Ronie Kendig, New Releases, and Free Books!

An intriguing woman and a former Marine sniper are drawn into a deadly game.

Before we chat with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of today's drawing for Love on Assignment, by Cara Lynn James, is:

spowell01@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll contact you today for your snail mail address, and we'll get your book to you right away. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (below my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Readers, please make note of the comment requirement, below!

Now let's meet novelist Ronie Kendig, author of Digitalis, (Discarded Heroes #2, Barbour, January 2011).

Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat, married a veteran, and they now have four children, a Golden Retriever, and a Maltese Menace. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, volunteers with the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and mentors new writers.

Her novels include Dead Reckoning, a spy thriller, and Nightshade, Discarded Heroes Book#1, Digitalis, Discarded Heroes #2, and Wolfsbane (July 2011, Barbour Publishing).

Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.

-- Both of my parents were born in other countries. My dad had US citizenship, however, through his father, but my mom immigrated to the States when she was 18 then later became naturalized.

-- Also, I have one brother, who lives in California. Ironically, my husband has one sister.

-- Neither of our siblings have children or intend to, so our children will never have cousins.

-- At 17, I was in a Miss Texas Teen pageant, which I’m still wondering why I ever did that.

-- I played the flute for 7 years in middle school and high school, then pawned my flute (something I deeply regret) when we were first married and I was trying to pay for college books.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Digitalis.

Colton Neeley left his military career to take care of his four-year old daughter. Although he’s firm in his faith now, the repercussions of his former life are still evident—namely in the form of his daughter and his debilitating flashbacks from combat-related trauma. Can he muster the courage to step out of his self-imposed isolation and embrace the new woman in his life?

Piper Blum is hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. Although smitten by Colton, she fears the day he discovers her secrets. Does their relationship, built on a foundation of lies, have a chance?

When an attempt on Piper’s life leads to another’s death, the black ops group Nightshade steps into the line of fire. Will Colton and Piper survive the mission with their love—and lives—intact? Will love cover their multitude of sins?

What is it about your lead characters that will make your readers care about them?

Colton is a very sturdy guy in a lot of ways--he’s big/muscular, he’s solid in his faith, but he still wrestles with life and the issues it throws his way. I think a lot of us can relate to that--we all have things we wrestle with--and Colton tries very hard to walk his faith, not just talk it.

To me, I loved my heroine too--she was a “timid” person, but also very direct. She is not a kick-rear heroine (as so many people seem to want these days) but she has amazing inner strength that carries her the long mile.

Why will readers enjoy your novel?

My stories tend to have a raw quality about them, much like life. I don’t hold back and I don’t tame things to they’re “likeable.” I write things as realistic as possible, but I always throw in hope, that our lifeline is God, that He is always there . . . but not in a preachy way. It’s more the way our faith should be--lived out daily, not a bunch of talk and hyperbole. Actions speak louder than words, and that’s how I write my stories. I think that resonates readers. And in the middle of the action and the drama, I usually will sprinkle in doses of humor and lightheartedness, which creates a good balance, I believe.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

For Colton, I’d probably pick someone like John Cena (with his clothes on--being a wrestler, he tends to be sans shirt LOL).



And for Piper it’d be someone like Gwyneth Paltrow who has a lot of grace and quiet elegance in her posture and bearing.



If you could change one thing about the Inspirational fiction industry, what would you change?

Well, since it is a dynamic (constantly changing) industry, I don’t know that I’d change anything. Or perhaps I’d lift the burden of marketing from the author’s shoulders and return it to the marketing department. To me, this is like asking a dog owner to be able to perform surgery on his/her pet simply because it’s their pet.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?

There is an ABA series that I just finished that I’d recommend to the young adult crowd since it’s clean and a good speculative read: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The stories and characters were engrossing. I will say right now that I did not like the ending to the last book, but it’s still a good, clean read that many young people will enjoy.

Then in the CBA market, there’s a tie between two books that I’d recommend: The first is Book of Days by James L. Rubart, and the other is Rick Acker’s When the Devil Whistles. Both of these books are compelling reads. Book of Days is another “living book,” meaning it reaches to the heart of the reader, no matter who/what/where that reader is. When the Devil Whistles is a fascinating and compelling read--one of the best I’ve read in the suspense market lately.

