Taming Julia Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Taming Julia

Author: Jodie Wolfe

Genre: Christian fiction

Release date: November 2011

In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery’s sole desire is to serve God, but his congregation’s ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to advertise for a wife by proxy.

Jules Walker strides into Drew’s life wearing breeches and toting a gun and saddle–more cowboy than bride. After years on the trail, she’s not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family, and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, and COMPEL Training. She’s been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania.

More from Jodie

I love mail-order bride stories, so I wondered what would happen if a pastor advertised for a genteel woman and the opposite showed up instead. I thought I could further complicate things by having the couple marry by proxy before she even arrives. Just that scenario alone made for a fun story to write.

My heroine, Jules Walker moved to Kansas from Texas to be a mail-order bride, even though she didn’t know what that was at the time. For most of her adult life, she’s helped her brother track outlaws in Texas as part of his job as a deputy US Marshal.

As part of the story, she has to come to terms with a traumatic event in her past. I won’t share more so I don’t spoil it for you, but I needed somewhere in Texas for this incident to take place. Because my husband’s aunt and uncle live in Texas, they were a wealth of resources when it came to accurately describing the area. One place in particular is called the Narrows and it’s situated close to them, but it’s on private property.

A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to travel and visit them. We received special permission to go on the private ranch and see the Narrows. It’s an unexpected area with sharp limestone rocks, and a deep cavern carved out by the Blanco River. Most times, it’s a sleepy waterway, but when the area has a flash flood, water rushes through the cavern and often to the top. When this happens, you can hear the water gushing from far away.

I so enjoyed being able to see the area first-hand. There are places where the water is shallow and others that are extremely deep pools. It has such a distinct beauty. At some point I hope to use this setting in another book.

That’s a small snapshot into how Taming Julia came to life. I hope you’ll enjoy the story of two unlikely people who are thrown together.

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a little girl. I wrote a poem in second grade as a school writing assignment. Soon after I was writing little stories and stapling them together to make a ‘book’. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.

Which author has most influenced your own writing?

That’s too hard to pinpoint. Although I can say that my love of historical fiction began as a child watching and reading Little House on the Prairie series.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Good question. I don’t know that it’s a quirk, but I try and finish my writing for the day by ending in the middle of a scene where things are still unresolved, so I have a place that’s easy to get back into writing the next day.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I don’t know that I have a standard schedule other than I try and write Monday through Friday during the day while my husband is working. I finish up before I know he’ll be heading home and take weekends off so we can spend time together unless I’m under a deadline.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I consider myself a plotster. 🙂 I often have a general idea of where the plot is going to head, but I allow my characters to lead. They often take me where I didn’t think they would go.

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Most times it’s at home, in my office. Although I’ve had some time this spring where I was helping out with the grandchildren which meant taking my computer with me and squeezing writing time in between naps.

Is there a particular literary period that you’re drawn to (Regency, Victorian, Romantic, Modernism, etc.)? Why?

For me, it’s the Victorian Era. I think it’s because of reading those Little House on the Prairie books.

Describe your book in five words.

Quirky, poignant, feisty character, faith-filled.

Which one of your characters speaks most to your heart? Why?

Definitely Jules from Taming Julia. She’s different than any other female character I’ve ever written. She’s naïve because she hasn’t been exposed to much in her life, but she has a heart for others.

Do you ever hide things in your stories for readers to find?

Not so much, although I do try to have a thread of mystery in each of them that I hope the reader doesn’t figure out right away. 🙂

What are your hobbies?

Reading, knitting, walking, and spending time with my husband.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

My husband. He’s my hero. He’s the one who is always encouraging me and my writing.

What is your favorite book?

I can’t pick just one. I do have some favorite authors – Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, and Kristi Ann Hunter.

Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Definitely traditional books. There’s nothing like the feel of the pages and the smell of a new book. 🙂

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

It’s changed through the years. Right now, the one I keep going to is John 14:27 (NIV) which says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

If you could live inside a book, which one would it be?

There’s no way I can choose, sorry. 🙂

If you could meet one author, living or passed, who would it be?

