Susan Page Davis grew up on a small farm in Central Maine and has always loved reading, history, and horses. She took a vocational course in horseshoeing after earning her bachelor’s degree in history. For many years she worked for the Central Maine Morning Sentinel as a freelancer.

Several of Susan’s novels have won awards, including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. Three of her books have been “Top Picks” in Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine.

Susan and her husband Jim, a freelance book editor, now reside in Western Kentucky.

Please tell us about Christmas at Barncastle Inn (Barbour, September 1, 2011).

In this series of four stories, the Barncastle family transforms its sprawling Victorian bed and breakfast into a fantasy world. Guests can rent the entire inn at Christmas for a vacation set in whatever historical period they choose. Parents Ted and Diane are skeptical that anyone will pay the exorbitant price their daughter Jayne recommends—but they’re wrong. Plenty of people long for Christmas in another time. They transform the B&B into a castle, a World War II era inn, a pirates’ lair, and ancient Palestine. Each Christmas, love wends its way through time to the Barncastle Inn, while guests discover that forgiveness is timeless. The other authors in this collection are Lynette Sowell, Janelle Mowery, and Darlene Franklin.

What inspired “Love Comes to the Castle,” your story in the book?

I had the first story in the collection, and I decided to go for the obvious. The house looks like a castle anyway, and the family’s name suggests a big, rambling barn of a house that can be transformed into a fairytale palace.

I also wanted to include a child who loved the castle, but was perhaps a little bit afraid at first. Andy has a traumatic background, but at Barncastle Inn, he meets new friends and gains confidence and a feeling of security.

In “Love Comes to the Castle,” Jayne Barncastle has big ideas for her family’s bed and breakfast, but is the idea so big it will break them? With the rich Dillard family paying for a deluxe medieval Christmas, Jayne must come through for her folks. But how will the Dillards feel about her attraction to their widowed son-in-law, Luke?

Detours in life can be frustrating—especially around the holidays. Can you tell us about a recent “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

I find detours unsettling. One of the recent ones for me was moving to a state very different from the ones I was familiar with. But we’ve settled in here pretty well and will be enjoying our second Christmas in Kentucky.

A few fun questions…

What is your favorite Christmas song?

I love Christmas music, especially the old carols. One of my favorites is “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.”

What is your favorite Christmas comfort food and why?

Cookies! My mother made special cookies at Christmas that she never made any other time of year, and I love that tradition.

Please tell us about one of your favorite Christmas traditions.

Our family used to write poetry for the Christmas Eve gathering. We would read our poems aloud before we opened our gifts. It was great fun. The poems usually involved family members in humorous situations.

Which best describes your perfect Christmas tree: an elegant, evergreen covered in the latest couture; a vintage aluminum tree with shiny glass bulbs; a shaggy cedar covered in homemade ornaments and strung with popcorn; or a palm tree adorned with pink flamingos?

Definitely the traditional tree with homemade ornaments, but not a cedar, please. It HAS to be a fir.

Thanks, Susan. Merry Christmas!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Susan and her books, visit her website at http://www.susanpagedavis.com/.

To purchase Christmas at Barncastle Inn, logon to:

Erin Healy is an award-winning fiction editor and bestselling author. As an editor she has worked with many of the biggest names in Christian fiction, from James Scott Bell, Colleen Coble, Brandilyn Collins, and Frank Peretti to Lisa Samson, among others.

In 2002, Erin began working with Ted Dekker. After editing twelve of his stories, she collaborated with him on Kiss, the first novel to seat her on “the other side of the desk.”

Her personal writing brand is a blend of supernatural suspense with female-friendly relational drama, as she follows her characters’ journeys to “thin places,” or bridges, between the seen and unseen elements of this life. Her latest book is The Baker’s Wife (Thomas Nelson, October 2011).

Erin is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a consulting firm specializing in fiction book development. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Academy of Christian Editors. She lives with her husband, Tim, and her two children in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

What sparked your move from editorial to writing?

Ted Dekker, whom I’ve edited for a long time, invited me to write some stories with him, and the invitation came with a book contract to write my own books too. I couldn’t say no.

How does your faith play into your work?

My Christian faith informs my world view. I don’t try to separate that view from my stories (though I write characters who certainly don’t share my beliefs). I do, however, use storytelling as an opportunity for me to work out some of my faith-related questions, doubts, ideas, and hopes.

Let’s talk about your new book The Baker’s Wife (Thomas Nelson, October 2011). Please tell us about it.

The Baker’s Wife is a supernatural suspense novel about compassion, mercy, and justice. It’s the story of a police officer who takes a family hostage in their bakery because he believes they’re responsible for the disappearance of his wife.

Click book cover to read bloggers’ reviews and learn what readers are saying about the story.

I’m fascinated by the concept of “thin places.” Can you elaborate about this as it pertains to your books?

“Thin places” are an old Celtic Christian idea that describes locations in the world where the separation between physical and spiritual realities is so thin that a person can see right through it. In other words, they’re places where we gain fresh awareness and perspective about God’s work in the world. In all of my stories I use supernatural elements to explore these kinds of spiritual experiences we can have in the real world. I intend for my stories to be read metaphorically rather than literally, though they are not true allegories.

What has writing taught you as an editor?

I am learning how to be more focused on readers and writers—on people. I have an amazing editor, Ami McConnell, who has an incredible capacity to love readers and the writers serving them. Before I started writing, I hadn’t fully considered how such a sincere respect for these people could inform an editorial point of view so effectively. My editorial emphasis has always been on the story rather than on the person interacting with it. I see that changing for something much better.

Detours in life can be frustrating—kind of like plot twists in the stories we write—but the outcome is often more intriguing than our original plan. Can you tell us about a recent “detour” in your life—or in one of your character’s lives—that taught you something?

In my upcoming novel House of Mercy I wrote about a good girl who makes such a poor choice that the consequences devastate her entire family. It’s a novel about needing God’s mercy and intervention—His miracles. Sometimes it’s really hard to understand why God won’t intervene when His deliverance would have such important, redemptive effects. I think we all go through seasons of life when we desperately need God’s miracles and can’t understand why He doesn’t give them to us. Working on House of Mercy taught me a lot about believing that God’s perspective on the world is much bigger than our own, and that the miracles He has planned for us might not be the one we think we need—but something much bigger, much better.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I love all kinds of food, especially bread and baked goods. As to why—probably because I have some kind of serotonin issue in my brain. (That sounds like a better excuse than, “I just love sugar.”)

This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

It might have been called talent twenty-five years ago. Today whatever it is has gone dormant. As a teen I played keyboards on my church worship team. I composed some pieces and played in a street band. I was a first-chair clarinet for a time in the school orchestra, but then decided I preferred the oboe. If I didn’t have children and a full-time job, I’d invest in cello lessons. Today, I’m a little sad to say, I appreciate music only as a listener. It’s like a forgotten language. But my love for it is still very alive in me.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

An emotional Enya ballad. Think “Storms in Africa.” Or maybe a complex Regina Spektor poem, like “On the Radio.”

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Mostly minor. It’s the Irish rain in me, I’m sure. This morning I woke disappointed because the forecasted snow didn’t fall. Then later today I saw an advertisement for bedding that said, “Sun can ruin rainy-day stay-in-bed plans.” That’s pretty much me. Not depressed, just contemplative and cozy.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I’m the girl with big thick glasses who’s locked inside the library wandering the stacks because she wasn’t paying attention when the library closed. But she doesn’t mind one bit. So many ideas to explore . . . so little time.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

I was raised a cat person, but my daughter is severely allergic, so we have dogs. I’m officially converted. She has a Jack Russell mix named Spike, and I have a mini-pinscher mix named Cinna, yes, of Hunger Games fame. Cinna is a good, loyal friend as a dog and as a character. And I think my Cinna looks just a little bit like Lenny Kravitz (who will play the character in the film version).

Thank you, Erin! It’s nice to have you at DivineDetour!

Thank you too!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Erin Healy, visit her website at www.erinhealy.com.

To purchase The Baker’s Wife logon to:

Suzanne Hartmann’s love of writing began with diary entries, pen pals, and eventually a college degree in Composition and Linguistics. After college, she sought her Paralegal Certification and spent eight years using her writing skills to craft Answers to Interrogatories and drafting Complaints and other legal documents.

In 2006, she wrote off a newfound interest in writing fiction as a “mid-life crisis,” but God nudged her to take her desire seriously. She set out to write a first draft, which led to a critique group and the study of the writing craft. Peril is her debut novel.

Suzanne is a wife, a home schooling mom, and a consulting editor for Port Yonder Press. She and her family reside in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area.

What sparked your fiction-writing journey?

The Fast Track Thrillers began as stories I created to entertain myself during my children’s music lessons and sports practices. I had no intention of writing a novel. That didn’t enter my mind until one day when I was thinking about the latest story while taking a walk in my neighborhood. A thought popped into my head: “Why don’t you write them into a book?” For a while I considered whether I was having a premature mid-life crisis, but finally decided that it was truly a nudge from God.

How does your faith play into your writing?

I enjoy reading secular novels, but more and more they include actions and beliefs that are offensive to Christians—sometimes even Christian-bashing. I want to write novels that not only offer a good plot and interesting characters, but also a story told from a Christian worldview.

Let’s talk about your book Peril (OakTara, November 18, 2011). Please tell us about it.

Peril is the first in the Fast Track Thriller series and the story revolves around a top-secret agent who struggles with trusting God to protect her many secrets when she must use her enhanced abilities while escorting a Muslim king-turned Christian to the White House and the Talladega Superspeedway. This not only draws the attention of the media, but also a NASCAR champion . . . and makes her a terrorist target.

To view the book trailer click the book cover.

Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from it?

Beyond finding it a good read, I hope readers notice the important themes weaved into the story: 1) the fact that we need to follow God’s promptings even when they don’t make sense, and 2) the importance of honesty.

You have also written a reference book for writers. Please tell us a little about it.

The book is titled Write This Way: Take Your Writing to a New Level. It offers a map to new authors and leads them through the forest of grammatical rules, stylistic guidelines, and story structure as they write, and helps them polish their novel to the point where it is ready to show to agents and editors.

Because so many people helped me along my writing journey, I wanted to give back to the writing community. So I passed along the many lessons I learned along my writing journey in the form of blog posts. Over time, I posted over a hundred articles on my blog, Write This Way. But because there are so many articles, and they’re scattered throughout the blog under a wide variety of categories, it takes effort to sift through them and find everything available about a specific topic. This realization birthed the idea to consolidate the articles into an easy-to-use e-book so authors could have all of the information at their fingertips as they write and revise.

Can you tell us about a recent “detour” in your life that taught you something?

After I had been querying agents for about four months, I became very frustrated and was well on the way to becoming bitter about the process of getting published. About that time, our church started a Bible study called Experiencing God. The very first lesson spelled out what my problem was.

I had turned my focus from God leading me on my writing journey and instead began to look towards those in the publishing industry to tell me what I needed to do next. Once I repented and gave my agent search over to God, I received two personalized responses to a couple of queries, which gave me some direction. But God wasn’t about to send those notes to me until I realized that He was the ultimate provider of that information, through those agents.

I understand you have a special contest going on at your website. Can you tell us about that?

To celebrate the release of my debut novel, I am giving away a Kindle to one lucky winner! The contest will be open from the release date, November 18, through the end of the blog tour, December 16, and I will announce the winner on Sat. Dec. 17. To enter, click here: http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com/2007/01/kindle-give-away_01.html

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

CHOCOLATE! I keep a chocolate stash, and my family knows they’d better leave it alone. They understand very well that if Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

I tried my hand at the piano and the saxophone when I was in grade school, but wasn’t very good at either one. I do enjoy singing, however, and have a reasonably good voice, although not good enough that anyone would ask me to sing a solo.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I think I would be some type of classical music because of the way it tells a story. It’s not all upbeat or all downcast, but a mixture of the happy and sad, the way life is.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Overall, I’d have to say a major chord, but I do tend to like songs that have a minor chord in them. Maybe because of the variety it offers.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I’m definitely the girl next door. I’m friendly and get along with pretty much everyone. I do my own thing and encourage others to find their niche in life. Overall, I’m a very average individual.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

Although we don’t have any animals right now, I have had three dogs over the years. The first was a Chihuahua/terrier mix named Muff. The second a toy fox terrier named K.C. And most recently, a chowchow named Misha. After Misha passed away, we never replaced him, so we have to go to my mom’s for our dog-fix. She has a Chihuahua/whippet mix . . . the sweetest dog ever.

Thanks, Suzanne! It’s great to have you as a guest at DivineDetour!

Thank you so much for having me here. I enjoy sharing about my books and writing in general and would love to hear from your readers about either or both. Comments, suggestions, and questions are all welcomed.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Suzanne, visit her website at http://fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com or her blog at http://Suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com.

To purchase Peril, logon to her website or

By Linda Cox

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.

1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Is it just me, or has Thanksgiving become somewhat of the forgotten holiday? People still travel home, gather for large family meals, watch lots of football, brave Black Friday shopping. But do they really pause from their busy routines and activities to count their blessings and thank the Lord for giving them to us?

In an attempt to recall the blessings of this past year, I decided to try something different. And I’m challenging each of you to do this as well. Try writing down at least one blessing that starts with each letter of our alphabet! Below are mine.

A . . . Abundant harvest, answered prayers, air conditioning

B . . . Bible, beautiful skies, books to read

C . . . Creator God, Christ His Son, cookies, chocolate

D . . . Dogs, devotions, Daddy, dog toys, doctors who care

E . . . Eternal life, Easter, e-mails, ears that hear

F . . . Faith, friends, family, freedom, food, fall leaves

G . . . GOD, goodness of our God, good health

H . . . Home, heaven, husband, hymns

I . . . Immortality, icicles, ice cream

J . . . JESUS, joy

K . . . Kathy my BFF and mentor, kittens

L . . . Love, light, laughter

M . . . Mercy of God, Mom, music, military, mountain majesty

N . . . New life in Christ, neighbors

O . . . Omnipotence and Omniscience of God, oceans

P . . . Prayers, patience, pastors, pumpkins

Q . . . Quiet time with the Lord, quilts

R . . . Resurrection, roses, rain

S . . . SAVIOR, sunrises, sunsets, stars, shelter, snow

T . . . Truth of God’s Word, trust, trees

U . . . U.S.A., unity

V . . . Voices raised in praise, victory in Jesus

W . . . Word of God, wind, water, wisdom of the aged, walks

X . . . CHRISTmas, x-rays that were “clear”

Y . . . You who are reading this

Z . . . Zebras and all God’s animal kingdom

Doing this certainly made me pause and think about God’s goodness. I pray it does the same for all of you! And, if you feel like it, why don’t you pick one or two of the blessings on your list and share them in the comment section below!

May God’s blessings surround you and your loved ones this Thanksgiving. And may the peace of God nourish our spirits as we remember His blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood. Today, she is an award-winning author, speaker, online marketing specialist, and a freelance web site designer.

Her debut novel released in January 2008. Since then she has sold eleven books to Barbour Publishing. Three have won annual reader’s choice awards and, in 2009, Amber was voted Favorite New Author for the Heartsong Presents book club.

Amber lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, and their two children live in Colorado.

What sparked your writing journey?

Well, that all depends on where you might consider it starting. If pursuing professional publication is the starting point, that was sparked by a foray into fan fiction for a favorite TV show. From feedback encouraging me to write more, I took one of the longer stories and turned it into a book. That one has yet to be published, but it led me to ACFW through a favorite author, Tracie Peterson, and that led me to my first contract. I realized I loved to write and I could write a full novel.

How does your faith play into your writing?

It surrounds everything I do when it comes to my writing career. Each book is given to God for the inspiration, and so the message in each story is the one God would have it be. Even if the book only touches one person, I know it has reached its target. I wouldn’t be able to write without God and the gifts He’s given me, so I owe it all to Him and am grateful He has allowed me to stay home with my children as a result of the contracts. Faith has also never been an issue for me. I have never questioned or doubted God has it all under control. Even when life throws a curve and I’m faced with months or more than a year without a contract, I know God has a plan. My faith has sustained me for many years, and I seek to share that through my writing.

Let’s talk about your new book, Bound by Grace (Heartsong Presents, November 2011). It’s the first in your Brandywine Brides Series. Please tell us about the book.

