What does feta cheese have to do with freeways? ♦ Susan M. Baganz

Tuesday greetings, Whisper followers. I'd like you to welcome author Susan M. Baganz to my blog today and take a peek into her recent release with a delightful title. (Maybe because I love feta cheese.) 


Title: Feta & Freeways

Publisher: Prism Book Group

Release date: September 16, 2016

What's this book about?

He’d never noticed her…till now.

Nikolos Acton is the lead singer of a Christian Band, Specific Gravity, struggling to make it in the industry after an unplanned break, touring the country with their manager, Tia.

Tia Bartel loved Niko for the longest time, but it wasn’t until she stepped in to save his life that he finally realizes what has been there all along. Is it too late for him? Could a relationship between them work after years of ignoring her? How would he ever convince her he’s worthy of her trust?

As they journey on the freeway of life and love, they encounter struggles as they are forced to rely on their faith, and friends, to make it through.

Where can I buy Feta & Freeways?

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ePOgzO
• Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2ejG0Et
• Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2eY7wIX

All about the author:

Susan M. Baganz chases after three Hobbits, and is a native of Wisconsin. She is an Acquisitions Editor with Prism Book Group, specializing in bringing great romance novels and novellas to publication. Susan writes adventurous historical and contemporary romances with a biblical world-view.

Susan speaks, teaches, and encourages others to follow God in being all He has created them to be. With her seminary degree in counseling psychology, a background in the field of mental health, and years serving in church ministry, she understands the complexities and pain of life as well as its craziness. She serves behind-the-scenes in various capacities at her church and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and serves on the board of the southeast chapter. Her favorite pastimes are lazy…snuggling with her dog while reading a good book, or sitting with a friend chatting over a cup of spiced chai latte.

You can learn more by following her blog www.susanbaganz.com, her Twitter feed 6894 @susanbaganz or her fan page, www.facebook.com/susanmbaganz.

• Blog: www:susanbaganz.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/susanmbaganz
• Twitter: @susanbaganz
• Pinterest    www.pinterest.com/silygoos

Peg here:

I just love alliteration, don't you? Well, as long as it's not overdone. In Susan's case, it's perfect. Take a look at the titles of some of her book titless:

• Pesto & Potholes
• Salsa & Speed Bumps
• Feta & Freeways
• The Baron's Blinder

See what I mean? 

Thanks, Susan, for being my guest today and sharing both your new book and a bit about yourself.

May God richly bless you and your writing ventures.

Exciting New Release from Renee Blare.

Spend a few minutes with me and special guest Renee Blare as she introduces her brand new release! You can even read the first chapter which will be sure to whet your appetite for more. Thanks for dropping in . . . 

LOVE IS SERIES #12 “…love always trusts …” 1 Corinthians: 13:7 RACING HEARTS, by Renee Blare

Full of hope for the future, a young couple sets off on an adventure and welcome their new home with open arms. The lakes sparkle, the mountains glisten, and deep within, the seed of life grows. But challenges arise in their newfound paradise and soon, their love faces a trial of almost insurmountable odds.

For the two Christians, placing the fate of their unborn child in the hands of God seems rather easy, but trusting each other? Now, that may prove to be the largest challenge of all…as hearts race in the Rocky Mountains.

 Available now for Kindle at $2.99 on Amazon

Read the first chapter HERE

♦ ♦ ♦

Dedication

To My Baby

Oh, my sweet, tiny baby,

Who's in this belly so grand.

Are you a little lady,

Or a bouncing, tiny man?

Will you have the dark, brown eyes

That twinkle like your daddy's?

What about those nightly cries,

That signal when you're crabby?

I pray that I will become

A perfect mother for you,

But if I'm not, I promise,

I'll do the best I can do!

During times I know I'll fail,

I hope you see I love you.

I will try to protect us,

To keep, love and guide you too.

With God's help, I'll always be

One who you can always turn

To in times of bitter need,

Who can teach as well as learn.

7-4-91

Renee Blare

To My Husband, James:

Together

You stand by me, left and right,

In both good times and in bad.

You wake me when I am tired

And cheer me when I am sad.

You stand beside me, first and last,

To keep me standing tall.

You hold me when I cry

And catch me when I fall.

You stand behind me, present and past,

To love me more than life.

