Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Whispering Cypress"

Thanks so much for supporting BJ during her week in the spotlight. Leave a comment along with your email today, tomorrow and Sunday here on the excerpt post and you'll be entered to win a copy of one of BJ's novels: Southerin Supersitions or Last Resort, winner's choice. Enjoy this excerpt.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

******

Spring gasped and jerked Dakota's leash. "Down girl. Be a good girl."

The figure of a young woman rolled on the ground, knees doubled up to her chest. Spring held out a hand. "Here, let me help you."

The slender woman reached out a hand, and Spring pulled it. When she was on her feet, her breath came in jerks, and she sputtered, "I'm Logan, Logan Riskway. Sorry to meet you like this."

"What are you doing sneaking around in the dark?"

"Trying to find Hackett, Hackett Woods. I'm going to have his baby, and we need to talk."

"I'd say you do." Spring eyed the rail of a woman. She wasn't showing. "Follow me, and I'll walk you to his cabin."

"Nice of you." Logan studied Dakota. "That's a huge dog."

"She's a good old girl, but very protective of me." Logan paced beside Spring on the side away from Dakota and kept her eyes glued on the shepherd as she lumbered down the dark path.

As they approached Hackett's cabin, Spring noticed the outline of his form still sitting on the swing. He gazed up at the snap of twigs and crunch of leaves. Then, he jumped to his feet and strode to them. "I found a visitor for you in the woods." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't go." Even in the dark she knew his eyes pleaded. She could feel their pull.
"I'd be a third wheel. You two need to talk this thing through." She turned on her heel and pulled Dakota's leash. "Let's go, girl." The German shepherd bounded down the path pulling her mistress behind her, and she let her have free rein. She couldn't get away fast enough.

Dear God, help us both through this.

*****

The heart-shaped flower bed blazed with red and white impatiens. Birds sang. Rabbits played in the front of her cabin. It could have been paradise on earth, if only there were no Logan in the picture. She knelt on her knees and yanked weeds with gusto. If only it were so easy to pull Logan out of Hackett's life and throw her away like one of these weeds. With each blade of grass she tore out of the flower bed, Spring felt a rip in her own heart. How could he be so careless? What had happened between those two last night? Dear God, I need your strength to get through this.

Just as she thought the pieces were falling back into place, her heart was ripped asunder once again. The sun smiled down, filtered through the treetops, and gently warmed her skin in the early-morning dampness of the woods. Footsteps crunched on the white-shelled path, and she jerked her head up to find Hackett barreling down the trail. He stood over her and offered a hand to help her to her feet. She yanked off a gardening glove and reached her palm upward. He took it, and her skin felt the warmth of his. A rush ran through her body, and she trembled and hoped he didn't notice.

*****
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSVAPKrmKU&feature=youtu.be

Whispering Cypress Book Trailer

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-329/Whispering-Cypress-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok Whispering Cypress at Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Find me on the Web Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/barbara.robinson.773 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBJRobinson Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/BJ-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU Author Page

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok Author Page

Author Spotlight - A Woman's Walden by BJ Robinson

Cannot a woman have her very own Walden, as Henry David Thoreau did? I found mine in the country with a river for my back door. Nature abounded my dwelling on three sides, and a gravel road sent a dusty greeting when travelers passed. Surrounded with a view of the woodlands, I enjoyed making use of the river and the woods for other purposes besides hunting or fishing. God allowed me the A-frame cabin to grant my heart's desire for a season of my life.

I have never been rich moneywise, but I have had my treasure's worth of sunny hours and summer days "spent lavishly,” as Thoreau said, splashing and swimming in the muddy waters of rivers. Time spent between writing, with a view of the pines and oaks, or swimming or sunning on the banks of the river. I usually used my own private little island, which was leftover from many floods.

As a college student, I remember stealing an evening in the sun and lavishly spending it by a pond in the woods. What a way to do homework! As reflections of the pond rippled in the sun, I'd reflect about my life and allow my thoughts to run wild and free. I made use of that pond in my own way. Viewing the peaceful, calm water relaxed me, and I felt like a bird out of a cage as I enjoyed my freedom from being cooped up in a classroom. The pond, woods, and river were my links to nature. Sometimes a writer needs solitude.

Today, I still love to sit and reflect upon water as I write. God's granted me one of my heart's desires by allowing me to enjoy nature at my back door once again. There's nothing like being able to come home and relax and get back to nature in my own yard. I can sit in the new swing my husband bought and listen to birds sing to me, as I watch redbirds and squirrels play. The sweet peace of nature is a free and simple gift from God, a treasure that many don't discover.

My feathered friends, two Florida Sandhill Cranes visit me . A flock of small white egrets delicately tiptoe through the canal between water lily pads and search for food. Doves eat droppings from the bird feeder. Blackbirds join the others. A Sandhill airplane takes off like a great eagle, as wings flap in the wind. And, a redbird lights atop the wishing well and makes the bucket holding a yellow garden mum swing.

In the early morning, my two visitors may be seen wading down the canal. Birds sing the prettiest melodies and are the best nature-made choir. Their tunes bring in the morning and shut down the night. From dawn to dusk, I can enjoy the free gift of nature from God in sweet peace and harmony. He has truly given me a writer's paradise, a sanctuary, where my surroundings are beautified by His creative hand. My heart's desire, an inspiring place from which to write has been granted in my own yard. Thank you, God, for truly blessing me.

*****
Dr. Dr. Rita Garcia says of B. J. Robinson's Whispering Cypress, "Spring, follows the rocky terrain of her chosen path, and reawakens a love of nature in the hearts and minds of the readers. B. J. Robinson really knows how to weave a great story. Her novels are the perfect read for a bright summer day or curled up next to a warm fire on a blistery day.

Valerie Strawmier says, "A campground you'll want to return to again and again with those characters. Author B. J. Robinson has a way of immediately drawing you to the characters. She writes great stories that draw readers in quickly, constantly throws in twists and turns, and doesn't let go."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSVAPKrmKU&feature=youtu.be

Whispering Cypress Book Trailer

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-329/Whispering-Cypress-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok Whispering Cypress at Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Find me on the Web Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/barbara.robinson.773 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBJRobinson Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/BJ-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU Author Page

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok Author Page

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about the setting for Whispering Cypress

This summer we stayed at The Blue Dolphin Inn and Cottages in Grand Isle, Louisiana. It's nothing fancy on the inside, but the outside more than made up for it. I loved the view from the back deck and the beautiful beach. The oldest son made coffee before dawn, and we woke to Folgers in our cup. It felt so good to wake to the smell of coffee brewing. We grabbed our cups of caffeine and sat out on the back deck to watch the sun rise. It was still dark when we first went outside, and the lights across the water were beautiful Hubby enjoyed surf fishing. I tend to use my summer vacations as research for novel writing, so I'm sure this experience will end up in a novel one day.