Here is the summary:

A letter from a gentleman in Ashbourne Hills who is seeking books Charlotte Pringle carries in her book shop piques her interest. The desire to provide his niece, Grace, with more classic titles keeps Richard Baxton returning to see Charlotte, and she is attracted to his sweet spot for his niece. When she discovers the girl’s recent leg injury that has left Grace wheelchair bound, awaiting an expensive operation, Charlotte is determined to help. But Charlotte’s father interrupts their idyllic relationship by announcing he’s been working on a marriage arrangement to secure her future. Before Richard can make a viable offer for her hand, a family business emergency forces him to return home. Feeling abandoned, Charlotte believes she has no choice but to accept her father’s plans. Richard despairs over the loss of the woman he’s come to love. It’s his niece who persuades him to fight.

For this series, I am jumping a little over a hundred years into the future from my previous Delaware series and linking the characters through several generations of the same family. A book that was highlighted in the first novel of that series becomes a tying link in all three books in this current series, sending each couple on a different journey. A lot of my readers asked if I was going to revisit the family from my first series, and here it is!

Detours in life can be frustrating—kind of like plot twists in the stories we write—but the outcome is often more intriguing than our original plan. Can you tell us about a recent “detour” in your life—or in one of your character’s lives—that taught you something?

I don’t know if this would be considered “recent,” but it’s only been four years, and considering I’m working my way toward the big 4-0, I feel it’s recent enough. All my life, I knew my ultimate goal was to get married and have a family. I hadn’t given much thought to a career beyond motherhood, but I knew I wanted to work from home and be with my children. When thirty came barreling at me at light speed, I felt I had somehow failed. Not that my twenties weren’t full and productive, but they weren’t where I believed my life would take me. Then, I met the man I married just before I turned thirty-one, and moved to Colorado from Delaware and the East Coast where I was born/grew up. Within three years, we added two children to our family.

The year before marriage, I sold my first book, and I’ve since sold eleven novels and one novella. A part of me dreamed of living near the mountains, but I thought it would be Virginia and the Appalachians. It ended up being Colorado and the Rockies. Guess I wasn’t specific enough. *g* Even though I never would have expected this detour in my life, I know it’s all in God’s plan. And the time I spent in my twenties traveling, setting up my design business, and working on my writing, has all helped me excel in what I do now. That decade was a learning time, preparing me to be the wife and mother I am today. Looking back, I don’t know that I would have been ready to receive all God has given me in the past four years. So, although that time was difficult, it was essential, and it’s taught me to take a step back to look at the big picture before questioning the purpose of a single event or occurrence in my life.

You’re also a professional web designer. Please tell us a little bit about Eagle Designs.

This business happened almost by accident. I took over the web site for the TV show, Dr. Quinn, in the late 90’s, and that led me to meeting the lead actress, Jane Seymour. In 2000, she asked me to design and run her fan web site for her and handle her fan mail. From there, I had clients asking me to do work for them too. I enjoyed doing the design aspect and helping others establish a presence online. As a result, Eagle Designs was born. And we’ve been growing ever since! We have designed over a hundred sites and currently have nearly thirty active clients for whom we do maintenance. Most of our work is one-time contracts, where the clients go on to maintain the sites themselves, but some stick around. *grins*

A few fun questions…

This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

As a matter of fact, I do. I can sing, and I played the violin for twelve years, although it’s been more than that since I’ve truly played. I’ve done solos in church, been part of a choir that recorded a CD, served on several worship teams, and taken part in musical plays for high school and college, as well as bit parts for church productions.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I’d have to say country, not only because it’s my favorite genre of music, but because the songs are about real life. All the ups and downs and unexpected surprises. There are jokes about lives playing out like a country song, but I think that’s an accurate description, and I don’t mind if someone says that about my life.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

That depends on the circumstances. In my family, I am a major chord, and in most situations, I tend to take a leadership role, but there are times when I am a supporting component or minor chord, still participating, and still important, but not getting the spotlight shined on me. I enjoy the aspects of both parts.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

What an intriguing question! I love it. And I’d have to say I primarily take the strong, female lead in most situations. It’s part of my personality. However, when it comes to new situations, I can be the girl next door. And since I moved a lot as a child, I tend to keep people at arm’s length, becoming more of the mysterious woman behind dark glasses. When it comes to my family or standing up for my beliefs, I become the super heroine. But as a wife, mother, author, and web designer, there is always someone who seems to do it better than you. So, in that regard, I definitely feel like the little girl trying to walk in high heels before I’m ready. Patience is required, and I don’t often wait long enough to learn before taking that first step.

Please tell us about your pets, if any, and/or your favorite pet as a child.

We had a Betta fish for about two years before our daughter fed him an entire container of food. There might have been other items in the water too, as it became polluted two days after we’d cleaned the tank. But our pride and joy is our Flat-Coat Retriever/Australian Shepherd mix, Roxie. She’s great with our two kids, very loving, and an excellent protector of our family. We rescued her four years ago as a small puppy and haven’t regretted a moment.

Thanks, Tiff! It’s great to have you at DivineDetour.

Kathy, this was a fun interview. Your questions are creative and unique, definitely not the same ones I’ve answered time and time again. Thank YOU for having me here and helping me promote my newest release.

I’ll be happy to do a giveaway of an autographed copy of Bound by Grace to a random winner of those who comment with an answer to one of the questions you asked me above. Reader’s choice. I love learning more about others, and if you’re here for either Kathy or me, or even another author and happened to see my interview too, you’re welcome to reply. Thanks for coming.

EDITORIAL NOTE: The deadline for leaving a pertinent comment to enter the random drawing is 11:59 p.m. CST, Saturday, November 19, 2011.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Bound by Grace and Tiff’s other books, visit her website at www.amberstockton.com.

