Mistaken Identity by K. Dawn Byrd

Here's the second review of Mistaken Identity. It's now on Amazon. I'm excited that the book is being so well received.


Best friends Eden Morgan and Lexi Branson are as different as day and night. Lexi can get any boyfriend she wants, and Eden longs for boyfriend of her own. As this story unfolds new neighbors move in next door to Eden's family. And we have all heard about the `boy next door' right? Well these new neighbors included that boy Channing, and wow was he ever drop dead gorgeous! He and Eden seemed to hit it off from the beginning, but the problem was that Lexi wanted him too. And what Lexi wants she gets.

Mistaken Identity, a wonderful and sweet love story that anyone romance fan would like. And I would especially encourage any teenage young lady to read this book because dating is something they will all face at sometime. I loved the teen characters in this story; they made me feel as though I was watching this story in real life! Channing was just a sweet and hot guy that every girl at school had their eye on. The idea of having a Christian and non-Christian going for the same guy was cool. And it kept me wanting to finish the story to see just who Channing would pick, Eden or Lexi. It just all depended on what Channing was looking for in a girlfriend. Now you just need to read the book to find out who the winning woman turned out to be.

First Review

I'm so excited! I just had to share my first review of Mistaken Identity. It's from Clare Revell at http://telscha.blogspot.com/. She gave it 4 1/2 out of  5 stars. Here's what she had to say:

I loved Mistaken Identity. I read it in one sitting, so engrossed that the toast burned and milk boiled over as I read. Eden faces all the problems young Christian girls do today. Short skirts, make up, protective parents (and yes I’m one of those dreaded protective parents who ban her daughters from wearing belts or pelmets – aka short skirts). And when she does finally fall for a boy, admittedly a slightly older boy, not only does she have to worry about what her parents will think, her BF, Lexi falls for him too. Problem is what Lexi wants, Lexi gets.

A book for parents and teenagers alike, this one deals with important issues as well as having an engaging storyline, loveable characters and enough nail biting moments to keep you rooted to the pages and wondering about the characters after the last page is turned.





Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6ez8xvh
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/6bpw26c
Also available at Sony and other ebook outlets and coming soon to Christianbook.com

Deanna Klingel's "Avery's Battlefield"

Title: Avery's Battlefield
Publisher: Journey Forth, the young reader imprint of BJU Press.

Cover blurb: Avery and his dog, Gunner, have a good life in Kanawha Valley-a loving family, a prosperous farm, and a warm community of friends. But when the long unrest between the North and South ignites into war, Avery's peaceful world is shattered. His father, brother, and uncle leave home, each drawn away by the war. Soon Avery and Gunner must begin a dangerous journey that will take them across the paths of people on both sides of the struggle. What can a simple farm boy bring to the war effort? A true heart, a healing hand, and a large supply of courage and faith. Avery discovers that his battlefield is in the clinics and hospitals, where the anger and pain continue long after the fighting ends. Avery's Battlefield is the story of a boy, a dog, and their search for peace in the first years of the Civil War.

1) How did this story come to you?
Avery told me his story. It was in my mind and heart before I put it to paper.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
The journey to publication was almost as long as Avery's journey across Virginia. Avery and Gunner started out with an agency in London who loved the story and we worked hard together on it. They took it to the Bologna Children's Book fair and a couple of major New York publishers were interested in it, one was interested in film rights. We worked on everything they asked and made all the changes they requested. Then the agents delivered it finished to their specs, and were as disappointed as I when, in the end, neither took it. I was thrilled when a year later Journey Forth said they'd be interested in seeing the manuscript, and they took it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
Three things that might surprise people about me are 1) my family: I've been married 49 years and we have 7 kids and 11 grands. 2) I dance with my dog and run a dog park. 3) Anyone who visits my house would be surprised to learn that I love to garden because there isn't any evidence of that.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
What's next for me is book two of Avery and Gunner, Avery's Crossroad, which will be out in September, and Bread Upon the Water, coming out between Thanksgiving and Christmas from Rafka Press. Bread is a true story of a modern adventure hero, a boy who escaped Vietnam as a boat person to pursue his calling to the priesthood. I have a YA novel finished, Cracks in the Ice, a story of a destroyed Olympic dream. That manuscript is looking for a home, and the one I'm finishing up Waiting With Elmer, kind of an unusual quirky one that's been a lot of fun to create.

5) Parting comments?
I'm keeping busy and love it. I'm traveling a lot with Avery and Gunner, especially to the sesquicentennial events in Virginia, meeting lots of folks, signing a lot of books, and having fun. I even wear a reenactment costume of a nurse, a character in my book.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I have a website, http://www.booksbydeanna.com/. The last page tells where I'll be going, and there's a comment place for friends to write. I also have email deannaklingel@yahoo.com and I'm on facebook. I frequently blog with other writers. If you google my name you can find those. I'd love to hear from readers.

