Author Spotlight week -Excerpt from Forgiven

Gray got in her way, when Nikki stepped into the willow garden, keeping her from going directly to Mercy Grace's marker. She reached down to grasp his collar to turn him aside, but something in the big dog's eyes made her shiver and pause. She saw Brock move past her and turned to watch him.

His legs wobbled a little. His shoulders hunched, just enough to be noticeable. He clenched his fists.

"Oh, please," she whispered.

What bothered her more? The tears that touched her eyes as she realized this moment hurt him? Or her anger? What right did he have to hurt for their murdered child? He had ordered her to abort when Mercy Grace was little more than a handful, not even visible inside her mother's body. He had slapped her and tore up the Gideon Bible she had found in the nightstand and devoured, begging God for guidance and strength.

"I'm sorry, baby," Brock whispered, and bent over, reaching out as if to touch the bronze marker and the new carpet of cherry blossom petals strewn across it.
A tear fell off the tip of his nose, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight as it tumbled down to the marker.
Lord, please help me forgive him. I can't accept Your forgiveness to me, for all the stupid, selfish things I did, until I can forgive him.
Nikki choked on mixed laughter and tears as her prayer echoed through her mind and heart. How many times had Joan and Vincent and the Carters counseled her on being forgiving and accepting forgiveness during her year of training at Quarry Hall? So many times, she had lost count.

She thought she had forgiven Brock, until she saw him again.

"How did you get out of prison so soon?" she asked. Her voice creaked a little, startling her.

"Good behavior." He shrugged and knuckled his eyes before turning completely to face her. Gray strands in his hair gleamed in a single stray sunbeam for a moment. "I was already working with the authorities when everything went down. I testified against Ringo. Gave them a lot of people in the organization, a lot of contacts. And I just wasn't high up enough in the organization to be worth the trouble."

"They let you out because they were afraid someone would kill you inside," she guessed, listening to the shiver that ran up her spine. Nikki tried to blame the suspense novels she had read, on Joan's recommendation.

"That, too."

"Shouldn't you be in Witness Protection or something?"

"Probably. But Ringo got himself killed two months ago -- territory fight inside the prison -- and things are so shredded, with people fighting over what's left of his territory, I'm more of a benefactor to the winners than an enemy. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be on top now."

"That's sick."

"That's the world I was living in." He took a deep breath, let it out, jammed his hands in his pockets. "Nikki, I swear, I tried to protect you from that. Keep you sweet and innocent."

"Ignorant, you mean. And I guess I'm grateful," she added, her voice cracking.

"I really did love you."

"Brock--" Nikki shook her head. She had to get out of here. She had to head back to Tabor and get to work, focus on her reasons for being home, not dwell on the past. Learning from the past was one thing. Regretting it and trying to change it was something else altogether. "You know how to get here now. I have to get going. I have work to do..." She stared at him for a few racing heartbeats, wondering why in the world she was telling him all this. "I'll -- I'll probably see you again before you leave town, huh?"

"Invitation?" He tried to smile. At least he didn't try to approach her again. Gray stood as a barrier to them both, Nikki realized.
"No. More like giving in to the inevitable."

"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Nikki."

"Thanks," she whispered.

For a few more seconds she watched him, seeing the moisture in his eyes, the aching that pressed on his shoulders. She could imagine him clenching and unclenching his fists in his jacket pockets. Brock kept so much inside, she knew. It was his habit. She had always admired his self-control. It had been more shock at the sudden violence than pain when he hit her, and that shock had prompted her to run away.

Nikki nodded, unable to say good-bye for some reason, and turned to take the long way around the estate to get to the parking lot. The last thing she wanted was to run into anyone and have to explain what she was doing back, when she had driven to Tabor Heights only three hours ago. Worse was having to explain what Brock was doing there. Gray pressed against her leg as she walked. She welcomed his warmth even as he nearly knocked her off balance with every step.

Author Spotlight week -Michelle Levigne tells us the latest book she read

Actually, I'm in the process of reading through the Cedar Cove books by Debbie Macomber. I think I'm in #4 right now -- can't remember, because I had to put my "fun" reading aside to read/judge for the YA category of the new Grace Awards, and I'm also doing revisions of the next Tabor Heights book, White Roses (yes, the conclusion of the serial killer story that was introduced with Common Grounds almost 2 years ago...). So I'm kind of busy.

Anyway, the Cedar Cove books are interesting in that while someone's story gets some resolution, there are other stories that just keep going, kind of like background music. Or maybe themes that keep popping up during a movie. There's the judge and her romance with the newspaper editor. And the people who run the B&B. And the Navy wife. And the girls in the beauty parlor. And the woman whose husband vanished in one book, and his body was found several books later. And the girl who runs the art gallery, who is the daughter of the woman whose husband vanished and ... See what I mean? I like the books. They're shelved under romance, but they're more small town life and growth and friendship than strictly romance.

Author Spotlight week -Michelle Levigne tells us how she found Desert Breeze

Gail posted an announcement that she was starting Desert Breeze on an author's fan loop. I knew her name from "around" e-publishing, knew she had a good reputation -- and I think we had some contact when we were both with another publisher that shall remain nameless. It didn't take much thinking, after reading the submission guidelines, to decide this was a good place to submit!

Author Spotlight week -Q&A with Michelle Levigne

STEPH: I don't much about FORGIVEN. What's it about?

MICHELLE: Readers met Nikki in previous books, or at least heard about her. She's the foster daughter of Dr. Holwood at the university, and is basically the good girl who backslid, and is now making good. She works for the Arc Foundation, a philanthropic organization with some hints of cloak-and-dagger, and in this book, Nikki comes back to town to assess the Mission, an outreach of Tabor Christian Church, to see if the Arc Foundation wants to come on board as a sponsor.

Brock, our hero, romanced Nikki into running away from home with him when she was barely 17. He was the front man for a drug kingpin, but started doing some serious thinking about his life, thanks to her influence. By the time Nikki got pregnant, Brock had started going undercover work with the DEA. He basically drove Nikki away to protect her. When the dust finally settled, Nikki was on her way home, found by her half-sister and rescued by the Arc Foundation. Brock's boss kidnapped her to use as a human shield in his flight from the authorities -- and nearly killed Brock in the process. Nikki was injured in the car chase/accident and gave birth prematurely, and then her baby died from her injuries. Brock went to jail and Nikki joined the Arc Foundation.

NOW ... Nikki is back in town, facing down all the people who knew how badly she messed up. She has a job to do. It wouldn't be so bad, except Brock is out of jail and he's determined to win her back. Plus, there's the boy who broke her heart in high school -- he's a single father and decides he and Nikki will get back together to become a happy little family. So she's trapped between two guys trying to win her heart. And then Brock's former drug-running associates show up and start putting the pressure on him. Should he leave to protect Nikki? Is she going to let him leave? And who's making false allegations against Brock and attacking the Mission?


STEPH: How long did it take it to write?

MICHELLE: Years. I've done so many revisions, I couldn't tell you. I do know I wrote it in 3 different word processing programs. I actually wrote Nikki's "rescue" by the Arc Foundation long before I wrote her Tabor Heights story -- and in the first draft, Nikki and Joan aren't even sisters. This story has gone through a lot of revisions. And in transferring from one computer to another, I know I've lost notes and drafts and scenes -- which I had to recreate for this book. For instance, Vincent, the chief of security for the Arc Foundation, comes to town to check up on Nikki. I had notes for changes to the Vincent scenes -- but I didn't have a draft where he actually showed up. Frustrating!

So the easy answer is: It took years to write this book. But I think it's worth the wait.


STEPH: How does this story fit into your Tabor Heights Series?

MICHELLE: It actually overlaps several books -- bits and pieces of scenes. Nikki is in the background or has a small part to play in the events of Firesong and Behind the Scenes. Calendar-wise, the story takes place in March, April and May of Year One. Events in this book have ripple effects on future stories. For instance, in A Quiet Place, Pastor Wally is in slightly worse health because of trouble that happens in Forgiven -- so he's more vulnerable when Jeannette's vicious ex-mother-in-law attacks. And Nikki shows up in one of the short stories in the Seasons anthology.


STEPH: Where does the inspiration for your writing to come from?

MICHELLE: The easy answer is "everywhere." After you've been writing long enough, and you have something that's ongoing, like the Tabor Heights series, you're constantly subconsciously looking for details, ideas. The "ah hah!" moments hit because you're looking for them, waiting for them, and because your subconscious knows it needs something. Does that make sense? You're driving along and you hear a song on the radio, or you hear about something weird and funny that happened at the Sunday School picnic, and you think, "Ah hah, I can have Pete Thomas do or say that," or you realize that no, Lori wasn't working at the bakery, she was working at the florist, which would let her do or say (fill in the blank) which would move someone else's story along." Little bits and pieces come all the time, and you write it down, and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything else at the present moment. But months or years later, you're searching through the files looking for that one little piece to fill out a character, or provide background for something else, and it all comes together.

For instance, we were driving back from Florida last weekend -- these wonderful ideas always come when you can't stop and write them down! -- and I got this title idea: Beowulf -- Beo-Ralf. Okay, I have the title -- now what is the STORY?

I'll figure it out in a couple years. Maybe...

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

MICHELLE: Right now it's a wretched mess. I have my former bedroom in the basement. There are bookshelves at the far end, just lining the walls. Where there aren't bookshelves, there are posters, and my maps of Tabor Heights, Neighborlee, a game I'm trying to create (and haven't worked on in years) for my Commonwealth Universe series. I have a drafting table at one end of the room next to the windows -- that's where my notebook computer sits. It's covered in papers, files, some DVDs/TV series I want to watch, a big bucket of pens, books that I've read and haven't entered in my computer, and some computer equipment. On the opposite wall is my computer desk with my desktop computer, which is covered with papers, software, etc. Plus there's my NordicTrak, and an exercise ball and these 20-pound dumbbells that I hardly ever lift anymore. (Bad girl!). And there are PILES of things on the floor, projects I'm in the middle of, promo material I'm either unpacking from a booksigning/book talk, or experiments in promo material I'm still putting together. Somewhere under there is a carpet. And a stereo.


STEPH: If you could name a song which embodies the theme of FORGIVEN, what would that song be?

MICHELLE: Honestly, I never thought about it. I usually play movie soundtracks when I'm writing. Although, I have to admit, I've been playing a lot of my old LPs -- now that I have a turntable again. All my old Imperials albums, like going back to the early 60s. Ah, the good old days of signing in front of my mirror, with a hairbrush for a microphone.......

Maybe the chorus from an old Gaither song: I'm not what I wanna be, I'm not what I'm gonna be, but thank God I'm not what I was.

Or pieces from Rich Mullins' song: It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Faith without works, babe, it just ain't happening.... Gotta be active if it's gonna be alive, you got to put it into practice, otherwise.....


STEPH: Cast the movie. Who are the leads?

MICHELLE: You know, I really can't say. Haven't thought about it. I've been working on this story for so long, they are their own people, not wearing someone else's face.


STEPH: What's the one thing you'd like readers to take away with them after reading FORGIVEN?

Happy endings take a lot of work, and will continue to take work, but they're more than worth it.


STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

MICHELLE: I started with a Palm. Then in 2009 I bought one of the first Nooks -- and my Palm died 2 days before it arrived. I needed an MP3 player, so I bought an iPod. I have Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, E-reader and Stanza on it. My Palm partially resurrected, so I have Acrobat Reader, Mobipocket and Palm Reader on that.

So, 3 ebook readers. And I use all of them! Sometimes at the same time.


STEPH Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?

MICHELLE: If it's milkshakes, vanilla.
If it's ice cream, either vanilla bean or chocolate-peanut butter.