To learn more about Tiff’s web design company, logon to http://www.eagle-designs.com/.

To purchase Tiff’s books, logon to:

Mark Wayne Glasmire’s latest single, Going Home, was inspired by a conversation he had with a good friend who was retiring from a long career in the U.S. Marines.

“His story really moved me,” Glasmire says.

Based on reviews, the song is moving a lot of people these days.

During the past twenty-something years, Mark’s musical journey has literally moved him from the steel mill mecca of Bethlehem, PA, where he was born and raised, to the folk scene in Greenwich Village, and finally on to Nashville. Along the way, he has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Arlo Guthrie and Gordon Lightfoot to Guy Clark and Dierks Bentley.

Born into a musical family, Mark grew up with the influence of both faith and a hard work ethic. His mother sang in the church choir and his dad, who worked up to three jobs at a time to provide for his family, played piano. And although Mark has taken the road less traveled to reach this point in his career, he says he can’t imagine being anywhere else.

Let’s talk about your new EP. Please tell us about it.

The new EP is actually self-titled, Mark Wayne Glasmire or “MWG.” This first U.S. single is Going Home.

The seven-song EP is a collection of songs that include five that have never been released and two that have been re-recorded. The songs range from ballads like The Last Goodbye and The Moment; fun and mid-tempo songs, I Like You, Going Home, and Now I Believe; and up-tempo songs like Last of a Dying Breed and She’s Got It All. The songs also cover a broad range of emotion from the light-heartedness of a love at first sight to the pain of a relationship coming to an end. There is also a “soap-box” song and a song that is very reflective. Overall there is something for everyone on this EP and I am very excited about it.

Did you write the songs for the project? What inspired Going Home?

I wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on this project. Going Home is a true story that was inspired by a telephone conversation that I had with a very close friend of mine. He was a week away from retiring from a very illustrious career in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was literally driving up I-95 from Quantico, VA, where he was stationed, back to his home in PA. We were talking about where he’d been and where he was headed, not only about himself but also his family. As for anyone making that type of change in their life, you can imagine there is a broad range of emotions involved. Portions of the song are almost verbatim from the conversation.

This particular song was written about a military guy, but I think anyone coming to the end of a career where your “job” becomes part of your identity, will be able to relate to this song.

Detours in life can be frustrating, and you’ve had a number of them. How do you keep going when life seems to take the wrong turn?

Well, yes, I think it is fair to say that I have hit some detours along the way, but I have always believed that it is not only about the destination but also about the experience along the way. I am a firm believer that things work out the way they are meant to work out, as long as you keep faithful and do all you can to do your part.

How does your faith help you?

My faith is a very important part of my make-up. I say little prayers throughout the day for many things including strength, understanding, and to not be judgmental about other people and situations. This has always been a source of comfort for me.

A few fun questions…

This website features literary, as well as music, guests. What’s the title of the last GREAT book you’ve read?

Wow! It is tough but I have just finished reading a book about Seal Team Six, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The guys that make up Seal Team Six are the elite of the elite. It was quite fascinating to read about them.

What’s your current favorite song on the radio?

Loaded question!! LOL I will have to say Going Home by me!!!! lol

Which season of the year best describes your personality and why?

I would like to think spring, because I am all about freshness and new beginnings. It also happens to be my favorite season.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pet(s) or a favorite pet from childhood.

I am a dog lover as well, although I don’t have any pets at this time due to my travel schedule. As a child, my family had many dogs and cats, and I can honestly say I loved them all. Not sure it would be fair to say I had a favorite.

Thanks, Mark! Best wishes with the new single. It’s nice to have you as a guest at DivineDetour.

Thank you for having me! I really appreciate the opportunity and your time!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Mark, visit his website at www.markwayneglasmire.com. To view the music video for Going Home, logon to http://youtu.be/9u6cl8zjI7A.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the single and DVD go to the Texas-based, non-profit Combat Marine Outdoors, www.combatmarineoutdoors.com.

To purchase Going Home logon to:

Lynda Lee Schab got her writing start in greeting cards (Blue Mountain Arts, Dayspring) and from there went on to write articles and short stories (Mature Living, Christian Home & School). But her passion has always been fiction. Mind Over Madi is her debut novel.

Lynda works behind the scenes at FaithWriters.com and is a member of ACFW. She is a regular book reviewer for FaithfulReader.com and the National Writing Examiner for Examiner.com.

She lives with her husband Rob and two teenagers in Michigan.

What sparked your writing journey?

I’ve always loved to read, which seems to be a precursor for all writers. I don’t remember exactly when I picked up a pen and started to write, but I remember writing a story in sixth grade called The Summer I Went to Honolulu (no, I’d never been there—and still haven’t!), complete with caricature drawings. I moved on to writing plays for my cousins and me to perform for our parents, then tried my hand at poetry. In high school, it was all about poetry—some of it was pretty good, but some was very, very bad. I still love to write poetry, but prefer to create funny, rhyming poems for retirement parties, milestone birthdays, bridal or baby showers, and other fun occasions.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

With my writing, there have been plenty of detours. Times when I didn’t understand why nothing was happening and then out of the blue, a person I’d met months before would contact me about a writing opportunity that ended up blessing my socks off.

How does your faith play into your writing?

I can’t imagine writing without my faith. Even though I often write stories and articles that aren’t really considered “Christian,” I try to project a Christian worldview. God has opened so many doors for me and has blessed me in ways I never dreamed possible. It’s because of Him that I write and I want my readers to experience Him in some way as they read my work. Most of the time I try to use humor and light-heartedness to touch the reader and leave her with a smile on her face and in her heart.

