Monday, October 3, 2011

Lena Nelson Dooley's "Christmas Love in Lake Tahoe"



Title: Maggie’s Journey
Publisher: Realms, a fiction imprint from Charisma House

Cover blurb:
A girl who’s been lied to her whole life…
Near her eighteenth birthday, Margaret Lenora Caine finds a chest hidden in the attic containing proof that she was adopted. The daughter of wealthy merchants in Seattle, she feels betrayed both by her real parents and by the ones who raised her.

Maggie desires a place where she belongs. But her mother’s constant criticism and reminders that she doesn't fit the mold of a young woman of their social standing have already created tension in their home. With the discovery of the family secret, all sense of her identity is lost.

When Maggie asks to visit her grandmother in Arkansas, her father agrees on the condition that she take her Aunt Georgia as a chaperone and his young partner, Charles Stanton, as protection on the journey. Will she discover who she really is and, more importantly, what truly matters most in life?

1) How did this story come to you?
This story had been percolating in my brain and heart for several years. It’s book one in my McKenna’s Daughters series about identical triplets separated at birth.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Several years ago, when Tracie Peterson was the acquisitions editor for Heartsong, she was interested in the series, but she left the company to concentrate on her own writing before it was contracted.

In the intervening time, my agent Joyce Hart has sent it to several editors. At least three of them were very interested, but the series didn’t make it through committee. Then in 2010, she sent it to Strang/Realms, which later became Charisma House, and they bought the series very quickly.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
For the first 20 years of my life, I was painfully shy.
I wear a brace on my left leg.
I wasn’t a redhead, but I became one as soon as I could.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Book 2 of McKenna’s Daughters, Mary’s Blessing, has been written and will release May 2012. I’m writing book 3, Catherine’s Pursuit, right now, and it will release January 2013. I’m also contracted for another series with Realms—Restored Hearts—so l’ll plunge right into writing them.

5) Parting comments?
I love my readers. They’re the reason I write. I love to connect with them, and I love to hear from them.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/lenandooley
http://www.shoutlife.com/lenanelsondooley
www.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts – my official fan page
http://www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley - my profile
http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/ – Bustles and Spurs
http://justthewritecharisma.blogspot.com/  – Just the Write Charisma

I will give away a copy of Christmas Love in Lake Tahoe.




18 comments:

  1. "Christmas Love in Lake Tahoe" sounds like such a interesting book. Actually the entire series sounds like it is going to be very exciting. Thank you for offering the book as a giveway.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

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  2. Thank you so much for the chance to win this. This sounds like an amazing book. I can't wait to read new Christmas stories.

    agent_beckster(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  3. Maggies Journey: Interesting as I have a bunch of adopted kids, this story, altho' fiction sounded like a good read!
    Thanks for shAring this. I hope I win

    Judi

    Mrst72443@yahoo.com

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  4. Christmas Love at Tahoe. Wow what a way to get in the holiday season!
    I would love to have this book
    Judi
    Mrst72443@yahoo.com

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  5. Sounds like a great Xmas story! Thanks!

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

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  6. I adore the writings of Lena Nelson
    Dooley...Another great winter/holiday
    book to read!
    Many thanks, Cindi
    jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  7. What a fascinating beginning! I would love to win Lena's book. I was the only redhead in our family, so most people teased that I was adopted. Even if I'm not the lucky winner, I'm going to have to get this book.

    Note to Lena - I was born a redhead, but didn't learn to love it until I was 17. :) such fun! Thanks for the interview, K. Dawn!

    amanda38401 at gmail dot com

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  8. I have always loved Lena Nelson Dooley on our ACFW loop. She's always so helpful and generous with her time. I would love to read her Christmas book, and her new series sounds just wonderful to me. Thanks for interviewing her!
    Tamara

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  9. Got to love a redhead. It's always wonderful when writers love their readers. I love Christmas stories.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  10. I have a dear friend with a set of triplet daughters. I would love to read your story and also share it with my friend. Please enter me in your drawing. Thank you!

    ~Daisy Adams
    daisyflower.adams@gmail.com

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  11. Lake tahoe and christmas, what a great story that must be. I love Lake Tahoe, it brings back great memories of family reunions with relatives Thanks so much for this giveaway! Blessings, cheryl
    ihhcheryl(at)comcast(dot)net

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  12. Identical triplets separated at birth... that has a whole host of possibilities. I'm intrigued!
    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

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  13. I love Lena's new series coming out, triplets and their adopted lives; it sounds really interesting. Please include me for Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe.
    Thanks!
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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  14. Enjoyed the blog today...I always like to read about authors new to me and their books. This sounds like a story I would enjoy.Being a twin myself, I can't imagine what it must feel like to have been separated from my sister at birth..I think I would always wonder why I felt like something was missing in my life.
    JFWisherd(at)aol(dod)com

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  15. oh Christmas. I love Christmas stories. thanks for a chance to win this book

    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  16. I have tried to leave a comment several times. It hasn't worked, but I'm trying again.

    So good to see all of you here.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oooh, Lake Tahoe, that is where we spent our honeymoon.
    Thanks for the chance to win this book!
    Charlotte Kay
    charlovesmark at gmail dot com

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  18. I love Christmas fiction books! I would love to win the book. Thanks for the chance.
    Sherry Dennis heelfan91@att.net

    ReplyDelete

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