Writer H.L. Wegley On Reading

H.L., welcome to Writers On Reading! Your most recent series, Against

All Enemies, perfectly depicts your tagline—a climate of suspense and a forecast of stormy weather. I just love the way you blend your past accomplishments as a former Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer, into your writing. I’m eager to know what you find draws you as a reader? Do you find one theme more repeatedly snags your attention? Is there something special you seek when selecting your next reading adventure?

Action stories with high stakes always grab my attention. That’s pretty much the definition of a thriller. In addition, I like to see strong character development, maybe a little romance and, as for themes, anything patriotic wins a spot in my heart. As a vet and a grandson of immigrants who kissed American soil on Ellis Island, I pray that, as we go forward, the USA remains a nation I can continue to feel that way about.

Beautifully put! Who cannot agree? What was the most out-of-character book you’ve recently read, and what led to your choice?

I’m reading, but haven’t quite finished, Worth Her Weight by Janet K. Brown. This is a book primarily for women who struggle with their weight. However, men can learn some things about these women, too. Generally, if there are no weapons and no running for your life in the story, I won’t read the book. I made an exception, in this case, because J.K. Brown and I exchanged books. She’s a great writer and, if she hasn’t given up on me finishing her story, I will soon be saying that in my review.

How fun! I interviewed J.K. Brown just a few weeks ago. (Folks, you can find her interview here.) H.L., as a writer, you should know better, but as a reader, you know we all do it…so, when did you last “judge a book by the cover”? How did it work out?

Judging a book by its cover means, for me, “I don’t like the cover so

I’m not even going to pick up the book.” This works out pretty well because I haven’t found many bad books with great covers. There have been a few times where, regardless of the cover, I have read a book based on recommendations from people who knew me.

Having published multiple books in recent years do you find time to read during the months you spend writing or with deadlines ahead. Is it either/or for you? If so, what did you read while working on your last book? If not, what did you read when you finished this one?

When I’m intensively writing or editing, I like to keep the whole story—all the technical details, setting, plot, and character details—in my head until I’ve finished writing or editing. This is the best way I know of to prevent logical inconsistencies, plot holes, and dangling story threads, all of which drive me crazy. So, the answer to your question is it’s either/or for me. Which is frustrating for my wife. I know that because she sometimes pretends to be a character in my story just to get my attention.

Before beginning my current WIP, I read Charles Martin’s Water from my Heart, a great redemption story.

Okay, I’m still laughing over your comment on your wife. When I recover, I’ll ask if you were the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading?

When I was growing up in the ’50s and early ’60s, we had the great outdoors to explore, neighborhood kids to play with, and sports. Most kids didn’t start reading novels until high school. But I started reading novel-length stories when I was about 9. At first, I read novels for boys—outdoor adventures and sports stories. I can’t remember the titles. But, when I discovered my best buddy’s dad had the whole Tarzan collection by Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as the

whole Zane Grey collection, my buddy and I, using rainy winter days and lazy summer afternoons, read our way through those 100+ books in junior high and our first year of high school. I don’t remember the very first book I read, but my first Tarzan book was, of course, Tarzan of the Apes.

Delightful answer. I can just see you two. When did you know you wanted to write? Did any or multiple books influence this desire?

I’ve written since elementary school. Most of my adult life I’ve made a living by writing. However, the nature of what I write has changed several times. As a research scientist, I wrote research reports, scientific books, scientific papers, and professional journal articles. After earning an MS in Computer Science, I wrote computer system specifications, then computer code, over a million lines of that arcane stuff.

Only after retiring did I write a novel. I was hooked, immediately. It wasn’t any book I read that influenced me. It was more that authors get to create worlds from nothing, then populate those worlds with characters we also create. There’s something satisfying about that.

In the beginning, after each part of creation, God’s word says, “and God saw that it was good.” In other words, He created, then felt satisfaction. Maybe God wired us a bit like Himself. We create, whether it’s writing stories, creating art, or something else, and then we feel that satisfaction. I get mine through writing stories.

Again, HL, that is very nicely put. (I’m definitely more interested in your stories the more I get to know you!) Is there a book you are looking forward to rereading?

I seldom reread novels, but one I’ve read 3 times is John Grisham’s The Testament. Lately, my wife and I have both talked about rereading Grisham’s The Street Lawyer. Both are redemption stories.

I’m beginning to see a pattern here. In addition to thrillers, redemption stories, even if they don’t have a lot of action, are at the top of my favorites list, too.

If Brock Daniels (protagonist in Voice in the Wilderness) were to pick a book from today’s shelves, what do you think it would be?

At 24, Brock is already a rising star in Christian Apologetics. I suppose he would choose something like Why Suffering?: Finding Meaning and Comfort When Life Doesn't Make Sense by Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale.

Thanks so much for visiting, Harry, and letting us get to know you better as a reader. I know I greatly enjoyed this interview, and I hope everyone else does too! Folks, you may connect with Harry and discover more about his books at the following links.

BIO:

H. L. Wegley served as an Air Force Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he worked as a research scientist, publishing in the scientific literature, then developed Boeing computing systems for 20 years before retiring near Seattle with his wife of nearly 50 years where they enjoy their 7 grandchildren and small-group ministry. He is a multi-published author with a 4-book inspirational thriller series, a political thriller with romance, 2 nonfiction books, and 4 more novels on the way.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Wilderness-Against-Enemies-Book-ebook/dp/B013F47FA0   shortened: http://amzn.to/1EuEWnq

Book trailer/interview YouTube: http://bit.ly/1VuqLHz   

Website: http://www.hlwegley.com  

Facebook author’s page: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley    

Twitter https://twitter.com/hlwegley     

Writer Beth Ann Ziarnik On Reading

Beth, welcome to Writers on Reading! I’m looking forward to getting to know you are a reader. Your debut novel, Her Deadly Inheritance, released mere days ago. I’m curious, are you drawn toward the same genre you write? Do you find one theme more repeatedly snags your attention as a read? Is there something special you seek when selecting your next reading adventure?

Thank you for inviting me, Deirdre. It’s great to be here, and yes, I am excited about Her Deadly Inheritance. I’m hoping readers will find it as much fun to read as it was to write. As to the genre I’m drawn to, I’ve loved reading romantic suspense since I was a freshman in college. Like others, it comes and goes in popularity, but I agree with librarians. They tell me that fans of romantic suspense are always looking for that next one. I’m definitely one of those avid fans.

As a writer, you should know better, but as a reader, you know we all do it…so, when did you last “judge a book by the cover”? How did it work out?

Just recently, I saw the fascinating cover for The Dividing Stone by Anita Estes. I bought her novel and am thoroughly enjoying it. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a Frank Peretti novel, with angels and demons responding to people’s prayers in ever darkening circumstances.

Sounds shivery! I was a Peretti fan, too, back in his heyday. Do you find time to read during the months you spend writing or with deadlines ahead is it either/or for you? If so, what did you read while working on your last book? If not, what did you read when you finished this one?

I enjoy reading other novels while I’m writing my own. They inspire me rather than distract me. While writing Her Deadly Inheritance, I read many Love Inspired Suspense novels by such authors as Margaret Daley, Dana Mentink, Debby Guisti, Lisa Harris, Christy Barritt, Terri Reed, Shirlee McCoy, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Valerie Hansen, and so many more!

What was the last book you absolutely couldn't put down? Why?

Actually, I can name two! “Fragile Blessings,” by Susan M. Baganz, one of three historical romance novellas in Love’s Christmas Past. The heroine has just lost her first baby in childbirth when her husband volunteers to take in three small children who just lost their parents in a fire. She’s aghast, but the deed is already done. I had to know how she would finally come to take those children into her grieving heart. The other novel is A Thousand Shall Fall by Andrea Boeshaar, also an historical romance. The convoluted adventures of the heroine as she tries to find her sister in the midst of Civil War battles and, instead, finds true love in the most unlikely social situation absolutely captivated me.

Well, those are excellent recommendations! Were you the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading?

Absolutely! The library was my second home. Mom said I first set foot in a library when I was two weeks old. I don’t remember that, but I do remember the many childhood summers when I eagerly signed up for the reading program—check out a book, read it, give a little book report to the children’s librarian, who then stamped another “stone” along the pathway of a themed sheet. Great memories, especially finishing the number of books required to participate in the celebration party. What kid doesn’t like candy, games, and prizes? Maybe that’s what set me on a lifelong pattern of reading novels.

When did you know you wanted to write? Did any or multiple books influence this desire?