Let’s talk about your new book Mind Over Madi (OakTara Publishing, November 15, 2011). Please tell us about it.

Madi McCall is a 38-year-old mom of three whose insecurities are destroying her marriage. When she suspects her husband Rich is cheating with the mother of one of his fourth grade students, she kicks him out of the house and he moves in with his bachelor brother. Madi is then forced to take a deeper look at herself and her insecurities. She does this with the help of a counselor, her best friend Sylvie, and a few cartons of Edy’s Dibs. At a twenty year get-together with former high school classmates, Madi runs into “the other woman” and things come to a head. It’s a lighthearted story about taking a true look at ourselves and accepting God’s grace when we think and do dumb things.

Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from it?

An understanding of just how infinite God’s love is. That no matter what we’ve done, God will never stop pursuing our hearts or desiring a relationship with us. His mercies are new every morning and His grace covers our weaknesses, our mistakes, our ignorance.

What advice would you offer to writers—young or older—who are just starting out?

That’s easy: Apply the Butt Glue and just write. Discipline has never been my biggest strength, but that book won’t get written unless I park my behind in the chair and start typing. Even when I don’t feel like it. Even when I have a million other things to do. One of my favorite quotes on writing is “You can fix bad, but you can’t fix blank.”

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

Ice cream is my comfort—and celebratory—food every time. Preferably Edy’s French Silk.

This website features musicians as well as writers. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

I’ve always loved to sing, had grand dreams when I was young of becoming a famous singer one day. My problem was lack of confidence and fear. I was a member of my high school choir and I remember trying out for Madrigals, a select small group of singers. I don’t know how I made it through the audition. My legs were wobbly, my voice was shaky. But somehow I made Madrigals! I also played clarinet in junior high and I play a (tiny) bit of piano. Both my mom and dad have musical talent—piano, trumpet, and voice. So I guess the ability is there, if only to use in the car and in the shower.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I think I’d be a soft rock song—something sort of laid back and quiet, yet with an edge right there, waiting to emerge.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

I think for the most part, I’m a minor chord. I tend to be a little quiet, reflective, and like to be by myself. But “major chord moments” definitely emerge from time to time. Especially when you get to know me.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

In my dreams, I am the mysterious woman behind dark glasses, the super heroine, and the female lead. But in real life, I would say I’m the girl next door. I am a little more subdued, but have been called friendly and fun. Not very exciting maybe, but I’m okay with that. I always have my characters through whom I can live vicariously.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

We don’t have any pets (except the dust bunnies hopping around). We had a Sheltie when the kids were young, and two guinea pigs a few years ago, but other than that, we’ve only had fish. My husband is greatly allergic to cats, and neither of us are huge pet people, much to the dismay of our kids. We tell them when they move out, they can get as many pets as they please. We’re rotten parents, I know. : -)

Thanks so much, Lynda. It’s great having you as a guest at DivineDetour!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Lynda, visit her blog at http://www.on-the-write-track.blogspot.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-Lee-Schab-Author/178942525494801.

To purchase Mind Over Madi logon to:

By Linda Cox

The Coast Guard’s “Battle of the Atlantic” lasted six years—September 9, 1939 to May 7, 1945. While not as well known as many WWII battles, the toll in the Atlantic was staggering.

Bloodstained Sea by Mike Walling gave the heart-wrenching statistics:  “approximately 3,000 merchant ships, 200 warships, 2,000 aircraft, and more than 700 U-boats lost, with more than 60,000 men, women, and children killed.” Included in that number was the U.S.A.T Dorchester.

According to the FourChaplains.org website, The Dorchester, with 902 servicemen, merchant seamen, and civilian workers on board, was part of a convoy moving across the icy North Atlantic from Newfoundland to Greenland. Just before 1 a.m. on February 3, 1943, a German U-boat fired three torpedoes at it, with one inflicting deadly damage. Within twenty minutes the Dorchester sank, with a loss of 672 men.

Among those killed were four Army Chaplains:  Lt. George L. Fox (Methodist), Lt. Alexander D. Goode (Jewish), Lt. John P. Washington (Roman Catholic), and Lt. Clark V. Poling (Dutch Reformed). They spent the final minutes of their lives calming the frightened, guiding the disoriented toward safety, and tending the wounded. And when the life jackets ran out, these four chaplains gave up their own.

As the Dorchester went down, the chaplains reportedly stayed on deck with arms linked, praying and offering encouragement until the very end. Their sacrifice showed extraordinary faith, courage, and selflessness. Survivors called it “one of the finest things they had seen or hoped to see this side of heaven.” Jesus’ words describe it well:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down

his life for his friends. John 15:13

Chaplains continue to be an important part of our military, providing pastoral care to individuals and their families; offering advice to senior officers on religion, ethics, troop morale, and morals; and serving as liaisons with religious leaders in the community. In many instances they are working with men and women of all faiths. And just as pastors who preach the truth of God’s Word today are under spiritual attack from the devil, so are the military chaplains.

As we remember Veterans Day this year and all who have served, may we also remember the chaplains who share the love of Christ and the truth of God’s Word with our armed forces. May they continue to show the “extraordinary faith, courage, and selflessness” of the Four Chaplains from WWII.

In Sea of Glory, a novel based on the story of the Four Chaplains and written by Ken Wales and David Poling (first cousin to Chaplain Poling), the chaplains are portrayed not only as praying but also singing Eternal Father, Strong to Save as the Dorchester goes down. May the words of this beautiful hymn guide our prayers this Veterans Day for all who serve on land, air, and sea.

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave

Who biddest the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

Pamela S. Meyers earned a college degree at Trinity International University, where she studied writing. She joined American Christian Fiction Writers in 2002 to pursue the craft of fiction, and served on the ACFW Board of Directors from 2005-2009.

After living in a variety of places—from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to New York City to Los Angeles—Pamela returned to her Midwestern roots and now resides in Illinois. She is active in her church and has served as a sign language interpreter, is currently involved in outreach to the Japanese community, and leads a women’s Bible study group.

Please tell us about your new book, Thyme for Love (OakTara Publishing, November 14, 2011).

The best way to tell about the story is to share the back cover copy:

April Love has always dreamed of being a chef. But she didn’t expect a former fiancé or murder to be part of the recipe for her new job.

When April Love signs on to be an in-house chef at an old lakeshore mansion in Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, she comes face to face with her long-lost love, the drop-dead gorgeous Marc Thorne. It doesn’t take long for their old magnetism to recharge, but how can she trust the guy who left her nearly at the altar eight years earlier? Her gut tells her something happened to Marc in between—something he’s reluctant to reveal.

When April’s boss is murdered, Marc is accused of the crime. Unless April can find out who really killed Ramón Galvez, her chances for love will end up at the county jail. But someone else is just as determined she not solve the mystery . . . and will go to any length to stop her.

What inspired the story?

I’ve always loved mysteries and romances. I grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where our beautiful lake has been the site of 19th century mansions built by wealthy magnates of Chicago for escapes from the city heat during summer. A few years ago the HGTV cable channel had a show called If These Walls Could Talk and that got me to what kind of secrets might lie behind the walls of those mansions. When I began plotting Thyme for Love, I realized that if I set the story in a fictional setting, I would have more leeway with the plot. So I developed Canoga Lake just east of Lake Geneva—a smaller lake and community that also had similar mansions along its shoreline. Add my interest in cooking and the story just took off from there.

Detours in life can be frustrating—kind of like plot twists in the stories we write—but the outcome is often even more intriguing than our original plan. Can you tell us about a recent “detour” in your life—or in one of your character’s lives—that taught you something?

Until about five years ago I worked as an administrative assistant in an elementary school district. I loved working for the director of student services, which encompassed special education, gifted, and ESL. I thought I would stay until retirement age. But, changes came, as they have in so many peoples’ lives and I was asked to take early retirement.

I’d worked there enough years that I had a pension, but even so, my income was cut dramatically. At first I saw the situation as bleak, but I soon learned I could live on the money coming in, and it gave me necessary time to serve on the board of the American Christian Fiction Writers, which I never would have had working full time. And, of course, it gave me writing time, which led to publication of my first book, Thyme for Love.

Having worked all my adult life, I never expected to be able to retire when I did, but God showed me that He was in this detour, and He had other plans for how He wanted me to spend this season in my life. It goes back to the verse from Isaiah 55:8 that says: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Taking early retirement was certainly not in my thoughts at that time, but it was in His thoughts toward me. How can I not trust Him more fully after that?

Thank you, Pam! It’s nice to have you at DivineDetour this week!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Pamela, visit her website at http://www.pammeyerswrites.com/pamelameyers/Welcome.html or her blog at http://www.pamelasmeyers.com/.

To view the video trailer for Thyme for Love, logon to http://www.youtube.com/embed/UN8qm0P3xi8.

To purchase Thyme for Love, logon to:

Loree Lough has eighty-two published books with more than 3,000,000 copies in circulation. Through the years, her books have earned hundreds of “reader’s choice” awards. She enjoys sharing insight about the writing craft with other writers, book clubs, and students around the world.

Loree and her real life hero Larry split their time between a tiny home in the Baltimore suburbs and an even tinier cabin in the Allegheny Mountains. One of her favorite places to visit is the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania. (She has a vast collection of “wolf stuff.”)

You initially pursued a music career. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Well, it happened sorta by accident. When I was about seventeen, I attended a “jam session” with my dad, who goaded me to get onstage and sing one of the songs I’d written. My guitar was in tune—for my voice, but not with the piano—yet the guys in the band somehow managed to follow along. The audience went nuts, and that inspired the bandleader (Bobby Pierce, I’ll never forget you!) to ask me to come back . . . after he tuned my guitar properly, of course.

I was a regular guest at the Rockin’ Horse after that, and before long, other bands in the Chicago area were asking me to stand in for absent “girl singers.” Before I knew it, I was a regular all over Chicago!

Next, a guy from Artists Corporation of America (out of Milwaukee) heard me sing and said, “Hey . . . I can get you jobs all over the country!” So I signed a contract, packed my steamer trunk and Yamaha guitar, bought a ticket on a Greyhound bus, and voila! The most enjoyable and fulfilling moments by far were those I spent in VA hospitals, crooning requests to the soldiers injured in the Vietnam War. (Yes, I’m that old! LOL)

It was a long and lonely road, though, and after about four years of traveling all over the U.S., singing and strumming, I decided to hang up my Yamaha, took a job with a local insurance company—where I met my own personal hero—and the rest, as they say, is history!

What was the catalyst to your writing career, and how does your faith play into your work?

My faith has always played a huge role in everything I do, and I suppose the reason I’m not teaching today is because God led me to this career. He didn’t do it in one leap, or by a single road, mind you . . . .

