FREE book - Time is running out!

Time is running out to register to win this month's free book. June's book is The Little Pot by Dawn Stephens. You can read the review at Feathered Quill Book Reviews and then follow the link for our contest. There's no obligation. Don't miss the chance to win a wonderful book to inspire young readers.

More Reviews Posted At Feathered Quill

We just posted several new reviews at Feathered Quill Book Reviews. Genres include mystery, humor and children's. Some of the reviewed books are:

• Boston Scream Pie
• Sidikiba's Kora Lesson
• How To Profit From The Coming Rapture: Getting Ahead When You’re Left Behind
• The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
• Return of the Dittos

Author interview with Christine Sunderland

Today we're talking to Christine Sunderland, author of Offerings.

FQ: In this book, you try to make sense of the role of suffering in our world. What lessons about how physical suffering allies with spiritual belief do you hope readers will take away from Offerings?

I believe there are many connections between physical suffering and spiritual belief. Some would include 1) a belief that suffering is not meaningless, that good can come out of it; 2) a belief that suffering is caused by man and not God; 3) a willingness to offer one's suffering to God. These hopeful spiritual states, or beliefs, hinder depression and encourage joy, something science has corroborated.

FQ: Can you tell us more about the concept of “New Israel”?

The phrase "New Israel" has been used to describe the Christian faith as an extension of the Jewish faith, as opposed to Christianity being a new faith "invented" or "founded" by Christ. As the New Israel, Christianity is the fulfillment of the Jewish prophecies that a messiah would come to save mankind. Christ, of course, was Jewish and honored the prophets, the law, and the commandments, making frequent references to this heritage.

FQ: At one point in Offerings, two characters have an interesting debate about Catholic-run nations (like Italy) and Protestant-run nations (as you define the United States.) The debate is never resolved however. Can you talk more about this debate? Do you plan on re-visiting this topic?

For the most part, I was having a little fun in that scene, playing around with mere speculation. The argument has been made over time that the Protestant work ethic supported development and achievement, as opposed to a Catholic acceptance of the status quo, but like all such generalizations, there are many exceptions. I do return to this idea a bit in Inheritance for it deals with the Protestant influences in England and by extension, in the United States. The Calvinist doctrines of Predestination and the Elect had a great influence on Western culture, as well as the Puritan taboos on recreation and pleasure.

FQ: Do you feel ready to let go of Madeleine and Jack after you finish the trilogy? Or might readers get to catch up again with them?

Who knows? It will be difficult – they may reappear at some point! But for now a fourth novel is waiting in line, set in Hawaii, in which Madeleine and Jack have no part to play.Hana-lani is a faster paced novel about a young woman's search for meaning in today's culture of instant gratification. It's about family, history, and tradition, but not an "inspirational" novel per se.

FQ: Can you give us a preview of the last in this trilogy?

Inheritance is about Vietnamese-American Victoria Nguyen, seventeen, who flees to England with a secret. Madeleine and Jack, in London to found a children's home, meet Victoria in nearby Aylesbury on Ash Wednesday and befriend her. Brother Cristoforo (whom readers met in Pilgrimage), a black Franciscan, joins them, and as the four travel through England in the mists of Lent to Easter Day, they face their own challenges and choices. Inheritance is about the history of Christianity in England, the nature of belief, and the action of God in history. It's also about love, freedom, and the mystery of time.

To learn more about Offerings please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Win a Book - Time is Running Out!

The June book contest is quickly coming to a close.  This month we are giving away a copy of The Little Pot by Dawn Stephens.  This is an adorable book that "...teaches young children about the value of patience and the loving omniscience of their Creator."  Read the interview with the author below or check out the review on our site at:Feathered Quill Book Reviews.  Entering the contest is quick and easy.  Just visit our site, follow the link to the "Free Book" page, enter your name/email and presto, you're entered.  While on our site, please check out all the great books we've reviewed - there's sure to be a book that will interest you.  

Technorati Tags: free book, book contest, dawn stephens, the little pot, win a book, inspirational book children, 

Author interview with Cliff Ball

Today we're sitting down to talk with Cliff Ball, author of Don't Mess With Earth.

FQ: You have previously written a short novella. What made you decide to tackle a full-length novel? How does writing a novel differ from working on a novella?

My novella, Out of Time, wasn't meant to be a novella when I started writing it, but, I ended up with major writer's block when I tried writing it that I pretty much got frustrated with it, since I spent years trying to write it. So, last year, I decided to use Iuniverse to publish it, get it out of the way, even though it wasn't exactly polished, and work on something fresh and new. Don't Mess With Earth is at a little over 50,000 words and I'm trying to work my way to the official length of other mainstream novels that have more than 80,000 words. It only took me about 8 months to write Don't Mess With Earth, but, it took me over 10 years to try to write Out of Time. My opinion on the differences between the novel and novella, as of right now, I'd say a novella was more difficult for me to write.

