#TakeoverTuesday with Annie Just Commonly

It’s Takeover Tuesday and Annie Just Commonly and I are swapping blogs for today. You can catch my interview on her blog, and I’m giving away a copy of Secret Service Setup, so head over there next.

Welcome Annie!  Let’s get to know more about you in a formal way and then we’ll get to more personal stuff when we play Would You Rather!

Just Commonly, AKA Annie is an avid reader turned blogger.  She is the mind behind  Just Commonly  blog, sharing what she loves most – Jesus & all things book and bookish . She’s a big fan of all Christian fiction, as well as books in the Young Adult, Middle Grade and even Kids Fiction genre. She’ll test out recipes from cookbooks and share thoughts from biographies to books on nutrition, spiritual help or just any book that struck her fancy. Next to reading, her other interests includes spending time with family and friends, eating, playing with her miniature schnauzer pups, Gabby and Reagan, and somehow challenge her non-existent athletic abilities to improve (tremendously) her tennis and golf game. 

Annie is proud to be one of the founding stewards of the  Christian Fiction Readers Retreat  (CFRR). CFRR is a one day event gathering of Christian Fiction readers and authors, with a focus theme of “Honoring God through Christian Fiction.”  It features speaker sessions, author panels, breakout sessions, prayer & worship and author signings.  You can reach Annie on her blog, Just Commonly , Facebook , Twitter  or Instagram.,

 

Y’all for real, go check out CFRR. It’s a great line-up!

Now on to a former game I played often on the blog. I’m resurrecting it for today. It’s all bookish questions and if you comment below…you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of Annie’s favorite historical romances by one of her favorite historical romance authors, Karen Witemeyer, which makes me super happy because Karen is one of my FAVORITE historical romance authors too! And I loved A Tailor Made Bride!

Would You Rather…

1. Read your favorite book over and over, or read any other book but never get to read your favorite again? So, I don’t like this question. I mean, that’s hard. Are you saying this is FOREVER? Do I really have to CHOOSE?  

 
2. Meet a “book boyfriend” in real life or the author who created him? Totally the author. I mean we can gush together about him and even think of some names to call him, like McDreamy or McSteamy – wait, those are taken. The lovely thing about book boyfriends are the very fact that they are fictional, and the mind behind that created them are worth exploring more, don’t you think? 
 
3. Be saved by a military hero or a law enforcement hero? LAW ENFORCEMENT HERO – OK, no disrespect there, but I have my reasons. I’m kinda partial to a Gibbs, Tony, Booth…etc. Wow, 2 out of 3 are also military (at least ex). Hmmm…
 
 4. Be the heroine or the sidekick? Totally sidekick. I love being the sidekick. You get to enjoy all the fun while being the sensible one. Right?! 
 
 5. Live in the pages of a historical or a thriller? Historical – I think. Ask me again tomorrow.  
 
 6. Read only setting on the coast or only settings in the South? Coast…I think. OK, ask me again tomorrow. 
 
7.  Read paperbacks or digital books? PRINT ALL THE WAY! I love the touch, the smell, the look. How can you admire the book and it’s beauty while it’s stuck inside a screen? 
 
 8. Read your favorite author forever or only get to read new authors from now on? I love favorite authors, but I think variety is good. WAIT. Is this a forever scenario like I can’t read any more of theirs?  Jesse, I’m beginning to not like these questions. 😬
 
9. Fall in love with a spy hero or an undercover agent hero? Undercover agent hero. Spies are overrated – OK, maybe also too much James Bond.
 
10. Be a damsel in distress or a rescue-the-hero heroine? Rescue-the-hero heroine’s sidekick. 😉 I mean sidekicks have some great moves!
 
Such great answers and they made me laugh. Yep, they had to get a little harder as we went. 😉 Thanks for being such a fantastic sport. I’m so glad we swapped blogs today. I love having you here. 

Givewaway-Tailor-Made bride

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Visit Annie’s blog and enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Secret Service Setup, my newest release! 

Would You Rather with Keli Gwyn! Plus, a Giveaway!

I’m excited to host one
of the sweetest women on the planet today! The kind and lovely Keli Gwyn is in
the house and we’re playing a few rounds of WYR with her and her characters in
her newest novel through Love Inspired Historical. Let’s get right to it. Also,
you can enter to win a copy of Family of Her Dreams (US residents only). See how below!

Would you rather…
…fly or read minds?
Spencer: Fly. I’d like
to get a bird’s eye view of my ranch.
Tess: I’d love to read
minds, especially Spencer’s. I’m eager to find out what goes on in his head
because very little of it comes out of his mouth.
Keli: I’m with Tess. I’d
love to read minds. Learning how different people think would make it easier to
get into my characters’ heads.
…fall in love and have your heart broken or never fall in
love?
Spencer: I did fall in
love. My heart was broken when my wife was taken from me, but I kept going. I
had to. I have two small children to care for, but now I have the help of my
headstrong housekeeper, Tess. She’s brought light and laughter back into my
life.
Tess: Having been raised
in an orphanage, I long to love and be loved. I dream of the day I have a
husband and children of my own. Even though I could get hurt in the process,
the rewards far outweigh the risks.
Keli: I’m all about love
and romance. Loss and broken relationships are an inevitable part of life, but
the pain eases over time, enabling a person to experience love anew.
…be wealthy and successful but never find love or find love
and live meagerly?
Spencer: I’d choose love
and a modest life. The pursuit of wealth robbed my father of happiness, and I
want no part of that.
Tess: Love is essential.
With it, one is rich even if she has little.
Keli: What a timely
question. Gwynly retired just last week. As a teacher’s family, we’ve lived
modestly, but we’ll be cutting down even more now. I’m up for that. My guy and
I have a wonderful marriage, and I’m dearly loved. Talk about being blessed.
That’s me.
Keli, tell us what inspired this story?
I love California’s Gold
Country where I live. There’s a wealth of history here, which fascinates me.
When I learned that the sleepy Gold Rush-era town of Shingle Springs nearby was
once home to the busiest rail station in the state, my curiosity was piqued. I
imagined what life would have been like for the stationmaster, and Spencer introduced
himself. A grieving widower, he needed help. Who better than Tess, a confident,
outspoken woman who has a heart overflowing with love she’s eager to shower on
two motherless children—and their handsome father?
What are you working on currently?
I’m writing a story set
in my historic hometown of Placerville. Once again I’m working in local
history, which I love to do. I’ve fallen hard for my hero and heroine. Flynt
and Jessie are bright, determined people eager to overcome their shameful
pasts. When they’re forced to spend time together both on and off the job,
secrets come to light. Secrets that could destroy everything.
Thanks for hosting me,
Jess. It’s great to be here. I have a question for your blog’s readers.
 Since
I’m learning to live on less, what is one money-saving tip you’d recommend?
(Jess here) I’ll chime
in with my answer. I’ve discovered that if I create the weekly menu, then go
through the pantry to see what I’ve got and only add to the grocery list what I
need, I save money. I also include a snack or two for the kids but they know
when it runs out, it’s out until I hit the grocery store the following week!
Award-winning author Keli Gwyn, a native Californian,
transports readers to the early days of the Golden State. She and her husband
live in the heart of California’s Gold Country. Her favorite places to visit
are her fictional worlds, historical museums and other Gold Rush-era towns.
Keli loves hearing from readers and invites you to visit her Victorian-style
cyber home at www.keligwyn.com, where you’ll find her contact information.
Here’s a look at Keli’s
novel Family of Her Dreams

Buy Now! 
A Family to
Cherish 
Headstrong Tess Grimsby loves her new job caring for the
children of a recently widowed man. But she never imagined that she’d fall for
her handsome employer. Yet Spencer Abbott is as caring as he is attractive, and
Tess can’t help but feel for him and his family. Though, for the sake of her
job, she’ll keep any emotions about her boss to herself.
Between his stationmaster responsibilities in a gold-rush
town and trying to put his family back together, Spencer has his hands full. He
soon finds his new hire’s kind personality warming his frosty exterior. But
could he ever admit to seeing her as more than just an employee?
Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin
Enterprises Limited
Cover and cover copy text used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises
Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gilmore Girls or From the Start with Melissa Tagg!

I am beyond stoked for today’s post. The fantabulous
Melissa Tagg is here and if you know anything about her, she’s a huge fan of
Gilmore Girls. So we’re going to play a few rounds of Would You Rather with her
and she has to choose from Gilmore Girls or her newest novel, From the Start! Oh yeah, it’s a blast! PS, I’m over on her blog today sharing comparisons in relation to my newest novella, Just the Way You Are, so hop over ther next! CLICK HERE.
Let’s do this!
Would You Rather…
…live in Stars Hollow (GG) or Maple Valley (FTS)?
ACK that’s so hard. But I’m going to go with Maple
Valley and here’s why: It’s in Iowa. As quirky and wonderful as Stars Hollow
is, it’s in Connecticut and I know no one there.
Then again, if Jess was there…
…go canoeing with Luke Danes (GG) or your very own star, Colton Greene?
Luke! I love Colton, I do. But he’s got this bad
shoulder from a football injury so what if we get stuck in the middle of a
river and he can’t row and the current is crazy and I’m too wimpy to get us
back to shore? Luke, to my knowledge, has no such injury so I feel confident in
his rowing abilities.
Plus, he could entertain me with one of his
anti-Taylor Doose rants. Plus, I appreciate his style—flannel shirts and that green
army-ish jacket. So that gives him an edge.
…sit in a town meeting under Mayor Taylor Doose (GG) or the Mayor of
Maple Valley who, if I remember correctly, used a megaphone in one of the town
meetings?
I like my mayor, I do. But other than his megaphone
scene, he’s a pretty brief shadow in From the Start. So I’m going to go with
Taylor because I would get immense enjoyment out of listening to him talk about
the dangers of ticks or the need for better leash laws or his intense
competition with the farmers market people in the Town Square.
…have a first kiss with Jess (GG) or Colton (FTS)? Oooooh! That’s gonna
be tough for you, isn’t it since you’re such a big Jess fan?!
Honestly, this is not even hard for me. I would
absolutely pick Jess. Thing is, I LOVE Colton. I really do. But he is so firmly
connected to Kate in my mind that I’d feel like a cheater if I kissed him.
Whereas Jess, last we heard from him, is happily unconnected. (Because stupid
Rory doesn’t know a good thing when she has it.) So I would feel zero guilt
about kissing him.
 
…hang out for a day with Lorelei Gilmore or Kate Walker (FTS)?
Kate Walker. I think Lorelai is awesome…we have some
striking similarities. But Kate…Kate would get me. Kate would understand my
deepest emotions and shallowest quirks. And she would talk about writing and
watch old movies with me. We’d totally bond.
…be best buds with Rory Gilmore or Hailey (FTS)?
Hailey, no question. Here’s the thing with Rory: By
the end of Gilmore Girls, she’s kind of an idiot. I’m sorry, but she makes the
most ridiculous decisions from season 5 on. Now, if we were talking strictly
early seasons Rory, I might have a different answer.
But the great thing about Hailey in FTS is that she
isn’t afraid to challenge Kate. We see it early on in the book and we see it
later on at the end of the book. She’s hugely influential in Kate’s life and
she’s wise. So I’d definitely go with her.
…have Richard Gilmore as a father figure or Kate’s dad, Case Walker.
Kate’s dad! Not hard at all to decide on that one.
Richard Gilmore is a wonderful character and we definitely get to see his
loving, caring side in Gilmore Girls. But…we also know he wasn’t all that
emotionally available or understanding as Lorelai’s father. And a lot of
Lorelai’s mistakes in the show are side effects of feeling unaccepted or
misunderstood by her family.
Case Walker on the other hand is, of course, not
perfect. But he is a wonderful listener. He’ll challenge his daughter, but
always from a place of love. He somehow manages to be stern and gentle at once.
And he sees past the fronts his adult kids put up.
…go to a Gilmore Friday night dinner or a Friday night football game in
Maple Valley?
Gilmore Friday night dinner! I’m sure a football game
would be fun, but a Gilmore dinner would include crazy amounts of wit and
banter and snark. And I would highly enjoy the awkward moments…highly.
…erase Logan Huntzberger from Rory’s life and make sure Jess stays in
the picture or go on romantic date with Logan Walker which includes a glorious
kiss at the end? (I’m torn here so I’m personally not answering ha!)
Oh my gosh! When I first read this, I thought the
second option was a romantic date with Logan Huntzberger and I was like, “Why
would you even ask me this? Logan Huntzberger is so far from my type it’s
hilarious. There’s not even a decision to be made here!”
Then I realized you said Logan Walkermy Logan. And
things got DIFFICULT. Because I adore Logan Walker and have an amazingly
unreasonable crush on the guy who portrays him on my cover (that I wish so
badly I could share!).
And yet, I love Jess…I will love him forever.
But you know, in my imagination, Jess DOES stay in the
picture for Rory. And Logan Huntzberger may not be my thing—not even a little
bit—but he does have his good moments and there are ways Rory does grow (I
suppose) from her relationship with him. (Even if mostly he just encourages her
stupid decisions and spends the bulk of his time on screen whining.) I don’t
think he needs to be entirely erased from her life.
So my choice is a romantic date with Logan Walker
which includes a glorious kiss at the end.
And now I realize half of this post has been talk of
kissing fictional people. I’m not sure how I feel about this…lol!
(Jess here) Well, I feel good about it so that’s what
counts, right? Great answers, Melissa! This was so much fun!
Okay,
friends, are you a Gilmore Girls fan? If so, we’d love for you to answer a few
of the questions in the comments. If not, who would you share a fictional first
kiss with?

Visit Melissa on Facebook, Twitter @melissatagg and her blog
Take a peek at From
the Start
then go buy the book! I loved it!

Buy the book!

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily
ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn’t
kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays…until a
major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running
back to her hometown of Maple Valley.

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is
temporarily hiding out in a friend’s hometown to avoid the media and the
reminders of all he’s lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn
how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he’s never really done normal
before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand
gestures, they both get what it’s like to desperately need direction in life.
An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives,
but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn’t part of
the plan, but could it be the best thing that’s ever happened to them?

Sarah Varland and the Cast of Tundra Threat

Hey everyone! Welcome author Sarah Varland to the blog today. Sarah’s newest book, Tundra Threat has just released and we’re going to play a few rounds of WYR with her and the cast as well as discover what inspired the book, and as an extra bonus Sarah is giving away one copy! 
Let’s get started.

Would You Rather…
…do the laundry or do the dishes?
Sarah: Laundry. It’s pretty
much my favorite chore ever. If you’re washing/drying clothes you can listen to
the machines working while you read, which is awesome. And if you’re folding
clothes, you can watch your favorite TV show (mine happens to be Gilmore Girls)
and still be productive and not feel guilty!
Will: Washing and drying
clothes is easy. And I have no problem pulling clean clothes straight out of
the laundry basket to wear, so that’s no problem.
McKenna: Dishes. If I have to
pick. Housework in general isn’t my thing.
…change something about your past or see what your future
holds?
Sarah: I’m with McKenna on
this one. It’d be nice to see the future, unless I didn’t like parts of it and
then I think that would be hard. But I don’t have much about my past I’d care
to change.
Will: There are things I wish
I could go back and change. Things I wish I had said and done differently. But
I’m learning that God really is in control and the past isn’t worth changing—He
still works out our future.
McKenna: I’d love seeing the
future. Although that’s because I like to try to prepare for things and control
things, which you can’t always do…but I’m happy with my past for the most part,
so I’m going with see the future.
…fly or read minds?
Sarah: I’m not really big into
heights, so probably read minds. But I’d want it to be selective, since
sometimes you really don’t want to
know what other people are thinking. If there was an option to be able to swim
and breathe underwater without any kind of scuba equipment, I’d take that one
for sure. Swimming is a lot like flying…right?
Will: Since I’m a pilot, I’m
guessing my answer is obvious here. I’ve wanted to fly as long as I can
remember.
McKenna: Read minds! Imagine how
much easier all of life would be if we could do this. And my job? It would save
me so much time questioning suspects…
…feel emotional pain or nothing at all?
Sarah: Wow, this is a hard
one! I think emotional pain. I think sometimes I pretend like I’d rather pick
the other answer, but God made us people with passionate emotions and I think
I’d rather feel something than
nothing. That’s living, right?
Will: I’ve been through times
where I felt intense sadness and times when I couldn’t feel anything even
though I felt like I should. Pain if I had to pick, but if I get a vote here,
I’d really like a few years of happiness.
McKenna: I have to be feeling something. I can’t even imagine feeling
nothing at all. (I can just hear Will
laughing in the background now. He knows how well I demonstrate my emotions.
Poor man.)
Sarah, Will, McKenna,
I love your answers. And I think you’re right, Sarah. Pain is a part of living
for sure. Now, tell us what inspired this incredible story!
What inspired this story:
It’s funny because all
of my stories seem to start differently. For Tundra Threat, I wanted to write about an Alaska Wildlife Trooper
and I could just picture the character who would become McKenna, doing her job
and kicking at the snow when she got upset (she’s always had a temper!). The
scene I originally “saw” her in got deleted, but that’s where her character
started. From there I wanted to find someone it didn’t seem logical for her to
fall in love with, so I called my dad and he said “how about a hunting guide?”
and it was the perfect (well, imperfect) match. From there everything else
developed out of the characters.
Wow! My stories usually
start with a scene too and it’s never an opening one. Ha! Thanks so much for
being here, Sarah! It’s been the coolest. And because YOU guys have stopped by,
you have the chance to enter below and receive Sarah’s book! There are all
sorts of ways to win.
Here’s a peek at Sarah’s
book: 

Buy the book! 

DEADLY TERRAIN 
Two murdered men are the
last thing wildlife trooper McKenna Clark expected to find in the stark Alaskan
wilderness. As the only law enforcement in the area, the responsibility for the
case rests on her shoulders—along with the danger. Hunting guide and pilot Will
Harrison wants to ease the load, but McKenna balks at the thought of letting
him close enough to break her heart again. When McKenna’s investigations put
her in harm’s way, Will must race against the clock to save his second chance
at love from becoming the killer’s final victim.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would You Rather with Katie and the Cast!

@KatieGanshert
FACEBOOK 
WEBSITE 
Hey everyone! Last night our book club had the chance to chat with Katie
via Skype, making it our 3rd time since the ladies love her books so
much that we’ve read each and every one! It was a lot of fun, as always. Our
group review will be up on Friday, so come back for that!
Today, I’ve asked Katie, her hero, Davis and her heroine, Ivy to answer a
few Would You Rather questions. Here are their fun answers!
Would You Rather…
…have $100,000 cash or $100,000 Amazon gift cards?
Me: $100,000! I would move my family to the Congo so we could live with
our daughter until the Congo government lifts their suspension.
Ivy: $100,000. Amazon is trying to take over the world.
Davis: $100,000 so I could open the art program for my sister without
having to pick up my camera again.
…go left where nothing is right or go right where nothing is
left?
Me: Go right where nothing is left, because I’ve discovered that in those
places, God meets me most profoundly.
Ivy: Go left where nothing is right. I guess I’d rather be wrong than
empty. I’m tired of being empty.
Davis: I feel like I’ve done the first and since the repercussions of
those choices still haunt me, I guess I’d opt for the second option.
…be half your height or double your weight?
Me: Oh my goodness, those are both horrible! I guess I’d go with half my
height. I’d slap on some pointy ears and figure out how to grow some hair on my
feet and move to the Shire.
Ivy: Either one would put my career in the grave once and for all. Do I
really have to pick one?
Davis: Double my weight.
Great answers, although, Ivy, I think not answering is
unfair! And Katie, the shire? Bahahahaha!!! Thanks for joining us today.
Answer
one or more of the questions in the comments.
Here are my answers:

I’d go with $100,000. Amazon can’t sell everything…can it? I
agree with Katie. I’d go right where nothing is left. When nothing’s left it
make room for God to sweep in and make everything right! And that really is a terrible question. I’m going with weight b/c I can always lose it right? And I’m already only 5 feet tall so…
Buy the book! 
Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong
 
Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?

Would You Rather Wildflowers from Winter Style!

 

 
Today is another fun day with author, @KatieGanshert! I’ve asked
her, Bethany, and Evan (her main characters) to play Would You Rather…! So let’s
get started.
 
 
Would You Rather…
 
Eat cookie dough or brownie batter?
 
Bethany:
Brownie batter. It’s the only thing I can bake without ruining. And it brings
back some good memories with my mom, before things flipped inside out. Whenever
she made brownies, she’d give one beater to me and one to my brother to lick.
 
Evan:
How about a nice pork tenderloin instead? Or one of Robin’s pies?
 
Katie:
Brownie batter! Sometimes I make brownies just so I can lick the bowl. Yum,
yum, yum.
 
live in a rockin treehouse or a  sweet underground lair?
 
Bethany:
The tree house. It would probably feel a lot like the loft I live in now. And
I’d love to design it. Evan would probably never believe it, but I was a big
tree climber when I was a little girl.
 
Evan:
Tree house. My brothers and I built a really sweet treehouse when we were kids.
Sometimes I’d go up there at night and listen to the crickets.
 
Katie:
A sweet underground lair with lots of tunnels that I could explore.
 
fly or read minds? 
 
Bethany:
Fly. Life would have been a lot easier when I was a kid if I could have left
all the junk on the ground and taken to the sky.
 
Evan:
Read minds. I’d love to know what Bethany is thinking beneath that front she
works so hard to put up.
 
Katie:
Fly. Edward Cullen can keep his super power. I think I would hate to hear
everybody’s private thoughts.
 
Thanks, Katie, for spending the week with us. We’ve laughed, been challenged and have had a great time all around!
 
What
say you? Answer the questions in the comment section!  
 
 
A young architect at
a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her
trailer park teen years. Until an interruption from her estranged mother
reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is
called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any
emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected
inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces
Bethany to come up with a new plan.
 
Handsome farmhand
Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left
the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he
disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps
so carefully locked away. 
 
For Bethany, making
peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to
freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not
even sure exists? 
 
Author, Katie Ganshert
Purchase Wildflowers from Winter HERE