Sunday, August 28, 2016

Land of My Dreams

Today I'm hosting author Norma Gail, who writes contemporay Christian romance. Right now she's promoting her latest novel, Land of My Dreams and for this occasion she's giving away a 25$ gift certificate from either Amazon or Barnes&Noble to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Please use this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1717

What is the book about?

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.



A small excertp

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.




How important are dreams?

I asked the author if she could tell me and the readers how important dreams are to her. Here is her answer:

How important are dreams? A lot depends on who you talk to. I rarely remember dreams, although, the recurring dream that became my debut novel is one I’m glad not to have forgotten.

I dreamed of a man in a kilt, standing on a mist-shrouded hillside, surrounded by sheep. It would have been strange were we not in the middle of planning a trip to Scotland. However, I dreamed it more than once. It fit well with my long-term to become a published author. The idea lent itself to multiple possibilities. When I broke my foot and ended up in a wheelchair for eight weeks, the boredom was all I needed to decide the time to try had arrived.

I put very little stock in dreams. It is far more important to me, as a Christian author, to seek God’s will through the Bible and prayer. If we’re talking dreams in the sense of goals, they are very important. Having high aspirations and working to realize them is vital to success. A desire to set high goals that I believe are in God’s will for me and work hard to reach them fits well with my faith.

Making a dream come true is a lot of work. I wrote the story and began to solicit opinions from friends. When they all turned out positive, I started to look into what it takes to have a book published. Many authors are so anxious to publish these days that they jump into self-publishing and crank out book after book. I needed the security of a traditional publisher, their reputation and wisdom to encourage and back me up. 

My wait was shorter than many. I went to writer’s conferences, studied and rewrote, took the advice of the publisher, and received a contract for my first book a few months after my second writer’s conference. For me, it’s the right thing. I love being a part of the family of authors. We are each other’s cheerleaders, friends, and help each other with publicity. We pray for each other and offer advice when needed. 

Having my first book published was a dream come true. Now I’m focused on doing a good job marketing it so that when I have my second book finished, the publisher is ready to accept it. There’s always something more.

I’m passionate about Land of My Dreams and the story of loss, love, hope, and redemption that I believe God wanted me to write. 






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: Website: www.normagail.org  Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Norma-Gail/e/B00ILHXBAK/  Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail  Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/   Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459 Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2


Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170
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

Land of My Dreams will be either $0.99 during the tour.

14 comments:

  1. Thank you, Nikolina! I appreciate your encouragement and sharing throughout this blog tour.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nickie, thank you for hosting me this week! I am excited to meet and share with your readers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoyed the interview. I have read and loved her book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by, Ann! I always appreciate your encouragement.

      Delete