Like Flames in the Night Author Q & A with Connilyn Cossette

So happy to share some Q & A's from an amazing historical author, Connilyn Cossette.  Her latest book will be releasing on March 3rd!  Click here to see where you can find out more about this intriguing book.  I can tell you that I have been reading the series and have loved every single book.  They are so captivating and life-like, makes you wish you could be there to see all that was taking place.

So here is a little about Connilyn Cossette!

Q. Do you seek out a spiritual theme for each book before you draft, crafting the plot around it? Or does it come to you later as you edit and weave in a theme?

A.  That really is different with every book. There are times when I know going in exactly what the spiritual theme is going to be; like with Until the Mountains Fall which was about a prodigal daughter. But there are times when it takes me almost the entire writing of the book to really figure out what it is the characters are trying to say and what it is the Lord is weaving into my story. And there are times when I may know the spiritual journey of one of the main characters but not the other and it untangles itself as I learn who the characters are together, what their wounds are, what their goals are, etc. There have actually been times when I thought it was one spiritual theme and then it completely surprised me by turning into another by the time I was done.

Q. What do you want your readers to know about you?

A. That I am just a simple girl who loves Jesus and loves to write stories and is absolutely delighted that anyone would want to get to know her imaginary friends. I am beyond blessed to get to hang out in my pajamas and make up stories all day long and somehow people out there want to read them. I am still pinching myself that this is my life! 

Q. How does it feel saying goodbye to characters you’ve been with for so long?

A. It is really so bittersweet because I feel like these people are part of my family and I know them inside and out. So it kind of feels like I’m abandoning them in some way. But they’re always there waiting for me and maybe someday I’ll have a chance to come back and revisit them. And then again I’m also really excited to find new characters and discover their journeys and now that I’m writing this new series I’m having a great time creating a whole new set of people, discovering what makes them tick, and finding all sorts of disastrous and dangerous situations to put them into peril and complicated situations to mess with their heads. I’m kinda evil like that ;) 

Q. If you could travel back in time to personally experience a Bible story, which one would it be and why?

A.  That’s a pretty simple answer for me; other than the resurrection, I would be there for the crossing of the Red Sea because what bigger miracle—other than Jesus rising from the dead in a blaze of pure light—could there be? I sure hope the Lord has that one on video when I get to heaven. Who knows if the way I imagined it was anywhere close to the real thing (because I’m pretty sure Hollywood didn’t get it right) but however it happened it had to have been a mind-blowing thing to witness.

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on both ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas their home. Connect with her at ConnilynCossette.com

Review and Interview: The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch by Patrick E. Craig

I was very happy to get a chance to read another book by Patrick E. Craig.  This book was focused on teen readers and I believe it will be a good read for this age group.  Despite that fact, I found it intriguing and it held my attention throughout.  I love a good mystery and this also involved another topic I am most fond of, that of genealogy and family.  I loved it how it shared a family history that the two cousins in the book grasped and enjoyed.  History is fascinating and family history is wonderful.

The theme of the story brought in love of family, love of home and love of Christ.  There was a definite Christian theme and I liked seeing that as these days, so many influences are taking people in the other direction.  I believe books such as this one show that there is no shame in knowing what our beliefs are and that with Christ all things are possible.

The story theme of the Indian heritage of the family and the secrets that were hidden keep you turning pages till the end.  I enjoyed it very much and will definitely have my granddaughter read this.

You can get a copy of this book at the following link.

I received a paperback book copy from the author for my honest review.

And I am lucky enough to introduce you to the author, Patrick E. Craig.

Patrick, welcome to my blog.  We would love to find out a little bit about your book and about you. I am so happy that you have shared your thoughts!

What inspired you to write this book?

The two girls, Hannah and Jacie, are modeled after my two oldest granddaughters, Hannah and Jacie. We have called them Boo and Punkin since they were babies. The writing of The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch came about through an interesting set of circumstances that i detail in the preface of the book. One night I had a dream in which a favorite Aunt who had always encouraged my writing appeared in my dream and, with that well-remembered stern look in her eye, pointed her finger at me and said, "You write!" The next morning, as I was reading the local paper, I noticed an ad in the classifieds: "For Sale, The Ghost Dancer Ranch." The whole story literally came to me in that moment and I set about to write it the next day. I have always been a fan of the Hardy Boy mysteries and in fact have sixty-eight of the Hardy Boy books in my library. As I cast about for a series title, The Adventures of Punkin and Boo popped into my head and so the series was born.

Will there be more Boo and Punkin mysteries?

Oh yes! The second book, The Lost Coast, is already written and I hope to have it out in time for Christmas. Following that will come many more; The Hidden Gate, The Chinese Grave, The Mystery of Spiderweb Canyon, The Lookout on Fire Mountain, and a whole bunch more that I have already put into my upcoming projects folder. In fact I have little scraps of paper stuck in my Bible and in my desk with notes on title ideas that I have to collect, thanks for reminding me.

I saw many scriptural references throughout this book.  Tell us about how that came to be.

I put the scriptures in because there is incredible wisdom in the Word of God and the Bible, whether people want to admit it or not, has the power to change people's lives. I became a Christian in 1984. Since then I have watched our world turn further and further away from the God who created us. Kids today live in a society that has no moral guidelines except to do what feels good and to accept everybody and everything, no matter how they live their lives. I hope that enough kids will read these books that even if they have no upbringing in Christianity, they might start asking the questions that will give them the kind of answers that will help them build a moral compass they can pin their lives on.

