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Showing posts with label Amazon gift card. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon gift card. Show all posts

Thursday, October 21, 2021

INTERVIEW WITH LYNETTE EASON

I have to admit that Lynette Eason is one of my favorite authors, and her Danger Never Sleeps series is edge-of-your-seat type of action!

Here is a recent interview about her latest release, the fourth and last of the series, Hostile Intent

Hostile Intent is the gripping conclusion to your Danger Never Sleeps series. What ties the four books together?

The four books are tied together by four friends. Three who met in the military and one who was already friends with the Acceptable Risk heroine, Sarah Denning.

The military is an underlying theme through your series. How did you become so well-versed in military careers?

Research, research, research! Seriously, I know people in the military, and they were more than generous with their time in allowing me to pick their brains. One friend even read different scenes and then gave me feedback on how to fix them. That was such a blessing. 

Your books often feature strong female protagonists. Do you have a favorite character in the Danger Never Sleeps series?

I think I'll have to go with Sarah from Acceptable Risk, although Ava from Hostile Intent runs a close second. But Sarah is strong. She doesn't hold back and is no one's doormat. I love how she doesn't let anyone define who she should be and fights to be her own person. She's just a cool character. 

What do you hope readers will learn from Hostile Intent?

I think it's safe to say that we all have burdens and baggage. We have first, second, and third impressions about people we know. Let's face it; we all make judgments, but the truth is, we never know all there is to know about a person—or what their struggles are. I hope Hostile Intent will remind readers not to judge too swiftly or too harshly and to look beneath the surface of others' actions. 


When did you become interested in writing romantic suspense novels?
 

I've always loved writing. Even in school, I'd rather have an essay questions than a multiple choice one. When I was in the eighth grade, I tried writing a novel but gave up because it was too hard. Then when I was a young mother, I was home alone a lot, as my husband traveled with his job. I decided that it would be a good distraction to try to write  novel again. So I did. And I actually finished that one. Then I wrote another and another. The fourth one was published in 2007. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Here's a little about Hostile Intent

Shortly after high school, Ava Jackson joined the military. But when her mother became ill, she was forced to request an early discharge. After visiting her mother in the nursing home, Ava is attacked. Fortunately, FBI Special Agent Caden Denning arrives in time to help ward off her attacker.  

Caden reveals to Ava that there is a serial killer trying to wipe out military families, and he believes that Ava may hold the key to these murders. The killer clearly has an agenda and Ava appears to be next on his list. Ava and Caden must work together to discover the pattern to the hits, uncover looming secrets, and track down the killer before it is too late.  

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Collateral Damage, Acceptable Risk, and Active Defense, as well as Protecting Tanner Hollow. She has completed several series including the Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and (my personal favorite) the Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others, and she is currently working on the first book of a brand new series! Yea! 

You can reach Lynette Eason on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or through her website: www.lynetteeason.com

Have you ever tried to write a book? Even a short story? Share about it in the comments and you might be the winner of an Amazon gift card.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Seven Tips for Book Signings

by Patricia Bradley
Me @ B&N with two author friends
Book signings. You either love 'em or hate 'em. 

A few weeks ago I had back-to-back book signings at two Barnes and Noble bookstores, and I thought I'd pass along what I learned. 

  • Wear something comfortable, especially shoes if you plan to walk around the store greeting people. I wore heels. Believe me, it doesn't look good when you walk like Chester from Gunsmoke. 
  • Make sure your chair is the right height. I tried a stool first and had to bend over to sign books. Then I tried a chair that was too low. Now I know how little kids feel when they are in a grownup chair trying to reach the table. I ended up putting the books in my lap to sign.
  • Make eye contact with the customers. Did you know there were some customers who never turned their head as they walked by, totally absorbed by a stand of dictionaries to their left?  
  • Don't feel bad when customers go way out of their way to the coffee shop by circling behind you even though walking in front of you is a  shorter and more direct path.
  • Pray for a downpour that lasts at least an hour. Pretty soon, customers get bored and decide to go talk to the author. Some even buy books.
  • Always smile. And be sure to tell passing customers you are the author. You would not believe the people who, when you say you are the author, will stop in their tracks and actually look at you and say, "You wrote those?" while pointing to your stack of books. Most of the time, those customers will buy your book.
  • Take tea cakes. Especially take tea cakes. Older readers remember tea cakes from their childhood and younger ones get to try something new. Be sure to check out the recipe below.
And those are my tips for book signings. 

Now I'd like to hear from you. As readers, when you go to a bookstore and an author is signing books, do you stop and talk?

And authors, do you have any additional tips? 

Old Fashioned Tea Cakes


Tea Cakes

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
I always add a dash of nutmeg. Cinnamon can also be added.

Combine sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour gradually. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press out, using a piece of wax paper sprayed with cooking spray and a glass. Bake at 375° until browned.

Icing (For a book signing, I usually leave the icing off)
Vanilla:
1 box Confectioners sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Mix well and add heavy cream (I often used Pet Milk) one tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreading consistency.

Lemon:
1 box Confectioners sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1/3 cup lemon juice, more if needed to thin
Mix well and beat until spreading consistency.

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