The Home Team by Dave Pratt

 

About the Book

Book: The Home Team

Author: Dave Pratt

Genre: Military / Romance

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Sam Anthem has always been a team player, leading his Home Team on secret missions around the world and chasing down bad guys for the U.S. government. But Sam has never had a place to call home or someone to go home to.
Consuelo Zamora has been serving as a missionary nurse, but her work has led her to be forced to work with some South American drug lords in order to provide medicine for the common people. After being rescued by Sam and his Home Team, Consuelo settles into a new position in Olympia, Washington, to work with a community center there. But somehow, trouble always follows her, and Sam Anthem seems to always be nearby to save the day.
When Sam is forced on a two-month vacation, he is introduced to a former covert ops soldier-turned pastor. But the vacation takes a turn when the Home Team comes under attack. As the team fights to stay alive against an unknown adversary, Sam begins to wonder if there is more to life than just the job. With his life on the line, Sam must decide between the job or his newfound faith and possible love.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author's opinions. 

 

 Author Interview

What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

I read a good deal. For the past five years, much of what I’ve read is Clean Fiction, and

Christian Fiction. By reading current, popular material, I believed I could get a sense of what

people were reading.

What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

I think it was the editing. I was taught early on to feel free to write badly on the first draft of a

book. It allows me to lay down the book as fast as possible, while it’s still warm and fresh in

my mind. The challenge with that approach is cleaning up the bad stuff (grammer, continuity

issues, consistency issues, timeline, etc.). That’s where the tedious, line-by-line, word-by-

word heavy-lifting takes place, and it is a burden. The good news is that, after somewhere

between three and five edits, the story comes out much better – that keeps me going

through that challenging process.

What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

For me, the most enjoyable part is seeing the final product; cover art and all. It’s a stunning

experience and often difficult to own. What I mean by that is that I always wonder how the

story could possibly have come out of me, even with the assistance of my beta readers and

the editors at Ambassador International. But I love holding the book in my hand,

downloading the Kindle version, or listening to it on Audible.

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Sometimes it starts with the book’s premise, and by considering what verses in the bible

address it, such as the role of a soldier (Luke 3: 14). Sometimes it evolves out of the story

line, such as when a character is forced to wade into a difficult situation with only their faith

to guide them (Daniel 6:16-23). In The Home Team, the manifesting of Paul’s image at

Sam’s cottage just sort of popped into the story, which speaks of Paul’s meeting with Christ,

his blindness, and coming to the Lord (Acts 9:1-22). I wish I could say I was more deliberate,

but it tends to become clear during the process.

Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

My kids will tell you that, in The Home Team, Sam is me and Consuelo is my wife, Rafaela. I

didn’t do that deliberately with Sam, but Ela was definitely my inspiration for Consuelo. In

the other four books in the series, three of the main characters carry my kid’s names, but the

characters in the books are definitely fictional. I just wanted to celebrate my family a bit by

doing that.

Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and

organized? Why?

A little of both.

The genesis is spontaneous, as much as that can ever be. I believe an idea passes through

a writer’s mind and, if it’s meaningful, takes root in that person’s subconscious. The

subconscious works on things 24 hours a day, except when the conscious mind gets in the

way. That gives that book idea a lot of time for the mind to work it over. If it’s good, then the

idea keeps coming to mind and I may pursue it.

For the writing process itself, I start with a character and put them into a unique situation.

Then I craft the first two chapters of my story. It’s during those first two chapters that the

character reveals himself or herself, along with the premise. Having said that, The Home

Team was a bit of an exception, where the premise was in place before the writing started,

and the characters showed up to chase the premise.

The combination of the premise, the character, and the first two chapters usually reveals a

plot line, along with numerous potential subplots. It’s at that point that I outline the novel,

tracing the plot throughout, which is followed by me wrestling with the characters as they try

to drag me off-plot and down different roads than originally planned. Sounds weird, I’m sure,

but I spend a lot of time keeping my characters on-plot as they evolve through the story. It

can be challenging, but it is fun and often results in a much richer story line.

Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

Without a doubt, for me the best time to write is in the morning. Then again, I’ve been known

to write late into the evening and get up in the middle of the night to pursue an idea that

came to mind. That’s that subconscious thing, acting up while I’m sleeping, then waking me

up and calling me to a task.

Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I’m a voracious reader. While I read broadly, I love suspense and mysteries. They’re all

about action, adventure, escape from the real world, and solving complex problems.

How many books do you personally own?

Hundreds, not counting what’s in my Kindle.

What is your next big goal as an author?

