CHRISTIAN FICTION SCAVENGER HUNT STOP #17

Welcome to the 2013 Summer Scavenger Hunt! This hunt has 32 stops and runs 5/17-5/19/2013. You can make the loop, reading unique content from 31 different authors, and if you complete the loop, and fill out the Rafflecopter form at Stop #32, you'll be in the running for an iPad Mini (loaded with all our books), or one of two runner-up prizes---all 31 of our new releases in paperback. In addition, some authors are offering additional prizes, so be sure to read each post thoroughly to be in the running for all that are available. The contest is open internationally.

If you've JUST discovered the hunt, I recommend you begin at the beginning, Stop #1, found at LisaBergren.com. But you can also begin here, and keep on rolling. Just be aware that you have to have the COMPLETED phrase in order, which you construct gathering the clue at each stop, within 24 hours of email notification from Lisa Bergren that you won. If Lisa doesn't hear back from you with the correct phrase within the time limit, she will move on to the next winner Rafflecopter draws. Ready? Here we go...

CAROL COX

I am pleased to host Carol Cox Author, because she's just a neat person. I've known Carol for a few years now and her books are amazing. Her adventurous spirit and sweet nature immediately draw you to her. Won't you join me in welcoming Carol to my blog?

Haven't heard of Carol before? Here's an official bio:

Carol Cox is the author of 30 novels and novellas. A third-generation Arizonan, Carol has a lifelong fascination iwth the Old West and hopes to make it live again in the hearts of her readers. You can find her on teh web at AuthorCarolCox.com, Facebook.com/carol.cox, and @AuthorCarolCox on twitter

I thought it great fun that Carol wanted to share some UNEXPECTED INSPIRATION.

There's something about visiting a book's locale that revs up my creative juices, sparking new ideas and often inspiring new scenes. In researching the backdrop for Cedar Ridge, the setting for Trouble in Store, I made a trip to the Verde Valley area of central Arizona. On a whim, I added a side trip to Montezuma Castle National Monument, located in the northern part of the valley.

Montezuma Castle isn't what most of us picture when we think of a Native American encampment. Instead of lodges or tepees clustered in a village, this centuries-old, high-rise apartment is nestled into the side of a towering limestone cliff. Try to imagine the logistics of something as simple as making a daily trek to gather food or get water! These rooms didn't boast a lot of closet space, so some of the residents' food and other supplies were kept in storage caves, like the one I'm standing in front of in this photo--sort of a "downstairs pantry" concept.

While staring up at the abandoned dwellings, I felt a tingle. Suddenly, I could see a similar cliff dwelling as part of the area surrounding Cedar Ridge. That mental image inspired the background for some pivotal scenes in the book. And that is one of my favorite things about research--you just never know when an unplanned side trip will turn out to be the very thing that breathes life into a scene!

Carol Cox's new release, TROUBLE IN STORE, is a historical romantic suspense set in the Wild West. It is available at bookstores or online at Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors and elsewhere.

AND NOW, YOUR NEXT STEPS:

Write down this clue:  novels 

Have it written down? Great! Now head on over to Carol Cox's website Stop # 18 for the next clue! Thanks for stopping by!

OPTIONAL: BONUS PRIZE!

BONUS: I'm just finishing proofing the Galley's for my December 2013 release, Hide and Seek (the 1st book in the Family Reunion series for Love Inspired Suspense). In celebration, I'm going to give away six copies of this book and ONE $25 Starbuck's gift card to six lucky participants of this scavenger hunt. I will draw six names then will draw one name from those six to receive a book and the gift card. The other five winners will receive a copy of the book. 

All you need to do is:

1. Like my Facebook Page and leave a comment on it saying,"I found you via the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt" (if you already Like my Page, leave the comment and say "I'm participating in the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt" and …
2. Sign up for my newsletter which is sent three to four times per year (I promise not to clog your inbox or share your address). Your name on the newsletter signup must match your name on Facebook. If you are already a subscriber to my newsletter, first click on the link and make certain your name is subscribed as well as your email address. Then private message me on Facebook with your email address so that I can verify and get your name entered in the drawing.

All eligible names will go into a hat for a drawing after the close of the scavenger hunt. Winners will be announced on this blog, on Facebook, and via the email address signed up on the newsletter mailing list.

USA mailings only...sorry to my international friends...

Good luck in both the scavenger hunt and in my bonus contest.

Karen Barnett stops by on the Mystery Blog tour. Enter to win a free book!

Hey everyone, welcome to the next step along the blog tour. 

My guest today is Karen Barnett and she's giving away a copy of her newest release, Mistaken. We'll get to more about that in a moment, but for now, Karen, why don't you tell everyone about yourself? 

I live in Oregon with my husband and kids. Other than reading and writing, I love movies and television—watching everything from period dramas to science fiction. Creative activities energize me, so I dabble in photography, cake decorating, music, and crafts. I play guitar and Irish tin whistle and occasionally lead worship for my church’s women’s ministry and children’s programs.

Your tagline is Cannot Be Shaken. Tell us why you chose this?

[Actually, it’s my blog title, not my tagline.] I was drawn to that phrase when I was reading through Philippians 12. Paul writes of how God’s voice can shake the earth, knocking loose all things that are of no consequence, so only what cannot be shaken remains (paraphrase of Phil 12;26-27). The verses resonated in my heart, reminding me that all the trials we go through in this life point us back to the only thing that really matters—Christ. I deeply desire my writing to reflect that concept.

Tell us a little about Mistaken, your new novel set to release in July? 

In the prohibition era rumrunning business, first impressions aren't always to be trusted...

Since booze and prohibition have made criminals out of every man in her world, Laurie Burke resolves to find at least one honorable man to fill her life. Convinced that handsome newcomer Daniel Shepherd is connected with her brother’s rumrunning gang, Laurie quickly scratches his name off her list. 

Daniel has mixed feelings about returning to the dirty mill town of his youth, but grudgingly agrees to manage his grandfather’s drug store until a replacement can be found. The moment he meets Laurie on the windswept bluff overlooking the beach, he knows that if he can earn her love, he might have a reason to stay. But when Laurie pushes him away--for none other than Federal Agent Samuel Brown--Daniel wonders if Laurie really is the upstanding woman he thought her to be. 

The Strait of Juan de Fuca, just off the beaches of Port Angeles, Washington, was treacherous water for reckless rum-runners—and the agents who tried to catch them. So when she realizes her brother is in danger, romance is the last thing on Laurie's mind. Yet the people she believes she can trust, may not be so honorable after all.

Can you share with us your favorite line from this novel and tell us why?

There are some lines at the climax of the novel that are the closest to my heart, but I don’t want to give away too much of the ending. One of my all-time favorite sections is the first paragraph. I wanted to give readers the sensation of “a dark and stormy night” without using those words. Plus, the scene features a vintage Model T—a car that stole my heart during the writing of this book.

“Laurie Burke clutched the steering wheel of her father’s Model T as the car lurched down the deserted road toward the beach, the headlights barely denting the dark night. Rain spilled over the edges of the canvas top and soaked her coat, wetting her to the skin. The automobile plowed through a low bog, tires casting up a spray of muddy water.”

Which celebrity would you choose to play the heroine in your novel and why?

It’s funny, but I’ve never been able to identify a celebrity I felt perfectly matched Laurie in Mistaken. I used photographs of Keira Knightly, Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, and Evan Rachel Wood to help me describe aspects of her look, but I can’t picture any of these actresses actually playing the part of Laurie. I know whom I would want to play the hero. Patrick Dempsey. No question about it—his wavy hair and smirk? He’s definitely Daniel.

Okay, now a couple of fun questions before you have to go! If you could be a character in any book you’ve written, who would you choose and why?

I’ve written several novels, though Mistaken will be the first to be published. I would probably choose to be Laurie. Even though she’s had a difficult life, it’s shaped her into someone who is fiercely loyal and self-sacrificing. I respect her dedication to her family and those she loves, even though in this story it’s almost her undoing.

Do you have a favorite writing spot?

I have a desk, but I rarely write there. I sometimes work from coffee shops or the public library because, oddly enough—I concentrate better in public. I’m less apt to be distracted by chores, television, and Facebook. Two years ago, we adopted a sweet dachshund that gives me sad-puppy eyes when I’m away for long hours, so since then I’ve been writing from home more often.  I usually curl up on the sofa or sprawl across my bed with the dog glued to my side.

Fill in the blank: A perfect day for me would be __________________

“…spent hiking along a mountain ridge.” I absolutely love travelling and getting out into nature. I even worked as a park ranger for a few years, at Mount Rainier National Park and Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park. My perfect day would be spent somewhere breathtaking, either in the mountains or out on the water, soaking in the majesty of God’s creation. I’d probably have a book tucked in my backpack, so when I found the perfect spot, I could spend the afternoon reading.

Do you have a question you would like to ask readers?

I’m fascinated by different time periods and had a blast writing about 1920s rumrunners for Mistaken. I’d love to know, if your readers could spend a day in another era, which one would they choose?

How can readers get in touch with you?

Blog: http://www.karenbarnettbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenBarnettAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenMBarnett

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenbarnett/

Thank you so much for stopping by, Karen! It was so cool getting to know you.

Thank you, Lynette! It was fun! I hope we get to meet in person someday. 

Same here, Karen! Thanks bunches!

****************************FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY*****************************

If you would like to be entered to win a copy of Karen's new book, Mistaken, just answer the question she asked, "If you could spend a day in another era, which one would they choose?"

I'm curious about this, too! Can't wait to hear your answers. Winner will be drawn May 16th at noon and announced shortly thereafter here on the blog and on my facebook page. www.facebook.com/lynette.eason

http://www.karenbarnettbooks.com/2013/05/an-interview-with-ace-collins-suspense.html

Thanks for stopping by!