Tuesday, July 23, 2024

"Justice Delayed" by Sarah Hamaker -- Epic Book Launch


About the Book


Book: Justice Delayed

Author: Sarah Hamaker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 15, 2024

Journalist Brogan Gilmore had been a rising star when an unethical shortcut on a story

leads to his fall from grace. A chance encounter with convicted murderer Melender Harman a

few months after her release from prison provides Brogan with a chance for career

redemption—if he can land an interview with her.

After serving her 17-year sentence, Melender has one objective: To uncover the truth

about what happened to her cousin the night the toddler disappeared. When Brogan pursues her

for an exclusive story, she reluctantly agrees if he’ll help her reexamine the original investigation

into Jesse’s presumed kidnapping and murder.

While re-investigating the case, Brogan struggles to keep his objectivity as he begins to

believe Melender is innocent of the crime—and starts to envision a possible future together.

Then a hocking discovery throws their relationship—and investigation—into turmoil.

As Brogan and Melender come closer to solving what happened to Jesse, will their

budding relationship survive the truth? 


Book Excerpt

“Just one.” Brogan poised his pen over the notebook. “What’s her name?”

“Mel Harman.” Mr. Patel gestured toward the door. “You can meet her. She just pulled

into parking lot.”


# # #


Melender Harman put her Honda Accord into park outside the Kwikie Mart and checked

the dashboard clock. Four-thirty. Good, she’d have enough time after her visit with Mr. Patel to

stop by the grocery store down the street before starting her overnight shift. She enjoyed the

solitary nature of her job, cleaning stores and offices while most of the world slept. Tonight, she

had a new client on her list, which meant Squeaky Clean’s owner, Janice Butram, would be

sending along another cleaner to keep them on schedule.

Melender, who had shortened her unusual first name to “Mel” to avoid questions about its

origin and to camouflage her background, stepped into the convenience store, the overhead bell

announcing her entrance. Behind the counter, Mr. Patel chatted with a tall, handsome blond man

wearing jeans and an old leather bomber jacket. The man held a small notebook and looked in

her direction when she entered.


Missed Any Excerpts, Go Here


Excerpt One: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/justice-delayed-epic-book-launch/
Excerpt Two: http://kid-lit.library-lady.blog/epic-book-launch-and-excerpt-justice-delayed-romantic-suspense/
Excerpt Three: https://montanamade.weebly.com/tell-tale-book-reviews/epic-book-launch-justice-delayed-by-sarah-hamaker
Excerpt Four: http://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/justice-delayed-epic-book-launch/
Excerpt Five: https://musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2024/07/celebrate-lit-presents-justice-delayed.html
Excerpt Six: https://blossomsandblessings.blogspot.com/2024/07/justice-delayed-by-sarah-hamaker-epic.html

 

 


About the Author


An award-winning and best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense, Sarah Hamaker

loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s

an AWSA certified writer and speaker coach, and podcaster of “The Romantic Side of

Suspense.” Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and three cats.

Saturday, July 20, 2024

"Trail of Promises" by Susan F. Craft

 

About the Book

Book: Trail of Promises

Author: Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 25, 2024

A marriage of convenience will protect her reputation on the long trail ahead, but he’s barely more than a stranger…

Tessa Harris is a woman without options. When she’s stranded nearly two hundred miles from her destination, her only companions are a former British Cavalry officer and his two young brothers. Society dictates they cannot travel without a chaperone, but can she trust this handsome stranger to protect her if they choose to marry? And if so, should she show her feelings or guard her heart? She’s learned the hard way how painful it is to love a man who doesn’t reciprocate.

Stephen Griffith has enough responsibility caring for his young brothers, and now he shoulders the massive responsibility of keeping his new wife safe as they cross the wilderness toward a new life. And though he tries to keep her at arm’s length, reminding himself their marriage may only be a temporary arrangement, he cannot seem to shake the feelings growing for her.

When they fall into the hands of outlaws, Tessa and Stephen must overcome their hardest obstacle yet. Only God can bring them safely to the end of the trail where enduring love awaits.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading this book. It was fascinating reading about the Great Wagon Road and some of the hardships travelers faced. There was a nice biblical faith thread woven through the book which was nice. The romance is quick and for it being a marriage of convenience, there isn't a long time before it is an actual love match. I think  I would have preferred to not have the epilogue for this story. I usually like seeing where the characters are after a period of time, but this epilogue just made me sad. It is also 40 years later, so that is a lot later than most epilogues. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.


