Deborah Kinnard talks "Damages"

Deborah Kinnard pops in to talk a little about "Damages," her latest release by Desert Breeze.

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DAMAGES tells the story of Cassidy, who's loved one man her whole life and God said "No." The man of her choice met another woman and moved on -- literally. But now Brian's back after a car accident that robbed him of both wife and mobility. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, secretly hoping to get Cassidy back for real, she struggles and ultimately accepts.

He hopes to win her love, for his own sake and to make her happy, as he didn't before.

Now this couple, seemingly working at cross purposes, are challenged to create something beautiful out of their relationship. The aim -- a Godly and fulfilling marriage.

(I love "second chance" stories and this is the favorite of all the ones I've written.)

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Who doesn't enjoy a rich, satisifying "second chances" book? *grin* Good luck with sales, Deb!

Damages is avail at the Desert Breeze Publishing Website, Link in the Title,
All Romance Books and Amazon for Kindle.

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Desert Breeze is celebrating their ONE year birthday this month and we have some great stuff planned.

First, To celebrate, we're offering 20% off orders at the DBP site through the end of the month! No limit on how many orders a customer may make, and no limit on how many books they can buy with the discount. Just enter code 1YRDBP when you check out and you'll get the discount.

Second, Starting Tomorrow I'll be hosting a CONTEST here on the Blog! I'll be asking 5 questions about Desert Breeze Authors and their books. (If you don't know the answers, you can go to the Desert Breeze Publishing Website for the answers!) Post the answers on the BLOG. Those who get all FIVE right will have their name put in the "Hat." I'll be drawing a name out of the "hat" and annouce the winner next MONDAY, APRIL 19th, here on the Blog.

The winner will receive:
A set of autographed Postcards
A Gift Certificate for Desert Breeze
Be Mused/Hungarian magnets
& A Mousepad with the Desert Breeze Cover of their choice.

Smiles
Steph

Featured April Release - Damages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Cassidy Amberg has known but one love in her life: the irrepressible, charming Brian Hayward. Though she’s coped well enough since he married another woman and moved away, she’s never forgotten. He returns home after an accident robs him of both mobility and wife.

Though Brian isn’t quite back on his feet, he buys a home too big to manage from a wheelchair. Cassidy sees her old friend needs help, and offers as much as she can. When Brian proposes a marriage-of-convenience, she must dig deep within for the grace to accept.

At first they manage well enough as friends, but gradually Brian recognizes he loves his in-name-only wife. Cassidy struggles with realizing she never fell out of love with him. Only when Brian dares push their platonic marriage beyond the boundaries, do they find a chance at permanent happiness together.

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EXCERPT:

Cassidy's heart kept beating. She felt air flowing in and out of her lungs, which told her she was alive. Otherwise everything, body, soul and spirit, came to a crashing stop. For a moment, she thought she'd heard I love you. Marry me.

But that was only more self-deception. She'd heard marriage, not love.

Incredibly, Brian continued speaking. The stammer he'd conquered as a boy returned, a sure sign of extreme stress.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm offering you a sort of m-marriage, in name. With the idea of m-making a home. I don't see too many options here. My company is taking off nice, so it needs a h-hundred percent of my attention. So does therapy. Between 'em I'm working too many hours most days to keep up with the house too. Business is good and getting better. I already make almost what I did in Arizona." He shook his dark head. "It's not what you deserve. The externals are the whole package. A nice home and a pretty g-good lifestyle."

"Why now? Why me?"

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deborah Kinnard started writing at age ten, frustrated because there was no preteen girl with a horse on 'Bonanza'. From there she progressed to short stories and really bad poetry.



In college, she gained two degrees in health care and spent time observing hippies, basketball stars, el-ed majors and other strange species.



While raising two active girls and cherishing a husband, she enjoyed a career that has encompassed Spanish translation, volunteer work at a crisis line, years in assorted ERs that don't resemble the one on TV, and a day job at a big Chicago teaching hospital.



She's a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, serving as Midwest Zone Director, and confesses to being a loud singer at church. In 2002 and 2003, she sold her first and second novels, POWERLINE and OAKWOOD to Treble Heart Books. ANGEL WITH A RAY GUN was released in 2006, 'Something Borrowed' in the BRIDES AND BOUQUETS 2007 anthology, and MY SILENT HEART in November 2007, all by ByGrace Publishing. SEASONS IN THE MIST will release in spring 2010 from Sheaf House Publishing.



When Deb's not at the computer writing, she keeps busy with reading, playing the guitar, and needlework. She loves to travel and meet new people, some of whom turn up later in her stories. So if you meet a short woman with a light in her eye...


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You can purchase this book at: Desert Breeze Publishing, link in the title,
Amazon for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Damages-ebook/dp/B003EV5SZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1270482998&sr=8-1
All Romance Books: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-damages-423974-149.html

The "unsellable" novel by Deb Kinnard

Deb Kinnard, author of the upcoming novel, "Damages" (releasing 1 APR 2010) pops into the blog today. Enjoy! Steph. And now, here's Deb

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Markets can be fickle brats (so can Muses, but that's another post). I seem to have become very good at writing Books That Won't Sell. I've written a spousal abuse book, a time travel romance, and a love story set in 973 Wales.

Why can't I just get with the program and write bonnet books? I don't really know for sure...

A couple of years ago, when I came to agreement with my wonderful agent, Tamela Murray, we talked about what finished projects I had and where they might be pitched. I mentioned a book dear to my heart, called DAMAGES. "Oh," said she, "I don't think that's gonna fly."




"Why not?"

"It centers around an ungodly marriage."

Now granted that the Christian fiction market has its own quirks. We talked about the core of the book and I explained that the story tells how Brian and Cassidy change their marriage into everything that's right and beautiful and God-honoring.

Let's just say Tamela still wasn't feeling the love. With regret I shelved the book. It was only a couple of years later that I floated the idea again. Hey, maybe the market had changed a little?

"Tell you what. Let's check if Desert Breeze might be interested," she said.

And lo! The book the market didn't want has found a home. I'm tickled to pieces.

Read more about Brian and Cassidy's journey from a very strange agreement to a lovely marriage in DAMAGES, releasing April 1.

Do I still write out of the box? Probably. Will I ever get with the Christian fiction mainstream program? Probably not.

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Thanks, Deb for stopping by.