If you've read any of my novels, you should have noticed the theme of appreciation for nature and God's creativity. I'm also a pet and dog lover. The only thing I missed this vacation was my two girls who had to stay behind in a kennel. Honi is our golden retriever, and she'd never stayed away from us since we brought her home last summer as a puppy. Sunflower usually travels with us and goes wherever we go. She's a well-traveled dog and has even been to Hollywood, California, and the Grand Canyon. The worse part of my vacation was being separated from them for two weeks. The best part was getting to see family, the Grand Isle beach behind the Blue Dolphin, and the homecoming and reunion with Sunflower and Honi. If you love animals and nature, you'll enjoy my books. I'm a nature lover and an animal lover, so nature and animals always find a way into my novels.

Sunflower is a character in my debut novel, Last Resort. Dakota, a German shepherd we enjoyed for years, is a character in Whispering Cypress. It's Honi's turn next. I hope my readers enjoy reading my books as much as I had fun writing them. I try to take you on an adventurous journey to another world.


*****
Dr. Dr. Rita Garcia says of B. J. Robinson's Whispering Cypress, "Spring, follows the rocky terrain of her chosen path, and reawakens a love of nature in the hearts and minds of the readers. B. J. Robinson really knows how to weave a great story. Her novels are the perfect read for a bright summer day or curled up next to a warm fire on a blistery day.

Valerie Strawmier says, "A campground you'll want to return to again and again with those characters. Author B. J. Robinson has a way of immediately drawing you to the characters. She writes great stories that draw readers in quickly, constantly throws in twists and turns, and doesn't let go."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSVAPKrmKU&feature=youtu.be

Whispering Cypress Book Trailer

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-329/Whispering-Cypress-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok Whispering Cypress at Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Find me on the Web Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/barbara.robinson.773 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBJRobinson Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/BJ-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU Author Page

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok Author Page

Author Spotlight - Write, Critique, and Learn by BJ Robinson

I sat in a college classroom at Southeastern Louisiana University in 1988 when an errand runner delivered a long, slim envelope. “Barbara, this is for you,” my journalism teacher said as he looked in my direction and motioned me to his desk.
I tore open the beginning of my writing dream and found a check for $25 and a letter congratulating me because my short story won first prize and was being published in Gambit, the university’s literary magazine. My heart jumped for joy because I felt my passion and love for writing was finally vindicated. Surely if my writing could win first prize in fiction-writing competition, I could find a publisher, but it wasn’t that easy.

I believed I could have a career doing what I loved. I finished college with journalism articles published in the campus newspaper and other poems, articles, and short stories published in local newspapers. I planned to become a teacher and follow in one of my favorite teacher’s footsteps. In the third grade, the principal’s wife, also my teacher, submitted my pet dog story to the local newspaper, and it was published. One day I hoped I could bring students the joy I felt and carry on her tradition.

My first college essay about an April flood was published in another local newspaper. I felt like a writer. One dream I had was to someday become a published Chicken Soup author. I’m still striving, but I haven’t given up. One of my creative-writing students beat me to it and that was almost as good.

The journey to publication of a novel has been a long, hope-filled one. I took my first-prize winning short story and developed it into my published novel today, Southern Superstitions. Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. in California published it January 15, 2012, but they weren’t the first ones I tried. After turning the short story into a novel, I submitted it to a traditional Christian publishing house.

A couple of months later, my eager heart pounded as I realized the envelope I pulled from the mailbox was from them. I ripped it open and jumped for joy once again as my eyes scanned phrases like eloquently written, bright with vivid dialogue, beautiful, strong, believable characters. I wasn’t just a daydreaming egg. A big-name Christian publisher’s editor liked my novel, but it wasn’t long before my eyes fell upon the last line. As I read that after careful consideration the publisher decided not to take on the novel since they felt it didn’t fit with their list of other titles, my hopes sunk. Another rejection letter. Yet, it was the best one I’d ever received. I thought about the writer who’d written it. What eloquent prose. Such a great way to let someone down. She was a writer, one who’d ripped my world apart with one line. Yet, she gave me hope to carry on at the same time. I submitted the same manuscript to another publishing house and another editor phoned me. With eager anticipation, I thought surely this was it. I’d paid my dues. Little did I know at the time, I hadn’t even started, or as Mom would say what I’d done wasn’t a drop in the bucket compared to what I still needed to accomplish. He loved the manuscript, but once again, he couldn’t sway the review board.

Tears trickled from the corners of my eyes, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. Once home, I stuffed the letter and the manuscript into a file cabinet and forgot about it for years. They say let your writing set. I did.

My dream was to become a published Christian author, so one day I yanked it out and rewrote, edited, and layered after years of honing my skills and craft by joining a critique group and taking various writing classes. I developed enough confidence to submit the manuscript again, but not without more tears first.

I’d entered the novel in a contest. Unlike my short story, it didn’t win, but I had success in a different way and published over a dozen devotionals. I wish I could say I ended up published by a traditional Christian publisher, but life isn’t a fairytale.

When it didn’t win the contest, I changed the title and did a bit more tweaking and editing. The eBook market boomed so I thought why not. This time I hadn’t wasted paper or stamps. I’d submitted by email. There was no slim envelope to tear apart. I opened an email from Gail R. Delaney, Editor-in-Chief of Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and read, Thank you very much for your submission. You sent this just under the wire, as I closed submissions today until at least July. Right now, our schedule for 2011 is full, but I am interested in the novel.

Soon another email arrived. She wanted to move up the publishing date. I go by B. J. Robinson as a writer, and I’m a multi-published, award-winning writer with two novels under my belt and another one, Whispering Cypress releases August 11. In October. One Rainy Summer, my first YA novel releases. I’m an avid reader and a passionate writer. When I’m not working on my own work-in-progress (WIP), I’m reading another author’s book and reviewing it on my blog.

Through writing, I’ve met and shared stories with people from all over the United States, Canada, and many other parts of the world. The greatest reward of all is when I find something I have written has touched another human being, or has helped them. I am a published author who knows the feeling, the joy, and the reward of receiving this gift from God. My advice to you is to keep writing if your heart is in it and don’t give up. The eBook revolution has thrown doors wide open. Many people are discovering the joy of eBook reading. I’ve had many compliments and heart-felt responses, and some people keep asking when my other novels are being released.
Writing is what I do because it's a part of me, and I thank God for the gift and the ability. A writer’s life can be bumpy and varied like rollercoasters. On top of the world one moment, down in the valley the next, hoping to emerge on top of the hill again. It’s an adventure, one I wouldn’t miss for the world. I still write, and I can’t stop. Rejection after rejection from traditional publishers poured in, and I couldn’t figure out why until I joined a critique group and took writing classes. I found out about the “gatekeepers” and how you have to have an agent to get your foot in the door with the big-name traditional publishers. They’re as hard to snag as a publisher, so I kept taking classes to hone my skills and craft until eBooks opened the door and a California publisher gave me a chance, threw the door wide open, and said, “Come on in.”

B. J. Robinson writes from Florida, where she lives with her husband, golden retriever, Honi, and golden cocker spaniel, Sunflower, a character in Last Resort, her debut Christian romantic suspense. She’s blessed with sons, daughters, grandchildren, and faith. Southern Superstitions released January 15, 2012, and Whispering Cypress released August 15. When she's not writing, she's reading and reviewing books on her blog. Visit B. J. at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

*****
Dr. Dr. Rita Garcia says of B. J. Robinson's Whispering Cypress, "Spring, follows the rocky terrain of her chosen path, and reawakens a love of nature in the hearts and minds of the readers. B. J. Robinson really knows how to weave a great story. Her novels are the perfect read for a bright summer day or curled up next to a warm fire on a blistery day.

Valerie Strawmier says, "A campground you'll want to return to again and again with those characters. Author B. J. Robinson has a way of immediately drawing you to the characters. She writes great stories that draw readers in quickly, constantly throws in twists and turns, and doesn't let go."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSVAPKrmKU&feature=youtu.be

Whispering Cypress Book Trailer

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-329/Whispering-Cypress-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok Whispering Cypress at Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Find me on the Web Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/barbara.robinson.773 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBJRobinson Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/BJ-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU Author Page

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok Author Page

Author Spotlight - Q&A with BJ Robinson

STEPH: I don't know much about Whispering Cypress. What's it about?

BJ: Here's a blurb:

You'll never have peace here. Leave the past where it belongs, or it will ruin you.
Spring Showers stared at the cutout newspaper letters pasted on a sheet of typing paper. Her heart pounded harder than any nail gun, and she placed her hand over her chest as if to still it. Nothing about the rundown campground prepared her for such a threat. Who could possibly care if she restored it?

After a decade of no contact, she purchases the campground a man from her past dreams of owning and hires him to repair and remodel the cabins. She still has feelings for him, and the sparks are still there -- smoldering like embers from a left-over campfire. A male friend from the city visits and trouble brews. A girl is attacked. Hackett is arrested. Did authorities arrest the right man? The girl is pregnant -- who is the father?

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

BJ: Whispering Cypress took about six months to write. Once I started it, I kept plugging away a little at a time.

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

BJ: The type of research I did for this novel was vacation travel in Tennessee, the fun type. I lived in Louisiana and know camp-ground settings, and I traveled and visited in Mississippi. Those are the three settings in the novel.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story within?

BJ: The cover is my favorite out of my other novels because it makes you want to go there, as readers have said. I've had awesome compliments on it. It reflects the story within because the main character, Spring, buys a campground, and the cabins must be remodeled. She hires a former beau, Hackett, to restore them. The action takes place at the campground setting. A young girl is attacked across the river from Whispering Cypress Campground, Spring and Hackett live on the campground, and the ending of the novel takes place there.

STEPH: Spring is the heroine. What are her strengths?

BJ: Spring is compassionate, caring, determined, and loving. Weakness? Too trusting of others outward appearances.

STEPH: What does Hackett find appealing about her?

BJ: They went to high school together a decade earlier and dated. He feels she understands him, and he's comfortable with her, because he knows she knows him. He's attracted to her physical looks, but it goes deeper. The two of them have so much in common. They both fell in love with Whispering Cypress Campground, and they both wanted to make it their home, but Spring beat him to it, which causes conflict in the beginning of the story. Both love the river, camping, the serene setting, trees, and the beach. He is attracted to her love of nature, and he begins to figure out what he can do to win her heart back.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

BJ: The novel has more than one theme, and I like to allow my readers to discover them for themselves, but one theme is all life is precious and that one is spelled out in the book trailer. It's the main theme. Another is family is precious. These are two main takeaways of the novel.

STEPH: As a writer, where do you draw inspiration from?

BJ: Life, childhood memories, vacation memories, my family, and my pets, but most of all God and His creative inspiration found in nature. He is the greatest artist of all time and paints the most beautiful, inspiring canvases for the world to see. I love to see heavenly blue sky merge with the ocean or a river surrounded with trees, where you see nothing but water, trees, and sky. I've enjoyed campfires and have been inspired by the glowing embers. I've sat on a green, grassy riverbank and found inspiration to write. This summer we vacationed in Grand Isle, Louisiana, and I loved it. I would've loved to have had more time to sit in a chair on the beach and write. Of course, the time flew by and there wasn't enough of it. I penned my first-prize winning short story with pen and a notebook sitting by a river.

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

BJ: I have a Nook, but I got the free Kindle download for my PC, and I have an ipad I use for most of my reading.

STEPH: Fun question: What's your favorite summer fruit?

BJ: I have more than one. I love peaches, but I have to say strawberries if I have to pick an absolute favorite. I've written two novels set on strawberry farms: Last Resort and Southern Superstitions. I grew up around Louisiana strawberries, not Georgia peaches, but I love those peaches as well. I picked strawberries as a young girl to earn extra spending money, and I packed them as a young mother and brought my babies to the packing shed with me. I love strawberries with sugar, sugar and cream, and in strawberry shortcake. Strawberry is my favorite jam and jelly.

*****
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSVAPKrmKU&feature=youtu.be

Whispering Cypress Book Trailer

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-329/Whispering-Cypress-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok Whispering Cypress at Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Find me on the Web Pages:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/barbara.robinson.773 Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBJRobinson Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/BJ-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU Author Page

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok Author Page

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about her love of Romance

Thanks so much for supporting BJ during her spotlight week. Leave a comment today, Saturday, or Sunday here and be entered to win a PDF copy of BJ's latest release, "Southern Superstitions." I'll pick the winner randomly and announce who it is here and on the Connections Loop.

Enjoy the weekend!
Moderator Steph

********

I grew up loving romance novels, perhaps because there never seemed to be enough romance in real life. Danielle Steel was one of my favorite romance authors. I went from fairytales to romance novels like a runaway roller coaster, getting what little romance I could out of life from the characters in my books. In years to come, a country music singer would come up with a song about a Louisiana woman and a Mississippi man, and I would always tell Mother that each and every time I heard that song, I would think about my parents. Father never got to hear that song, but Mother loved it. She was a country music lover too. I like other types of music too, but country is my favorite because I was raised on it. Conway Twitty sang Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man and Mom was a Louisiana woman and Daddy was a Mississippi man.

I loved to listen to Mom's stories about Daddy. Her stories were all I had left after his death. She had a way of making him come back to life for me, with her eyes sparkling as she told me stories about their happy times and happy life together.

She told me how Daddy always showed up loaded down with surprises for the both of us. He'd come laughing inside, glad to be home with us once again and say, "How's my two favorite girls?" He'd grab Mother and hug her until she thought he'd surely break her small bones in two, and he'd pick me up out of my crib or playpen and head for the rocking chair with me. "Got to make up for lost time and sing to my baby girl," he'd tell Mom.

He had a job at a shipyard in New Orleans, and he worked there until he became disabled. At first, we lived in a very small white house in Springfield, and I remember Daddy taking me fishing with him when we lived there. I could watch the ducks swim on the water, and the chickens followed us to the river. Daddy showed me how to bait my cane pole with a real-live worm and took me fishing at four years old.

From there, we moved to the white apartment house on South Third Street , where I would be living when I lost my daddy on Christmas Day.

