Camy Tang and Free Books!

First she served as a mob enforcer. Then she found Christ in prison. Now, Tessa Lancaster is protecting an heiress whose spouse seeks to kill her. In this action-packed read, Tessa and a handsome Southern lawyer discover the reality of being made new in Christ.

Before we visit with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the signed copy of Sandra D. Bricker's novel, Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride, is:

marji.laine@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll contact you today for your snail mail address, and we'll get your book to you right away. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways!

Now let's revisit with Camy Tang, author of Protection for Hire (Zondervan, November 2011).

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She grew up in Hawaii and now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious mutt, Snickers. She graduated from Stanford University and worked as a biologist researcher for 9 years, but now she writes full-time. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service.

On her blog, Camy ponders knitting, spinning wool, dogs, running, the Never Ending Diet, and other frivolous things. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ to read free short stories and subscribe to her quarterly newsletter.

Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.

--I learned to knit and to spin wool into yarn by watching Internet videos.

--I used the Jeff Galloway Run-Walk-Run method to train for my first marathon.

--My favorite tea is English Breakfast with milk and local honey.

--I buy almost exclusively all ebooks now rather than print books because I have absolutely no more room on my bookshelves.

--My favorite genre to read is Regency romance.

How interesting, the way we enjoy genres so different from our own, right?

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Protection for Hire.

Tessa Lancaster’s skills first earned her a position as an enforcer in her Uncle Teruo’s Japanese Mafia gang. Then they landed her in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, three months after her release, Tessa’s abilities have gained her a job as bodyguard for wealthy socialite Elizabeth St. Amant and her three-year-old son. But there’s a problem or two … or three ….

There’s Elizabeth’s abusive husband whose relentless pursuit goes deeper than mere vengeance. There’s Uncle Teruo, who doesn’t understand why Tessa’s new faith as a Christian prevents her from returning to the yakuza. And then there’s Elizabeth’s lawyer, Charles Britton, who Tessa doesn’t know is the one who ensured that she did maximum time behind bars.

Now Tessa and Charles must work together in order to protect their client, while new truths emerge and circumstances spiral to a deadly fever pitch. Factor in both Tessa’s and Charles’s families and you’ve got some wild dynamics—and an action-packed, romantic read as Tessa and Charles discover the reality of being made new in Christ.

What is it about your lead character that will make your readers care about her?

Tessa has got a lot of street smarts and she’s tough, but underneath she’s been badly hurt by her family. Her new relationship with Christ doesn’t help that at all, and she’s struggling to reconcile her old life with her new one. I felt like that when I first became a Christian. I didn’t know how to act around my Buddhist family and my “old self” kept coming through just when I didn’t want it to! But God is gracious and He has helped me to find my true identity in Christ. I hope that Tessa’s struggles will resonate with other Christians struggling with their “old selves” too.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

Tessa would be Jessica Alba.



And Charles would be Matthew McConaughey.



Imagine God has led you to accept a contract to ghostwrite someone’s autobiography. Whose is it? Why that person?

I find Jessica Alba fascinating, maybe because I think she’s gorgeous and I’ve liked the movies she’s been in. So I’d love to do her autobiography.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?

Why, Trish Perry’s Unforgettable. I think you might know her?

Awww, how sweet! That's the first time that's ever been the answer to that question, Camy! Bonus points for you.

What are you working on now?

The second book in my Protection for Hire series. I actually just got the title for it: A Dangerous Stage.

Where else can readers find you online?

www.camytang.com

The book is available at fine book stores and for online purchase via the following buttons:






CBD.com

Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

Do you have many friends who are readers, too? I did not grow up knowing many fiction readers except for my parents, so it was a bit lonely when I read a good book and wanted to tell someone about it. Now that we have the internet, it’s easier to connect with other readers, but do you have any readers among your close local friends?

Thank you, Camy, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Camy has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, October 20. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Camy's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Be sure to check out my interview with Colleen Coble, below. Leave an appropriate comment at the bottom of the post to enter the drawing for a signed copy of her book.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.