Romantic Reads: Volcano

The Story Behind the Story Volcano by JoAnna White

Volcano is a story about a reckless famous YouTuber named Liam. He lives on the edge of life, putting himself in as much danger as possible. His best friend, Julia, opposes that and is often his voice of reason (which he doesn’t listen to). The inspiration behind the story of Volcano is a bit of an amusing one, so here goes …

I’ve been writing ever since I was 10 years old. I wrote my first story back then and ever since, wrote random stories for fun. A lot of the times, my friends came up with these crazy ideas and we’d plan the book together, base characters off of us, and then I’d write them and find ways to include God in each one of them. The characters would go through a hardship that God would help them overcome. Eventually, I wanted to try to write a book about a natural disaster, and that is when I wrote Earthquake. My laptop crashed and back then, I didn’t save my stories or back them up very often, so I lost Earthquake. I honestly couldn’t even tell you what the book was about or who the characters were, other than an earthquake was the main storyline.

As I became an author and turned writing into a career, I delved more into fantasy, but still wanted to return to my contemporary roots. So, I decided to rewrite Earthquake, but with a romantic twist. Then, the idea hit me: a series of Christian romances, where each one ends in a natural disaster, with the book titles to be named after the disaster.

Then, I worked with my fan group on Facebook, called JW Warriors, to plan Volcano. My first thing I needed was the main couple. I asked myself these questions: “Okay, what kind of guy character or girl character haven’t I done before?” … “What things do I need them to overcome, to learn about God?”

My cousin loved the idea of a famous YouTuber and I thought the idea of getting caught up in fame would work. But I really wanted to go much deeper than that. It wasn’t just about the fame. I actually took a part of myself that I used to struggle with, just in a different way than YouTube.

When I was still learning about how to turn writing into a career, I got on a website called Wattpad, where you can write and read stories for free. Every time someone read my book, it counted as a read, and eventually, I became obsessed with how many reads and comments each of my stories got. I realized eventually that I had made my value in my reads and comments, but I had to learn that my value came from God. So, I took that same lesson and concept and applied it to Liam—where, he became obsessed with his views and subscribers. Like me, he believes in God, but was searching for his value in the wrong things.

However, I didn’t want to use a musical YouTuber; the idea seemed cliché in my head, so I decided to do a thrill-seeker. Then, I gave him an injury. Because the thought of making a stupid mistake, getting yourself hurt, and not being able to do what you loved, would put him in a position where his views and subscriptions were dropping. It would force him to learn to rely on God, just like I had to do when I left Wattpad. Sometimes, God holds off on our dreams and lets us go through dry periods, to force us to turn to Him. It’s only when we learn to lean on and rely on Him that we find true happiness and fulfillment.

So, through the romance and the adventure, and all the intense natural-disaster action, I hope readers can take that single, important lesson from the story.

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Author Bio:

Joanna White is a Christian author and fangirl.

Hunter and Shifter are the first two books in her debut series, called the Valiant Series, published by Christian publisher Ambassador International and there are more to come. 

In December 2019, one of her short stories was featured in Once Upon A Yuletide (a Christmas fairy tale anthology by Divination Publishing). Dark Magi, Book One of the Republic Chronicles came out in November 2019. Glimpses of Time and Magic, a historical fantasy anthology, also featured one of her stories. The Crystal Heist was her most recent release, in August 2020.

She graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing For Entertainment. Ever since she was ten years old, she's been writing stories and has a deep passion for writing and creating stories, worlds, characters, and plots that readers can immerse themselves in.

In 2020, she reached her personal goal of writing a million words in a year. Most of all, Joanna loves God, her family, staying at home, and being a total nerd.

To stay updated and find out more about her novels, where her inspiration comes from, games, giveaways, and more, visit her website at: authorjoannawhite.com.

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Book Blurb for Volcano:

Liam is as famous and reckless as they come. 

His fame and fortune have come from his wild adventures all around the world, which he films for his YouTube channel. Never before has his life ever been in danger, or has he ever gotten hurt. 

Until now.

His best friend, Julia, wants to be there for him, but sitting on the sidelines isn’t what Liam does best. Especially with his numbers and subscribers dropping since he can’t do much. 

To help him, Julia takes Liam and a bunch of their friends on a vacation to Hawaii, but all that does is make Liam’s inner adrenaline junkie want more.