Perhaps Laura Ingalls Wilder since her works impacted my life.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Trust God and His timing. He’ll bring about publication in His way and His timing.

Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, May 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 25

Texas Book-aholic, May 26

Simple Harvest Reads, May 27 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, May 28

deb’s Book Review, May 29

For the Love of Literature, May 30 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 1

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 2

Connie’s History Classroom, June 3

Inklings and notions, June 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 5

Blossoms and Blessings, June 6 (Author Interview)

Vicarious Living, June 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jodie is giving away the grand prize of an audio CD of 12 historical novels and novellas. Stories of chivalry, adventure and romance!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1e36a/taming-julia-celebration-tour-giveaway

All That the Locusts Have Eaten Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: All That the Locusts Have Eaten: God’s Redemption Through Loss and Heartache

Author: Chuck Carr

Genre: Narrative Nonfiction, Christian Inspirational

Release date: August 22, 2020

Are you suffering from loss? Confused? Do you feel like the world is set against you? Inspiring, this dynamic narrative non-fiction read tells the true story of how one man journeyed from the pit of despair to the purpose filled life God intended him to live. Mingled with poetry, scripture, and literary allegories, this artistically crafted masterpiece is sure to breathe life into even those in the deepest struggles.

Chuck Carr was raised on a farm by Christian parents and attended church each Sunday. Right after graduation, he married his college sweetheart and lived a life of fulfilled dreams.

Until it all fell apart.

In the true story of All That the Locusts Have Eaten, Chuck recounts how tragedy after tragedy struck his life, nearly destroying him. Depressed, desolate, and devastated, Chuck leaned into his faith in God to find answers.

Interwoven in this raw and personal account, Chuck shares intimate journal thoughts and asks hard-hitting questions designed to make the reader think. In a hero’s journey applicable to us all, he reveals how he found restoration after years of heartbreak, and how God put his life back together.

All That the Locusts Have Eaten will encourage readers who have suffered any type of loss. If you have struggled with overwhelming difficulties, you are not alone. Like Chuck, you, too, can discover hope for the future once again.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

As a former youth pastor, Chuck Carr has influenced hundreds of people throughout his life. Author of The Convergence, Navigating Grief, All That the Locusts Have Eaten, and Wonders In The Deep, he desires to help others live effectively despite hardships, as his testimony proves that sufferings can be changed into blessings. Losing a spouse in 2008, he strives to help those hurting from the same pain. While working on the family dairy farm, a life altering accident in 2018 left him with a traumatic brain injury, and his vision and life goal has been refocused to help others heal from devastating traumas. Now remarried to a woman of shared life goals, he has chosen to live with purpose despite his injuries, being an inspiration to others. He currently continues writing books and blogging and can be found at www.Chuck-Carr.com.

More from Chuck

Sometimes life hits you unexpected, and when it doesn’t let up, you might feel a bit bewildered. That was me, when time after time I kept getting up, only to get knocked right back down again. I couldn’t understand why bad things kept happening to me, a good person, a good man. I was doing things the right way, so I thought. I married a God-fearing woman. I was using my life for God’s purpose. I had devoted my life to teaching the next generation as a youth pastor. Everything should have been smooth and easy, right? Amid a dark storm, nothing seemed easy. Why hardship hit so relentlessly was a mystery to me. Things didn’t seem fair. And when nothing made sense, I was reeling, searching, and found myself on the backside of the wilderness screaming to a God who only seemed to have a deaf ear turned my way. Sound familiar? In this book, I take you on a great journey to find answers when most answers seemed bleak, if not non-existent. Take God’s hand with me, he’s there, I promise. I’ll show you how his voice is so clear and distinct, even when we have trouble seeing which way is up. All That the Locusts Have Eaten is a testament to how God can bring us through, and that, in unexpected ways.

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

Well . . . I wish I could tell you that I’ve always been an inspiring writer, but unfortunately, sometimes in life we need a bit of prodding.  My writing journey began through injury.  In 2018 I was in a severe accident in which I was confined to a chair nearly 24/7 with a traumatic brain injury.  Being a very active individual prior to my accident, it was hard to handle the instant change to sitting still all the time.  No more were the days of kayaking, bicycling on rails to trails, and adventuring through unknown territories.  I had to sit in silence all day due to the inability to handle stimuli.  I couldn’t handle visitors and became very lonely.  To make a long story short, the change was severely hard to handle, taking a giant toll on me emotionally and psychologically.  After about six months out my double vision stopped and my eyes adjusted enough that I started reading a little again.  It was a big relief because it was something I could do and enjoy.  I read a book by Joni Eareckson Tada, who also suffered an accident that left her disabled, and it started a new journey for me.  I soaked up the words she spoke of.  I saw how God could still use her, and it dawned on me: if God could still use her, then God could still use me!  I was still confined to a chair almost all day, but what better time to do something with myself than the present.  My mind began to think . . . what can I still do?  And so began my writing journey.  It was slow at first.  I had to learn to type again.  But I had a lot of time.  And the journey was exciting.  Over three years later, I’m writing books, doing a blog, and making every chance count to inspire people.  That’s what God does best.  He takes impossible situations and creates beauty out of things nobody thought possible.  I’m just one living example of how true Romans 8:28 is.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

I already mentioned how and why I started writing, but I never would have gotten into that mindset if it wouldn’t have been for my wife.  Her eyes saw possibilities when all I saw was hopelessness.  When I was sitting on a couch in despair, she could see a dream budding in my heart.  “You’ve always wanted to write a book,” she would say.  “What better time to write it than now?”  And she was right.  There was no better time.  Not only was it healthy for me to have a goal and a positive direction to point myself towards, but she could see beyond the now, and knew that there was something bigger in everything than just what I initially saw in an accident.  Not only did God use her to accompany what he was doing with Joni Eareckson Tada’s message, my wife’s voice would be the support to get me off the ground and into the writing world.  I will forever be grateful for what she did.  A whole ton of hurting people are being blessed with books and words because of her persistence.  Thanks, Faerie.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a plotter.  I’m not sure how other author’s keep things straight when they are constructing their books in their heads, but with a disability involved, I am extra sensitive to my need for planning.  It’s actually quite funny.  I laugh at it when I do author talks at book signings.  I am in a very distinguished group of people that get to enjoy his own book again over and over.  “Sometimes I forget what’s in there,” I tell them.  “And I’m like, woah!  That’s good stuff!”  It’s fun to have the ability to read a book over again and enjoy it multiple times.  It is also frustrating for someone who tends to have trouble keeping all their notes together, so I’ve come up with a great system of book plotting to chart things out.  It works great, and I use it all the time now.

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Definitely outside.  It’s sort of funny, maybe, especially if you drive past me and wonder what I’m doing.  When I was able to start driving again, I instantly took advantage of it.  I spend a lot of time parked in my truck soaking up nature.  It’s my source of refreshment and replenishment I guess, as God’s creation tends to restore my creative spark.  You’ll find me parked in my pickup on a hilltop, beside a creek or river, in a field, or lost in a forest.  Sometimes I drive to a state park and work on a picnic table.  Sometimes I take a chair and enjoy the sunshine.  I let the beauty of what God has made to inspire me for what I write, as a well to draw from when I need to be in touch with the creative side of myself.  Yes, I have a desk at home . . . but I’ll take my coffee to go, please.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

Who doesn’t resonate with David, taken from the sheepfold but moved to places he never thought possible?  A humble boy who had the ear of God in the lonely hills of Judah, a song, a pen, he spoke his heart with melody and prose.  And one day, that faithful boy was called on.  A giant was faced, a soul was faithful with what he had been trained and with.  And with all quality facetime that David had spent with his Creator, Goliath wasn’t as big of a giant as one might think.  So, my head injury.  God is taking me places I never thought possible.  He’s doing things I never thought doable.  Other people are being blessed, healed, and strengthened with what God is doing in me, with me, and through me.  I’ll take it.  It’s all good.  That’s what All That the Locusts Have Eaten is all about.  I’m a living testament to what Romans 8:28 says when it defines truth plainly: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, May 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 24

Simple Harvest Reads, May 25 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, May 26

For the Love of Literature, May 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, May 27

deb’s Book Review, May 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 1

Beauty in the Binding, June 2 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 3

Splashes of Joy, June 4

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 5 (Author Interview)

Miriam Jacob, June 5

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chuck is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1df1b/all-that-the-locusts-have-eaten-celebration-tour-giveaway

Not By Sight Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Not by Sight

Author: Elizabeth Jacobson

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: May 16, 2022

Seventeen-year-old Joseph’s life is far from perfect. He does have his father’s favor and trust, and the love of his younger brother Benjamin and sister Dinah. What he does not have is the love of his ten older brothers. Embittered by their father’s favor towards Joseph, his brothers take every opportunity to spite him. Spurred to anger by their actions and horrified by a threat made towards Benjamin, Joseph, overcome with fury, tells them of his dreams – for his dreams show a future where they will bow down to him.

Outraged, his brothers take their revenge, and Joseph is sold into Egypt as a slave. Bitterness and hate threaten to overcome him, and, in desperation, Joseph turns to the stories of his father’s God, a distant and omnipotent being whom Joseph has never dared to speak to. Slowly, Joseph begins to pick up the pieces of a shattered life. But only when those carefully gathered pieces re-break, over and over again, does Joseph truly begin to understand what it means to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Elizabeth Jacobson is a middle-school math teacher in sunny California who loves the Bible, fantasy, and science fiction. She got bit by the writing bug at age thirteen and has been frantically putting words on pages ever since. Her goal in writing is to share with the world the most important message anyone can express: the Love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Not by Sight: A novel of the patriarchs is her first novel. You can connect with her at headdeskliz.com or on Facebook or Instagram.

More from Elizabeth

Imagine you’re back in Sunday School, sitting down with all your friends and watching the volunteer parent who teaches the class smile over the flannelgraph. (Or, if you never went to Sunday School, just imagine yourself in a smallish room with too many little friends around you, and an adult who doesn’t want to mess this up running the class.) “Now, friends,” (s)he says, holding up a flannel image of a teenager in what looks like a rainbow bathrobe: “This is Joseph.”

Joseph is plastered to the flannelgraph, and the parent puts up a flannel group of angry men next to him. “His brothers hated him because his father gave him a beautiful coat. They threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave!”

Appreciative gasps echo from the crowd of five-year-olds – even kids know that good drama comes from torturing your characters.

“His master threw him in prison – ” (we necessarily skip why) “– but one day Pharaoh had a dream!”

Flannel Pharaoh appears, slapped on the flannelgraph, wearing a white skirt and lots of bling.

“Joseph interpreted the dream, and Pharaoh made him his second-in-command. When Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt looking for food in a famine, Joseph helped them. And you know what, friends?” The parent looks around with a grin. “Joseph never lost his faith in God! Isn’t that amazing?”

You and your friends nod solemnly. What a guy.

You probably hear this story at least once a year in Sunday School, with more detail added each time, but by the time you’re a worldly-wise sixth grader, you start to nod a little less and frown a little more.

You know the story like the back of your hand.

But it doesn’t make any sense anymore.

The truth is that this version of Joseph, whose flannel avatar has been waved in your face for years, this icon of the Sunday-School world, isn’t a person to emulate. He can’t be emulated.

Because the story of a man who faced every unthinkable hardship thrown his way with a smile on his face and praise on his lips and forgiveness in his heart is. Not. A. Story. Of. Real. Faith.

You want real faith? Look at the guy who talked to Jesus in Mark Chapter 9. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Translation: “I know I’m supposed to trust You, but in this moment, I don’t. Please help me out!”

Humans aren’t perfect. Why then are we shown a perfect Joseph?

Various adaptations of the Joseph story have tried their hand at mitigating the perfect Joseph problem. For the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the whole thing is played so humorously that character exploration ranks at exactly nil, and no one questions anything Joseph does. For the perennial Sunday-School favorite Joseph: King of Dreams cartoon movie, God and faith are taken mostly out of the story, so Joseph is free to be an “ordinary person” who reacts accordingly. (Do you see the problem with this last idea? I hope you do. faith ≠ superhuman).

Other adaptations have tried as well, but this fantasy and science fiction writer was one day struck with the need to try it for herself. I loved the story (remember, torturing characters = good drama, and boy does Joseph get the – extremely – short end of the stick for a good chunk of his life) and secondly, because I knew it would be a challenge.

Part of the reason for this “perfect” Joseph we so often see in Sunday School is that the Bible is not written as a novel. Most narratives in the Bible go over the events needed to comprehend the message or information in bare-bones, rapid-fire succession. No fluff involved, no discussion of motives, internal conflict, or thought processes. The Joseph account in Genesis is unique in that it is one of the longest continuous narratives in the Bible, but even it gives very little in the way of discussing these storytelling necessities.

The goal then became to come up with consistent personality traits and motivations, and logical, human reactions to events, that would lead each player in the Joseph narrative to take the actions recorded in Genesis. I felt like an archaeologist, piecing together ancient clues that could lead me to a bigger, more complete picture of the story.

It was a wild ride, but I had an absolute blast writing it. I can’t wait to share Not by Sight: a novel of the patriarchs with you!

Author Interview

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmm, well, I do have a bit of an unusual way of dealing with writer’s block. I’m a teacher, and when I’m stuck while writing, I break out my teaching strategies toolkit!

First, I get up and start walking. Walking activates other parts of your brain that aren’t being used when you’re sitting. While I walk, I listen to music – something that could serve as the “movie score” for the scene I’m trying to write. Music activates different parts of your brain, too.

It definitely works! Though it’s not always a quick process. I’ve walked for a looong time trying to sort out a plot hole!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a mix, or as I like to say, a “plantser!” (Autocorrect likes to change this to “panther,” so I have been that on occasion as well, hah.)

I’m a pantser by nature, but for me at least, that becomes untenable once I reach a certain point in the story I’m writing. So, I’ll make sure that I have a “signpost” – a plot point up ahead that I’m aiming for, and another developing after that, and so on. And hopefully at least a vague idea of the end! In between those signposts, I’m definitely pantsing!

Not by Sight actually worked really well for this, since the events recorded in the Bible worked great as “signposts,” and I could “pants” my way in between them!

What is your favorite book?

The Lord of the Rings is my favorite work of fiction, no question. Reading it at age thirteen and seeing that an entire world could be created on paper was what gave me the writing bug in the first place!

Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

I’m a traditional book girl. I love the feeling of having the book in my hands and being able to easily flip backward to remind myself of something (or forward, though I try to stop myself from doing that!). And I love seeing gorgeous covers in person.

If you could meet one author, living or passed, who would it be?

I would love the chance to chat and have tea with J.R.R. Tolkien. His mind was absolutely fascinating. The amount of worldbuilding he accomplished to create Middle-earth is just astounding to me … not to mention his prowess in creating entire languages to use within his world. I also admire how he was able to weave Christian themes into his work without it turning into any kind of allegory – which, in his own words, he “cordially dislike[d].”

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 5

Texas Book-aholic, May 6

Vicky Sluiter, May 7 (Author Interview)

Miriam Jacob, May 7

Inklings and notions, May 8

For Him and My Family, May 9

deb’s Book Review, May 10

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 11 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 12

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 13

For the Love of Literature, May 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, May 14

Connie’s History Classroom, May 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 16

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 17 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, May 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Elizabeth is giving away the grand prize package of a hardcover copy of Not by Sight: a novel of the patriarchs, combined with a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1d72a/not-by-sight-celebration-tour-giveaway

Courage Doesn’t Always “Rawr”: A Book Review of “Fearless” by Kristin Johnson

“But if you do worry, remember that being fearless doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. And if you can help someone else through their fears, you’ll be less likely to be afraid yourself.”

