The Next Big Thing - Blog Hop!

Over the past weeks many authors have been participating in a blog hop to help get the word out about our new upcoming books. Today it is my turn. Below are answers to questions about the "next big thing," which for me is the coming release on April 1, 2013, of Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to write about my hometown. 

What is the title of your book?

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Where did the idea come from for the book?  

My publisher, Summerside Press, was looking for stories set in resorts and I was raised in Lake Geneva--a perfect fit I would say!

What genre does your book fall under?  

Historical Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  

When I first developed my characters I decided that my heroine, Meg Alden, looked like an actress from the 30s whom I think is Gloria Stewart, but I can’t find the source now. 

In my mind's eye, Jack Wallace, the hero, bore a resemblance to Jack Kennedy during his college days. 

As I wrote the story, I realized more and more that I was picturing Meg and Jack more as how my parents looked at that age, which isn’t too far from the original “famous people” models I used. 

Here’s a shot of my parents when they were young and in love.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  

Will she give her heart to the man who stole her job?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I am represented by Terry Burns at Hartline Literary, and the book is published by Summerside Press, due to release April 1, 2013. You can preorder it on line right now at Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Counting the three months of research, about nine months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  

Any books in the “Love Finds You” line or historical romances set in small towns during the 30s and 40s.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?  

I’ve always dreamed of wanting to write a story set in my beautiful hometown and when my editor encouraged me to come up with a proposal, I decided on focusing on the Riviera Building which was built in 1933. The “Riv” has become an icon of Lake Geneva and is historically protected. The second floor ballroom hosted many big bands during that era and it has proven itself to be a worthy “co-star” in my story. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Today Lake Geneva is still a beautiful  town, but it is vastly different than the town of the 30s or even the 50s and 60s. My story gives a glimpse of the town as it was when Main Street was lined with retail establishments that included at least two drugstores, a bakery, two hardware stores, a meat market, and many other businesses. People went to town to shop and socialize. Nowadays people do their regular shopping at the edge of town where Walmart and Target are located. I took great care through my research to include actual stores and restaurants that were there during 1933 depict the small town life that existed back then. It’s a nostalgic look at Americana during the Great Depression that carried forward for several decades. 

But, one thing hasn’t changed since a very-long-ago glacier first carved out Geneva Lake—the lake itself. It’s still spring-fed,  crystal-clear,  beautiful body of water there for all to enjoy.

My book is already listed on Amazon and other on-line bookseller sites. If you click on my book cover, you will be taken to Amazon to pre-order, but feel free to purchase at other sites if you wish!

Blogger's Note: Late yesterday I learned that the sequel to my debut novel Thyme for Love,  will be released in about three weeks! This blog was already written for today. Be sure to look for Love Will Find a Way, a contemporary mystery romance that concludes Marc and April's journey to love with a few mysterious twists and turns along the way!

Next week two of my author friends will be posting about their new books at their blogs. Be sure to hop on over there and check them out.

Ada Brownell:  http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com/

Lynda Schab: http://www.on-the-write-track.blogspot.com/

Thyme for Love Book Trailer!!

At long last I am pleased to share the book trailer for Thyme for Love! Please feel free to share this!

My Book Cover for Thyme for Love!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Masquerade by Nancy Moser - CFBA Blog Tour

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing 

Masquerade Bethany House (August 1, 2010) by


Nancy Moser

When I first heard the title of Nancy Moser's new book, Masquerade, all I could think of was the song from Phantom of the Opera. Not a bad thing since Phantom is one of my all-time favorite musicals. Even now the song is running through my mind just mentioning it!

However, once I got into the story called Masquerade, Phantom was all but forgotten. Moser weaves a fun twist into a story that brings a rich girl and her maid to the reality of what is Truth.

How many times have we wondered what would happen if a haughty rich person were suddenly stripped of his or her stuff, or position, or had to really work for a day?

A rich girl trades places with her maid as they enter America, and for once in her life, Charlotte Gleason's best laid plans blow up in her face as she comes to learn what it is like to be in need, wondering where her next meal will come from.

I don't want to give away too much. You need to get the book for yourself and read it! This is the first of Moser's many books that I've read and I can guarantee, it won't be the last!

ABOUT THE BOOK

They risk it all for adventure and romance, but find that love only flourishes in truth...

1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine.

She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. She wants a chance at "real life," even if it means giving up financial security. For Charlotte, it's a risk she's willing to take. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte's blackest nightmares.

As for Dora, it's the chance of a lifetime. She lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions--yet is tormented by guilt from the possibility of discovery and the presence of another love that will not die. Is this what her heart truly longs for?

Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Masquerade, go HERE.

View the book trailer:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of over twenty inspirational novels. Her genres include contemporary stories including John 3:16 and Time Lottery, and historical novels of real women-of-history including Just Jane(Jane Austen) and Washington's Lady (Martha Washington). Her newest historical novel is Masquerade. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Sister Circle Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at

www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com.


You can buy it at Amazon!

Deborah Raney's Almost Forever = Riviting Reading

Whenever Deborah Raney has a new release it is an auto-buy for me. Early this morning I finished her latest book, Almost Forever, which is part of her new series called Hanover Falls.

Bryn Hennesey, a volunteer at a homeless shelter, watched the building burn to the ground and collapse, taking five firefighters' lives, one of whom was her husband. Like all the surviving spouses, she had to cope with the sudden loss of her spouse, and also a nagging, terrible, horrific secret.

Garrett Edmonds's wife, Molly, was one of the firefighters who died. As a grade school teacher he had his fifth grade students to fill his days, but the loss of his young wife was difficult to take.

Not only were the men staying in the shelter suddenly without a home, but a pair of dogs belonging to two of the men were suddenly homeless too. Bryn came to take in Sparky, a lab mix, while Garrett ended up with Boss, a bulldog mix. Through these dogs Bryn and Garrett find a commonality beyond sharing the experience of losing their spouses that soon deepens their friendship.

But questions remain as to what caused the fire, and someone knows the answer ....

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. In true Raney style, the reader is taken deep into the characters until you feel every tug of grief, every fear, every joy that surprises. In spite of a storyline that could take the reader into deep pits of dispair along with the characters, Raney manages to create a story laced with hope and assurance. Last night just as I was about to turn off the light, the tension amped up and there I sat reading until my eyelids refused to stay open. I finished the book over breakfast this morning. The story had a very satisfying ending with a strong spiritual arc in both the hero and heroine.

I highly recommend this book because Deb Raney continues to be an auto-buy for me. Hands down.

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Deborah Raney's 's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Since then her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers' Choice Award; Raney was also a finalist for the Christy Award. She and her husband, artist Ken Raney, make
their home in their native Kansas.