My goal is to see all five editions of The Home Team Series of novels in print. All are in

some phase of the publication process. Only yesterday, the idea for my next book, perhaps

another series, came together for me. I’m going to give it a month or so, and then get

started. I love this stuff. Writing is a very pleasant affliction.

About the Author

David Pratt is a native of most of the U.S. west coast, from Bakersfield, California to Anchorage, Alaska. A retired U.S. Army officer and private sector project manager consultant, he is based in Olympia, Washington, and spends the majority of his time living and wandering the Pacific Northwest with his wife and family. Mr. Pratt has wide and varied publication credits, including magazine articles and short stories in a variety of regional and national magazines and journals, and six fiction and nonfiction books. His guiding light in life is Our Lord Jesus Christ, and his focus is glorifying God in all he does. He considers his wife, family, and friends as some of God’s greatest blessings in his life.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 25

Stories By Gina, October 26 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 28

Vicky Sluiter, October 29 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 30

Cover Lover Book Review, October 31

A Reader’s Brain, November 1 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 3

Guild Master, November 4 (Author Interview)

The Sacred Line, November 5

Fiction Book Lover, November 6 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, November 6

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dave is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d285/the-home-team-celebration-tour-giveaway

Augmented by Candace Kade

 

 

About the Book

Book: Augmented

Author: Candace Kade

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Release Date: September 16, 2025

Lee Urban must win to survive.

After being sentenced to the banned list, half of the Asian Federation believes Lee Urban is a ticking time bomb that could end the world as they know it. They’re willing to do anything to erase her existence and silence her voice before she can take a stand.

There’s only one way to fight back: enroll in the Race to the Clouds. Winning the competition would garner global media attention and give Urban the coverage she needs to dismantle the enhancement programs. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the deadliest event of the year.

With less time to train than her rivals, Urban and her team must find a way to best the competition. But as enemies close in, riots erupt, and her homeland teeters on the brink of civil war, one thing is certain— she’s running out of time. Not just for herself, but for every Natural she represents.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions. 

About the Author

Candace Kade is a recovering over-achiever who spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She’s a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor and loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and OKC to be her homes.

When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving (again!), teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping two baby humans alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos.

 

 

More from Candace

Have you ever broken a cherished possession?

I have. It was my porcelain mug that I bought while traveling through Ireland. The trip was so special and that cup always brought me happy memories as I sipped tea from it.

My husband tried to fix it for me, but the mug is not the same. It now sits tucked in the back of our cupboards too broken to be used but too precious to be throw away.

Being broken doesn’t mean something—or someone—loses purpose.

In kintsugi, the Japanese art form that involves intentionally breaking tea ware, the fragments left over are pieced back together with golden filling. The final result is more beautiful than the original unblemished version ever could be.

The brokenness enhances the tea ware’s beauty.

In my novel Augmented, I wanted to draw a comparison between brokenness and beauty. Just like kintsugi takes broken pottery and turns it into something beautiful, my protagonist Urban faces her own transformation. She is hopeless and feels like she can’t pick up the shattered pieces of her life. But as she tries out for the world’s most deadly race, she learns that being broken doesn’t mean what she thinks it does.

The things that happen to us have a purpose. If we let the Creator finish His masterpiece (us) He’ll use the fragmented pieces of our lives to make a beautiful finished work of art.

Urban feels the same way, believing her brokenness defines her. But through trial and grace, she discovers what it means to be made new.

No one is too broken to be saved or redeemed.

I wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt lost, hopeless, or broken. We can do all things through Him who gives us strength.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, September 20

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 21

Wishful Endings, September 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 23 (Spotlight)

Simple Harvest Reads, September 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 25

Artistic Nobody, September 26 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, September 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, September 27

Lily’s Corner, September 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 28

Fiction Book Lover, September 29 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 1 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, October 2 (Spotlight)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, October 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://sweepwidget.com/c/93118-8wjgredo

How To Kill a Giant by Carol Schlorff

 

About the Book

Book: How to Kill a Giant

Author: Carol Schlorff

Genre: Middle Grade

Release Date: June 10, 2023

He lost his courage. Will meeting a real superhero help him find it?

An awful summer … Thirteen-year-old Hugo is miserable. His move to a small Pennsylvania town has brought him nothing but trouble. Ignored by his new classmates and a favorite target for the school bullies, Hugo lets fear rule his life. It’s going to be a long summer.

An unexpected twist … Hugo meets siblings Julia and Stefan, who are just as unhappy as he is. After finding a mysterious old Bible, all three are magically transported to ancient Israel, where they meet the young shepherd David, who suspects they’re spies. The trio finds themselves caught up in a strange world where danger lurks on every side.

