I'm blogging over on the Helping Hands Press blog! We're doing a blog theme of "My Writing Process" When an author shares a sneak peek into their writing process, I feel like I'm going behind the scenes   on a movie set! I've really enjoyed this blog tour, and I'm excited to be a part of it today. Story Ideas: People often wonder how I come up with my story ideas. And I have to tell you, sometimes I don't know either! Every story is different, and the ideas come from different sources.   Sometimes they come from reading Scripture, hearing stories of people's lives, history, and sometimes they can even come from something you see walking down the street. Here's a picture that I saw while browsing stock photos that inspired a story idea. When I saw this photo, I thought of a young woman who is the daughter of the Captain of a pirate ship. She is raised on board the ship, and sees the most horrid side of the criminals, and is never

Welcome Shannon! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m an author of science-fiction and fantasy, as well as a YA detective series called the Adventures of Christian Holmes. I have two novels in print – The Valley of Decision and The Last Heir – and several novellas released as e-books. How did you discover your calling to be a writer? School. Those creative writing assignments got me writing before I was ten, and I never stopped. I enjoy the work, enjoy creating characters and their stories, and I’ve found it an excellent channel for my imagination and my thoughts. What books have influenced your life most? The Bible, first of all, for teaching me who God is. What I Saw at the Revolution , by Peggy Noonan, was also influential because it taught me, at an early age, that the government is not a machine and power is not an impersonal force; it’s all driven by people, and there’s a human reason and a human motivation behind everything. A History of the Am

You're invited to join us for the official Facebook Launch Party for The Messiah's Sign! We'll be chatting it up about the new release, discussing the history and setting, Bible trivia, and having a BLAST while offering some great giveaways. Here's a few of the items you'll have the chance to win! We're giving away over $75 worth of prizes! Be sure to invite your friends, because one we're giving away a CO-HOSTESS AWARD! This award goes to the person who has brought the most friends along with them to the party! Winner will receive the authentic Holy Land Gift Set with a Co-Host(ess) certificate! Join the fun on our Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberSchamel Hope to see you there!

Today I'm excited to introduce you to a friend and debut author! Nancy Bolton is a part of my critique group, and I've enjoyed getting a sneak peek at her work. She's a talented storyteller.  Welcome Nancy! Tell us a little bit about yourself. Well, I’ve been married for 41 years, have 5 sons and two grandchildren. Though I’m closing in on 60, inside I still feel about thirty! Maybe because over thirty years ago, my husband and I both converted and I think walking with the Lord keeps you young! Children and grandchildren do, too! How did you discover your calling to be a writer? Well, I’ve always turned to writing to express my inner thoughts and inspired bursts of insight, but never really considered writing novels. I was much too involved in child-rearing, and since I seem to be somewhat of a helper and peacemaker, I did spend a lot of time helping church folks understand each other. Though, that vocation didn’t always work out in a smooth way! Some

Author and friend Michele Huey is hosting me on her inspirational blog, God, Me & a Cup of Tea. Here's a teaser: Be patient therefore, bretheren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. ~James 5:7 I volunteer about half my time at a non-profit ranch in the Ozarks. One of the many things I help with is the harvest of pears when they are ready for picking. We went out to the   tree with ladders, baskets, sheets, and set to work. It was absolutely unbelievable how many pears were on that single tree! We picked bushels and bushels of pears until we had them coming out our ears. A lot of pears were eaten before they even reached the house. Some were stored in boxes in the cellar. We froze gallons of them, gave some away, and still some went rotten before they could used. Then there were the pears at the top of the tree that were too high for