The last thing either of them expect is a volcanic eruption to happen—let alone the worst one in Hawaii’s history. 

But after a massive earthquake split California, the surface of the earth is on the move, and Liam and Julia are standing right in the path of destruction.

Especially when Liam and his friends decide to climb the Volcano to have a look—right before it blows.

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Buy Volcano on Amazon or the author’s website

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Connect with JoAnna:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjoannawhite
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoannawhite
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorjoannawhite
Join JoAnna’s fan group on Facebook (to be Christian nerds together and be involved in planning my books and behind the scenes stuff): https://www.facebook.com/groups/jwwarriors.

Summer Love: A story that started as a daydream

Irish Encounter: It Started As A Daydream
A guest post by Hope Dougherty

In May of 2009, I was staring at the first day of the rest of my life. My oldest daughter was set to graduate high school in less than a month. Two years later, her sister would march right behind her, followed in two years by their twin brothers.

Life as I’d known it for the past eighteen years was about to change and change enormously.

Throughout my tenure as a stay-with-my-children mom, I’d written for publications sporadically. Very sporadically, but I had a portfolio of articles with my byline in print.

So in May of 2009, I decided my summer job would be to write something for Guideposts, a magazine filled with inspirational, faith-filled stories. I’d just completed the life of Moses with Bible Study Fellowship, and I envisioned sharing a lot of wisdom and insight gleaned from thirty-two weeks of study.

I wrote What I learned from Moses on the top line of a yellow legal pad. As soon as I wrote this fascinating title, I immediately began daydreaming—about Ireland, not Moses.

In my daydream, a woman in an Irish café scribbled in a journal. A little old man in a tweed vest approached her, introduced himself, and began talking about his late wife. I saw the wooden buttons on his vest and the Irish cap he clutched in his hands. Suddenly another man, dressed in dusty safari clothes, appeared to the woman’s left, lounging at his table and eavesdropping on their conversation.

This scene interested me infinitely more than what I’d intended with Moses. I turned over the first page to a fresh sheet and wrote as quickly as I could everything I saw and heard in that Irish coffee shop.

Irish Encounter began that day. I didn’t know it yet, but God did. I just hurried back every morning to my desk to see what happened next. Before writing, I’d recite Bible verses from the Moses study. Verses like Exodus 3:12 “And God said, ‘I will be with you’” and Exodus 4:12 “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.)

I’d pray for guidance and help, and then I’d travel to Galway.

God led me onto this writing journey with a lot of prodding and pulling and nudges toward those interesting characters. I’m thankful every day that He did.

Which interesting path is God leading you toward today?

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Author Bio: 

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. 

Her publications include two novels, Irish Encounter and Mars…With Venus Rising, as well as nonfiction articles. 

A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she writes for SeriousWriter.com. 

She and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons. 

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Blurb for Irish Encounter: After almost three years of living under a fog of grief, Ellen Shepherd is ready for the next chapter in her life, perhaps an adventure during a visit to Galway. 

Her idea of excitement consists of exploring Ireland for yarn to feature in her shop back home, but the adventure awaiting her includes an edgy stranger who disrupts her tea time, challenges her belief system, and stirs up feelings she thought she'd buried with her husband. 

After years of ignoring God, nursing anger, and stifling his grief, Payne Anderson isn't ready for the feelings a chance encounter with an enchanting stranger evokes. Though avoiding women and small talk has been his pattern, something about Ellen makes him want to seek her—and God again.

Can Ellen accept a new life different than the one she planned? Can Payne release his guilt and accept the peace he's longed for? Can they surrender their past pain and embrace healing together or will fear and doubt ruin this second chance at happiness?

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Buy Hope's book on Amazon

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Connect with Hope:
Website - http://hopetolerdougherty.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/hopetdougherty/

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:  

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Author interview: Gina Welborn

After reading Masterpiece Marriage from the Quilts of Love “Every Quilt Has A Story” series, I knew I had to invite the author Gina Welborn to my blog for an interview!

Gina has a background in radio and before she wrote books, she wrote scripts for broadcast news. So why the career change? What type of author is Gina? What does she love the most about writing romance?

Now to find out the answers to those questions, you’ll have to read the interview. It’s well-worth your time.

But before you read about Gina, I have exciting news: Gina agreed to give one copy of her book The Marshal’s Pursuit and one copy of her book The Heiress’s Courtship in either digital or print (your choice) to the two winners of this random book giveaway contest hosted on my blog!

Contest rules: You must answer Gina’s question to my readers at the end of this interview blog post and include your e-mail address to be entered into the contest and qualify for your chance to be one of the winners. We need your e-mail address so that Gina can e-mail whoever the winners are and send their books. The contest starts today, Feb. 8 and ends at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 22. The winners will be chosen via an 0ld-fashioned drawing by Alexis who will make the announcement here on Monday, Feb. 23.

Excited? You should be because Gina is a great writer and you now have a chance to see for yourself! Read on for my interview of this talented author...(questions by Alexis in bold, answers from Gina not in bold)...

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Alexis: What does being an author and writer mean to you?

Gina: It’s a means of making some extra money for my family, an opportunity for me to interact with others who enjoy writing, and an escape from the drudgery of household chores.

What news radio station did you work for as a script writer?

KSWO-AM

Describe the moment when you knew it was time for a career change.

One evening I was looking at the list of stories my director had complied for that day’s reporting. A girl I had gone to high school with had been arrested for prostitution. She’d been a cheerleader, quite popular, yet four years after graduation, her life had deteriorated to selling herself. In that moment I realized I didn’t want to have a career in something that perpetuated despair and tragedy.

What motivated you then to write romances and what keeps you going now?

I didn’t pursue writing romances until after child #3 was born (six years after quitting the radio station). After reading the newest release by my at-the-time favorite Christian romance author, I complained to a friend about how bad the story was. I liked the villain more than the hero. My friend challenged me to write a better story. I did write a story (spent years working on the “better” part). I write what I want to read in a romance.

What is your specialty as an author? Do you write for the Christian market exclusively or the secular market too? Explain why/why not.

I write Christian historical romances, and my publishers are in the Christian Booksellers Association. I’m open to writing for the secular market. In fact when I write, I keep in mind some of my readers may not be Christians or didn’t grow up in the Christian faith, and that’s okay with me.

You like to create “spunky heroines” and “wild-at-heart heroes” to take center stage in your stories. Why?

Simply, because I like spunky ladies and wild-at-heart men. Inherent in that spunkiness and wild-at-heartness is honesty. I’m not adverse to characters lying. I hate it when authors keep their characters from being honest when there’s no good reason for that character not to speak the truth at that moment, except for the fact if the character did speak the truth, then the author would have to deal with the fall-out from the honesty and then couldn’t rely on the “secret” to create conflict. That doesn’t mean I think a character should confess everything up front. But when a character had no good reason not to spill the beans, then she should spill the beans and then had to deal with the trouble spilling the beans brings.

How do you create your story worlds and characters? Take us on a journey through the process.

Oh my. The journey isn’t the same for every story. Using Masterpiece Marriage as an example, I had to first figure out what kind of quilt I wanted to spotlight. Then I picked a setting: late 1880s Eastern Shore, Virginia. I did a little research then came up with a 100-blurb about the book. After Abingdon bought my idea, I told my brainstorming partner, “Help, I need a plot!” Using Alicia Rasley’s Outline Your Novel in 30 Minutes, we decided who Mary and Zenus were, what they wanted, and what stood in the way. I created a Pinterest board. Found actor-models. As I wrote the story, I researched details and posted pictures to Pinterest. In building the board, I was building a story. Sometimes I don’t start writing a story until I’ve written a synopsis. With Masterpiece Marriage, I never wrote a synopsis, something I don’t necessarily recommend.

As a woman of faith, how does your relationship with Jesus Christ help you in your creative pursuits?

For years I’ve struggled with the adage: Read what you write. Only my go-to reads are non-fiction books, not romances. Not everyone enjoys reading non-fiction. So my passion is to take the things Jesus teaches me about getting past my “issues” and put the insights I’ve gained into my stories. My Masterpiece Marriage heroine’s struggle with what society, the church, and parents expect of a lady was my struggle.

Where is your favorite place to write? Describe it.

It used to be my office in our Richmond, VA, home. Our house in Oklahoma doesn’t have office space, so I write in my bed, on the sofa, or at the dining room table. I’ve brainstormed a dozen, or more, stories at Starbucks.

How many books have you written to this date? How often do you write and publish your stories?

Finished manuscripts – Thirteen. Published manuscripts – Seven with an eighth to be released in this June. My first Barbour novella was published in February 2012. In 2014, I had three short historical romances released and self-published a Christmas novella. This year my fourth Barbour novella releases, and I have four additional e-novellas to self-publish. I usually write Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with Monday as my brainstorming day at Starbucks.

Tell us about your book Masterpiece Marriage. Why did you write it? Talk about the inspiration behind it.

I wrote the story because Abingdon Press bought the idea. Back in 2011, Abingdon began taking proposals for a new line they were creating: Quilts of Love. I worked up a 100-word story idea that I developed after reading an article in a 1880s Good Housekeeping magazine. A gentleman named Zenus Dane told about his life growing up with his quilt-obsessed Aunt Priscilla. Abingdon eventually offered a contract in the summer of 2013.

What was your favorite feature of creating Masterpiece Marriage? Why?

I love researching. It’s fun finding some new historical tidbit. I also enjoy the challenge of finding out if something is plausible. I spent hours researching when electricity first came to Virginia’s Eastern Shore and when the train began running from Philadelphia and through Belle Haven. I read more things about botany and seed germination than I ever thought I’d want to know.

If you could be one of the characters in any of your books, which character would you choose and why? Be sure to mention the name of the book.

Actually I wouldn’t want to be any character in my published books because those stories are all set in the past. I like living in the modern era with indoor plumbing, electricity, mobile phones, corvettes, blue jeans, flip flops, Starbucks...and the internet. That said, if I had to pick one, I’d say Irie LaCroix in “Baker’s Dozen,” in The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection releasing this June. The clothes during the 1910s were gorgeous. Back then, women dressed. Nowadays, we just put on clothes.

What are your greatest dreams for your writing career? What steps are you taking to make your dreams a reality?

I want to write for a large publisher, like Thomas Nelson, who will help build my career. My first major step began with building a website. I studied the websites of best-selling authors both in the CBA and ABA. A website is the #1 place for an author to establish her professionalism and showcase her “brand.” Figuring out who I am and want to be as a writer was key too.

Tell us about the woman behind the words. Talk about your personal life, briefly giving us insight into your family, favorite movie, favorite book by a Christian author and most preferred pastime. You know, the fun and wonderful details!

I’ve been married to a corvette-aficionado. Our oldest is a junior at Oklahoma Baptist University, and the other four are 17, 15, 11, and 7. Favorite movie—Shrek, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Star Trek (J.J. Abrams). I love any book by John Eldredge, Beth Moore, Annie Downs, Donald Miller, and Frank Viola. I just finished reading Girl Meets God by Laura Winner and Unbroken by Laura Hillerbrand. Excellent! The last three inspy romance loved were Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade, Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano, and Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck. Pastime is spent with my husband and kids. On Facebook I enjoy sharing family exploits and conversations (the ones that wouldn’t embarrass my children).

Complete this sentence: At the end of the day, I am _____________
because _________________________.

Gina: At the end of the day, I am ready to go to sleep because I am tired from a busy day’s work.

Alexis: Thank you for the interview, Gina! If you’d like to do a book giveaway, please leave a question here for my readers to answer which will automatically qualify them to enter the book giveaway contest.

Gina's question for readers: What is the last movie you loved enough to tell others they had to go see it? Why?

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Author bio: 

Gina Welborn worked in news radio until she fell in love with writing romances. She has written three Barbour novellas, including the 2014 Selah Award-finalist “Mercy Mild” in ECPA-bestselling Mistletoe Memories, with more novellas to be released in the next two years.  She is also the author for three short historical romances: The Heiress’s Courtship and The Marshal’s Pursuit (Harlequin LIHP) and Masterpiece Marriage (Abingdon Press).

A moderately obsessive fan of Community, Chopped, and Once Upon a Time, Gina lives in Cache, Oklahoma with her pastor husband, their five Okie-Hokie children, a boxer-lab, two rabbits, four guinea pigs, and a fancy Russian dwarf hamster named Tom Bob Deucalion. 

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Connect with Gina: 

Website, www.GinaWelborn.com

Facebook, www.facebook.com/ginamarie.welborn

Twitter, www.twitter.com/gina_welborn (@gina_welborn)