A terrifying adventure … As Hugo and his friends navigate the perils of this weird and frightening land, Hugo must face his greatest fear—that he’s a coward. His only hope of survival is to learn the secret of David’s bravery, but will he do so in time to face his biggest test? Find out in this thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and faith.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author's opinions. 

 

Author Interview

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing? 

Since my books are time-travel adventures set within Bible stories, it’s only natural that

Biblical truths are an integral part of the narrative. However, regardless of the setting, my

process for incorporating Biblical truth remains the same. I start by choosing the theme of

the book, which is really the Biblical truth I want to convey through the story. For example,

in How to Kill a Giant, the theme revolves around overcoming fear—trusting God as the

source of our courage. Once I have the theme, I write the story so that the protagonists

learn the lesson I hope to share. However, my goal is to achieve this in a way that my

writing never feels preachy but rather comes across as natural and realistic.

 Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized?

Why? 

I’m a planner. I’m always making lists of things I need to do. When visiting a new city, I

prefer to have a plan for what I’ll see and do. So, when it comes to my writing, it’s no

surprise that I need to plan as well. I start by outlining the entire story.

Of course, just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I follow it exactly. The outline helps me

get started and know my direction. It’s useful when I get stuck. But as I write, I come up with

new ideas for plot twists and character growth, leading me to places I never planned. So, to

sum up, plans are helpful, but they aren’t set in stone. They’re just a helpful tool in the

creative process.

 Why did you pick this genre for your book? 

I chose to write for middle-grade readers because I believe this is an important age in a

person’s life. Young people begin to think independently of their parents and may start

doubting everything they have been taught so far. I remember that when I was their age,

even though I was raised in a Christian home, I began to have many questions about

Christianity and why I should believe what I believe. Through my books, I hope to

encourage my young readers to grow in their faith, answer the questions they have, and

show them why they can trust the reliability of the Bible and, therefore, its message. If the

readers come away from my books strengthened in their faith, then my writing will have

been successful.

 How many books do you personally own? 

Ha! Good question. The answer has fluctuated over the years. I’m not sure exactly, but at

my peak, I had hundreds and hundreds of books, enough to fill several large bookcases.

However, I’ve moved a lot over the course of my life, and every move has meant that I had

to get rid of some of my books, either because I didn’t want to have to lug all of them or

because I didn’t have enough space in my new place. I’m now probably down to less than

two hundred physical books, but a new development is the main reason—I mostly read

Kindle books now. I currently have 96 items on my device, including a book I’ve borrowed

using the Libby app, which allows me to borrow eBooks from my local library (for which I’m

very grateful).

 What is your next big goal as an author? 

I hope to successfully launch my next book, How to Make a Miracle, the sequel to How to

Kill a Giant. It’s scheduled for release in February 2026. In How to Make a Miracle, the trio

of Hugo, Julia, and Stefan is again transported back in time into a Bible story, this time to

Aram, where they meet Namaan’s slave girl. The teens are forced to embark on a perilous

quest to accompany Namaan as he travels to Israel in the hope of being healed by the

prophet Elisha. Their survival demands courage, but true victory comes only through

forgiveness.

About the Author

Carol’s passion is to write exciting stories that encourage, inspire, and boost the reader’s faith, possibly because she has always felt like an outsider. She was born in North Africa to American parents and grew up in France. At age 15, her family’s abrupt move to Philadelphia resulted in a rough transition to American life.

After graduating from Penn State, Carol joined the Army in search of adventure. She was stationed in exotic—for her—locations like California, Arizona, and Texas.

Since then, Carol has lived in Cracow, Poland, where she teaches English and organizes language camps. She also writes a blog on faith-related topics.

Carol enjoys caring for her cat, Tabasco, watching a good murder mystery, and getting nervous while watching NFL games.

More from Carol

The idea for my book about time travel back to the Bible came to me during a church sermon on meditating on God’s Word. As soon as the outline for the story popped into my mind, I could no longer focus on what the pastor was saying, as I was too busy organizing my thoughts into the semblance of a logical plan. That day marked the beginning of a five-year journey to write and publish my first novel, How to Kill a Giant.

My motivation for writing is to demonstrate that the Bible is relevant to our lives, provides the answers we seek about life, and is far from boring. Of course, I also want my readers to have fun and stay on the edge of their seats. Growing up in a Christian home where my parents were missionaries, I still had many questions and doubts about the Bible and Christianity, especially starting in middle school. That’s why I target this age group. If my books can help my young (and older) readers grow in their faith and trust in God, then I will consider them a success.

