Special Guest Jan Elder and a Giveaway!

Please welcome author Jan Elder to Inkwell Inspirations! Jan's second novella, A Semi-Precious Christmas, released Dec. 1, just in time for holiday reading! Leave a comment below for a chance to win an ebook or PDF copy!

NIKI: Hi Jan! Tell us a little about your latest story. It's quite an adventure! 

JAN: My latest release, A Semi-Precious Christmas, is a contemporary Christian novella. Here’s a blurb about the plot:

"On a bright, crisp December morning, jewelry store manager, Peridot Keaton-Jones, arrives at work expecting to find her beloved uncle, Marty. Instead, she’s greeted by the muzzle of a gun pressed to her temple. When thugs assault her, threaten her life, and steal thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, Peri can only pray her uncle is late for the first time in his life.

Christopher Lane is a TV news cameraman in the right place at the right time. He witnesses the heist, calls the police, and offers help when Peri needs it most. She can't deny her attraction, but is he really her hero, or is he just after a story? And with Christmas right around the corner, can Peri and Chris avert a holiday disaster?"

NIKI: I have a particular soft spot for heroines with unusual names. 

Did something specific in your own life inspire this tale?

JAN: I got the idea from an incident featured on the local news. Right down the street from where my husband and I live, thugs robbed a high-end jewelry store, getting away with thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. We stopped by a few days later and the saleswoman we’re friends with told us the whole story, including her terror at having a gun pointed at her face. 

I got to thinking how I would feel and react if I were in the same situation. I put myself in my friend’s shoes and tried to relive the moment. What thoughts ran through her mind when confronted with her own mortality? What kind of people were the robbers? Had they been in jail before? Had they hurt anyone else? Everyone has good sides and bad sides. I wanted the reader to wonder, was there any good in them?

NIKI:   I'm glad to know someone else finds story ideas in random news items!

What’s your favorite holiday and why? (It doesn’t have to be Christmas, even though this novella is Christmas-themed!)

JAN: Sorry Christmas, but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love everything about it. The scrumptious food, (oh, how I love the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, not to mention the pie, glorious pie!) the warmth of a gathering of family and friends (my husband’s family gets together, plus my 92-year-old mother is included—thank you sister-in-law Karen.) But most of all it’s a time when I thank God for all of my many blessings. The gift of His love and salvation makes life worth living and all the rest is just gravy. J

NIKI: I'm a fan of holidays that don't involve lots of requirements and expectations. Thanksgiving is a good one!

What does your writing schedule look like?

JAN: I have a full time job so my writing time is limited to mostly weekends. I’m also a night person and my most creative time of the day is after the sun goes down.

Sometimes the two don’t work well together so Monday mornings can be rough! 

NIKI: I can relate! I think a lot of readers would be surprised to know how many of their favorite writers have "real" jobs on the side that keep them quite busy.

What other stories do you have available?

JAN: My first book, Manila Marriage App, is also a contemporary Christian romance. The novella released in April 2015 and it’s part of Pelican’s Passport to Romance series. Here’s a bit about the plot:

It all began as a lark. Shay Callahan’s life was just fine, thank you, but when the seemingly misogynistic missionary, Timothy Flynn, places an advertisement for a wife in a Christian magazine, she decides to give it a whirl and sends in the five-page application. Why not? After all, she’s not currently seeing anyone, and this man truly needs to be taught a lesson.

Finding out she’s Dr. Flynn’s pick of the litter, Shay hops on a plane and flies to The Philippines. The strategy is to jet in, enjoy an exciting two-week vacation, and jet out again, all at his expense. Instead, her plan backfires. The handsome missionary man is not what he seems, and the foreign land has far more to offer than she could imagine.

Embark on a tropical adventure with Shay that challenges everything she believes.

Oh, and Niki, your book, Santiago Sol, a scintillating story set in exotic South American, is part of the same series! For those of you who haven’t read it, check it out. I highly recommend it!

NIKI: Thank you! You have been such an encouragement to me with the Passport to Romance series. Manila Marriage App was too much fun! (Here's the link: http://amzn.to/1l6yZtR )

Favorite Christmas memory, song, book, or recipe?

JAN: Would it be silly to say that I love the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? I have great memories of being a little girl snuggled in her jammies watching the television special with my family. In fact, I love it so much my dear husband bought me a copy for Christmas a couple of years ago. Now both of us watch it every Christmas along with a plate of sugar cookies and a cup of cocoa.    

NIKI: Not silly at all! In fact, my hubby and I just watched Rudolph tonight. It's hard to believe it's been around since 1965!

Thank you for coming to visit all of us, and sharing your latest release! I'm looking forward to many more to come!

For all of you looking for an exciting and romantic Christmas read, download your own copy of Semi-Precious Christmas HERE for just 99¢!

About Jan: Jan Elder is a contemporary Christian romance writer. With a zeal for telling stories other women can relate to, she strives to write the kind of book that will strengthen the reader’s faith, while also providing an entertaining and engrossing love story.

Besides writing romance, she enjoys the occasional hazelnut cappuccino while watching Turner Classic Movies. Always an avid reader, she devours books voraciously, both Christian and secular. She was born a cat-lover, and all novels present and future will include a feline in some way or another.
Happily married for twelve years to loving (and supportive) husband, Steve, the two live in central Maryland along with Jamie (a tuxedo cat), and Shu-Shu (a tortoiseshell cat). On the weekends, Jan and Steve comb the nearby countryside in search of the perfect ice cream flavor.

Connect with Jan at:

http://janelderauthor.com

https://www.facebook.com/janice.elder.author

https://twitter.com/JanElderAuthor

Santiago Sol Release Party & Giveaway!

by Niki Turner

Welcome to the Ends of the Earth! Our party's wait staff is handing out steaming cups of Nestle's Abuelita hot chocolate, and Chilean alfajores cookies at the door. Yes, I'm hosting my own party, but for the most excellent reason: WE HAVE MORE INKY BOOK RELEASES RIGHT NOW THAN WE HAVE POSTING DATES! How cool is that? God is SO good!

Settle in and get comfortable. If you're chilled, grab one of these alpaca shawls/wraps to snuggle up in. They're soft, warm, and perfect for those fall/spring days when it's too hot for a coat and too cold to go without.

I first posted about Chile way back at the very beginning of Inkwell Inspirations in 2009, six years ago almost to the day! When I wrote that post I never imagined my first publishing contract would spring out of those trips to teach in a ministry training school and churches.

If you want to know how long it takes for a book to go from contract to completion... my hair has gone from pixie to ponytail length since signing that contract!

When Pelican Book Group called for submissions for a new series in their White Rose imprint, I scanned the list without much hope. I was in the writer's doldrums... no inspiration, just creeping along on another project I still haven't finished, and seriously considering quitting writing and getting a "real job."

Writer's Block

I was pleasantly surprised to find Chile on the list of potential Passport to Romance stories, complete with three wildly random plot devices to spur my imagination: a walking stick, a party dress, and a diary. I set out to concoct a tale that would bring Chile to life in a romantic tale with a twist of suspense (cut me some slack, I cut my teeth on Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden... if there's no suspense, I get bored).

(Our wait staff is familiar with suspense...)

Chile is a romantic nation all by itself. This narrow strip of land that stretches along the western coast of South America combines the mild climate of California (complete with earthquakes and grapes the size of golf balls) with the warm and colorful culture of South America, plus an unusual blend of native Chilean, Irish, and German cultures. To the east the country is bordered by the rugged Andes mountains, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, deserts mark the north, and the southernmost tip reaches into the extremes of Antarctica. Politically, the nation has been scarred by a painful history that dates back to its years of oppression under the violent dictator Augusto Pinochet. There's plenty of fodder for story ideas in Chile!

When a beloved elderly friend in hospice care makes one final request, Tansy Chastain can't refuse, even though returning an heirloom to the patriarch of a powerful Chilean family will take her halfway around the globe. When she's robbed at the airport, a handsome Santiago businessman comes to her rescue. Sebastian Sandoval decides escorting a lovely American for a few days is a perfect distraction from his grandfather's growing pressure to find a lost family treasure. But even as Tansy breathes new life into Sebastian’s jaded perspective, the secrets they are keeping put them in the path of a dangerous, and desperate enemy.  Revealing the truth to each other now will destroy their growing relationship, but if they don’t, those secrets may destroy their lives.

Mixing in the story elements Pelican suggested was a welcome challenge. Enter Pinterest. *insert evil cackling sound* Do you know that you can find millions of pictures of party dresses from the 1950s on Pinterest?

OK, not so weird. Try walking sticks! I am now fully prepared for old age. When I reach the point where I require walking assistance I have a pictorial list of possible styles and variations.

As for the journal, that was easy.

During each of my trips to Chile I visited the artesenal Sebastian and Tansy go to in the story (like a year-round craft fair, housed in a former monastery).

On my first visit we found a leather-goods shop that sold purses and jackets (I still have, and use, the ones I bought on that trip) and the most amazing hand-crafted, leather-bound journals. If (when) I ever get back to Chile I'm buying one, along with lots and lots of manjar, cooked, sweetened condensed milk (here's a recipe), and tins of Chilean fish (it's like canned tuna or salmon in sardine cans, but different, and delicious) that I used to beg my Chilean missionary friends to bring back for me. On my last trip I took books and came home with a suitcase full of canned fish.

Enter the hero, and the heroine.

Aren't they adorable?

And so, Tansy and Sebastian set off on an adventure that, of course, leads them into true love and a greater understanding of who they are in Christ. But you'll have to read the book to get all the details, and find out how that walking stick, party dress, and diary fit into the grand scheme of things.

I'll be giving away a copy (e-book) to one commenter on today's blog, chosen at random. Leave a comment below with your name and email address (use the name(at)blahblah(dot)com format) for an opportunity to win. If you win, please leave a review on Pelican, Amazon, and/or Goodreads! It doesn't have to be a book report, just share your thoughts and some stars. Five is, of course, preferable. ;)

I hope you enjoy Santiago Sol. It's been a pleasure to revisit all those wonderful trips to a wonderful country. If you ever get a chance to visit Chile, it's worth the trip!

Ebook now available at Pelican Book Group
(and it's ON SALE!!!)

Niki Turner
www.nikiturner.net
Sadie's Gift (2014) - Available on Amazon and Nook and as part of the Christmas Traditions Collection.
The Skiing Suitor (2015) - Available on Amazon Forget-Me-Not Romances

Santiago Sol (2015) Pelican Book Group