What are you working on now?

A few things have my attention at the moment: marketing Digitalis, finishing Firethorn (Discarded Heroes #4), and planning for my new military war dog series that will hit shelves summer 2012. And I’m secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly since I’m posting it here) working on a speculative YA series that I started about 18 mos ago.

Where else can readers find you online?

My website: www.roniekendig.com
Discarded Heroes site: www.discardedheroes.com
Twitter: www.twitter/roniekendig

The book is available for online purchase through the following buttons:





CBD.com



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

I write about heroes and heroic actions/deeds, and I love finding out from my readers who your hero(es) are. Who is one of your heroes?

Thank you, Ronie, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Ronie has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, February 10. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Ronie's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Be sure to check out my interview with Vannetta Chapman below, and leave a comment under her interview to be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of her book.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.


Before signing off for the day, I'd like to invite you to take a look at the fabulous inspirational novels releasing this month!

1. Angel Sister by Ann Gabhart -- General Fiction from Revell. It is 1936 and Kate Merritt, the middle child of Victor and Nadine Merritt, works hard to keep her family together during the Great Depression. Who could imagine that a dirty, abandoned little girl named would be just what the Merritts need?

2. Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman -- General Fiction from Bethany. What would you give for a second chance to make things right? When life gets complicated, Grace Graham runs. But now her sister, Jana, is giving her once last chance.

3. Blood Covenant by Lisa Harris -- A Thriller/Suspense from Zondervan. Paige Ryan and Nick Gilbert must put their own lives in the hands of God as they fight for the safety of the refugees under their protection.

4. Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze -- A Thriller/Suspense from Waterbook-Multnoma. Her enemy will stop at nothing for control. She will risk everything for freedom.

5. Hometown Dad by Merrillee Whren -- A Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A pair of rowdy boys would be exhausting for two parents—little wonder single mom Melanie Drake feels overwhelmed. Enter Nathan Keller—respected banker, descendant of the town’s father...and baseball coach.

6. Journey to Riverbend by Henry McLaughlin -- A Western Historical from Tyndale. A chance for redemption was something they never expected. A chance for love was something they never dreamed of. Sometimes the journey is only the beginning . . .

7. Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes -- A Romance from Revell. By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets. Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British aristocrat, is doing on American soil working as an indentured servant.

8. Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate -- General Fiction from Bethany House. Adventure is the last thing on Andrea Henderson's mind when she moves to Moses Lake. But when a little girl is seen with the town recluse, Andrea and the new game warden are drawn together in the search for her identity. The little girl offers them both a new chance at redemption and hope--and may bring them closer than either ever planned.

9. Letting Go; Healing Hearts Series, Book 1 by Michelle Sutton -- General Fiction from Sheaf House. From an early age Diane Simmons was trained by her parents in the art of seduction, but she hates that about herself and wants to be loved for who she is, not what she looks like.

10. Raider's Heart by Marcia Gruver -- A Romance from Barbour. Dawsey Wilkes wakes up deep in the Carolina swamps, the prisoner of a rowdy family who support a vigilante intent on bringing justice to the poor. Wooed by the competitive McRae brothers and shunned by their sister Ellie, Dawsey remains intent on getting back home to her ailing father. But has it been God's plan all along to unite these two very different families?

11. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones -- A Romance from Thomas Nelson. You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.

12. The Outlaw's Return by Victoria Bylin -- A Historical Romance from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical. J.T. Quinn would know Mary Larue's beautiful voice anywhere. He just never expected to hear her singing in a Denver church.

13. Turbulance by Dana Mentink -- A Thriller/Suspense from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Romantic Suspense. Someone wants to ensure that the flight bringing Maddie Lambert and a transplant organ to her father never reaches its destination. Someone who's desperate enough to sabotage the plane.

14. When All My Dreams Come True by Janelle Mowery -- General Fiction from Harvest House. An adventurous novel of faith, hope, and love in the Wild West.

15. Words by Ginny Yttrup -- General Fiction from B and H Publishing. Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word-Jesus Christ.

Happy reading!