If you asked me to summarize my book in one sentence, I would say it explores the heart of David and the courage that enabled him to fight Goliath, wrapped up in the packaging of a thrilling action and adventure story. Happy reading!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, September 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 18

Artistic Nobody, September 19 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 20

Guild Master, September 21 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 22

Fiction Book Lover, September 23 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews , September 23

Blossoms and Blessings, September 24 (Author Interview)

Cover Lover Book Review, September 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 26

Stories By Gina, September 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 29 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 29

A Reader’s Brain , September 30 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://sweepwidget.com/c/92781-arnfst2q

Right Before Their Eyes by Carrie Walker

 

 

About the Book

Book: Right Before Their Eyes

Author: Carrie Walker

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February 5, 2025

Sometimes the love you need most looks different than you imagined.

Clare Martin thought nothing of agreeing to live with her dementia-ridden grandmother when her parents left on mission. Balancing that with her job as a social worker and the expectations of her career-driven boyfriend proved doable—until Grandma started a house fire.

Mason Hughes has loved Clare for years, but the time was never right to tell her and now she’s dating someone else, fixing Mason firmly in the friend zone. He’s working to be a pediatric neurologist, a dream inspired by a special boy with a terminal brain condition, and must choose a medical school. Finances are so tight he’s forced to consider a program across the country, a troubling fact he’s kept secret.

Lucia Roberts, a seventeen-year-old on Clare’s caseload, loses her foster home and is placed in an unwelcoming group home. At every turn she’s met with rejection and becomes desperate for any proof she has value—enough to make choices that could affect the rest of her life.

When Grandma Dottie and Lucia’s paths take a dangerous turn, Clare frantically tries to save them. As their lives knit together, will they find the love that’s right before their eyes?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions. 

Author Interview

● What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

In this book there is a tug of war with the romance storyline as Clare starts the story off with one guy who she’s been dating for sometimes, but then there is Mason, who’s loved her since high school. It was so, so difficult to get the nuances of that right so that Clare made sense in her choices, the guys were balanced but the story also led us to root for the right guy. Not easy!

 

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing? 

When I sit with my characters before writing a story I learn where they are at with their faith, what struggles are difficult for them and what it takes for them to be touched. Then as they go through the story and run into challenges, I pray about what God is showing them and how He might reach them, and the Biblical truths just come out.

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Actually, yes. Grandma Dottie I modeled after a combination of both my grandmas. One of my grandmas suffered from dementia as well so pockets of her story are woven in there, along with some of her witty sayings. The relationship Grandma Dottie shared with her late husband along with one very specific story she tells are from my other grandma. And a foster mom that comes into the story later on, Kris Petersen, is loosely based on my sister, who asked to be in one of my books. 

 

● Why did you pick this genre for your book? 

It’s the genre I most enjoy personally. I love stories with depth and inspirational messages, but I so love a good love story woven in.

● How many books do you personally own? 

​At least 500. I say at least because there are that many in my home library and there are still stacks all over the house

 

About the Author

Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, won the IAN Book of the Year for Christian Fiction, was a double finalist in the International Book Awards, placed in the ACFW Crown Award, Monroe Walton Center for the Arts Award, and won the 2020 ACFW First Impressions Contest.

More from Carrie

When I was writing “Emma’s Hero” I had a few readers that took an early peek at it, before it was completed. More than once, I was informed “This is not the only book, right?” And so, this story was a reality in my mind, before it was even thought of. This book just was. And the characters helped tell the story. Mason grew a lot in Emma’s Hero, but he has a lot more growing to do, especially in the realm of relationships, communication and figuring out how to live this newfound faith. Grandma Dottie is a character inspired by a combination of both my grandmothers, and there is a story she tells to Mason almost halfway through the story that is a true story borrowed from my own grandparents 🙂 That’s all I’m telling you, you’ll have to find it. But I just love that a part of their love story made it into mine.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Stories By Gina, September 12 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy , September 13

Simple Harvest Reads, September 14 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 15

Guild Master, September 16 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 17

Fiction Book Lover, September 18 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 19 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, September 20 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 21

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 22 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain , September 23 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 24 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Pilgrim, September 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54296

Drandar the Dragon Knight by Terrie Hellard-Brown

 

 

About the Book

Book: Drandar the Dragon Knight

Author: Terrie Hellard-Brown

Illustrator: Rachelle Brown

Genre: Chapter book for Middle Grade Readers

Release Date: February 12, 2025

Drandar is the dragon that has been prophesied. He will help the king build a strong, safe kingdom as one of his faithful knights. But Drandar doesn’t seem to fit what a knight should be or even what a real dragon should look like. He’s what Seraphina calls a “late bloomer.” Drandar is droopy, discouraged, and doubting. Will he ever become the knight he’s supposed to be?