JoAnn Carter's "Paradox"

Title: Paradox
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Cover blurb: Lilly Holland’s passion is flowers-not people. All she’s ever dreamed of was a peaceful life surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. The exact opposite of what life is like at the touristy Holland Lodge in the small town of Paradox. So, why does she feel like God is nudging her to go? He, if anyone, should know better than ask this of her.

Ric Walker, Holland Lodge’s grounds keeper, is Lilly’s only link to sanity. His steady presence and strong faith encourages her through this trying situation. However, that sanity is threatened as she realizes her feelings for him are changing into something more, something deeper.

Will Lilly learn that Paradox is more than a town’s name, but rather a divine place where God can reveal His power, bring healing, and love, just when she thinks all hope is gone?

1) How did this story come to you?
We live in Vermont, but our extended families are from in New Jersey. Whenever we go back to visit, we drive through a tiny little town in New York, that if you'd blink—you'd miss it—called Paradox. The name always made me wonder about the town's founders and such.


2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
It's was about a year and a half (or more) of a long dry spell. I had submitted many things and receiving lots of rejection slips... so I went back through a list of possible publishers to bug--ah, I mean submit to. :) Then along comes a random e-mail from a dear friend mentioning a publisher I had on that list, Desert Breeze Publishing. Fast forward a month. I decided to query Desert Breeze Pub. That same day I get an e-mail stating not to expect to hear back until July—eight months later. GULP! Looks like another possible dead-end. However, three day's later, an e-mail arrives... they like what I submitted and offered a contract. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. I can't wait to see what God will do next. I can only sit in this roller-coaster seat and enjoy the ride.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1. I am the wife of a wonderful Youth Pastor who has been in the ministry for 20+years.
2. We have four children—all boys. (One of which is about to get his learners permit!)
3. Although I enjoy being around people, I am an introvert and "recharge" my batteries by walking, reading, listening to music, and spending time alone.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
What's next? A Mission trip to Mexico!
Yes, your read that right. This summer, our family is headed to serve in Mexico. Writing wise, in the middle of our time away, The Floating Palace ~ A Historical Inspirational Romance will be released. (July 15, 2011) You can check it out here~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDcuTF8v9bg
Then in December, Hidden Paths a Young Adult Inspirational Romance will release through Desert Breeze Publishing. What a great way to finish up 2011, huh? God has been so faithful.

5) Parting comments?
Perhaps today, you're feeling stuck in a rut and listening to the lie that you're not worth anything and what you've done in your past defines who you are today. Don't believe it. No matter where you are, what you've done, or who you are, your heavenly Father loves you -- dearly. Some days that feels like such a paradox! I love Merriam-Webster definition of that word, "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true"...such is the love of God. Why He loves me so is beyond my comprehension. Yet He does and it is my prayer that each person who reads this book will be challenged to consider that and what it means for your life.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://home.comcast.net/~jo.glenncarter/site

Lynn Squire's "Joab's Fire"

Title: Joab’s Fire
Publisher: HigherLife Publishing.

Cover blurb: Joab Black and his wife Sarah overcame the worst of pioneer hardships in order to establish a prosperous farm in Alberta, Canada. But those challenges never prepared them for the tragedy they now faced—a staggering loss and intense pain causing them to doubt everything they had ever believed. In the midst of their sorrow, even their closest friends interpret their sufferings as a result of God’s judgment. Has God abandoned them?
Sergeant Dixon, the local North West Mounted Police officer, investigates the events leading to the Blacks’ plight. While his work gives them a ray of hope, his probing into the activities of a certain stranger possibly connected to the case may cost him his job and even his life.
Inspired by the Biblical book of Job, this novel includes a Bible study exploring the perfection of God’s plan and the bounty of His love even in the most inexplicable and intense sufferings.

1) How did this story come to you?
I wanted to write a book that would help people through difficult times. Considering my life, I knew Job, in the Bible, helped me through life so I set out to write a story based on him. After reading what my great grandparents went through to settle a wild country, I felt there could not be any better location for a Job-like story than Southern Alberta at the turn of the 20th century.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I never intended to publish this book. I considered it my practice work where I tried all the writing techniques I was learning at the time. However, I posted each chapter on my blog for Fiction Friday. When I saw how readers were responding to it, and after discussing the possibility of writing an accompanying Bible Study with some friends (including pastors’ wives), I wrote the Bible study section. The book went through two critique groups and finally I mentioned it to my former agent. She suggested I try HigherLife and said she would mention it to the editor there. I submitted the book; they reviewed it and offered me a contract; and I sweated buckets as I signed the contract. This would be a great step of faith. This wasn’t about me becoming famous. This wasn’t about me making a name for myself. This was about getting the message to people who needed to hear that life is short and we survive by focusing on God and the eternal life He provides for all who believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Whenever I grew nervous through the publisher’s editing process and production schedule (and now through the marketing stage) I reminded myself to be bold and courageous for the Lord is on my side.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’m told I’m a pretty open book. But here we go:
1) Perhaps one of the greatest fears I have is being caught in a lie. Stressing over that has kept me as honest as I can be, but there are times where I have spoken without giving my answer enough thought and it turns out that what I said was false. Oy, such a thing can give me an ulcer.
2) I have a scar on my face between my eyes, which I got as a child. Just recently it occurred to me, after studying myself in the mirror, that who ever thought I was angry when I wasn’t were looking at the scar—when I squint it makes me look angry. I squint a lot, according to my eye doctor. Trust me, I’m not as angry as I look.
3) I had a cousin who told my husband when we were first married that I am fearless. And while I can see his point (given the crazy things I did as a kid), he was sadly mistaken. My life has tended to be governed by fear, and my way of coping has always been to lower my horns and charge like an angry bull. I’ve realized, in my old age, that this is my tendency, and I’m working on laying those fears at my Lord’s feet and learning to curl up under His wing.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on a novel set in the late 1840’s in Cornwall, England. Here’s my one sentence summary: A vicar seeks inner peace by destroying the ministry of an evangelist.
By the end of July, I hope to have a booklet out with seven short stories and seven devotionals on faith. The stories are based on Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. While none of my characters are in this chapter of the Bible, they do demonstrate the same faith that the Bible characters did.

5) Parting comments?
The passion of my work lies in my desire to present Biblical truths through story to readers. On my blog I regularly post for Fiction Friday, and with each post I include a Food for Thought section. I’d love for readers to come and join in the discussion. My blog address is: http://faithfictionfunandfanciful.blogspot.com/

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My personal website is: http://www.lynnsquire.com/
My blog is: http://faithfictionfunandfanciful.blogspot.com/
You can purchase my books at: http://www.presentingbiblicaltruths.com/
If you want to learn more about Joab’s Fire, go to: http://www.joabsfire.com/

Dorothy Love's "Beyond All Measure"

Title: BEYOND ALL MEASURE
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Fiction

Cover blurb: Ada Wentworth journeys south to take a job as a lady’s companion, hoping to save enough to eventually open her own millinery shop. But when she falls in love with the local mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell, she must decide whether she can trust God with her future…and Wyatt with her heart.

1. How this story came to me:
I love history, and the beautiful southern Appalachians, and knew I wanted to set a story there. A couple of years ago I visited a museum that featured a collection of vintage ladies’ hats and my protagonist Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian hat maker, whispered her story into my ear. I wrote down what she said.

2. Journey to publication:
Like Angela E Hunt and others, I began my career writing novels for preteens and young adults. After publishing fourteen books in the secular market I wanted to write more complex stories for adult readers and realized that the CBA is a better fit for me. I was lucky to find my fabulous agent, Natasha Kern, who sent out the proposal for Beyond All Measure, the first in the Hickory Ridge series. We received interest from several publishers and the books found a home at Thomas Nelson fiction.

3. Three things that may surprise readers:
I once sang (briefly) in a rock and roll band; I love collecting beach stuff, my chocolate chip coffee cake is pretty darn good.

4. Working on:
I recently turned in the revisions for BEAUTY FOR ASHES, the second Hickory Ridge novel which will be out early in 2012, I’m writing book 3, and polishing up the proposal for another series of southern historicals.

5. Parting Comments:
Thanks so much for hosting me.

6. Find me on the Internet at:
 http://www.dorothylovebooks.com/  and on Facebook.

K. Dawn Byrd's "Mistaken Identity"

I am pleased to announce my latest release, Mistaken Identity, my first young adult romance. It will be available on Wednesday, June 15 at all ebook outlets including Amazon, Desert Breeze Publishing, Sony, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, etc.

Eden Morgan longs for a boyfriend of her own, an impossible goal when her best friend, Lexi Branson, gets all the attention and all the guys. When they fall in love with the same guy, Eden believes she doesn't have a chance. She can only hope that sometimes the good girl gets the guy.

For your chance to win, please leave you comments in the comments section. I hope you've enjoyed my blog and all the great Christian fiction that's been giving away here since I started it.
 
You can read an excerpt from Mistaken Identity, here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok