Carrie Turansky ~ Surrendered Hearts ~ Book Giveaway

A Special Welcome Carrie Turansky, the best-selling author of 8 novels and novellas. She has been a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, The Genesis, and Carol Award, and winner of the Crystal Globe Award. She has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2000. Carrie writes contemporary and historical romance for Barbour and Love Inspired. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five young adult children and three grandchildren. Carrie leads women’s ministry at her church, and when she is not writing she enjoys gardening, reading, flower arranging, and cooking for friends and Family.

Tell us about your family and your ministry.

Scott and I have been married for thirty-two years. He is a very loving and supportive husband. I am blessed! We have five young adult children. The oldest two are married, and we have three delightful grandkids. We homeschooled our children when they were younger, which was a big investment of time and energy, but now we are enjoying the benefits and blessings from that. Scott and I love serving the Lord together. Our joint vision statement is: We help people by providing hope, encouragement and creative strategies that point people to God and to His wisdom for their lives.

What are you currently reading? What is your favorite genre for personal reading pleasure?

I just finished reading When Sparrows Fall by Meg Mosely and gave it a five-star review. Next up is Kathleen Y’barbo’s latest novel, The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck. I like both contemporary inspirational romance and historical romance. I also enjoy women’s fiction and romantic suspense.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I would invite Susie Warren, Marybeth Whalen, Carla Stewart, Meg Mosley, Linda Nichols, and Allie Plieter because I admire their writing styles, and I think it would be great fun to get to know them and hear more about their writing journeys.

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, which six people would you invite and why?

I would invite Vickie McDonough, Kathleen Y’barbo, Tammy Alexander, Kim Sawyer, Cathy Gohlke, and Julie Lessman. I’d love to brainstorm and share ideas from these talented authors.

What is the most fun thing you have ever done?

The most exciting and fun thing I’ve ever done is travel to Kenya with my family and live there for eight months. It was an amazing, life-changing season for all of us. Kenya is filled with natural beauty, and the Christians have a very vibrant faith. When we returned to the US I felt like I left part of my heart in Africa.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote my first novel when I was 12, Passport to Paris. But my interests shifted to other things, and I didn’t return to writing fiction until I was in my early forties.

What kinds of things can readers expect from your books?

Readers can expect inspiring, romantic, heartwarming stories brought to life by unforgettable characters who face the challenges of life with God’s help and direction. My goal for each book is to create a novel that touches your heart and lifts your spirit.

Did you have storytellers when you were growing up that influenced you? Were you an avid reader as a child?

When I was young I had a great aunt who gave me an award-winning book each year on my birthday and at Christmas. Stories like Little Women, Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables, the Bronze Bow, Minn of the Mississippi, and One Morning in Maine are still some of my favorite stories. My mom often read aloud to me, and she helped instill a love for reading in my heart.

How did you go about researching your books?

We are very blessed to have the Internet to help with research. Google is my friend! I search for images as well as articles and books on the setting, topics, and characters in my stories. For historical novels I’ve been able to find newspaper articles and journals written in the time period of my stories, and that is so valuable. I sometimes order books, but I find I use the Internet more often. Traveling to the setting is also very helpful for research.

What mechanics do you use to get a novel off the ground?

I use Susie Warren’s books, Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Pro, and also Michael Hauge’s teaching on DVD. These are all great tools to create characters and plot my story.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

Published Novels:
Along Came Love, Seeking His Love, Surrendered Hearts, A Man To Trust.

Published Novellas:
Wherever Love Takes Us in Wedded Bliss, Tea for Two in Kiss the Bride, Moonlight & Mistletoe in A Big Apple Christmas, Shelter in the Storm in A Blue & Gray Christmas, A Trusting Heart in Christmas Mail-Order Brides.

Unpublished Novels and novellas:
Kenya Calling, Coincidentally Yours, In the Shadow of His Wings, Garden of Secrets,

What are you working on right now?

I just finished a contemporary inspirational romance, A Man To Trust, for Love Inspired. It comes out March 2012. I have another book contracted with Love Inspired that I will be starting soon, a Christmas story set in Fairhaven, Washington, which is also the setting of Seeking His Love and A Man To Trust.

Tell me about your latest novel, Surrendered Hearts.

Jennifer Evan’s life changes forever when a gas pipeline explodes, starting a fire in her apartment. Losing her home and beloved dog are terrible blows, but the ugly scars that cover her arm, neck and shoulder steal her confidence and cause her fiancé to desert her. With her funds depleted and her job on hold, she heads for Vermont where she hopes to reconnect with her brother and find a way to rebuild her shattered life. She meets Bill Morgan, a strong and quiet man whose faith runs deep, and he challenges her view of God and the hardships she has faced. Will she hold on to the pain of her past, or will she surrender her heart and discover the healing and love she seeks? I published this novel as an E-book. Since I am the publisher I can offer it at a very reasonable price, $2.99. It is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, and Smashwords.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Jennifer Evans, the heroine of Surrendered Hearts, is trying to make sense of all the pain and losses she has experienced in her life. She questions how a loving God could allow all these things to happen. I hope readers who have faced painful struggles will identify with Jennifer. As they see how God touches her life through her brother, her friends, and His Word, I hope they will come to understand how much God loves them and wants to bring good out of those challenging experiences. Jennifer also works through question, “What makes a woman truly beautiful?” I think this is a question every woman asks, and reading this story can help her discover the answer to that important question.

I love to connect with readers!

http://carrieturansky.com/

https://www.facebook.com/carrie.turansky

http://twitter.com/#!/carrieturansky

Carrie, thank you for stopping by and sharing with us. To have the possibility to receive an ebook copy of Surrendered Hearts:

• Leave a comment with your email (name at domain name dot com). 

• To make it a little more fun, go to Carrie's blog or web site and find out something of interest that is different from all other comments about Carrie or one of her characters. 

• Giveaway closes Sunday, June 19 2011 at midnight (CST). Only US postal codes.

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