Click here to get your copy!

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions. 

Author Interview

● How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing? 

Drandar the Dragon Knight is an allegory for living the Christian life. It is also just a fun dragon story. Weaving Biblical truth was just natural in this story. As Drandar would face a challenge, it was natural to have him learning a lesson that connected with Scripture even if I didn’t put the actual Scripture in the book. The truths are there, and they are the truths we all need to learn about life, especially a life that follows Jesus. In fact, I took the themes from the book and wrote a kids’ Bible study to go along with it. It’s called Discovering the Knight’s Code. The lessons drive home all the Biblical truths from the story to apply them to our lives. 

 

● Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

Drandar is based on my daughter who illustrated the book. She has autism, but she’s such an amazing person, and I could see God had a plan for her life even when she couldn’t. She loves dragons and draws them all the time. I originally wrote Drandar’s story for her sixteen years ago! It was just a short picture book story then that I wrote to encourage Rachelle. 

 

● Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and organized? Why? 

I mostly write in a spontaneous way. I get the story down on paper first, and it’s usually a pretty terrible story at that point. But I need to get the ideas down. Then, I can let it sit a bit and come back to it. That’s when the story begins to come to life. I add in the details and humor. I make sure I’m showing the story unfold instead of telling the story. Then, I let it sit again for a while. After that I come back and edit, and edit, and edit some more. I edited Drandar over 20 times over the years more than any other story I’ve ever written. I take it to my critique group once I think I have the story ready. They give their ideas, and I edit again. After that, I send it to my editor, and we edit it again. But soon, the story is where it should be. There is a point at which we have to say it’s done. Otherwise, we can get stuck in editing to just change things without making the story better. 

So, mostly it’s spontaneous, but the overall process is somewhat organized into steps.

 

● Do you have a  favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing? 

I love to write in the wee hours of the morning whether that means I woke up early or stayed up late. I like the quiet when everyone else is asleep, and I can just write to my heart’s content. 

 

● Why did you pick this genre for your book? 

That’s actually a crazy thing. I originally wrote Drandar as a picture book for my daughter, as I mentioned. I wrote several picture book stories featuring Drandar over the years, but when I started pitching the book to be published, I kept getting the same response: This should be a chapter book. So, I learned how to write chapter books and wrote Drandar the Dragon Knight. It’s taken a lot of time, but I’m so glad it’s here, and I really enjoyed writing my first chapter book! In fact, I’m working on more chapter books now, and the second Drandar story will be available next year.

 

● How many books do you personally own? 

Oh my goodness! That is a hard question to answer. I was a teacher for over 30 years, and most of that time I taught literature. Plus, I’m a pastor’s wife and missionary. On my podcast that has been going for over five years, I mostly talk about books, especially picture books. I have thousands of books. I have over 1300 ebooks in my Kindle reader. I have bookshelves in almost every room in our house. Some are my kids’ and husband’s books, but I would guess I have probably 2000 books besides ebooks, and our family probably has 4000-5000 books altogether. I think we could open our own library!

About the Author

Empowering families to disciple the next generation every day and everywhere is Terrie Hellard-Brown’s mission. Sparking Everyday Discipleship, the podcast hosted by Terrie Hellard-Brown focuses on discipleship in the 21st Century, great books, and sparking important conversations with our children. Terrie is a writer, speaker, missionary, and mom with a BA in sociology and psychology, an MA in education, and is currently working on her DMin.

Her books include:

• Up, Down, and All Around: A Handbook for Discipling Our Children Based on Deuteronomy 6
• Building Character Through Picture Books: 25 Family Devotions Based on Favorite Picture Books
• A World of Pancakes (a picture book on flexibility and culture and including recipes from around the world)
• Izzy’s Notebook (a picture book about forgiveness, Harper and Izzy, Best Friends Forever Series: Living the One Anothers)
• Drandar the Dragon Knight (chapter book about being who God created us to be).

Terrie creates jewelry, bookmarks, and mini books (décor) with biblical and literature themes.

Her writing has appeared in Starlight Magazine, Upper Room, and Inspire Christian Writers Anthologies and blog.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 12

Simple Harvest Reads, September 13 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 14

For Him and My Family, September 15

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 16

Fiction Book Lover, September 17 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, September 18

Stories By Gina, September 19 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, September 20 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain , September 21 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, September 22

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 23 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, September 24 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 24

For the Love of Literature, September 25 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terrie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, signed copy of the book and Bible study that accompanies the book, three stickers, a dragon velvet bookmark, and an armor of God necklace!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54297