About the Author

Susan F. Craft retired after a 45-year career in writing, editing, and communicating in business settings.

She authored the historical romantic suspense trilogy Women of the American Revolution—The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia. The Chamomile and Cassia received national Illumination Silver Awards. The Chamomile was named by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick and was nominated for a Christy Award.

She collaborated with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile An Equestrian Writer’s Guide (www.lrgaf.org), including almost everything you’d ever want to know about horses.

An admitted history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching geese eat her daylilies. She most recently took up the ukulele.

More from Susan

Tessa Harris and her father, Thomas, are portrait artists, limners, who travel from town to town seeking commissions.

Limners were among the first to record glimpses of life in colonial America. By the early 1700s, wealthy colonists hired limners to paint portraits of their families. These limners, mostly self-taught, generally unknown by name, turned out naive portraits in the Elizabethan style, the Dutch baroque style, or the English baroque court style, depending upon the European background of both artist and patron.

Rather than a true portrait, the paintings were most often idealistic and did not give a true representation of the personality of the sitter and were often two dimensional. Artists focused on the material wealth of the subject, giving much attention to their clothing and accessories. Some artists painted only the faces of their subjects, explaining that they need not bother with tedious sittings and that they would paint the bodies and clothing later. They would show their subjects English and French prints from which to choose whatever costumes and backgrounds they preferred.

Like most artisans of their time who found it difficult to support themselves with paintings only, limners also worked in pewter, silver, glass, or textiles or took jobs doing ornamental paintings of clocks, furniture, signs, and carriages. Many painted miniatures—tiny watercolor portraits—on pieces of ivory, often oval-shaped and commonly worn as jewelry. Limners also painted on paper and canvas and earned, on average, $15 per portrait.

Limners Samuel McIntire and Duncan Phyfe became celebrated painters of furniture. Famous colonial portrait artists included Joseph Blackburn, Peter Pelham, John Smibert, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull and Charles Wilson Peale. An American artist, Benjamin West, became painter to the king and president of the Royal Academy in London. American artists flocked to his studio to learn under his tutelage, including Gilbert Stuart, who painted a famous portrait of George Washington.

In 1754 in British colonial New York, an artist took out the following ad in the Gazette and the Weekly PostLawrence Kilburn, Limner, just arrived from London with Capt. Miller, hereby acquaints all Gentlemen and Ladies inclined to favour him in having their pictures drawn, that he don’t doubt of pleasing them in taking a true Likeness, and finishing the Drapery in a proper Manner, as also in the Choice of Attitudes, suitable to each Person’s Age and Sex, and giving agreeable Satisfaction, as he has heretofore done to Gentlemen and Ladies in London. He may at present be apply’d to at his Lodgings, at Mr. Bogart’s near the New Printing-Office in Beaver-Street.

I pray that my Great Wagon Road series honors the Lord and the gifts He has given me and that you will love my characters as much as I do. Soli Deo Gloria.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, July 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Pens Pages & Pulses, July 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 10

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 12

For Him and My Family, July 12

Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Karen Baney Reviews, July 13

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 15

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 16

Holly’s Book Corner, July 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 17

lakesidelivingsite, July 18

Cover Lover Book Review, July 19

Blossoms and Blessings, July 20

Pause for Tales, July 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 21

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of 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/2ca3e/trail-of-promises-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, July 12, 2024

"A Conflicted Betrothal" by Denise Weimer

 

About the Book

Book: A Conflicted Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 11, 2024

A King’s Ranger, a secret patriot, and a love that calls everything into question.

As a King’s Ranger on Georgia’s frontier, Ansel Anderson loves his independent life. But he’s also a second son, which means he’ll need the favor of someone influential to secure a land grant to settle his future. What better way to win support than by marrying the daughter of a member of the Governor’s Council? Yet Ansel’s straightforward plan is complicated by Miss Scott’s aloofness and his own growing sympathy for the passionate cause of the Liberty Boys.

As drawn to the enigmatic Ansel Anderson as Temperance Scott might be, he’d be more of a match for her feisty twin sister—who is all too happy to oblige. Not only would timid, nearsighted Temperance make a poor wife for a man trained for life on the frontier, but anyone she allows close to her must share her secret patriot ideals.

When Savannah erupts into riots and intrigue following the passage of the Stamp Act, Ansel is tasked with identifying a spy passing sensitive information to the Liberty Boys and the author of anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor. And as suspicions focus on the Scott family, which is he prepared to sacrifice—love or loyalty?