This was a very historical type of book.  Did it require lots of research?

Yes and thank goodness for Google! I've always been a history fan, especially American history so doing the research on this one was very interesting. I've always thought that the American Indians got a raw deal from the U.S. Government in many ways. The horse cultures of the great plains were magnificent in their simplicity and nobility and I hope I put some positive light on that for kids in this book. I'm currently writing a book set in Pennsylvania and the Ohio territory in the 1700s called The Amish Princess. In researching the book I found that William Penn was very honest with the Indians when he bought land from them in the late 1600s but his descendants were less than honorable when they took the historical homeland of the Delaware Indians away and drove them west. You can read about that when the book comes out in September.

What is your favorite genre to write about?

As you know, I am one of about seven men who write Amish fiction, but it is not necessarily a genre I would of chosen had it not been for a dare from Nick Harrison, my editor at Harvest House. I love writing about the Amish but I don't write light-hearted romances where everything turns out great just because the protagonist is Amish. I believe that everyone faces desperate situations in their life, even the Amish, and I write about those. My current editor, Lindsay Franklin, calls my books Amish Plus. And I am grateful for the opportunity to have been published by a wonderful company like Harvest House. The Apple Creek Dreams series helped me build a very loyal fan base that carried over into The Paradise Chronicles series, but I would definitely like to expand into Westerns, Suspense/Thrillers, more kids mysteries and even some Sci-fi. We'll see what the future brings.

What other things are you currently working on?

Well, I have The Amish Princess, book two in The Paradise Chronicles series coming out in the fall and I hope to release The Lost Coast, book two in The Adventures of Punkin and Boo by Christmas and a third one, The Hidden Gate, is slated for next year. I have a non-fiction book coming out called "Cracking The Indie Egg - Five Steps to Publishing Your Own Book" that I'm working on right now that will be an online course for ACFW in June, and then I have a series of vignettes from my life in the roaring 60s that I'm also writing as posts on Throw-Back Thursday on Facebook. And there are several more in my folder. So I'm a busy guy.

Thanks so much for sharing your time with us, Patrick.  It was a pleasure to feature you on my blog!  I am sure my readers are happy that they have gotten to know you better!

Author bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984.  He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States.  He is also the author of a Quilt For Jenna, The Road Home, Jenny's Choice and The Amish Heiress.  Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.  He and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.

Author Spotlight with Carrie Fancett Pagels! And A GIVEAWAY!

Today I have been blessed to have a very special lady do an author interview and share some of her thoughts with us!  Welcome to my blog, Carrie!  

Carrie, tell us a little about yourself.

I am a former psychologist (25+ years working with children and adolescents) but arthritis disabled me. I planned on working as a psychologist, in a Christian practice, until reaching retirement age—but God had other plans.

  

Can you share any stories that your readers could be looking forward to in the near future?

I have a brand new release, a short novel, Lilacs for Juliana, that just released! And I have an upcoming release, a novelette, entitled The Substitute Bride, that is part of a multi-author O’ Christmas Town collection.

How has being a writer impacted your relationship with Christ?

My relationship with Christ is what drew me to being a writer. I do this for the Lord. I pray that my work honors Him!

Do you feel that the Christian genre is making an important impact on people’s lives, and how?

I hear stories of people being drawn to Christ through reading Christian fiction. Personally, I have been a longtime reader of Christian fiction, starting back in the late 1980s. There is so much MORE in a true Christian fiction. There is a spiritual arc that ENCOURAGES the reader in their faith walk. I’ve read a couple of “clean” reads recently and walked away shaking my head—without the spiritual walk in Christ the story was no good to me.

Who is your favorite author?

Oh you are making this TOO hard, Sonja!!!  I love SO many. I have to say Julie Lessman. Her stories are filled with passion for the Lord as well as terrific romance! Her voice shines on every page—I love that!

How do you deal with the pressures of writing under a deadline?

I’m kind of a deadline person because of my RA. But life happens. I had unexpected emergency surgery in April. That set my current release behind.  In general, I try to write at least something every day. I ask God to help me. He is the reason I can be productive and meet deadlines.

When not writing what is your favorite way to unwind?

That would be hubs barbecuing for us, daughter over visiting us and with her dog, and our son being there. And then maybe doing a little bit of beading with our daughter and us all watching a movie together!

You seem like a very grounded person, Carrie, what would you feel helps you with this?

God. The Lord is the only reason I look that way. I am a mess without Him. I try to stay grounded in my faith. Staying in prayer and in the Word and being plugged in at church are some of those basic tenets of having any kind of chance of being grounded!

Thanks for interviewing me, Sonja! I’ve interviewed thousands of people over the years, in practice as a psychologist, so it is always interesting being on the other end of the questions!!!

Giveaway: A paperback (or ebook) copy of any one of the books in The Christy Lumber Camps Series – winner’s choice.

To enter the giveaway, please comment regarding the spotlight and mention which book you would prefer to receive, should you be the winner!  Don't forget to leave your email in a safe form so that we can contact you if you are the winner!  Contest ends September 10th!