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Friday, December 11, 2009

Spotlight on Margaret Daley and Christmas Peril

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARGARET DALEY is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Holt Medallion, Golden Quill Contest, FHL’s Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines. She has sold sixty-six books to date.

Margaret is currently the Volunteer Officer for ACFW. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She served as vice-president for two years in WIN-ACFW and is still on its board as an advisor. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.

Until she retired last year, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community.

You can visit her web site at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read excerpts from her books and learn about the ones recently released and soon to be released.

CHRISTMAS PERIL
by Margaret Daley & Debby Giusti
Published by Love Inspired Suspense

ABOUT THE BOOK

Christmas Peril
December 2009 (anthology-2 in 1)

Christmas bells ring with danger in these suspenseful holiday stories

Merry Mayhem by Margaret Daley

When single mom Annie Coleman unexpectedly arrives in Christmas, Oklahoma, police chief Caleb Jackson suspects she's hiding secrets. He'll be watching her closely. And his protection is just what Annie and her daughter need, as danger has followed them to their new home.

Yule Die by Debby Giusti

It's hardly a happy holiday for medical researcher Callie Evans…until she discovers her ailing patient is her long-lost brother. And he's being watched by undercover police officer Joe Petrecelli. When the trio is abducted by a cadre of bad guys, Joe and Callie will have to fight to keep her brother—and themselves—alive.

Readers, buy your copy of Merry Mayhem today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

My editor wanted me to write a Love Inspired Suspense novella with a Christmas theme. I came up with the town of Christmas, OK as the location of the story during December. I figured with a town called that a Christmas theme would come naturally. It did.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

There’s a little of me in a lot of my characters, but there is a lot that isn’t me. If I made everyone like me, all my characters would sound alike. Often my characters’ back story is very different from mine. And a character trait is molded from a person’s background. Who we are today is because of our past.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Annie would be plain vanilla. Up until she receives a call from her ex-boyfriend, her life was pretty dull, uneventful. Then everything changed with the call.

4. Are there any themes in Merry Mayhem that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

Trust was a big theme in my story—trust in the Lord, trust in others, especially the heroine for the hero.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

Weaving suspense, faith and a romance through a story that is only 30,000 words. That’s hard to do. My favorite part was coming up with Annie’s story. I love to plot and this was a challenge but fun.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Cowboy Protector is the third book in the Love Inspired Suspense continuity series in 2010 called Protecting the Witness. My book comes out in March.

Will she ever be safe? Two years ago, Hannah Williams left the Witness Protection program and she’s been running ever since. To stay ahead of the mob, she changes her name and location constantly. So when she takes a job caring for a Montana rancher’s sick daughter, she expects to leave soon. But little Misty Taylor tugs at Hannah’s heartstrings and so does her handsome father. Hannah knows Austin Taylor suspects she’s keeping secrets. But how can she tell him the truth without endangering the pair she’s come to love?

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Christmas Peril, the anthology with Margaret's novella in it.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when the winners are announced each time.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

11 comments:

Mark said...

Sounds like a really good book - enter me please
marcus802001(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cherie J said...

Enjoyed the spotlight on Margaret. I love her books. Please enter me in the drawing. Have not read this one.

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

enjoyed this interview...please count me in for this wonderful book..thanks.

karenk
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

Michelle said...

Thank you for entering me!!

Blessings,
Michelle
scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net

Anonymous said...

Please enter me in the drawing. It sounds like an awesome book. ~Abby

abster dot rose at yahoo dot com

Giveaway Lady said...

OO!! Please enter me:) Sounds like a great book!! Thanks!!
esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com

squiresj said...

This is an Author who is truly annointed of God in her writing. I have not read this book so sure would love to win it.
jrs362(at)hotmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

It is very difficult to transmit in fiction the joy (and struggle) of the Christian believer without being preachy or trying to proselytise. I try in my new release, Angela 1: Starting Over, the first in a series of three novels set in coastal Texas. Many of your readers may be interested in it. To learn more, please click on my name and follow the link to my website. I also invite you to view my blog and comment, at www.davidabedford.aegauthorblogs.com. Thanks!

Merry said...

I enjoy the Love Inspired Suspense books.Christmas Peril sounds like terrific book with two mysterious adventures. Count me in! Thanks.

worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com

Margaret Daley said...

Thanks for stopping by and entering the drawing. I hope all of you have a blessed Christmas.

Karin said...

Would love to be entered-- thanks.


karin56381 (at) gmail.com