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be well written and easy to read. I enjoyed seeing what life in the colonies was like before the War for Independence. I had never really thought about how people's beliefs were along a spectrum and not just polar opposites of each other. I look forward to reading the next book in this  I look forward to reading more books by Denise Weimer.


About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

 

 

 

More from Denise

The American Revolution That Almost Happened a Decade Earlier:

The Setting for A Conflicted Betrothal

Savannah, Georgia, 1765. Sedition, secret letters, spies, and Sons of Liberty. An absolutely irresistible combination for an author of historical romance! All this intrigue centered around the passage and implementation of the Stamp Act.

The crowning grievance after a series of increasingly repressive acts levying taxes for Britain, the act required an imprint on official papers or a small blue paper affixed with tin foil to a document, including bills, calendars, warrants, deeds, court documents, commercial papers, degrees, newspapers, pamphlets, ads, almanacs, indentures, appointments, and even cards and dice. Anyone breaking the Stamp Act would be tried in admiralty court in Novia Scotia. Colonists objected to not having a local trial by their peers and because English parliament, not the local upper and lower colonial houses, set the tax.

Savannah seethed with discontent while awaiting the appointment of a stamp master and the arrival of the stamps.

Then a sensational article in the Georgia Gazette revealed that four local citizens had received letters signed by “the Townsman” accusing them of being the stamp master or having stamped papers in their possession. The men were instructed to publicly advertise their innocence or risk grievous results.

When protest and riots speared by the fledgling Liberty Boys repeatedly erupted, the governor called out his Royal Rangers to quell the potential rebellion. But the rangers and the militia were riddled with secret patriots, many of whom were the sons of prominent loyalists. Imagine being in the position where you are sworn to serve and protect—only, you suspect you may be on the wrong side.

That’s what happens to my hero in A Conflicted Betrothal. Georgia Royal Ranger Ansel Anderson is summoned from his frontier post to provide intelligence to his father’s friend, a loyalist judge. To obtain the land grant he needs, he’s also to court the man’s daughter, an ardent patriot. Patience Scott has no intention of letting herself fall for a sworn King’s Man…until anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor corner her into agreeing to a betrothal. But will their attraction to each other survive their conflicting loyalties?

Blog Stops

Holly’s Book Corner, July 2

Texas Book-aholic, July 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 3

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 4

lakesidelivingsite, July 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 6

Pause for Tales, July 6

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 7

Simple Harvest Reads, July 8 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 9

Inkwell Inspirations, July 10

For Him and My Family, July 11

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 12

Blossoms and Blessings , July 12

Cover Lover Book Review, July 13

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 14

Connie’s History Classroom, July 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of 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/2c80b/a-conflicted-betrothal-celebration-tour-giveaway



I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

"Bold of Heart" by Susan K. Beatty -- Author Interview


About the Book

Book: Bold of Heart

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release date: May 28, 2024

A reporter, a rich man, and a chaplain walk into a mystery…

Tamzin Murray has three goals: Follow Jesus. Control her no-filter mouth. And no romance. When her friend offers her a job as a reporter on the South Pacific Suamalie Islands, she jumps at the chance for a fresh start. But when she’s forced to meet the handsome, wealthy investor, she not only finds herself involved in a love triangle, but also a dangerous mystery.

When Wentworth “Sully” Sullivan’s yacht is sabotaged, he did not expect to fall for the reporter covering his story. Especially since his experience with women has mostly been with gold-diggers.

Émile Durand is too shy to date, but when he meets his sister’s new coworker, he can’t help his attraction to her. And the more he helps her out of scrapes, the further he falls in love with her.

As the mystery becomes more dangerous, and the more their hearts get entangled, how will Tamzin, Sully, and Émile get out of the messes they’ve put themselves into?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

 ***Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?
I wish I was a plotter, but every time I try to develop a detailed outline of my plot, I go
bonkers and practically die of tedium. I begin with a general idea and where to start and
how I want the ending. Maybe I know a couple of the plot points. But I start writing and
sometimes the story just flows, sometimes I get blocked because I don’t know where I
want to go next (this is definitely not the fun part), and often my characters just start
acting out on their own (this is the really fun part).

***Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you can just sit in the
middle of a café full of people and write?

