Amazing Love, the modern-day story of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible, speaks of God's unconditional love, mercy, and grace and how much loving someone that much can cost.Before we visit with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the signed copy of Unbreakable, by Nancy Mehl, is
beekeeper5@ . . .
Congratulations! I'll email you today to get your mailing address, and we'll get your book to you right away. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways!
Now let's visit with novelist K. Dawn Byrd, author of Amazing Love (Sword of the Spirit, November 2012).
K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including, historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray.When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"
Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.
- I have 3 ferrets and they're my favorite pets ever! I'm so glad I rescued my fuzzy little boys.
- I'm a huge sports car fan. My favorite sports car is the Mustang GT. I've owned 7 and currently own a Roush edition.
- I love sour foods. Pickles. Olives. Dilly beans.
- I have 2 spoiled rotten Chinese Crested dogs.
- One of my favorite hobbies is antique shopping with my hubby.
Seven Mustangs! That's quite a commitment!
Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Amazing Love.
Gabe Knight, a pastor in a small coastal town, finds his life is turned upside down when Dee Dillow arrives and hires him to remodel an estate she's inherited from her aunt. Dee dashes his plans for wedded bless when on a drunken binge, she divulges that she's the highest paid call girl in Nevada and part-owner of the ritziest brothel in the state.Gabe falls in love with her, but can't believe he's hearing the voice of God when a still, small voice tells him to marry her. After much questioning, they marry and he is deliriously happy. Until, Dee betrays him.
Gabe soon discovers just how hard it is to have the unconditional love God calls him to have for his wife, the kind of love God has for his children. When faced with losing her, Gabe realizes what true love is, how much it hurts, and just how much God loves and is willing to sacrifice for his children.
What is it about Dee that will make your readers care about her?
My lead character is a prostitute with a heart. She loves kids and the fact that she'll probably never had any of her own makes her love them even more. She's vulnerable and readers see that. She's not going to make a profession of faith and half-way live it. She won't make a profession until she's ready to follow Jesus with her whole heart. She loves her husband unconditionally, but a series of events causes her to betray him. Readers will understand that she does it out of love and to protect him.
If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?
Angelina Jolie 
and Dermot Mulroney.Mention a scene in your novel and name a piece of music that would make good background music for that scene.
Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" would make good background music for when my hero and heroine meet. She's standing looking at the large house she inherited from her aunt and reminiscing about her life and the summer she spent there as a teenager. She says that the house represents both the best and worst summer of her life.
What are you working on now?
My next deadline is for Hotline Girl, a young adult romance about a girl who is picked to volunteer on the school's counseling hotline because her mother is the school psychologist. The guy that she's had a crush on forever visits the hotline because he's having trouble with his girlfriend, which causes a strange series of events.
Where else can readers find you online?
www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com
K. Dawn Byrd on Amazon
The book can be purchased in fine book stores and online via the following buttons:
Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?
God's love is unconditional. He forgives us no matter what we do, but sometimes it's hard for us to forgive others. Gabe, my hero in Amazing Love, realizes just how hard forgiveness can be when his wife betrays him. What would you have a really hard time forgiving?
Thank you, Kim, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Kim has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, February 21. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Kim'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 Kelly Irvin, below. Leave an appropriate comment at the bottom of the post to enter the drawing for a signed copy of the book.
And see my post about an exciting new cell phone plan I started using in 2012. I'm thrilled with it--unlimited talk, text, and data for $49/month, with no contract. Send me an email through the "Email Trish" button, above, if you'd like me to send you a link to learn more about the phone plan and the income opportunity it presents.
Finally, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.
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.
12 comments:
About the only thing I would struggle with forgiving at this stage in my life is if my husband were unfaithful. It would truly devastate me. I hope I win this book, it sounds awesome. Blessings, Susan Fryman susanngarrylee@yahoo.com
First this book sounds great I will have to look for it , the small town I live in does not have a good selection at the library...
Forgiveness id a tough one, I have learned how to forgive ...it took a long time to understand that I do not have to forget and I can still be cautious... my worst forgiveness is either when the person that has betrayed me or hurt me continues over and over...but in reality if I would walk away that would not happen : ) Sad to be 60 when you learn that
the other is to forgive some one that hurts my daughters and grand children... widowed at 58 , both parents gone and brothers in Florida as I live in Illinois...well they are my life... God is still working in me...His Grace and Mercy are amazing : )
Sonja: God is still working on all of us. I have problems myself at times with forgiveness, especially if it's a family member that I trusted who betrayed me. I can be so hard. Then, I remember how Christ was tortured and he asked God to forgive them. That makes me feel so inadequate in the forgiveness department.
Susan: I know what you mean. I've been married almost 18 years to a man who is my best friend and who I trust with my life. Infidelity would be devastating.
I learned forgiveness when members
of my family were murdered in two
different incidents seven years
apart. One victim was an uncle and
the other victims were three of my grandchildren.
Now I teach forgiveness to women's
groups. It's hard, but it's doable.
When you parse forgiveness it has
three parts. You are always responsible for two of them,
but one is God's prerogative alone.
The hardest thing to forgive for me would be harming my kids.
First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to interview with us! I enjoyed getting to know more about you. This is the first I've heard of this book, but I'll be sure to look for it. The hardest thing for me to forgive is when a person pretends to be your friend to your face, then talks about you behind your back. Not once, but repeatedly. It really takes the reminder that Jesus loves unconditionally to attempt to forgive that person.
justhorsinaround730(at)gmail(dot)com
Soni's point about not having to forget in order to forgive is important. I've found, in cases of betrayal, that time helps in the latter area if I've truly embraced the former. But I've still learned what I should from the experience, as Soni says.
I'm so very sorry, Judith, for what you've experienced. And Sheila, your post struck something in me. I still marvel at people being about to forgive when harm is done to their children. I pray I'm NEVER tested in that regard.
Enjoyed the interview. I have been wanting to read one of your books. This may be a great way to read one Free!!! Thanks so much.
Pam Fallin
pamfallin@hotmail.com
I enjoyed reading the interview. Forgiveness can be a really tough thing sometimes, but if you allow yourself to accept that the other person did something wrong usually against you, allow yourself to be hurt, and then turn it over to God and ask for His peace with the situation, it helps. I've been hurt many times, several pretty bad times, but I have learned that I can forgive without allowing myself to be put in a place where it could happen again. God bless, Sherri christianbookreviewer at gmail dot com
Judith:
I am so sorry. Bless your heart. Losing family members in such a manner twice is almost too much for one person to handle. I can't imagine how hard it would be to forgive the person who killed my family members.
Breanna:
That's so true. I was recently deceived by someone I thought was my friend. I was very hurt to learn that she wasn't. I've forgiven her, but I'm not as close to her as I was and never will be because I can never trust her again.
Sherri:
I like what you wrote: "I can forgive without allowing myself to be put in a place where it could happen again." It's so true!
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