My husband’s job took us from Baltimore to Richmond, where I saw an ad in the local paper for someone to write a weekly column about the neighborhood where we lived. It was fun (though it didn’t pay) and I learned a lot about the area and met some truly fascinating people. Before long, the editor was assigning articles that took me out of the neighborhood (and paid me for them!), and in no time, the editors at other newspapers and magazines were calling, making assignments, too. By the time the family was transferred back to Baltimore some eighteen months later, I’d collected enough articles in my “clip book”  to inspire editors here to hire me.

Then, I noticed a disturbing trend: SOME editors were making subtle (and not so subtle) changes to the facts in my articles . . . to appease advertisers. One day, I just got fed up. “If you’re gonna write fiction,” I fumed, “you might as well write a novel!” And so I did (Pocketful of Love) for Barbour’s “Heartsong Presents” line. It was released in August of 1994, won the Readers’ Choice “Best Contemporary” award that year, and set me on the path that I’ll be on until they pry the keyboard from my cold dead hands!

Let’s talk about your new book, From Ashes to Honor (Abingdon Press, September 2011), the first in your First Responders Series. Please tell us about the book.

It’s the story of two people who are emotionally wounded by the events of 9/11. Their paths crossed in the weeks and months after the tragedy: Police officer Austin Finley’s guilt at not being there when his brother needed him on that fateful day caused some destructive behavior. His lieutenant issued an ultimatum: See the department psychiatrist . . . or else. Dr. Mercy Samara’s findings weren’t good, and rather than accept the desk duty his lieutenant suggested, Austin turned in his badge and gun and moved to Baltimore, where he became an EMT, rehabbed an old tugboat that became his home, and found peace and comfort in his faith.

Mercy wasn’t doing a very good job of coping with her own 9/11-related battle scars when a seriously disturbed patient committed suicide . . . and he wasn’t the first. Logic tells her she couldn’t have prevented the awful events, but Mercy can’t face any more heartache. At the suggestion of a sorority sister who lives in Baltimore, she takes a job as a guidance counselor. Unfortunately, her anger toward the God whom she believes let her down time and again doesn’t wane.

When an accident on the high school football field brings Austin and Mercy face to face for the first time in years, they’re forced to remember all they’ve tried to forget. They find comfort in one another’s arms . . . but there’s pain there, too. And on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, when they return to New York for the opening of the memorial at Ground Zero, their relationship is put to the ultimate test . . . .

Besides entertainment, what do you hope readers will take away from it?

I’m praying readers will see first responders in a different light . . . not just as the cops and firefighters, EMTs, and Search and Rescue personnel who show up when we’re in need . . . but as true heroes who are willing to put their lives on the line to assure our safety.

Please tell us about a recent “detour” in your life—or in one of your character’s lives—that taught you something?

My mom’s recent battle with bone cancer waylaid my writing for months. As she struggled with treatments and unrelenting pain, I found myself questioning God . . . just like so many of my characters have! But when she passed away this past August, I understood that while her suffering was difficult to watch, He had an ulterior motive: To spare her the excruciating agony that bone cancer patients must cope with before the disease ends their lives. (Bone cancer patients are very often put into drug-induced comas because nothing that doctors can prescribe will dull the extreme torture of bones that shatter and crumble, simply from a patient’s weight on the mattress!) What it taught me was . . . a little pain now can spare us a lot of pain later. So even when it’s tough, we must trust God to know what’s best for us and those we love.

You often speak at writer conferences, books clubs, and corporate events. Given the choice, what is your favorite topic?

I have the most fun teaching the Timeline Principles! The chart that I use to plot every novel has been improved and revamped dozens of times—thanks to the input of students! There are few industry-related things that bring me more joy than seeing that “light bulb moment” when a student understands something that had been a source of confusion. That moment is topped only by hearing from them when they’ve earned their own publishing contracts!

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I’m crazy about soup! It’s comfort food of the best and heartiest kind, and I make it spring, summer, winter, and fall! I love the process of chopping and peeling and adding ingredients, then inhaling the delicious aromas that waft from the pot. The only thing better than that are the oohs and ahhs I hear when the family slurps my concoctions from their spoons!

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I’d be an old-fashioned folk song, something that would almost force people to tap their toes and sing along! (Photo to the right: a young Loree with her guitar.)

Are you a major or a minor chord?

A minor chord, for sure, because I love harmony . . . in song and in life . . . and to reach that perfect blend, it takes a lot of voices, all with the same goal: Beautiful notes!

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

My friends tend to be like me: People who aren’t afraid to break a fingernail or a sweat to get a job done. I don’t believe whimpering and whining accomplishes anything, so I steer clear of people who are chronic complainers. So I guess I’d have to say I’m the strong female lead . . . who knows her limits and isn’t afraid to ask for help when she needs it!

I’m a dog lover, and I know you have a passion for ‘all things wolf.’ Please tell us about your current pets and/or your favorite pet as a child.

I fell in love with the majestic wolf while researching my novel Montana Sky. Pack dynamics—such as their loyalty and devotion to their mates—individual characteristics, the cooperation it takes to hunt big prey, and the beauty of them in form and voice is a constant source of amazement to me. They’re misunderstood . . . and is it any wonder they avoid human contact when possible!

With my fondness for wolves, it’s no surprise that I’m a dog lover, is it! But I love cats, just as much! When I was a girl, we had a Shepherd/Doberman mix named Lady who could hold her own with any kid in the neighborhood in spirited games of volleyball. She was big—but didn’t know it—and loved to cuddle up in a lap, like a teacup poodle!

Thank you, Loree! It’s great to have you as a guest at DivineDetour.

Thank you for inviting me! It’s been a real pleasure, and I hope to hear from everyone, soon!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Loree, visit her website at http://www.loreelough.com/

To purchase From Ashes to Honor logon to: