Norma Gail will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Land
of My Dreams
by Norma Gail
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Christian romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTERVIEW:
1. What or
who inspired you to start writing?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
fueled my earliest attempts to write. Jo March was a powerful character. My
earliest reading favorites inspired games I created for my sisters and friends
to act the parts I assigned, and my attempts did not always meet with
enthusiasm. I devoured Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames, sneaking into the house to
read or finding a sheltered spot under a climbing rosebush in the backyard. As
I grew older, I was the nerdy kid who loved the classics assigned in English
class. I still enjoy a comfy chair, a cup of tea, and Charles Dickens, the Brontë
sisters, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and other classic authors.
2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?
Romance,
in particular Christian romance receives criticism for its
happily-ever-after-endings. “Life doesn’t work that way” is the mantra of those
who dislike the genre. However, if you are looking for a delightful read that
takes your mind off your troubles and gives you an ending that satisfies and
uplifts, there is nothing quite like it. The genre requires strong female and
male protagonists who fall in love but an obstacle or obstacles that seem
unsurmountable threaten to keep them apart. At the last moment, when it seems
all is lost, the obstacle is overcome and their love is sealed
until-death-us-do-part, or at least with the promise of a future. In
inspirational or Christian romance, faith plays a key role. One or both of
members of the couple may be struggling with their faith and the culmination of
their struggle frequently is the key to their romantic dilemma.
3. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
I
am not a writer by education or trade. My writing has taken many forms over the
years, from letters to the editor to Sunday School lessons. However, my true
love is fiction with a little poetry thrown in. I also write Christian
devotionals. The need to make a living put my dreams of writing on hold, and I
pursued a career in nursing and raised my children. When the nest was empty, I
felt I had the time to pursue my dream and see if I was good enough to become a
published author. Land of My Dreams
is my debut novel.
4. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
I
can only hope I live long enough to fulfill all the plans I have. I am working
on a romantic novella about a rock star and a sequel to Land of My Dreams, also set in Scotland and New Mexico. Meanwhile,
whirling around in my head are ideas for a historical trilogy with some basis
in the true-life events of my ancestors, immigrants and pioneers who helped
make the United States “the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
5. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
The
main character, Bonny Bryant is a good friend of mine, having spent many hours
together over the past eight years. She is a spunky redhead with sparkling
green eyes. She’s smart, having earned her doctorate in American history and
literature before she was out of her twenties, something I might have done if I
didn’t hate the idea of grading papers nights and weekends. Bonny has the
courage to follow her dreams. When she finds what she wants, she sticks with
it, and when she loves, she loves forever. Though she struggles with her faith
in the midst of loss, when she finds it again, she never lets go. I like her
spirit of adventure, which I am sadly lacking.
6. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?
Here
is one of my favorite scenes in Land of
My Dreams, in part, because it parallels an experience my husband and I had
on out 30th anniversary trip to Scotland:
“Come
see this.” Kieran and Bonny stood atop Grant Tower at Urquhart Castle,
overlooking Loch Ness. For her, it was a place of poignant memories. He pointed
to a rainbow arching from one side of the loch to the other as she moved into
the crook of his arm. “Now, down there.”
She
stood on tiptoe and looked to where he pointed, at the base of the tower.
“Step
onto that ledge and I’ll steady you.”
The
warmth of his hands around her waist contrasted with the chill wind. She
shivered and leaned close enough to hear the stubble on his chin scratching
against her raincoat. “The rainbow enters the water at the foot of the tower.
Another fifty feet, and it would form a complete circle. Amazing.”
His arms tightened around her. “No more so
than the woman in my arms.”
She
kept silent. Did he feel it? What could be more romantic than a rainbow all
their own?
“No
one else sees it.”
His
warm breath tickled her ear, and she leaned against him, wrapped in a sense of
wonder and delight. No one even wrote things this perfect. “Just we two.”
Kieran
bent over her, his lips touching hers, tentative and searching. She leaned into
his arms, her heart leaping in her chest as she allowed her lips to reveal her
readiness to move forward. The scent of him was becoming so familiar. The taste
of him was even sweeter.
He
moved one hand to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair. “I’ve
wanted to kiss you since the first night we talked.”
She
traced his lower lip with her finger. “Mmm, my gallant Highlander.”
“My
bonnie lass.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and a little hoarse. He
smiled and smoothed the damp curls away from her face with a big, callused
finger, his touch as tender as his kiss.
She
cupped his cheek in her hand. Somehow she had to let him know she was ready for
a relationship. “The day I arrived, I stopped up there in the parking lot and
cried. The ruins seemed to symbolize the wreck of my life. I never imagined how
fast it could change.”
His
reply was to pull her to him again, and she turned her face up to his in
eagerness. It began as soft as the mist surrounding them, but as the rain
intensified, so did his kiss, neither caring if they got soaked to the skin.
7. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
After
working on my book for three years and having a large group of very patient
friends read and reread it to see if it was a book they would be interested in,
I signed up for my first writer’s conference. I had done all I could to make it
my best and I knew that if I did not try to get it published, I would never
know if I was good enough or not. I made the decision to seek traditional
publication as a protection because I had no idea what I was doing, and as a
litmus test. If I was not good enough for a traditional publisher, I was not
good enough. Other authors may choose self-publication for very good reasons,
but I needed the approval and safety net of a publisher.
8. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
Being
a newbie, and confidant that I could write because I was told I had a gift and always
made good grades in school, I just started writing “from the seat of my pants”.
I had no idea where I was going. I just let the ideas flow. My first writer’s
conference taught me that I did not know what I was doing, and that reading a
lot did not necessarily qualify me to be a writer. I also received just enough
encouragement to let me know that publication was indeed, a possibility, if I
learned the ropes and was willing to work at it. I did have to go back and do
some outlining in order to get the flow of the action and storyline right, but
I still prefer to sit down and let ideas flow and fix things later.
9. How do you maintain your creativity?
Reading
is a definite idea stimulator. It helps you see how other writers handle
similar situations to what your characters experience. It creates ideas of what
might get you through a spot where you’re stuck. However, I find that setting a
mood and living in the heads of my characters is my favorite way to flesh out a
story. When writing my novella about a teenage fan who elopes with her favorite
rock star after meeting him backstage, I listened to my favorite rock music
from my teens interspersed with Christian praise music and some love songs that
set the kind of mood I wanted to portray. For Land of My Dreams, and its sequel, I have a screensaver of over 800
photos from Scotland and a playlist of Scottish music. The bagpipes drive my
husband crazy! I am creating a screensaver of my ancestors and the places they
lived and will study the music of the appropriate time periods when it comes
time for my historical trilogy.
10. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
While
Bonny is the character I would most like to be, my favorite character is Kieran.
He embodies many traits that I love about my father and my husband (a European
immigrant). He is such a man’s man, yet gentle and generous with his love and
caring. He is a stereotypical Scot in appearance, but every bit a romantic hero
that almost any woman could fall in love with, head over heels. He is flawed,
but so is Bonny, but he learns from his mistakes and is true and faithful in his
love.
11. Anything else you might want to add?
I have visited most of the Scottish sites that appear in the book. The
few fictitious locations could exist in reality somewhere in Scotland. I have
stayed true to my background of 21 years as a Bible study leader in that deep
spiritual lessons are a part of the development of the characters throughout
the story. If you love clean romance and Christian romance, Land of My Dreams is the book for you.
BLURB:
Alone and betrayed, American professor, Bonny Bryant longs for a haven of peace. She accepts a position at a small Christian college in Fort William, Scotland, craving escape from her painful past. The passionate love which develops when she meets fellow professor and sheep farmer, Kieran MacDonell, is something she never anticipated.
Kieran harbors a deep
anger toward God in the face of his own devastating grief. When Bonny’s former
fiancé reenters her life, Kieran’s loneliness draws him to a former student.
How will Bonny decide
between her rivals? Can they set aside the past to make way for a future, or
will it drive them apart?
Land of My Dreams, Christian
Romance Novel, spans the distance between New Mexico’s high desert mountains
and the misty Scottish Highlands with a timeless story of overwhelming grief,
undying love, and compelling faith.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
When
Kieran left his office, he saw Bonny standing behind her car, her foot tapping
and shoulders sagging. “Can I help you, Dr. Bryant?”
She
startled, and he realized he had been so intent on watching her that he had
failed to give warning of his approach. The eyes that met his sparkled, their
brilliance drawing him like a treasure hunter to a prize emerald. She was a
lovely woman.
“Dr.
MacDonell, hello. I’ve changed flat tires before, but these lug nuts won’t
budge.”
He
checked the urge to brush a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “It’s Kieran, and
I’m glad to be of help.” He forced himself to ignore the nervous pounding in
his chest and the urge to run. He was alone with the woman who had filled his
mind day and night from the moment she had walked into the room.
“I’m
Bonny, and thanks.”
“I’ll
take that spanner off your hands.”
“Spanner?
Oh, you mean the lug wrench, of course.” She held it out to him and smiled.
He
took a deep breath. Her smile reminded him of sun breaking through a Scottish
mist. His fingers brushed hers as he took it, and he realized how small her
hands were, like his mother’s finest china. Dainty and delicate.
Something
about the patient way she watched caused his uncertainty to subside. Rescuing a
damsel in distress wasn’t a bad way to meet. Tossing the caber was no longer
possible, but he knew how to change a tire. She stood near enough for him to
smell her perfume—feminine, like a rose garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Norma Gail is the
author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams. A
women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have
appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The
Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance
Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former
RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 40 years. They
have two adult children.
Connect with Norma:
Book Links:
Lighthouse Publishing
of the Carolinas Bookstore: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864?ean=9781941103173
Land
of My Dreams will be either $0.99 during the tour.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Norma
Gail will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn
winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