The last week Daddy stayed in the city, Mom and I went to New Orleans to surprise him. I was too little to remember the trip, but I was all ears when Mom told me all about it after Daddy had passed away, and she was reminiscing about happier times.
"When we got to your daddy's room in that boarding house, I knocked on the door, but he didn't answer at first. I pounded and pounded and finally I heard him coming to open the door. He had been sleeping and had the gas heater on in that room, without a crack in the window. Landsakes child, it is a good thing we went to visit your daddy when we did, or we might have lost him sooner. I had to raise that window and let the fumes air out of the room. He was so surprised and glad to see us. There, by the side of his bed, was a big, walking doll he had bought for you. He already had his gifts for us, but he thought he'd be bringing them home and surprising us as usual. This time, we surprised him though, because we didn't wait for him. We caught a Greyhound bus and went to him."

How I loved to listen to Mother's reminiscing about the olden days, what she called the good-old days, when she was growing up as a little girl on my grandfather's strawberry farm in Springfield, Louisiana. I loved those strawberry tales about how hard my Grandma and Grandpa Threeton worked on their strawberry farm. Most of all though, I loved to listen to her tales about Daddy and how good he was to us and how happy the four of us had been, once upon a time. Just like a fairytale, there was a once upon a time, but unlike a fairytale, we had no happy ending. All we had were our happy memories.

You see, it took many years before I realized sweet Jesus was no fairytale. When Mom first quoted all those Bible verses, I often wondered why she didn't just speak in plain English, and I had no idea they came from the Good Book. Meanwhile, I read and wrote out my heart that Mom always said I wore on my sleeve. I traveled many places and explored other worlds through many a good book. Now, I write my own, and I'm happy to say God has placed some incredible people in my life to assist me with my writing journey for Him. Eva Marie Everson, my Christian Writing Guild mentor, Karen O'Connor, my Long Ridge Writing instructor, and Tim Gauthreaux, my college creative-writing teacher among them. But, I'll never forget my third grade teacher who actually started my writing journey when she submitted my pet story to the local newspaper. I've been reading and writing ever since. She gave me something to hold onto, a love for the written word, an escape from real life when it became too much, and hope to last me until years later when I found true hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Now, I promised to share more Desert Breeze favorite authors whom I've read:

Author Anne Patrick wrote Fire and Ash, and I loved it. Check out her other titles. I have several others on my reading list. She's an excellent author. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok

Author Michelle Sutton has many books under her belt. My favorites of hers were Danger at the Door and its sequel. She has a new one I also enjoyed, When Love Collides. Check it out. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-238/When-Love-Collides-Michelle/Detail.bok

Author Lynette Hall Hampton has several title out, and I've read and reviewed her first in this series. Loved it. Check them out. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-188/Lynette-Hall-Hampton-US/Detail.bok

Author Melanie Atkins has a series, and I've read and reviewed one set in Louisiana/Mississippi and really enjoyed it. Check her out.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-203/Melanie-Atkins-Shield-of/Detail.bok

Author Jayne Lee wrote August in Montana, and I reviewed it on my blog. Check it out. It's a delightful read.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-166/Jayne-Lee-August-in/Detail.bok

I've read so many DB authors and titles I'm sure I've missed some, and I do apologize if I missed you. As I said earlier, they're too many great authors at Desert Breeze to name them all. Browse the DB catalog and discover new ones for yourself. I'm sure you have a great idea about my reading tastes after checking out my favorites. Be blessed and enjoy relaxing reads with us.

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3 My first review for Southern Superstitions.

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews. http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

Book trailer for Southern Superstitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Reviewer Kathy Boswell says, "Very good! She never gives up hope that Andy will return to her someday. She puts it all in God's hands like she'd done every crisis in her life. She knows He will take care of this for her."

B. J. Robinson makes her home in Florida with her husband, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, a character in her romantic suspense novel Last Resort, an adopted shelter cat named Frankie, and a golden retriever named Honi. She's been writing since the third grade when her story about her pet dog was published in a local newspaper and hopes people have as much fun reading her novels as she did writing them. As an animal lover and for all pet lovers, her novels contain pets, usually dogs, but sometimes cats. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about destiny

I've always loved the beautiful white magnolia blossom that smells so sweet because Mom and Dad got married in the pretty little Mississippi town of Magnolia. I often asked her to tell me about how she met Daddy. Her hazel eyes would take on a faraway look, and she'd describ how she met him on a Greyhound bus. She was from the small town of Springfield, Louisiana, and he was from Brookhaven, Mississippi. Momma always told me it was fate that they met that day.

Momma was a strawberry farmer's daughter and Daddy was the son of a cotton planter. Destiny brought them together. They had so much in common. They both loved pretty sunshiny days, the country, and watching flowers or plants grow. Before Daddy grew sick and became disabled, he worked in New Orleans at a shipyard. He would stay in the city during the week while he worked and come home on the weekends. This was when I was a tiny baby, and we were living in Mississippi beside my Grandmother Russell, my father's mother. My father's brother, Uncle Ernie, took over the cotton farm in Mississippi. When I was only four years old, we visited his farm before Daddy died that year. He let me use a smaller sack than the other cotton pickers and told me I could help pick the cotton. I was tickled, and I was proud because I had a job and could earn my own spending money. I carefully filled my sack, and he paid me twenty-five cents for each sack I filled. I didn't make very much money because I soon played out, and I didn't fill very many sacks. I think I ended up with a dollar.

Grandma Russell let me play with whatever I wanted. I remember Mom telling me about how I got into her kitchen cabinets and tore all of the labels off from all of her canned goods. She just laughed about it and said that we would be having a surprise every time we ate for a while. Mom fussed at me and threatened to whip me, but grandma just said, "Oh Myrtle, kids will be kids. She'd done no real harm." I was spared a whipping, but Mom said, "You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady. Now grandma won't know what she's opening."

Another time I was at grandmother's house rocking in my little red rocking chair that Daddy had surprised me with on his last weekend trip home. I was rocking away as hard as I could. The next thing I knew, my rocker turned over, and my head hit the floor. Mom and grandma both came running when they heard my cries. "You're okay," Mom said. "Lucky for you, you've got a hard head." Funny, but I was to be called hardheaded many times after that, but I didn't know it yet. One day my own husband would tell me that I was one hard-headed woman.

The last thing I remember about my early Mississippi days was the way I loved to play outside in grandma's front yard with the little doodlebugs that looked liked little Volkswagon cars. I was fascinated by the way they rolled their little bodies up. Mom thought I should be lady-like and play with dolls and keep clean all of the time, but I loved the dirt and the mud, and my favorite pastime was making mud pies. If you read my novels, you'll discover how I've used my young experiences in my work. Writers draw from personal experience to create realistic fiction, and I draw from mine to create characters with a blend and mixture of qualities and traits.

Now, you probably realize why I write about strawberries so much, but Whispering Cypress that releases August 15, 2012, is not about strawberries. Last Resort and Southern Superstitions were.

Now, I promised to share more of my favorite authors with you. My writing mentor is Eva Marie Everson, and she's written wonderful novels about Cedar Key, Florida. One of her books will be made into a movie. If you're not familiar with her, be sure to check out her work. She wrote Things Left Unspoken and This Fine Life, two novels I've read and reviewed on my blog as well as her first Cedar Key novel, Chasing Sunsets. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=eva+marie+everson

Tim Gautreaux was my creative-writing teacher in college when I penned my prize-winning short story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Gautreaux.

Last, but certainly not least, I'll share more of my favorite Desert Breeze authors. Michelle Levigne wrote a novel that has stayed with me. She has a series, and you'll love her work. I loved Forgiven, read, and reviewed it on my blog.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-162/Michelle-Levigne-A-Tabor/Detail.bok.

Sadie and Sophie Cuffe have written a beautiful book, and I'm in the process of reading and reviewing it.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-225/The-Wainright-Trilogy-Book/Detail.bok. I love the title Faith in the Shadows.

Danielle Thorne has several titles. I love her vivid descriptions of the sea, ocean, and the way she relates those colors to her character's eyes. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok. I'm presently reading By Heart and Compass, and I'm about half finished and loving those descriptions.

Desert Breeze's Editor in Chief, Gail Delaney, has many wonderful novels.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok Precious Things and Lighting Strikes Twice were among my favorites.

As you can see, I've read and reviewed many Desert Breeze titles, and there are more to come. So stay tuned and join us tomorrow to discover other Desert Breeze titles and authors B. J. Robinson has read and loved.

View the book trailer for Southern Superstitions here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson. She says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Get a PDF file that may be read on your laptop or computer here, or ePub file. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok Get the free companion book to Southern Superstitions here. They're side-by-side on the homepage of the publisher's.

http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=2222 Enjoy an article on crafting a villain here.

Read the first two chapters free here and purchase for your Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Southern Superstitions will be available at Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, etc. but Amazon is the first to offer it.
B. J. Robinson is a member of the Christian Writers Guild (CWG), a graduate of Long Ridge Writing Institute, a friend of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and belongs to several critique groups along with Nike Chillemi, author of Burning Hearts and Goodbye Noel. Her writing mentor at CWG was Eva Marie Everson during both courses. Karen O'Connor was her writing instructor with Long Ridge, and Tim Gautreaux was her creative-writing instructor in college. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson shares some of her favorites from Desert Breeze

Mother raised me on Cinderella and fairytales. She read to me at an early age on a daily basis, and I developed a love for reading and books before I ever started first grade at five years old. I always loved the school and the town libraries. I'd look forward to library day at school. Over the summer months, I practically lived in the library and would always join the Summer Reading Program. Three important people in my life led me to my love of reading and writing. My mom gave me my start on fairytales; my third-grade teacher submitted my short story about my pet dog to the local newspaper, and my fifth-grade teacher read me the Little House series, which is what I most looked forward to during my fifth-grade days at school. She knew how to leave off and keep us suspended, like a soap opera, so we couldn't wait to hear what happened next.

Growing up on Fairy Tales
(an excerpt from a memoir of the author’s
childhood and schooldays)

Before I was even old enough to read, Momma had me hooked on fairytales. She bought a new one for me each month out of the small social-security check she received after my father's death. She would rock me to sleep reading my favorite fairytales each night. I loved The Glass Mountain, Cinderella, and Snow White.

I was only four years old when my father died one cold Christmas Day in a charity hospital. Four years earlier, I'd been born in a charity hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. We never had much, but I had not realized that. To me, before Daddy died, we had everything.

We lived in a small town on South Third Street in a rambling, white-apartment house. We only rented, but I didn't realize what that meant at the time. To me, we were rich; for, I was rich living in my make-believe world of fairy tales, rich in sunshine and fresh air, swinging in my board-and-rope swing underneath the giant-pecan tree in our front yard.

I was a happy little girl who had everything she could possibly want. I had a doting daddy, a loving mom, and a precious little sister, who was only four months old when our daddy died. Daddy would rock us and sing us to sleep, singing about our beautiful blue eyes, or Mother would read and rock us to sleep with fairytales. My world was rich, happy, and content. I wanted for nothing. Happy endings were all I knew then and now I write my own.

I was an outdoor's child who bounced up early to run outside into the sunshine yelling for Daddy to push me in the swing he had made for me underneath the old pecan. It didn't matter to me that it was not a store-bought swing, like Shelly across the road had. For, my daddy pushed me so high that my tiny feet nearly touched the low-hanging branches. I'd squeal with delight and scream, "Push me to the sky, Daddy!"

Daddy would laugh and say, "That's my girl. She already knows the sky is her limit."

Now, that you know how I developed my love for both reading and writing, I'll share some of my favorite authors with you. Since joining Desert Breeze Publishing, I've discovered some I'll keep on my reading list. If you haven't read any books by these DB colleagues, check them out.

Regina Andrews has a new release in her series. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-244/Sterling-Lakes-Book-Three/Detail.bok

How do I know she's good? I read and reviewed her first one on my blog and loved it. Check it out here and be sure not to miss her second one either. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-146/Regina-Andrews-Light-of/Detail.bok

Shawna K. Williams has several great books under her belt. Check them out so you can read them in order. I loved them all because they are deep. Here's a link to The Good Fight: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-223/The-Good-Fight-Shawna/Detail.bok

You simply can't miss Naomi Musch's The Green Veil and The Red Fury. I've read and reviewed both these novels on my blog, and loved them both because they are what I deem deep novels. I love the author's vivid description and details, her characterization, and the fact that the characters in these two novels remain with me long after closing the book. She'll rip your heart out. That's what I call evoking reader emotions, my type of book. Here's the link to her second novel, but by no means skip or forget the first. You really don't want to miss out on either. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-217/Empire-in-Pines-Book/Detail.bok



Nike Chillemi has two wonderful novels. I've read and reviewed Burning Hearts on my blog and loved it. Her newest is Goodbye Noel, and I'll share the link here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-234/Sanctuary-Point-Book-Two/Detail.bok

I've read so many great Desert Breeze authors, and I don't have room to list them all here. These are my favorite and most recent reads. Check back tomorrow, and I'll key you in on a few more. I'm a Nicholas Sparks fan. Love his writing style. Love his books because they touch the heart and soul, told like true love stories Chris Fabry's Dogwood is another novel I'll always remember, as is Lynn Austin's All She Ever Wanted. I read both of these novels a few summers ago, but they remain with me and stand out in my mind. I'll always remember them. A book that stays with you after you close the covers is my goal as a writer. I don't want to write easily forgotten fluff. There's enough of it already on the market. I aspire to write more like my favorite authors and with each new book I pen, I strive to reach that goal. I want to write books like the ones I enjoy reading.

Try our Desert Breeze authors. You'll discover we also have novels that stay with you after you close the cover and characters you won't soon forget. You can't beat DB covers, and I've discovered the formatting is much better than other lines of eBooks I've read on the market. I hope you'll remember Faith and Matt from Last Resort and June and Andy from Southern Superstitions. You can look forward to meeting Hackett and Spring in Whispering Cypress, which releases August 15, 2012. Live other worlds through great novels. Adventure with Faith and Matt, June and Andy, and Spring and Hackett. Visit me at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com for an opportunity to win a free PDF of my newest release, Southern Superstitions and meet Andy and June! Be sure to check back tomorrow for a few words about other DB authors.

Book trailer for Southern Superstitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Book trailer for Last Resort: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwF0dLLX6M&feature=youtu.be

Read a free excerpt for Last Resort: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-184/B-J-Robinson-Last/Detail.bok.

Free excerpt for Southern Superstitions: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Check my author page with my publisher for updates and new releases: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok
Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews. http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

B. J. Robinson makes her home in Florida with her husband, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, a character in her romantic suspense novel Last Resort, an adopted shelter cat named Frankie, and a golden retriever named Honi. She's been writing since the third grade when her story about her pet dog was published in a local newspaper and hopes people have as much fun reading her novels as she did writing them. As an animal lover and for all pet lovers, her novels contain pets, usually dogs, but sometimes cats. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Southern Superstitions"

Rod joined the search party to help investigate his dad's disappearance. It'd disbanded at nightfall and picked up the search again at daybreak, but they'd found no sign of his dad. Rod guided a canoe deep into the marshes and swamps. He'd hunted with his father many times in these wetlands so he knew where to check. No word or sign of his father made the cold, Christmas season stab like an ice pick, and his heart ached for his mother, left alone.

He slid the canoe through a wall of cypress trees, deeper and deeper into the heart of the swamp. He figured his father headed for the hills. White cranes flew from the cypress limbs. The canoe hit a cypress knee, and Rod gently eased it around a few more. The way they stuck out of the shallow water, like protruding nubs, they reminded him of his grandmother's warning finger wagging in his face. They could tear a hole in the bottom of a boat. Thank God my boat survived the lick. Maybe that's what happened to Dad.

Finally, after twelve hours of searching, Rod spotted his dad's pirogue on the side of the hill, where they'd hunted the previous year. He tied his canoe to a tree limb. "Dad!" He raced to the dome tent and unzipped the door. "Dad?" The tent looked as if his dad made camp, but hadn't yet used it. The sleeping bag was still rolled up in a corner. The butt of his dad's 30-30 stuck out from under a sleeping bag. The supplies were still there. Outside, there was no sign of a campfire. It looked as though he never got to hunt. There was no sign of him. Where was he?

Rod picked up the rifle and carried it back to his canoe. He left the other items in case his dad returned looking for them.
They searched until dark. Rod dreaded giving his mother the disappointing news. She'd worry even more, because the pirogue was in perfect condition and so was the tent. No leaking pirogue kept him from coming home. The campsite looked peaceful and serene, not like anything bad had happened, but still there was no sign of his father.

Mom's on pins and needles, yet she clings to her faith and trust in God. I hear her faithfully pray for Dad's safe return. Maybe she won't fall apart when she hears the news but oh, how I dread having to tell her.

A Favorite Line: It was faith in God that would bring her husband home. Even a lucky penny or a dime declared, In God we trust.



B. J. Robinson writes inspirational Christian fiction in the romantic suspense genre from Florida, where she lives with her husband, a cat named Frankie, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, and a golden retriever named Honi. Sunflower is a character in her first romantic suspense, Last Resort. Her children are grown and have made her a grandmother multiple times. She won first prize for her short story in college, the one from which she developed Southern Superstitions, and it was published in the university's literary magazine. She developed her love for mystery through Nancy Drew books, her love for reading from her mother, who read fairytales to her before she began school, and her fifth grade teacher, who read the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series to the class. Her love for writing came from God and her third grade teacher who submitted her first published story about her dog to a local newspaper. She's been writing ever since, and her first college essay was published. Her prize-winning short story has been published multiple times. She promises to take her readers on a continuous journey to another world. Reading and writing are her passions, and Jesus is her best friend. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

View the book trailer for Southern Superstitions here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson. She says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Get a PDF file that may be read on your laptop or computer here, or ePub file. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok Get the free companion book to Southern Superstitions here. They're side-by-side on the homepage of the publisher's.

http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=2222 Enjoy an article on crafting a villain here.

Read the first two chapters free here and purchase for your Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Southern Superstitions will be available at Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, etc. but Amazon is the first to offer it.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with BJ Robinson

STEPH: I don't know much about "Southern Superstitions." What's it about?

BJ: Prayer versus Southern superstitions when a woman's husband mysteriously disappears in the swamp on a deer-hunting trip. As steamy as the hot, thick, sticky heat of Louisiana, this page-turner will keep readers in suspense, as the author spins a tale of love, loss, superstition, pain, heartache, and faith in God. God and the power of prayer versus Southern superstitions.

Reviewer Kathy Boswell says, "Very good! She never gives up hope that Andy will return to her someday. She puts it all in God's hands like she's done every crisis in her life. She knows He will take care of this for her." Through belief, faith, hard work, the power of prayer, and God's help, this powerful, moving story is a thought-provoking Christian romantic suspense about a young couple who fall in love, but have to change her mother's mind in more ways than one, if their relationship is to survive. Can Andy convince June there's more to their relationship than friends? Will he win the approval of Myrtle, her mother, and can love survive strawberry season and an April flood? Will June be able to give Andy a child?



The Lord Has Something Better in Mind is the free companion to Southern Superstitions, and they are side-by-side on the publisher's homepage. I developed my new release from the short story that is the freebie. It was a first-prize winning one in fiction-writing competition in college. I had to alter the story some from its original version to develop the novel but June, Andy, and Myrtle are still the main character. The original short story was published in Southeastern Louisiana University's literary magazine and ran as a three-part serial on the front page of my hometown newspaper along with my picture for three weeks in a row. It was later published in St. Cloud in the News and an online magazine.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

BJ: It took nine months to write, and I spent another six months reworking and rewriting it. I had fun writing this novel about the South where I grew up, and I feel I grew as a writer by reworking and rewriting it.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the novel?

BJ: I didn't have much research for this one since I lived in the area and was reared with strawberries, God's Word, and southern superstitions. I picked berries before school in the morning for a local schoolteacher and worked in them on the weekends for my aunt to earn extra spending money.

STEPH: Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

BJ: I grew up listening to Mom harp on superstitions and quote Bible verses. I thought the conflict between superstitions vs. faith and prayer would make an interesting novel, and Mom loved the idea and the rough draft that my youngest sister read to her over and over before her death. I felt like I captured part of my mother in Myrtle's character, and mother's middle name was Myrtle. As I said she had the book read to her before her death and loved it, even the character's name. Other inspiration came from watching the hard life of strawberry farmers and their plight when the season and weather didn't make earning a living easy. I wanted to illustrate the power of prayer and pen a novel that would showcase it.



STEPH:What do you hope will resonate with readers after they read the story?

BJ: Devotion to God, faith, hope, and appreciation for life's simple pleasures and nature. Our creative God gifted us with so many free gifts to make life enjoyable and worth living. People don't have to spend a lot of money on a date to have one worth remembering. The simple things in life matter most and will be remembered more. Place your trust in God, faith, and prayer instead of superstitions.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters.

BJ: Carrie Underwood is June because she has faith, loves country music, and is hard working. Brad Paisley could be Andy, but he has the wrong coloring. I picture him more as a Kenny Chesney type as far as looks.

STEPH: June is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weakness?

BJ: June is a hard-working woman who doesn't give up easily, and her faith is much stronger than a mustard seed. It's what keeps her going. She's determined and uses her time productively. Those are her strengths. Her weaknesses are letting Myrtle bring her spirits down, and worrying about giving Andy a child. Even though she has great faith, she still worries about certain things. Her love for Andy is so strong she feels lost without him by her side, but she doesn't give up hope.

STEPH: What does Andy find attractive about June?

BJ: He loves the fact that she appreciates nature as he does, and she's not afraid of getting dirty to follow him on excursions through the woods. She's down-to-earth, honest, hardworking, and doesn't put on airs, all qualities he likes. He's also attracted to her outward beauty, but he's more interested in her interior qualities.

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

BJ: I have a Nook, but I got an iPad for my birthday/Christmas present and use it now instead. I love the iPad because it has a built-in light that allows me to read after dark, unlike my Nook. I could use the Nook with a lamp though. I love eReading and no longer like to read paperbacks or hardbacks because I can read so much better and faster, and it's much easier on my eyes. I also travel much lighter with 200 books instead of a tote bag heavy with a few.

STEPH: Fun question: Do you make New Year's resolutions? Any you care to share?

BJ:I used to make them, but I don't anymore. I wonder if I ever kept them. If I had made any, they would have been to exercise more, lose weight, and write more.

Watch the book trailer for Southern Superstitions created by Michelle Sutton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews.
http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Last Resort

BJ Robinson would like to giveaway copies of paperback novels she's read and reviewed on her blog. Leave a comment to win The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson, a beautiful paperback novel. Post here on the excerpt, FRI, SAT, & SUN and I'll pick a winner on the following Monday as the winner. Be sure to leave a good email addy so I can get in touch with you.

Enjoy BJ's excerpt!
Moderator Steph

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Prologue

From the wooded lot beside the small country church, Fred Blunt waited and constantly checked his watch. Services were over, and he'd feast his eyes on Faith as she filled her plate at the buffet table during Sunday dinner on the grounds.

Perspiration trickled down his forehead, dripped into his eyes, and burned them, but he refused to blink. He didn't want to miss her. The sun burned his cheeks and plastered the black tee shirt he wore to his back. Mosquitoes swarmed, and he slapped the air to scare them away, reminded of how much she drew him, like mosquitoes drawn to the swamp. Sweat collected in
puddles underneath his baseball cap and seeped down the back of his neck. It was a miserable hot, humid day in Bridal Wreath, Florida.

The twenty-two slipped in his sweaty hands. It wouldn't make much noise. If he could kill a deer with it, as a last resort, he'd make it work on a person. Fred adjusted it, ready. He'd get his chance sooner or later. He spotted the cowboy farmer who lived next door to his Faith. He didn't like him one bit. He'd alter that picture.

EXCERPT

Faith tore out of the jail's parking lot and prayed she wouldn't get a ticket. She turned Old Blue into the flowing traffic. Her heart pumped faster than a race car engine. Dear God, please don't let me be too late. She reached down and punched Matt's number again. Come on, Matt, where are you? Pick up. Still no answer. She snapped the phone shut and focused on the road ahead. Who could possibly have it in for him? He was such a great guy. She gassed the truck as she passed the city limits and left the jail behind. Why wasn't he answering? She'd never had a problem before. This wasn't like him.

Faith whipped into the drive. She jumped from her pickup, strode to the side door, and knocked. No answer. She pulled out her cell and tried again. It rang and rang, then went straight to the voicemail. This time, she hung up without leaving a message.
She yanked the screen door, and it flew open, unlatched. The door knob turned, and she shoved the door open and yelled, "Matt, are you there?"

No response. She briskly marched through the house and called his name. She checked each room. In Matt's office, the swivel chair faced the door. Blood spotted it. Faith's heart lurched. Oh, God, please don't let me be too late. She spotted blood droplets on the carpet and followed them back through the kitchen and to the garage. Matt's truck ran. Dear God, what will I find when I open this door? Please let me be in time. Why didn't Matt use his pistol?

Faith jerked the garage door, but it wouldn't budge. She ran to the kitchen and hit the automatic door opener. The door slowly opened. She raced inside the garage, and the gas fumes nearly knocked her out. She coughed and held her nose with one hand. Her eyes burned, but she yanked open the driver's truck door. Matt tumbled out.

She let go of her nose and turned off the truck. Faith slid her arms under Matt's and locked her hands in front of his chest. She hefted. He didn't budge. She had to get him out of there. Now. No time to waste. She hauled in a breath, grunted, and heaved. He lifted, and she pulled him toward the door. One foot. Two feet. Three more.

"Matt, we're out of the garage." Please, Lord, help me. She couldn't drop him now. The outside air hit her face and tears of relief filled her eyes. She tenderly laid him on the grass by the side of the cement drive and yanked her cell from its holster. She dialed 911.

Assured the ambulance was on its way, Faith closed her phone and felt for his heartbeat. She rubbed her knuckles against his breast bone and stroked his face. So still. She touched his neck and held her breath. No response. She tilted his head and lifted his chin, then put her ear to his mouth and listened. Nothing. She looked for chest movement. Nothing. She listened for air blowing through his mouth or nose, or on her cheek. Nothing. He wasn't going to die if she had anything to do with it.

She ran her tongue over her lip and tasted perspiration. Why did sweat always taste salty, and why would she even think to question that at a time like this? She took a quick, shallow breath and whispered, "Come on, Matt. Breathe! BREATHE!"

It'd been a long time since she'd trained for CPR. Would she remember what to do? A bluish pallor stole over Matt's complexion, and his body became a dead weight. She had no time to lose.

Faith pinched his nose and made a seal over his mouth with her own. She breathed big enough to make his chest rise, let his chest fall, and repeated the rescue breath again. She listened for an intake of breath, an exhale, but the only sound was the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson shares the inspiration of devotionals

If you've visited my blog at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com and read my profile, you know I've had a number of devotionals published. Below is one of my favorite scriptures, and I used it in my debut novel Last Resort because it gave me hope when I lost my mother and sister only six years apart. Mom died of cancer and my sister of an eating disorder, and I used the themes of lost loved ones and eating disorders in my novel.

Hope Lives

". . . and the dead in Christ will rise first: After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians verses 4:16-18

She and I stood in the front yard of the old apartment house. Lisa wore a light pink suit jacket, and her sad brown eyes looked directly into mine as she said, "I hope it's not cancer. I don't want to die." That visual image is sealed in my mind as vivid today as it was seven years ago when I lost my youngest sister. Bird-like hands clutched a shining gold star with a pearl-head pin. She handed it to me, "I want you to wear this, because every time I see a star, I think of you." When Lisa died, the heavens raged. Storm clouds covered the land and hurricanes blew in from the sea. That year, twelve blustery ones battered America's shores. The last, a storm named Lisa, tiny and non-threatening like her, eventually faded out over land. On September 13, a summons came for Lisa. Sent on a mission, angels ferried another angel home. As I fell to my knees bedside my bed and cried, I said a silent prayer. Then, I opened my Bible, and the Comforter sent me encouragement. I knew then, that even in death, hope lived, for I'd see my youngest sister again in heaven.