Once I was volunteering at a writers conference, with a couple hundred folks milling
about, and my author friend, Chautona Havig, sat right in the middle of the chaos and
wrote. I was amazed. Gathering research and ideas in the middle of a coffee shop is
okay. But to be creative, I need privacy and quiet. I have two laptops, and I use my Mac
for creative writing only. Both computers are tied down in my office with so many cords
(external monitors, external keyboards, etc.), I rarely make them portable. Thus, 90% of
my fiction writing takes place at a specific desk with a specific computer in my home
office.

***How long does it usually take you to write a book?
I seem to be the slowest writer ever. Being a pantser, not a plotter, I spend a lot of time
in the beginning figuring out where I’m going by writing, so that takes extra time. Even
when I’m on a roll, I can write only about 1200 words a day. Then, I let life get in the way
of my writing all too often. So, the short answer to how long does it take me to write a
book is “a looooong time,” perhaps a year for an 80,000+ word novel or four to six
months to write a novella of 50,000 words.

***What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
My routine changes depending on the stage of writing. When I’m first developing my
ideas for a book, I may not write at all, other than content for blogs, newsletters, and
social media. When in serious writing mode, I start the day with devotions/Bible reading
and coffee. Then I take care of business (emails, social media, etc.), because I can’t be
creative until I get those often-mundane tasks completed. By early afternoon, I sit at my
appointed, creative-writing-only MAC laptop, edit the previous session's text and then
write until my brain won’t cooperate anymore, usually about dinner time.

***Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?
Oh, yes, indeed bits and pieces of myself, friends, and family show up in my characters.
For example, in my younger days, I was a newspaper reporter like Margo in my
Suamalie Islands series. I, too, suffered from insecurity when asking questions of news
subjects. My daughter’s strength and spiritual tenacity during her 13 1/2 -year breast
cancer journey shows up in several of my novels/novellas that include breast cancer
thrivers. I also “borrow” from celebrities and their movie roles. I fashioned my Suamalie
Islands character Steve Grayson after Elvis in his movie Speedway, in which his
character’s name was also Steve Grayson. My Steve Grayson is a racecar driver, but
not a rock ‘n roll singer.


About the Author

Susan K. Beatty is in her third career—from journalist to homeschool tech writer to her life-long dream of becoming a novelist. She is proof you can start a new writing career late in life. Susan released her first published fiction in September 2019, and now an awarding winner author, this is her third novel, with several novelettes and short stories to her credit. She is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit. Susan lives with her husband of forty-nine years in Southern California. Add children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the mix and she has little time for her favorite hobbies of reading, watching classic movies, British crime dramas, and traveling.

 

More from Susan

I love to follow my characters from struggling with a character flaw (or two or three) to victory, even if it isn’t complete. Yet. It blesses me when I see the characters becoming bold and courageous through following Christ and with the support of those around them.

Yes, I know I’m talking as if they do this without my help as the author. And, in some respects, that would almost be true. I may have an idea what the character is going to say or do next, but often what appears on my computer monitor is not what I expected. Yes, as if they had a mind of their own.

Such is the case with my three main characters in Bold of Heart. I had planned that Tamzin would fall for one character, only to have her go for the other one. Then there was of who was Sully’s bad guy. Again, I thought was going to be one character until another character shot to the forefront. And Émile? I didn’t expect him to be so bold. It would be a spoiler if I gave more detail here. (Do you hear Simon Legree-like laughing here?)

I’ve known a couple people who just have no filter on their mouths, but still good-hearted, well-meaning folks. Thus, Tamzin’s major character flaw. Getting her to the Suamalie Islands, and away from her prime example, her mother, for a fresh start, gives Tamzin a chance to work on softening her remarks.

How can a hospital chaplain be shy? Well, that is Émile’s issue. Actually, he’s only shy outside of the hospital room. Near women.

I’ve never been wealthy, and don’t expect to be, so I had to imagine how our millionaire Sully could be wary of dating. It didn’t help he’d already been through an unpleasant experience after his wife passed away.

Love triangles are a familiar Christian romance trope, but to keep it from getting sticky, I threw in some mystery and suspense. It was a bonus that the experiences helped the characters develop their bold hearts.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, June 28

Stories By Gina, June 29 (Author Interview)

Karen Baney Reviews, June 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 30

Artistic Nobody, July 1 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 1

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 2

She Lives to Read, July 3

Back Porch Reads, July 4 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 6

Holly’s Book Corner, July 7

An Author’s Take, July 8

Sylvan Reads, July 9

Blossoms and Blessings, July 10 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and 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/2c561/bold-of-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

"Breath of Bones" by Nathan and Tricia Goyer -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Breath of Bones

Authors: Tricia Goyer & Nathan Goyer

Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy

Release date: June 18, 2024

When darkness falls, a new guardian emerges.

