Review and Author Interview: Jacqueline by Jackie Minniti

Anaiah Press Blog Tour for Jacqueline by Jackie Minniti

 Jacqueline by Jackie MinnitiJacqueline
Jackie Minniti
Anaiah Press

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When Jacqueline and her mother receive news that her father, a French soldier in World War II has been shot down, she refuses to give up hope that he’ll return home. She studies hard, prays to the saint in the book her father gave her, and visits the train yard where wounded prisoners arrive. As the Nazis who occupy her small French town begin to remove local Jews from the neighborhood, Jacqueline and her mother hide a boy in their home. Soon the Americans come to liberate France from German control, and … Continue reading

John Davidson Takes Us Behind-the-Scenes in His Debut Novel

Bricks banner Today on The Story Sanctuary, John Davidson, author of Bricks, is here to give us some behind-the-scenes information about the development of his thought-provoking debut novel.

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write this novel?John D author

What a great question. For BRICKS, I think it would be: When the pieces of your life are shattered, where do you begin to put them back together? I think the answer for me was family, but what if your family wasn’t who they said they were? All stories are about questions asked and (sometimes) answered.

Were there things about … Continue reading

Author Interview: Jill Williamson Talks Inspiration, Lingo and What’s Next

Author Jill Williamson took time from her busy schedule to talk to me about what inspired her award-winning series The Safe Lands Trilogy and what she’s working on next. Here’s what she had to say…

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write this novel?

I was at my ladies’ Bible Study, and we were working on Beth Moore’s Daniel book. On screen, Beth asked us to think about some teenage boys we knew and how they might cope if they were taken from their homes and thrust into a Babylonian type of a world. And that’s the question that inspired the Safe Lands Trilogy.

Do you have a favorite character? Is there something about him/her which couldn’t be included in the novel that you’d like to share with us?

At the beginning of the series, Mason was my favorite. I liked his logical … Continue reading

Interview with the Founder of Sentences: A Book Donation Ministry

sentences_book_donationA few months ago, Clinton Festa contacted me with an opportunity to help promote an unusual ministry he’s begun. Sentences is a ministry through which books are donated to prisons and detention centers around the United States. Clinton joins me today to give us more information about what he’s doing and why it’s important. Thanks, Clinton!

What led you to form this sort of ministry/charity? How long has Sentences been in operation?

In October 2013 I started learning more about prison life from some documentaries. I was surprised to learn that some inmates in Indiana are given the privilege of having pet cats and video games. Most of the times though, in most prisons, reading is the main form of recreation on a short list of options. I started … Continue reading

Author Interview with Laura Anderson Kurk, Author of Glass Girl

Several months ago a friend recommended two fantastic novels for my reading and reviewing pleasure: Glass Girl and its sequel Perfect Glass. These novels follow Meg’s journey through the terrible grief of losing a sibling and the discovery of a healing love in the wild, heart-of-gold cowboy Henry. As I read, I devoured not only the marvelous tale but the emotional trek of each character through the sorrows and joys of loss and love. Today, Laura Anderson Kurk answers my burning questions about her creative process, reading recommendations and more!

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write Glass Girl and Perfect Glass?

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson KurkThis is a great way to look at story genesis! In 2010, when I first began working on Glass Girl, our country was seeing … Continue reading

Author Interview with Jaimie Engle

Author Jaimie EngleJaimie Engle is the author of Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light, a middle-grade adventure story in which a modern-day boy has a chance to be a hero in fifteenth century England. The novel is published by Wayman Publishing and illustrated by Debbie Johnson. Jaimie joins adventure fans today to answer some questions about her debut novel.

Blogger asks: One of the things I found most interesting in your novel is the time period to which the arrow whisked Clifton away. What made you choose to write about this moment in history?

Jaimie answers: It actually started when I came across an oil painting by Philip James de Loutherbourg depicting the Battle of Bosworth Field, which is the final battle of the … Continue reading