Kristin Johnson’s Fearless struck a chord with me, and it was not a note of fear but of empathy and nostalgia. The story’s premise is that 11-year-old Jessie Nelson and her dad head to her grandpa’s house in southern Minnesota after her active-duty mom goes missing in action. Jessie becomes friends with two local boys, Oscar and Nicky, and when an adventure turns into the discovery of a puppy mill, Jessie tries to be fearless like her mom as she rescues one of the dogs and endeavors to keep it a secret. She reflects that “now I had chosen a war, too. I hoped the research I had done at the library would help with that. The dogs were prisoners of war. Dog POWs.” This is one of my favorite aspects of Jessie’s character; Johnson does an admirable job of demonstrating how Jessie connects the events happening in her own life to what her mother or other military members might be experiencing in Afghanistan. Not only that, but the range of honest emotions and the insightful thoughts that Jessie has, such as how another person or a dog is feeling in a certain situation, add depth to her character. I love that she journals in poems, which might encourage readers to explore writing or poetry, or both! Furthermore, the imagination and thought processes of early adolescence are relatable for middle-grade readers and nostalgic for older readers.

With all that is going on in the world today, Fearless addresses how unsettling and upsetting events can cause us to grow when we rise up to meet them and help others along the way. Johnson neatly juxtaposes this with elements from The Wizard of Oz, which was particularly poignant for me because my mom loved that movie. As may be expected with a story featuring military families, serious topics appear throughout the narrative. There is a military funeral for a townsperson, and one of the characters suffers from PTSD, which is important for people of all ages to be aware of at age-appropriate levels. The puppy mill that is central to the storyline is heartbreaking to read about, but Johnson writes it in such a way that she conveys the awfulness of the situation in as palatable a manner as possible. Fearless contains Christian elements, including faith, prayer, and God’s protection—although there is a mention of a same-sex couple—and all of the aforementioned potentially triggering aspects throughout the narrative are handled with care and sensitivity. Everyone faces daunting challenges at one point or another, and it seems that Jessie sums it up best when she tells her dad: “And I know you still hurt, and you’re probably scared, but you can’t not take risks because you’re afraid of getting hurt. You have to put yourself out there again. You have to be…fearless.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Get your copy HERE!

Arena Spotlight and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Arena

Author: Karen Hancock

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: April 16, 2022

A Journey She Did Not Choose Will Change Her Life Forever

Transported surreptitiously to a terrifying alien world, with limited resources and only a few cryptic words to guide her, Callie Hayes finds herself engulfed in a perilous battle for freedom – for her very life. After agreeing to participate in a routine psychology research experiment, she must unravel the mysteries shrouding her only route of escape or risk succumbing to the deadly deception of the Arena.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Karen Hancock has won Christy Awards for each of her first four novels—Arena and the first three books in the Legends of the Guardian-King series, The Light of Eidon, The Shadow Within, and Shadow over Kiriath. She graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor’s degrees in biology and wildlife biology. Along with writing, she is a semi-professional watercolorist and has exhibited her work in a number of national juried shows. She and her family reside in Arizona.

More from Karen

Arena was not my first novel. The Light of Eidon was. In those days, however, Christian publishers were not interested in the fantasy genre because it had too much magic and wizards and such, despite the publication of the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. They were softening to science fiction, however, and thanks to Kathy Tyers, Randy Ingermanson, John Olson and others the door was opened in 2001 for what is called “speculative fiction.” Arena fit right in, and was published by Bethany House in 2002. It went on to win a Christy Award, which started the ball rolling for the Guardian King series. Three out of the four Guardian King books in that series also won Christy Awards, at which point I was the first speculative fiction author inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame in 2013.

I am thrilled to have Arena appear again in this 20th anniversary edition with a new cover and in limited-edition hardcover. Oasis Audio will also be producing the audiobook, for the first time, so it can be available for every type of reader.

Blog Stops

Inside the Wong Mind, April 30

For the Love of Literature, May 1 (Spotlight)

Rachael’s Inkwell, May 1

Beauty in the Binding, May 2 (Spotlight)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2

Texas Book-aholic, May 3

Inklings and notions, May 4

For Him and My Family, May 5

deb’s Book Review, May 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 7

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 8

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 9

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 10

Blogging With Carol, May 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 12

Through the Fire Blogs, May 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Karen is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Amazon gift card and signed copy of Arena!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1d3bd/arena-celebraiton-tour-giveaway