Carrie Turansky, New Releases, and Free Books!

Will following her dream mean losing her chance at love?

For this bonus weekend post, we're revisiting novelist Carrie Turansky, author of A Man To Trust (Love Inspired, March 2012). Tell us about yourself, Carrie.

I have been writing seriously since 1999 and have published several articles, short stories, devotions, and essays. Writing fiction is my passion, and I thank the Lord for all the creative ideas and characters He puts in my mind and heart. Without my growing relationship with Him, I wouldn't have any inspiration or know what to write. I am very thankful for friends and family who have believed in me and encouraged me on my writing journey.

When I'm not writing you will find me enjoying time with my family, working outside in my flower gardens, cooking for family and friends, walking around the lake near our home, or playing with our pet bunnies.

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

--In high school I enjoyed drama and acted in several plays.

--I was a fine art major in college.

--I spent a summer in Belgium as a short-term missionary.

--I initially resisted homeschooling our children, but when we took that leap I loved it, and I am so grateful we made that decision.

--I would love to write international-missionary- adventure-romantic-suspense novel some day.

Wow, that's a chock-full novel idea! Please tell us a bit more about the plot of A Man to Trust.

A Man To Trust is set in Fairhaven, Washington, which is a beautiful historic neighborhood in Bellingham. This is my second book set there, and I’m currently writing a third. Each book includes a group of senior-age women known around town as the Bayside Treasures. These friends get together each week to play Scrabble and work on matchmaking plans for their friends and family.

In A Man To Trust, Marian Chandler, owner of Bayside Books, has her heart set on finding a match for her granddaughter Adrie, who has recently suffered through a broken engagement. When Ross Peterson applies to replace Adrie as bookstore manager, Marian thinks she’s found the man for Adrie, and she sets her plans in motion.

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

I think readers will identify with Adrie’s struggle to find God’s will and the best path for her life. She has studied, practiced and sacrificed for years to make that dream come true. But as she gets closer to stepping out to audition she battles self-doubt and wonders if that is really what she wants. And it doesn’t help that she has finally met a man who seems like he might be worthy of her trust and love. Life and love are complicated….and Adrie’s journey to discover where she finds her significance and what’s really most important will draw readers into the story.

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

I’d choose Amy Adams to play Adrienne Chandler.




And James Caviezel to play Ross Peterson.



Please share with us one quote that either inspires you or simply amuses you as you go about your efforts as a writer.

I’ve always loved this writer’s prayer written by Debby Giusti.

“Lord, inspire me to write the stories that touch readers’ hearts. Breathe your spirit into my characters so they come alive on the written page. Help me develop intriguing plots full of twist and turns that capture the imagination and move the story to a satisfying resolution. Keep me focused and on schedule, and take away any fear or sense of inadequacy that blocks my progress. Give me courage to step out in faith, to stretch and grow, and to be the writer you have called me to be. Amen.”

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

I am reading Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher. It’s a lovely historical romance that I highly recommend. Her characters are very realistic, and I am totally caught up in what is going to happen. The writing is seamless.

What are you working on now?

I am working on my next Love Inspired novel set in Fairhaven, Washington, Snowflake Sweethearts. The heroine is a personal chef who is hired by the hero to cook and care for his grandmother as she recovers from a heart attack. She is a single mom with a five-year-old daughter, and as they all live together during the holidays romance blooms. It comes out in December 2012.

Where else can readers find you online?

Readers can connect with me at: www.carrieturansky.com, Facebook, craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com, and Twitter

The book can be purchased at fine book stores and online via the following buttons:






CBM.com


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

What is your favorite place to read and why?

Thank you, Carrie, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Carrie has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Monday, March 12. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Carrie'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 interviews with Kay Strom and Terri Blackstock, below. Leave an appropriate comment at the bottom of each post to enter the drawing for a signed copy of the book.

And I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

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.

Finally, take a look at some of the terrific inspirational fiction releasing this month!

Love's Sacred Song by Mesu Andrews -- Young King Solomon marries a Shulamite shepherdess to quell the unrest of Israel's northern tribes, but will this marriage become a love that sings for the ages? (Historical from Revell).

Dawn Comes Early (The Brides of Last Chance Ranch Series) by Margaret Brownley -- It's 1895 and 29-year-old dime novelist Kate Tenney finds herself without a publisher or other means of support when her novel is banned. When she agrees to try her hand at ranching, trouble begins. The West is nothing like she wrote about in her books. (Historical Romance from Thomas Nelson).

A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman -- Amish-English sleuthing duo Deborah Yoder and Callie Harper set out to solve a murder. But more than an innocent man's future is at stake. In book two of the Shipshewana Amish Mystery series, God's grace touches the long-lost past as well as lives shaken by current tragedy. (Cozy Mystery from Zondervan).

Saving Hope by Margaret Daley -- A 16-year-old girl is kidnapped from Beacon of Hope School. With the help of Texas Ranger Wyatt Sheridan, Kate Winslow is determined to find her student, but someone doesn't want her to succeed. (Contemporary Romance from Abingdon Press).

I Am Ocilla by Diane M. Graham -- I know only my name. Beyond that is confusion, a void where fantasy and reality swirl together. A dark soul threatens the Five Kingdoms, but I am powerless to stand against him, overwhelmed by phantom memories, broken and lost. Somehow I must live.(Speculative Fiction/Fantasy from Splashdown Books).

Highland Hearts by Eva Maria Hamilton -- In Scotland 1748, the Battle of Culloden is over, but one Highlander's fight has just begun. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).

Journey's Edge by Dora Hiers -- When your daughter is kidnapped, can you trust her safety to the one man you swore to never trust again? (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing).

Promised to Another by Laura V. Hilton -- She's promised to one, but in love with another. He has secrets that could destroy the relationship before it begins. (Contemporary Romance from Whitaker House).

And You Call Yourself a Christian by E.N. Joy -- What's a single Christian woman to do when she finds herself being charged for the death of three people? Her own sons? (Women's Fiction from Urban Christian).

Gypsy's Game byDelia Latham -- She wants a temporary husband. He wants a forever love. Can these two hearts find a common path? (Romance from White Rose Publishing).

Hearts that Survive: A Novel of the Titanic by Yvonne Lehmann -- Lydia Beaumont and her new friend Caroline Chadwick plan Lydia's wedding aboard the "grandest ship ever built." Yet their lives take a tragic turn when the "unsinkable" Titanic goes down. This epic tale of faith and perseverance follows their lives and the lives of their descendants as they struggle with all that was lost on that fateful night and what the future holds for those brave enough to face it. (Historical from AbingdonPress).

Ellie's Haven by Sharlene Maclaren -- Young woman on the run from her brutal stepfather jumps a train and heads several hundred miles north, winding up in Wabash, Indiana, where she meets and marries a widower with four children in hopes of finding refuge in her new identity. (Historical Romance from Whitaker House).

When Rain Falls by Tyora Moody -- Widow Candace Johnson's best friend is brutally murdered. Ensnared by a deep-rooted bitterness, seeping her faith day by day, Candace is determined to seek justice. Detective Darnell Jackson is in need of clues fast. As the investigation heats up, his growing attraction for Candace plays havoc on Darnell's judgment. (Romantic Suspense from Urban Christian).

Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato -- A privateer captain from the War of 1812 is forced to make a heartrending choice between his child and what he knows to be right. Only his unselfish sacrifice can win him the greatest prize of all...love. (Historical Romance from Bethany House).

Shades of Truth by Sandra Orchard -- Book 2 in the series Undercover Cops: Fighting for Justice puts their lives, and hearts, on the line. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Seattle Cinderella by Gail Sattler -- The story of a modern day Cinderella, followed by her two reformed step-sisters, and Farrah her godmother. (Romance Novella from Barbour Publishing).

Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith -- He promised her his heart. She promised him a son. But how long must they wait?(Biblical Fiction from Revell).

Like Sweet Potato Pie (Southern Fried Sushi) by Jennifer Rogers Spinola -- Former big city journalist Shiloh Jacobs is stuck in rural Virginia - and about to discover if Mr. Wrong could actually be Mr. Right. (Contemporary Fiction from Barbour Publishing).

Rodeo Hero by Shannon Taylor Vannatter -- Kendra Maddox is a new Christian trying to live her new beliefs. Stetson Wright is a youth director/rodeo clown who believes true love waits. Can they overcome her promiscuous past and claim a future together? (Contemporary Romance from Heartsong Presents).