Erica Hogan and Free Books!

Three couples, from across the British Empire to America, are tested in faith, hope, and love by the tragedy and horror of World War I.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the e-copy of Right Where We Belong, by Deborah Raney (and her co-authors, Melissa Tagg and Courtney Walsh), is:

mauback55@...

Congratulations! We'll e-mail your book right out to you. 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! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.

And now let's chat with novelist Erica Hogan, author of the Historical Romance, The Lost Generation: A Novel of World War I (Elk Lake Publishing, November 2016).

Erica was born and raised for nine years on Orient Point, Long Island, New York. After that she moved with her family to Virginia and, finally, to Texas where she now lives. She was homeschooled, is an avid reader, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

She lives to plot new stories, enjoys a good tear-jerker, and chocolate is her cure for any ailment. Once a month Erica publishes a post on her blog, By the Book: Diary of a Bookaholic, where she shares her experiences with writing and, occasionally, a book review. She is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.

Erica’s wish is to continue to write stories that not only drop her readers into the middle of historical time periods, but also to show the ability to rise up out of adversity and tragedy in hope, faith, love, and strength. When it comes to genre, she has no limits.

The Lost Generation is Erica’s debut novel. It was long listed in the 2017 INSPY Awards and nominated for the Christian Retailing’s Best Awards. You can learn more about her on her blog or Facebook page.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

When I was growing up, I took violin lessons for several years. While playing has faded out of my life, I still love the violin and will occasionally play (out of earshot of others, since I’m really out of practice!) :)

Wow, that seems like one of the more difficult instruments to learn!

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of The Lost Generation.

The Lost Generation focuses on three couples from three different countries.
Emma and Jared, a Canadian couple, John and Beth, a British couple, and Christy and Will, an American couple.

When war is declared in Britain and Canada, Jared and John rush right into the fray and, somehow, end up together, forming a bond that will last the next four years.

In America, Christy and Will watch and wait for what they know is about to come.

When the war finally reaches America, Will joins the fight and Christy, desperate to be closer to him, travels from New York to London.

But when all three men go missing, it pushes Emma and Christy to join the nurses and doctors on the frontlines, in hopes of finding their lost loves. This brings them together in a way neither of them expected and, throughout the war, they learn even more about faith, hope, friendship, and love.

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

Well, throughout the writing of the novel, I never felt there was ever a lead character. If I had to choose one, I suppose it would have to be Emma. Among all of them, Emma was always my favorite. She was so strong, but had the same fears as everyone else. The war made her a stronger, harder person and her faith is tested from the moment Jared is called to war. We get a true glimpse into her heart as she struggles with God and with doing what she must on the bloody battlefields of France.

Sometimes a writer’s imagination can be triggered with word mapping. If I give you the word “danger,” what three words first come to you, and how would you word a sentence (or two) using all four words?

Three words that first come to me: Darkness, Storm, Battle. Now, a sentence with all four words …

“The clouds overhead warned of a storm, covering the field of battle in darkness and whispering danger on the wind.”

I love that!

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

Julie Lessman’s Isle of Hope. It is the first book in her contemporary trilogy and I absolutely loved it! A story of unfailing love, forgiveness, and hope, it teaches us about facing the past and coming home. It truly touched my heart (as all of Julie’s books usually do).

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a few writing projects right now. As well as slowly finishing the second book in my fantasy series (book one is releasing in a couple of months!!), I’ve started work on a contemporary novel which will be the first of three. I’m very excited about it!

Where else can readers find you online?

You can connect with me on Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
And, of course, my blog: booksaholic.wordpress.com

You can also follow me on Amazon and receive any new info on my books! :)

The book can be purchased online via the following button:



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

As a person who loves to read, as well as write, I always looks for something a little different from the books I choose. I want something deeper and realistic. So, I suppose my question would be what do you look for in a book? What would you expect to see from an author like me, who doesn’t limit herself to one genre?

Thanks, Erica, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Erica has offered to give away an e-copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Erica's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. Many commenters are left out of the drawing because they forget to include a way for me to notify them of their win (their email).

Also, 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, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE