When widow Becky Callis moves to a new town, she thought it would be easier to start over in a place where she's not reminded of her dead husband. Her kids on the other hand, take it as a chance to help their mother start over romantically. The only problem is, there seems to be quite a few eligible bachelors they can choose from! They soon realize it's easier to find someone to like their mother than it is to figure out which man is best for her.
Even though this handsome cowboy is younger than Becky, Scott makes his interest plain and starts courting her almost immediately to the delight of both kids.
Jack and Becky have been friends since childhood. When they're reunited years after their lives have taken very different paths, this lonely preacher begins to wonder if God has brought her back into his
life for a reason.
Pearce Morgan is a single parent raising his young daughter after his wife deserts them soon after Emily's birth. Divorced and disillusioned, an unlikely friendship arises between him and Becky when his shy daughter decides she loves Becky and her kids.
True love is harder than it looks!
Pearce Morgan is a single parent raising his young daughter after his wife deserts them soon after Emily's birth. Divorced and disillusioned, an unlikely friendship arises between him and Becky when his shy daughter decides she loves Becky and her kids.
True love is harder than it looks!
An Interview with Amanda:
Hi Deborah, thank you for having me here today. It’s nice to connect with you and your readers!
Tell us a little about your background.
My background is a little boring, but it’ll have to suffice. I’m a Christian romance author and homeschooling mother. Most people ask if I’ve always aspired to be a writer, and to be quite honest, I’d have to say no. I’ve never lain in bed at night and dreamed of being an author, or hitting the New York Times Bestsellers list (although it would be nice!) I’ve just always written. It was a form of therapy to me. If I couldn’t find a book that I wanted to read in the library, I would simply write my own. I still have stories from my high school and college days. No, I don’t let anyone read them, either!
What inspired you to write your book?
My inspiration for writing is my children. I want to teach them so many things, but only too often the words escape me at the moment. Its always been easier to write my thoughts down than to actually express it aloud, but yet I hate to journal. Go figure. In my first book, The Price of Trust, the point I wanted to get across was that abuse of any kind is wrong and should never be accepted. In my second novel, Lonely Hearts, I wanted to show people just how wonderful, and fleeting, family life can be. I see people around me that take so many things for granted, and I wanted to perhaps get someone to stop and look around at the blessings they already have in their lives.
What kinds of reactions has the book generated thus far?
The Price of Trust has mixed feelings, which is to be expected. Most are very positive, but some, not so much. Because it’s about an abused young woman, some people seem to think the heroine should never get past her pain and should have terrible issues in regards to loving someone. Fortunately, I’m living proof that with trust and faith in God, true love and happiness is indeed possible. God doesn’t want His people to be continually beat upon and discouraged, but encouraged, and thriving. Lonely Hearts, which is my newest release, has been getting positive results that actually were surprising to me. Initially, I was going to throw that particular story out as I like books with more suspense in them, but I never could bring myself to do it. Then, when my publisher said she was interested in it, I figured God had a plan for it as well.
What's the main message that you'd like readers to take away from it?
When a reader finishes Lonely Hearts, my hope and prayer is that they don’t take so much for granted, like their children. Those kids are only going to be home for so long, so try to make your regrets as few as possible and cherish each moment you have with those you love. No one is promised a tomorrow.
What’s next for you?
The next thing on my agenda is working on my Christian romantic suspense series that my publisher just picked up. It’s a series of three books (possibly four) that chronicle the life of Kyle & Deirdre Slade. It was supposed to be just one novel, but it became so large I had to break it down into a series. I think each book right now is at 70,000 to 80,000 words, so it was a must! I never thought I’d write a series, but guess what. Never say never…
Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
One thing I’d like to say is, remember that with God, all things are possible. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. ~ Philippians 4:13 If this were totally up to me, I would have never gotten this far in my publishing journey. Truly, God has a plan for each of our lives and I want Him to use me for His honor and glory. And if that means writing books that glorify Him, praise God!
About the Author:
Amanda Stephan is just a normal, everyday country girl. She resides near Columbia, TN with her husband and children, three cats, one dog, and multiple roosters that love to roost under their bedroom windows. She loves to laugh and have a good time, and loves to read a good book.
She finds writing to be an opportunity to share God's love for others in a fun and entertaining way. Her first novel, The Price of Trust, was published in May of 2010, her second novel, Lonely Hearts, is due for release at the end of October, 2011, and her Slade series was just picked up by TreasureLine Publishing.
If you were to ask her to share one thing about herself that most people don't know, she'd have so many to choose from that she'd probably hesitate for a moment. Not quite a recluse, she's rather camera shy, doesn't like to be in the spotlight, and absolutely LOVES to have her feet tickled. But she would say her most interesting accomplishment is that she laughs like Scooby Doo.
How can our readers learn more about you and contact you directly?
I love to meet new people. I’m a people junkie. You can find me lurking in so many places, that I’ll just give you a few of them here. Thank you for asking!
You can find me on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/amandastephan
Facebook Fan page - http://www.facebook.com/creativehomemomma
Facebook personal page - http://www.facebook.com/amanda.stephan1
Website – http://www.booksbyamanda.com
Thank you again, Deborah, for having me here today. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!
The official Amazon launch date for Lonely Hearts is November 1st -
Please visit: Amanda's Website for a chance to win a Nook, Kindle, & i-Pod Shuffle
Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion. It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.
Great Interview! I look forward to reading the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Laura. Amanda has a great book here and her background and creativity with regards to her writing is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteDeborah ~ thank you for having me on here today, it means so much to me to have the support of the Network. I'm glad to have been on such a beautiful blog! Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura, for stopping by! It's always nice to stop and chat!
I hope both you ladies have a wonderful weekend!
Loved the interview! I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of Amanda's new book. Her readers are in for a great treat!
ReplyDeleteLoved the book and can't wait for more wonderful books from Amanda! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit Karin. Amanda has a real winner here for sure! Don't forget to let others know about her book launch on November 1st!
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