Dear Lord, thank you for Your encouraging Word and the gift of eternal life through Your son, Jesus. Thank you for opening my eyes so I no longer grieve without hope, Amen.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about the Sunflower in her life

Since Sunflower is a character in LAST RESORT, here's the story of our we came to own our sweet blessing.

It’s not Puppy Love for
Sunflower my Golden Baby Girl

A golden cocker spaniel flew out of a play pen and nearly fell into the swimming pool. She jumped right for my husband’s arms, and he caught her and laughed. She captured my heart at once. “That’s her. She’s the one. She couldn’t wait for us to claim her.”

We were in Holly Hills, Florida, to look at puppies. After watching the paper and phoning about various advertisements, I finally found a golden cocker spaniel. Years ago, I owned a male named Buffy, and I always wanted another one. I'd found her. After she jumped out of the play pen to us, we simply couldn’t leave her behind. She rode home in my lap, and I named her Sunflower. She would soon live up to her name by being the sun in our lives.

As a puppy, Sunflower zipped with pep and energy. She raced through the house like a golden bullet. She had to make friends with the cats and a German shepherd named Dakota. We need not have worried; she and Dakota soon made fast friends and became like sisters. We hadn't thought about how well a puppy could chew. I had been lucky with Buffy, and I had never had a problem with him chewing, but Sunflower was a different story.

One day I came home from teaching school to find the new grandfather clock I bought my husband for his birthday attacked by her, the latest in a line of Sunflower victims. I worried that when my husband got home from work he would say Sunflower had to go. I could just imagine the words that would stream from his mouth, “That dog's history! I’ve always wanted a grandfather clock!”



My husband had fallen in love with the cuddly little puppy, so he let her stay. He calls her his baby girl, but I knew he would be upset with his baby girl when he got home and found that she lunched on his grandfather clock.

Sunflower always runs to meet us when we return from work. She sits in the window and watches for our vehicles to pull into the drive and dances around on her little short legs so happy to see us. When I let her out, she takes a run around the swimming pool and slides into home base. She glides on the ceramic tile and has to put on puppy-paw brakes to keep from running into the furniture. That evening was no different. She knows when it's time for us and waits and watches like an alarm clock ready to spring. As my husband opened the door, she leapt into action and flew into her daddy’s arms. He picked her up and cuddled her, happy to see her.

“You might not be as loving to Sunflower when you notice how she spent her time today," I warned.

“What did she do now?”

She'd already chewed slippers, socks, and even a cap. “See if you notice anything different in the living room.”

His eyes quickly darted around the small room taking everything in, and I saw his face when they landed on the bottom part of his grandfather clock. He always wanted a grandfather clock, and I bought him an imitation one since we couldn't afford the real thing. We got Sunflower the later part of August; it was only September, and his new clock was history. I waited dreading to hear what he'd say.

“Good thing it wasn’t the real thing. It’s a clock and can be replaced. Sunflower can’t.” He continued to cradle her in his arms and scolded her, “You’ve been a bad girl today and tried to make a meal of my clock.” She loved her daddy’s attention and kissed him.


I silently thanked God he hadn’t told me I had to get rid of Sunflower. She had already captured both our hearts, and she had us both wrapped around her little golden puppy paws. Good thing for Sunflower, her daddy had fallen in love with her before she decided to devour his clock.

The battle-worn clock still keeps time in our living room with little puppy teeth scars all around the edges and bottom. Every night Sunflower snuggles with her daddy and then gets in her favorite spot behind us on our bookcase headboard bed. She puts her sweet little puppy head on the pillow right between both our heads and sleeps. Did you know cocker spaniels snore? This one does sometimes. Her daddy says she's dreaming sweet puppy dreams.

Sunflower is the light in my life when I come home from a hard day’s work, just as she is for my husband. She is such a smart, pretty little dog. We both have spoiled her. She has to have a doggie cookie every time she comes in from outside. I have her trained, so I do not have to yell and wake the neighbors calling for her in the mornings. Quite by accident, I discovered that if I flip the light switch three times, wait a minute, and flip it again, Sunflower comes running to claim her doggie biscuit.

Sunflower is a golden-girl companion, and I hope we enjoy her company for many years to come. She has outgrown her puppy-chewing days. Thank God, but I hope she never outgrows her cuddly, loving ways. She follows my every step. If I go into another room, she is right behind me. As I work on my home computer taking college classes online or writing, Sunflower sleeps at my feet, as close as she can get. I can’t make a move without my Sunflower angel by my side, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She is a warm loving companion. The grandfather clock is just a chunk of wood, no company at all. My husband was right. A clock can be replaced, but Sunflower is one of a kind. It’s more important to have the enjoyment of a loyal pet. If you haven’t known the love of a pet, part of your heart and soul have not been awakened. She’s our golden baby girl, our stress reliever. It’s not puppy love for Sunflower!

My summer activities are reading and writing. I love to read on my Nook, and I can read faster and better since my husband gave it to me as a Christmas gift this past year.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about influences in her life

Two teachers who really made an important difference in my life were my third and fifth grade teachers. My third grade teacher developed my interest in writing when she submitted my short story about my dog to the local newspaper, and it was published. That sparked an interest in writing for me which has not dimmed, though it was to be many years before I would see myself published once again. My next publication came with the first essay I wrote in my first college English class. Since that time, I have had many poems, articles, essays, and short stories published in anthologies and local newspapers. I won first prize for a short story which I wrote during a creative-writing class under the instruction of Tim Gautreaux, a Louisiana author who was listed as one of the fifty writers to watch in the January 2000 edition of Writer's Digest. I developed that award-winning short story into a novel which releases January 11, Southern Superstitions. The short story itself will be a Christmas freebie.

The other special teacher, who made a big difference in my life, was my fifth grade teacher who really developed my love for reading and books. She introduced me to another world with the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She knew just where to leave off to keep our interest sparked, and we looked forward to reading class each day. After having this wonderful lady as a teacher, I joined the reading club during the summer at the local library each year. Though I never won, I watched my marker climb its way towards the top, and I read more books then than I have ever read in my life, that is until my husband gifted me with a Nook for Christmas. Now, I devour them. It's one of the best presents he ever gave me, but the best was Sunflower. I gave more book reports in school than any other student in my class, and I earned extra credit for many of them. I've always been an avid reader and passionate writer.

It was also about that time when I discovered my love for mysteries. I read every Nancy Drew mystery I could find. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand. To be a good writer, one must first become a good reader, and I feel I owe both of these special teachers in my life for starting me off on the right track when I was young; thereby, helping shape, mold, and develop the writer I am today. My mother also read all the classic fairytales to me before I started school, and I thank her for my love of reading, too. Most of all, I thank God for placing the desire to write within my heart, guiding and directing me as I write, and allowing me to serve Him through my writing. I love to write inspirational fiction to touch peoples' lives and hearts and make a difference, and I've had a number of devotionals published for the same reason. I have a writing devotional in Words to Write By compiled by Robin Bayne. This is a book of devotionals for writers, and if you're a writer, you'll love it. It's available at Barnes and Noble as an eBook for the Nook for only four dollars.