Kateřina Dubová has always aspired to walk in her father’s footsteps as a respected journalist, and the Second World War presents a unique opportunity for her to prove her worth to the world. A tip about an assassination attempt on a high-ranking Nazi official, Reinhard Heydrich, the “Butcher of Prague” leads Kateřina into the shadows of the Nazi occupation. Soon she discovers things are not as they seem.

As intrigue unfurls, Kateřina joins forces with Josef Loew, a descendant of the famous Rabbi Loew, renowned for creating a mystical guardian in the form of a golem to protect the souls of 16th-century Jews in Prague. In the chaos of war, some believe a new golem can once again bring help to those in need.

Like flickering candles in the abyss, Kateřina and Josef work to protect the innocent and end the evil that plagues their world. Yet, in their quest to save the Jewish people, have they inadvertently created a new danger? Could the very entity they had forged to protect become their greatest enemy?

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

 1. Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?
Nathan: A little of both. Writing together with Tricia has been a unique
experience. While we get down and plan everything out in the
beginning, there are plenty of times when one of us comes up with an
idea, and the other goes “Hey, let’s take that idea even further” which
enhances the story in many ways. I believe what has worked for us
the best is to come up with a solid plan, but remain adaptable when
inspiration hit us.

2. What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?
Nathan: For me, the hardest part is the middle point of the book, the
half-finished manuscript. Starting off is easy, you have lots of ideas
and are ready to go! Finishing is also easy, everything you wrote is
there so you just need to fill in the gaps. But every time there is this
middle point where you’re trying to flesh out all of your thoughts into a
coherent story, and that is pretty challenging.

3. What would you say is the easiest aspect of writing?
Tricia: For me, the easiest part of writing is definitely coming up with
ideas. I find myself having a dozen ideas a day! It's like my mind is
constantly buzzing with new concepts, characters, and plots, just
waiting to be explored. Harder is knowing which one to focus on!

4. Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you can
just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?

Nathan: When it comes to juggling all the things in my life, I’ve gotten
to the point where I can write just about anywhere. If I waited for a
quiet evening with no interruptions at all ... Well, I’d never get a
chance to write. But I will say it is a lot easier to write when at the
very least someone isn’t talking to me.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Believe it or not, I got the idea for this book while I was just sweeping
near my bookshelf, which is full of my favorite books about Prague.
During this simple task, it hit me: why not combine the Jewish legend
of the Golem with my interest in WWII stories? I shared this idea with
my son, Nathan, to see what he thought. When I told him, his reaction
was immediate and enthusiastic. He said, "I love it," and that was all
the encouragement I needed. So, together, Nathan and I created
"Breath of Bones" This project was special because it was a joint
effort, combining our interests in folklore and history. Our goal was to
make a story that was engaging and meaningful, reflecting on the
themes of resistance and survival during the tough times of war.
Working on "Breath of Bones" brought us closer and allowed us to
explore a unique blend of mythology and historical events, making it a
memorable project.



6. What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
Tricia: For Breath of Bones, Nathan and I did most of our writing in the
evenings and on weekends. He works full-time–with other part-time
work, too. I have multiple book deadlines, homeschool our youngest
three kids, and also am the caregiver for my 94-year-old Grandma.
Often, Nathan would come over to our house after work, and we’d talk
about ideas and then work on different parts of the same book. Nathan
did most of the first draft, and I often went in and filled in scenes. Of
course, I was also known to change things up–which is always
interesting when you have two people writing the same story!


About the Authors

Tricia Goyer is a celebrated writer, speaker, and co-host of the Daily Bible Podcast. Author of 80 books, Tricia has won four Golden Scrolls, two Carols, and a Christian Book Award. In addition to Christy and Gold Medallion nominations, her book sales exceed 4 million copies. Tricia is a highly sought-after conference speaker, sharing on writing, parenting, and purposeful living. Tricia’s most recent work, Breath of Bones, is a historical steampunk fantasy co-authored with her son Nathan Goyer.
Nathan Goyer is an upstart designer and science fiction author, who has been writing since he was young. He has written the novel Bask: City of Shadows and solo-developed the mobile RPG game Heedless, which has surpassed 30,000 downloads. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, he is now pushing forward with new endeavors, starting with his newest novel, Breath of Bones, which he wrote alongside his fellow author and mother, Tricia Goyer.

More from Tricia and Nathan

He Said/She Said: Behind the Scenes with Breath of Bones

By Tricia and Nathan Goyer

Writing Breath of Bones turned out to be one of the most surprising and rewarding adventures I’ve ever embarked on. Let me take you behind the scenes of how this all came to be.

It all started when I decided to treat myself to something special for my 50th birthday: attending the Realm Maker’s Conference with my son Nathan. I’ve been writing books for years, over 90 of them actually, but I’ve always stuck to what I knew best. Speculative fiction? That was Nathan’s thing, not mine. But, there we were, surrounded by an incredible community of sci-fi and fantasy writers and fans. It was inspiring..

Reconnecting with my old buddy Steve Laube at the conference was a highlight. “Come to the dark side,” he joked when I marveled at how amazing everyone was. I laughed it off, but little did I know how prophetic his words would be.

After that second conference, something strange started happening. Ideas began bubbling up in my mind, and they were far out of my usual writing lane. The trigger? Believe it or not, I was doing something as mundane as sweeping near my bookshelf, filled with my favorite books about Prague, when I got an idea. That’s when it hit me—blending the Jewish legend of the Golem with my love for WWII stories. When I shared the idea with Nathan, his eyes lit up. “I love it,” he said, and that was all the encouragement I needed.

The idea really took shape when I ran into Steve Laube again at another conference. I pitched it to him during my keynote, and his enthusiasm confirmed my need.

The most surreal part of this whole journey? I first met Steve when I was pregnant with Nathan. When Nathan and Steve were introduced, Nathan joked, “No wonder your voice sounds familiar.” I thought that was perfect!

It felt like things were coming full circle. I was writing a book in a genre I never thought I’d explore for an editor I’ve admired for decades, alongside my son, who, in a way, met Steve alongside me all those years ago.

Breath of Bones is more than just a book to me. It represents stepping out of my comfort zone, embracing a new genre with the help of an incredible community, and the unique joy of collaborating with my son. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to try something new. Also, the support of friends and loved ones can turn even the most daunting challenges into rewarding journeys. I hope this story inspires others as much as it inspired me during its creation.

He Said:

Writing Breath of Bones was certainly something I never expected to do. I had been trying to get my mother Tricia to write speculative fiction for a while, but I never thought she’d do it! It’s been very interesting to see her come to embrace the more fantastical side of writing.

When she asked me to write the novel with her, I was excited to do so. Writing something like this was right up my alley, of course, but co-authoring was a brand new experience that comes with its challenges and plenty of rewards. I really think it pulled out the best of both of us. What emerged is a story neither of us would have ever written on our own.

I may be revealing some of our secrets here, but when we first started writing, the only fantastical element in the whole book was going to be the Golem itself! I was proud of Tricia when partway through writing, she said, “This feels like another historical fiction book, we need to do more.” From then on, we dug in and got creative. There is so much to discover, and I can confidently tell you there is plenty more excitement to come as the Clockwork Chronicles continues.

I will also say Tricia isn’t the only one stepping out of their comfort zone. It’s been a learning experience for me to write within the bounds of actual history! Sure, there are spider tanks and giant machinations, but much of the story comes from people’s real experiences at that time and our carefully crafted characters who needed to take on these challenges. I loved both learning and writing about the true history. In fact, my favorite scene I wrote had no Steampunk at all. (But I’ll keep which scene a secret. No spoilers here!)

Writing Breath of Bones has been a fantastic learning experience for me. I’ve absorbed a lot of information writing alongside such an experienced author and have loved seeing the characters and storylines I created come to life in such interesting ways. Above all else, I hope all our readers can get lost in the world of Breath of Bones and go on an adventure they won’t forget anytime soon.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 29

Where Faith and Books Meet, June 30

Through the Fire Blogs, July 1 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 1

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 4

Lily’s Corner, July 5

Inklings and Notions, July 6

Blogging With Carol, July 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 8

Exploring The Written Word, July 9

Blossoms and Blessings, July 10 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 10

Simple Harvest Reads, July 11 (Guest Review from Mindy)

The Lofty Pages, July 12

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Tricia nd Nathan are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a 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/2c562/breath-of-bones-celebration-tour-giveaway