We brace ourselves 'gainst the world

Withstanding its toil and strife.

I love you with all my heart,

For always and forever.

To be with you is my prayer,

Walking through life together.

July 1991

Renee Blare

Renee Blare Bio:

Raised in Louisiana and Wyoming, Renee began writing poetry in junior high school. After having her son, a desire to attend pharmacy school sent her small family to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and she's been counting pills ever since. While writing's her first love, she also likes to fish and hunt as well as pick away on her classical guitar.

Once again in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains with her husband, crazy dogs and ornery cat, she serves her small community as a pharmacist and pens her stories any chance she can get. She loves to interact with readers and invites you check out her website, blog, and social media.

• Website: http://www.reneeblare.com/
• Blog: http://reneeblare.blogspot.com/
• Group Blog: http://diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com/

Joi Copeland Accepted my Invitation for a Little Chat

Welcome to Whispers in Purple, Joi. So happy to have you here. Are you ready for a “Pop Quiz” about you? Let's go!

Q: When people find out we’re writers, someone will invariably say “I’ve always wanted to write a book,” or “I’d like to write a book someday.” What would you say in response?

A: You should!

Q: Tell us five random things about you.

A: I was born with an extra thumb on my thumb on my right hand, My family and I are moving to Ireland as Missionaries, I can flare my nostrils but my husband can’t, I can’t move my ears or raise one eyebrow at a time, I love to do zumba!

Q: I’m always curious about other writer’s habits, quirks, and the like: background music or complete silence? Do you snack when you write? Share some of yours.

A: I can write anywhere. I don’t have specific snacks. I wrote most of Shamrock Inn at my son’s Tae Kwon Do lessons.

Q: Describe your favorite writing space.

A: Just me and my laptop. Doesn’t matter where. J

Q: What sparks your creativity when feeling drained?

A:  A good book!

Q: What is your most difficult writing challenge/obstacle? How do you cope with it?

A: Making the time to write. I cope by making sure I do it, no matter how busy I am.

Now, let’s get to the book we’re featuring today.

               Title: Christmas Snowe and Peppermint Cocoa

               Publisher: Forget Me Not Romances

               Release Date: October 9, 2016

               Genre: Christian Romance

               Stand alone or series: Both actually!

               Purchase Links: http://amzn.to/2eWexMs

               Back cover blurb or synopsis: 

Snoweflake Jacobson left Camden, Maine, and her secrets. Though guilt follows her wherever she goes, she pushes it down and ignores it. When her aunt passes away and leaves her a huge property, Snowe must return to Camden to not only figure out what to do with this house but also come face to face with her past. When the love of Tanner Graham's life returns, he can only hope and pray God will rekindle the love they once shared. But when Snowe's secrets are revealed, will Tanner find even his love has its limits?

Where can folks find you on the Internet? 

• http://www.joicopeland.com 
• https://www.amazon.com/Joi-Copeland/e/B005IH4T5C/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
• https://www.facebook.com/Joi-Copelands-Book-Page-137905132951491/

 Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She lives in Denver, Colorado, but within the year, hopes to be living in Galway, Ireland. 

Joi’s love of writing began at a young age. She wrote short stories for several years, and in 2009, she began writing her first novel, Hope for Tomorrow.

Thank you so much for being my guest here today, Joi. It’s been a pleasure visiting with you.

Thank you for having me, Peg!

The Story Behind the writing of Almond Street Mission ♦ June Foster

I am pleased to once again welcome author June Foster to Whispers in Purple. June will be sharing the Story Behind the Story guest post about her recent release, Almond Street Mission, so sit back and enjoy as you peek behind the scenes.

When a homeless man rescues Glorilyn from a violent assault, he's not the man he seems. What powerful secret keeps him on the streets?

When Glorilyn Neilson's nineteen-year-old brother, Tannon, goes missing without a trace, she's frantic. Prayer and volunteering at the local homeless shelter in El Camino must fill the time until her sibling returns. But her sapphire eyes and auburn hair inadvertently cause a stir among the male population at the center. Her life changes one evening when she's attacked by a burly vagrant intent on rape in the alley behind the building.

Jeremiah Goodman loves the Lord, but he's homeless. When he witnesses a foul-mouthed vagrant overpowering one of the volunteers at the homeless shelter, he defends her, saving her from unwanted advances. 