I was ten years old when the desire struck. How I loved reading fairy tales, especially books loaded with stories of princes and princesses who had to overcome great challenges before they could live the rest of their lives in love. My favorites were a series: The Red Book of Fairy Tales, The Blue …, The Green …, The Pink …, The Yellow …. The colors went on and on, and I read every one of them! One day, I thought how wonderful it would be to write books that gave others as much pleasure as these books gave me. I didn’t know it at the time, but God had planted the seed of novelist in my heart that day.

What a special memory! Thank you for sharing that with us, Beth. Has any book stuck with you recently? What created the lasting impressions?

The novel that has stuck with me down through the years is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The heroine faced such awful challenges—orphaned and mistreated by those who should have loved and cared for her. But she rose to the challenge and grew up to be a woman of courage, a woman who risked the unknown and chose to do what was right in God’s eyes even when it cost her dearly. And because she did, the Lord rewarded her in the end by giving her the desires of her heart.

With a chilling winter upon us, what is on your cozy to-read list? And what is your ideal winter reading experience?

When I was a child, I loved reading in the crook of a tree or on my belly in the living room. These days, I like to cuddle in my bed with a soft and warm blanket, and multiple pillows behind me. I keep my to-read novels stacked high on my bedside table. Nearly all are romantic suspense, including Foul Play by Elizabeth Rees and Compromised Identity by Jodie Bailey.

If antagonist/protagonist in your debut book were to pick a book from today’s shelves, what do you think it would be?

If Jill, the heroine of Her Deadly Inheritance, were to select one of today books, I think it would be Pesto & Potholes by Susan M. Baganz. She would find common ground with Susan’s heroine who longs for a place in a loving family but isn’t sure how that would ever happen.

What a delightful and intriguing answers. Wasn’t this a fun interview! Thanks so much for visiting and letting us get to know you better as a reader, Beth! Folks, you can continue to connect with Beth—and find out more about her Romantic Suspense books!—at the links below.

BIO:

A long-time fan of romantic suspense, Beth Ann Ziarnik offers her first novel with all the twists and turns, cliffhangers and romantic tension she and readers have come to love. She is a co-founder of Word & Pen Christian Writers in Northeast Wisconsin and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. In addition to her 450 published pieces (several included in anthologies), she is the author of Love With Shoes On, her ten-year devotional column about love in action and based on 1 Corinthians 13.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

Her Deadly Inheritance

www.bethziarnik.com
www.facebook.com/beth.ziarnik
www.bethziarnik.wordpress.com

Writer Sandra Ardoin On Reading

Sandra, welcome to Writers on Reading! The cover of your last release made me feel like I stepped into a snow globe, now your new novel has such a lush feeling of yesteryear. With so many elements present in the covers of Yuletide Angel and A Reluctant Melody. I wonder what draws you as a reader? Do you enjoy dark, gothic backgrounds and lush, sweeping historicals with a bit of mystery, or something else entirely? What do you look for when choosing your next reading adventure?

I’ve always been a big fan of mystery / suspense and romantic and gothic suspense. Some of my favorite writers in high school were Mary Roberts Rinehart and Agatha Christie. Before I began reading mainly Christian fiction, I devoured books by Mary Higgins Clark, Elizabeth Peters, Phyllis Whitney, Anne Maybury, and others. But I also enjoyed the truly gothic tales like Jane Eyre and Rebecca.

Since focusing mainly on Christian fiction in the past ten years, my reading tastes have expanded to include thrillers (though I was a big Robert Ludlum fan long before), speculative (to include dystopian), and western-style historicals. I tend to read novels with a strong focus on romance and an equal or lesser focus on suspense or mystery.

In looking for a new read, I usually look for author first. When I find a writer I enjoy, I want to read every book by that person. When looking for someone new, generally the cover or title draws me. Then I read the blurb. Sometimes, I’m intrigued by the recommendations of others. For instance, I heard so much about Lori Benton’s works, I knew I had to check them out. I chose The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn first, because the title hooked me.

What was the most out-of-character book you’ve recently read, and what led to your choice?

I’m not drawn to Amish stories, but I’ve read a couple in the past year because I received them from the author for one reason or another. While I did enjoy them, Amish is not something I’ll pick up on my own.

As a writer, you should know better, but as a reader, you know we all do it…so, when did you last “judge a book by the cover”? How did it work out?

One that comes to mind is Jen Turano’s first book A Change of Fortune. The cover shouts humor and the book delivered.

With your new release just off the presses, I wonder did you read during the months you worked on it? If so, what did you read while working on A Reluctant Melody? If not, did you treat yourself to a book when you sent this one to the press?

I read ALL the time. On Tuesdays, I review Christian fiction on my blog. Plus, I do a quarterly review on the Suspense Sisters blog. I couldn’t go eight months without reading. (I’m a slow writer. J)

What was the last book you absolutely couldn't put down? Why?

The last one was Laura Frantz’ Mistress of Tall Acre. What a wonderful historical story with a hint at the gothic! The one before that was No One to Trust by Lynette Eason. It opens with a woman waking up to find a gun in her face and doesn’t slow down until the last page.

That does sound fast paced! I’m looking forward to Laura Frantz’s book. I loved her first two and have heard great things about this one as well. Did a book recently make you laugh/cry/sigh/shiver?

Mary Connealy’s work is always good for a laugh. I found myself doing so often while reading Fire and Ice. I’m not a big crier, though I’ll sometimes find myself gulping to swallow the lump in my throat. The Hunger Games is a book that would make anyone shiver.

How fun! Were you the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading? (And do you still have a copy?)

I’ve always been a reader. The first novels I remember reading were the Little House books when I was in third grade. When I was about fourteen or fifteen, I bought a paperback copy of Rebecca. I still have it. And, no, I won’t tell how long I’ve had it. ;)

Hah! You have me laughing! And those are all great books, fun memories to share! Has any book stuck with you recently? What created the lasting impressions?

This isn’t recently, but Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series really set the hook and reeled me into reading Christian fiction. I still love the concept of orphans banding together to form their own family. Beautiful!

Books that stick with me generally are written in a way that I feel a deep, emotional pull. There’s something that sucks me in and makes me feel like I’m living the story. Elizabeth Camden’s Against the Tide is one of those books. Bane is an amazing character—naughty, but nice. J

Excellent recommendations. With the weather as crisp as the cover of your last book, I’m wondering what is on your to-read list? And what is your ideal winter reading experience?

My to-read list? It’s LONG! I’m ashamed to say I have more wonderful books on my Kindle than I have time to read right now, as much as I want to do so. I review books for various publishers on my blog, so those come first. I also receive books from authors. Amanda Cabot’s On Lone Star Trail, third book in her contemporary romance series, will be coming up soon. Recent reads include: Until the Dawn (Elizabeth Camden), Bidding on Love (Regina Jennings), Rising Darkness (Nancy Mehl).

My ideal winter reading experience revolves around a warm throw, the privacy of the cushy armchair in my bedroom, and something sweet, preferably a hunk of chocolate or ice cream! If I’m reading during the day, which I rarely do except on weekends, it will also include a cup of hot tea—Earl Grey or Spiced Chai are my favorites.

How special! Thank you for sharing. I think most of our reading lists are very long—I know mine grow weekly with these interviews! Is there a book you are looking forward to rereading?

These days, I rarely have time to reread. However, when I have done so, it’s been a book that originally stuck with me for days. Two of those are Tamera Alexander’s From A Distance and Deeanne Gist’s A Bride Most Begrudging—both historicals and two of my favorites.

If Violet Madison, the heroine in The Yuletide Angel, and Kit Barnes, hero of A Reluctant Melody, were to pick books from today’s shelves, what do you think they would be?

Violet says she would choose MaryLu Tyndall’s pirate books. As shy as she is, her fantasy is to captain a schooner in the early 19th century.

Kit chooses a non-fiction title with a Christian living focus. Perhaps one of Philip Yancey’s Grace books. He wants something to help him help the men under his care. (A far cry from his past hedonistic days, I can tell you!)

Well, I’m intrigued! Thanks for visiting with us, Sandra! Folks, you can continue to connect with her and her books at the links below.

Thank you for letting me share, Deirdre. What fun questions!

BIO:

Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. A wife and mom, she’s also a reader, football fan, NASCAR watcher, garden planter, country music listener, antique store prowler.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

A Reluctant Melody on Amazon

The Yuletide Angel on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Visit Sandra at www.sandraardoin.com and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Join her email community to receive occasional updates and a free short story.