how the Lord will see us through the toughest situations. Here’s my working synopsis:

After two years of trying unsuccessfully to have a baby, Elizabeth Truman’s world is turned upside down when she learns that her husband may already be a father.

Amy Beauregard arrives in Harvest Bay with her ten-year-old son and a lot more baggage. Having suffered more heartache in her thirty years than one woman should have to experience in her lifetime – from losing her beloved father as a preteen, to becoming the single parent of a special needs child, to facing the ravages of war – she’s convinced that God has long since abandoned her. While she slowly picks up the pieces of her shattered life, things start to fall into place that she couldn’t have predicted, including the feelings that start to develop for Owen Sullivan. Can one man possibly show her that she isn’t alone? When she finally learns the secret he’s hiding, she has no choice but to open her heart to him and give faith another shot.

Faith hasn’t seemed to have gotten Elizabeth anywhere. While her husband Elijah is busy spending time with the son he never knew he had, Elizabeth is more desperate than ever to have a baby of her own. Against the advice of her family physician and friend, she secretly seeks help from a fertility specialist, leaving Elijah in the dark. Within weeks, the treatment seems successful and she is carrying the answer to years of fervent prayers! However, her happiness is short-lived as she is rushed to the hospital with sever abdominal pain and miscarries shortly there after. With Elijah’s son and her dishonesty putting a strain on her marriage, she falls into a pit of deep despair, questioning not only her faith but the faithfulness of the Lord.

As Christmas approaches, a time of celebrating to most beautiful of all gifts, an unexpected visitor comes to their church and speaks on the sovereignty and faithfulness of the Lord, how even in the darkest times, He is guiding the steps of His children, though they may not realize it until the darkness has passed. Through his words and a strange twist of fate, Elizabeth and Amy are drawn together in a way neither could’ve imagined and heavenly healing begins to take place. But will their renewed faith be strong enough to withstand another devastating blow? Or will The Heart’s Lullaby be left unsung?

The Heart’s Lullaby sounds like another fabulous read Thank you for stopping by to visit today Jen. Congratulations again on your debut novel, The Heart’s Journey Home! Check out the trailer for Jen’s novel on her website. And leave a comment on this site – Jen is giving away one copy of The Heart’s Journey Home!! Deadline is Saturday September 4th.

Thank you, again, Heidi! It’s been my pleasure!

Olive oil

1)      Coat asparagus with oil and salt and pepper. Grill asparagus, pepper and shrimp. Let cool slightly.

2)      In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic. Blend well.

3)      Arrange asparagus and red pepper on four plates. Spoon mayonnaise mixture over each salad. Top evenly with shrimp and hard-boiled eggs. Serve with a warm multi-grain bread.

Serves 4.

BACK COVER COPY:

The only thing scarier than living on the edge is stepping off it.

Maggie Montgomery lives a life of adventure. Her job as a cinematographer takes her from one exotic locale to the next. When Maggie’s not working, she loves to rappel off cliffs or go skydiving. Nothing frightens her.

Nothing, that is, except Ivy, Texas, where a family emergency pulls her back home to a town full of bad memories, painful secrets, and people Maggie left far behind . . . for a reason.

Forced to stay longer than she intended, Maggie finds her family a complete mess, including the niece her sister has abandoned. Ten-year-old Riley is struggling in school and out of control at home. The only person who can really handle the pint-sized troublemaker is Conner, the local vet and Ivy’s most eligible bachelor. But Conner and Maggie keep butting heads–he’s suspicious of her and, well, she doesn’t rely on anyone but herself.

As Maggie humorously fumbles her way from one mishap to another, she realizes she’s going to need to ask for help from the one person who scares her the most.

To save one little girl–and herself–can Maggie let go of her fears and just trust God?

This is the first Jenny B. Jones novel I’ve ever read and she has a fresh and fun voice in this novel. Just Between You and Me is in first person, which I don’t tend to enjoy. But you don’t even notice first person in this novel! I was so “into” Maggie and her world that the writing blurred and my imaginary world took over. I loved how broken Maggie and all the characters were in this novel. And how everything ties up at the end, but not into a perfect world – because life simply isn’t perfect no matter how much we’d love it to be. This was my first Jenny B. Jones novel, but not my last!

2 cups uncooked (tiny penne)

1)      Cook penne. Drain. Place in large serving bowl.

2)      Heat grill. In large bowl combine shrimp, squash, tomatoes and ¼ cup pesto; stir gently to coat well. Thread shrimp, squash and tomatoes onto skewers.

3)      Grill skewers for 3 minutes. Flip. Remove from grill when shrimp is opaque.

4)       Coat the shrimp with a little pesto before tossing.

5)      Add shrimp and vegetables to penne. Add remaining pesto sauce and toss gently to mix.Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Serves 3 to 4.

Don’t name emotion : Go through your manuscript and search for the name of an emotion (like fear, happiness, scared, etc.). Change the phrase or sentence so that you show the emotion rather than tell it to the reader. This will allow the reader to feel right along with your character. Also, go through your manuscript and search for the word felt. If you can, change it. Change the sentence to show how the character is feeling. If you have the choice between the word felt or naming the emotion, use the word felt.

Eliminate telling verbs : This will push you into a deeper POV. Go through your manuscript and search for wondered, thought, realized, saw – verbs that tell the reader what the character is doing. It keeps the reader a level away from the emotions of the character. Camy Tang goes over this in detail in this blog post.

Finally, if you see telling, did you already show it? I find, in my learning curve, that I will show the reader but then I don’t trust the reader “got it.” So I follow my showing with telling. Bad, bad, bad. We must trust our reader! And a critique group or partner will help you with that. Fresh eyes are always a huge help.

Here’s the back cover copy for Seaside Letters : Sabrina never intended to fall in love with Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning at a Nantucket cafe–especially since he’s unwittingly tied to a past she deeply regrets. But she’s fallen hard, though she’s kept her feelings a secret.

When Tucker learns Sabrina is the research assistant for a local mystery writer, he asks Sabrina to help him with a little sleuthing of his own…locating an elusive woman he’s fallen for online.

If Sabrina accepts the job, she’ll spend her evenings in close proximity to a man who can never be hers. If she turns him down, he’ll hire someone else–and that would be a disaster. Because if someone else sifts through all those letters and finds out the truth, Tucker will discover her secret…

That the person he’s trying to find is her.

I could smell the ocean and feel the laziness of an island during summer break. The characters were attracted to one another before the novel opened, but I love how Samantha has several reasons for not allowing herself to fall in love with Tucker. I found the writing fresh. No sagging middle in this novel – I was captivated from the first page until the last.

If you haven’t heard, Denise is giving away a Kindle! Find out how here. I’m off to purchase Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter. . .

Why was I excited to see this play? When I was a teen, I lived in Upstate New York and Annie came to Broadway, yes the real Broadway in N.Y.C. My parents took me to see it and Andrea McArdle was Annie at the time. In this Broadway South version of Annie, Andrea McArdle is Miss Hannigan! So I was really looking forward to seeing this show with Andrea as Miss Hannigan.

What impressed me the most about Annie was the performance of English Bernhardt and the orphans. English and twelve of the orphans come from the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory, and you could see their training!

If you live in North Carolina, check out the NC Theatre Shows and the Broadway Series South, there are so many good shows through them as well as many others at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Thank you to English for helping me relive my childhood!

[Thanks to Mitch Danforth for the photo of English]

Back-cover copy: New Club, New Crush … New Mom? Just as Katy is feeling settled in her new school, everything falls apart at home. Her father, believing she needs a mother, starts courting a woman Katy refuses to accept. Tensions rise as Katy schemes to send the woman packing. Meanwhile, the pressure builds at school as Katy joins the debate team, encounters a teammate’s scorn, and faces her growing feelings for a boy her father will never accept. Can Katy prove she doesn’t need a mother’s guidance even as she discovers more of what the world offers?

I want to go to Katy’s school – not only do they have a cool debate group that travels to compete, but the second half of the year she takes forensics (competitions in which competitors deliver an original speech on a subject of their choosing, though the speech must be factual.) It all sounds like such fun!

This novel was a page turner. Katy and her friends are a year older than in the first novel. And their emotions and interests have changed. This is not a stagnant series. I read on Kim’s Facebook account that Katy has boy trouble in Book Four of the series. As usual, the writing is solid. Kim creates pockets of visuals for the reader to have a glimpse into this mysterious Mennonite community.

The ending of this novel was wonderful. All the plot points were tied up. But what I liked the most was that a character had made a couple of mistakes and that character made amends in the only biblical way : by confessing their sin to the other person and asking for forgiveness. I LOVE that because this novel is geared towards tweens and teens. A great example of Christlike behavior.

If you pick this novel up and read it, check out the dedication page – it’ll make sense once you’ve read the book! Book three of the Katy Lambright series will release in February 2011.