When Glorilyn offers him a way of escape from his impoverished lifestyle, he can't tell her why he must live the life of a vagrant. What powerful secret keeps him on the streets?

Purchase Links:

• Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fca4FP
•  Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fdHdhV

The Story Behind the Story

Almond Street Mission tells the story of Glorilyn Neilson whose younger brother, Tannon, has gone missing, hurling her entire family into turmoil. Prayer and volunteering at the local homeless shelter fills the empty, lonely hours. One evening, she's attacked by a brawny vagrant intent on rape. Another vagrant, Jeremiah Goodman, defends her.

Jeremiah loves the Lord but is homeless. The mission director, Mr. Harris, offers him and young nineteen-year-old, Tank, a place at the shelter. But when Jeremiah later protects another vagrant in hopes of sharing the gospel with him, Mr. Harris finds heroin on Jeremiah, and he's booted out. Tank leaves with him.

On the street, Jeremiah and Tank try to scrape up a meal, but even trash cans around the city park don't provide any food for their hungry stomachs. Taking a chance on getting arrested, they beg for food in front of an elegant downtown Italian restaurant. Two older women walk out. One ignores them but the other looks at them with kind eyes and offers an entire pizza.

This scene is based on real life. Here's where I got the idea. My daughter and I were in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at an Italian restaurant. We each ordered a small pizza, but the waiter brought me a Hawaiian pie though I'd order pepperoni.

When I pointed out the mistake, the server brought me another pizza, this time pepperoni, and told me to keep the first one. No way I could eat a second pizza, and we didn't have anywhere to keep it at the hotel, so I asked him if he knew any homeless people. The waiter said yes, that they congregate nearby, and he'd deliver it to a hungry person.

In the story, the other woman who gives the extra pizza to Jeremiah and Tank is above average height. That's me, and my 5'10'' height qualifies as tall! When Tank says "God bless you," the lady says "He does, everyday." The sentiments of my heart.  

Real life always provides rich fodder.

About the author:

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education and MA in counseling. Her characters find themselves in tough situations but overcome through God's power and the Word. She writes edgy topics wrapped in a good story. To date, she's seen twelve contemporary romances published. Find June online at www.junefoster.com. 

Unexpected Allies and Recurring Warts ♦ Author Grace Marshall

Please welcome author Grace Marshall as guest blogger today. Grace is sharing her new release, the second book in her "Horse Haven" series, titled "Unexpected Allies and Recurring Warts." The title intrigues me and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Take it away, Grace!

A spunky kitten on a daring rescue, a neglected mare full of love, and boys that recur like warts make teenager Ruth Deloach’s life far from boring. For every kind person that comes to the ranch there seems to be two warts. The attitudes and temperatures of southeast Missouri starkly contrast the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but Ruth doesn’t have time to adjust before her father holds an open house for their horse ranch, Meredith Meadows. Ruth’s overbearing older brother seems to just add dangerous sparks to her frustration as she tries to figure out who she has to be nice to and who she actually wants to be nice to.

At first, the horse lessons on the ranch start making Ruth feel as if she is back in her comfort zone until she gets tossed by one of the horses. Sometimes the best way through life is to laugh through the tears, warts, and her own attempts to mow the grass in a straight line.

Purchase links for the book:

• Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2eZCwHV
• Kindle: http://amzn.to/2eygsUa
• Barnes & Noble Paperback or Nook: http://bit.ly/2ftJUQ7
• Kobo e-book: http://bit.ly/2ffXFNA

♦ ♦ ♦

About the Author:

Grace Marshall is the author of the “Horse Haven” series as well as Person of Faith; she has also contributed several articles to newspapers. She enjoys hanging out with her dashing husband, J. Lindsey Marshall, their saucy cat, Amerigo Vespucci, and their playful Mastiff puppy, Mini. Grace loves all animals but is a horse fanatic. She has lived in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Tennessee, and currently resides in the Missouri hills. Grace believes in living life to the fullest and can’t wait to see where God will take her or have her write next! See more about Grace on her website http://www.wordsbytwo.com. 

♦ ♦ ♦

Where to find Grace on the Internet:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraceMAuthor/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraceM_Author
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracem_author/

Thank you, Grace, for visiting Whispers in Purple and sharing your book with us today. I LOVE the name of your cat!