FQ: Both books have science fiction themes. Why is this the genre of choice for you?

I enjoy reading and watching science fiction, and I find I am more comfortable writing science fiction, so that's the genre I've chosen. I do write other forms of fiction though, and I'm currently working on a novel that isn't science fiction.

FQ: Growing up, were you strongly influenced by shows like Star Trek? Do you feel that science fiction continues to play an important role influencing today's society?

When I turned 13 was around the time that Star Trek: The Next Generation came on the air. It was new and exciting, and the whole genre really caught my interest; while at around the same period of time, Quantum Leap showed up on TV and that got me interested in time travel. I watched shows or movies back then like Back to the Future, The Explorers, Flight of the Navigator, Out of this World, Knight Rider, ALF, V, and some of the others from the late '70's and early part of the '80's in re-runs, so they all strongly influenced my interest in science fiction.

Do I think that science fiction plays a role in today's society? Yes, I do. I keep reading that some inventors and scientists were influenced by Star Trek back in the 1960's and they wanted to invent some of that technology that was in the show. The military, from what I've read, is working on cloaking fields and transporters, along with exoskeletons like the ones in Alien. Who knows, sometime in the near future, we may have a warp drive.

FQ: The first several chapters of Don't Mess With Earth deal with historical figures who were actually Terrans. How did you decide who would be Terran vs. those who were simply influenced by Terran actions.

King Arthur and Merlin seemed like natural choices to me to be aliens, and I guess the writers of Stargate SG-1 thought so too! ha ha! Anyway, I chose Galileo because it made sense to have a scientist like him with the oppression he faced, to be an alien and trying to bring technology to a society that was not all that into science. I chose Amelia Earhart to be an alien, but, she replaces the real Amelia Earhart who dies in my novel during the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak, so the Terran who replaces her picks up where Amelia leaves off. The Terran authorities let Amelia play her little flying game until 1937, when they pick her up and she disappears. Since the real Amelia Earhart disappeared, I thought it would be cool to make her not from this Earth, since there were a lot of questions on what had happened to her.

FQ: Ostoro, the captive Ragnor, spends a significant time as a captive on Earth. Do you see his character as developing or changing during his captivity?

Ostoro remained mostly belligerent during the whole 50 to 60 years he was on Earth, but, he softened his attitudes over time until the very end when he realized why the humans had kept him alive for the entire time. When he realized he was going to be disposed of, he reverted back to form and condemned the humans as being backward and way too primitive to be an advanced species using space travel.

FQ: There are numerous references throughout your book to old science fiction movies. For instance, when deciding on the name for the new starship, an airman asks if it will be named Enterprise. Names of other famous starships from old movies are also mentioned. There is a character named Chief of Staff Frank Pike (perhaps from Christopher Pike of Star Trek fame?). Is this your way of paying homage to these science fiction movies?

Actually, I hadn't thought of Christopher Pike from Star Trek, it was a reference to Zebulon Pike, the namer of Pike's Peak. As for most of the names of nearly everyone on Earth in the later part of the novel, most of them have the last names of a historical figure in American history. As for the starship names, they all pay homage to Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica, but I humorously suggest in the novel that the new starship being named for any of those ships in those series would be considered copyright infringement and the government could get sued. I had Ostoro watch the originalThe Day the Earth Stood Still because I thought it was kind of funny having an invading alien watch a movie about aliens coming to Earth being greeted by humans who shoot first and ask questions later. There are subtle references to science fiction movies throughout the novel, you just have to really pay attention, but one obvious one has to do with Star Wars and Excalibur, King Arthurs' sword.

To learn more about Don't Mess With Earth, please read the review at Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Technorati Tags: cliff ball, author interview, don't mess with earth, science fiction, day the earth stood still, space travel

Author interview with Christine Sunderland

Today we're excited to chat with Christine Sunderland, author of Pilgrimage.

FQ: What type of reader did you have in mind when you wrote Pilgrimage?

I believe Pilgrimage would appeal to travelers who enjoy journeys both of body and soul, those who seek to experience and understand our world, as well as our place in it.

FQ: What do you hope a reader of another faith might get out of your book?

I would hope a reader of another faith would enjoy visiting Italy (Rome, Orvieto, Milan, Lake Como, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Siena) as well as the journey through time, meeting historical figures who have so impacted Western values. Also, the central premise of Pilgrimage is a universal one – a mother's grief. Agnostic readers have commented to me that they saw Madeleine's journey of healing as a metaphor for the human condition.

FQ: Your main character accepts religious miracles, such as receiving the stigmata, with little doubt in their veracity. How do you view religious miracles?

Throughout time there have been fraudulent claims and bogus relics. Even so, I believe in miracles that have been historically documented with eyewitness accounts. An interesting present day stigmatic is Padre Pio, who died in the last few years. His stigmata are well documented.

FQ: The characters in your book hold very definite values. For example, Madeleine tries to dissuade her son from living out of wedlock with his girlfriend. Are you hoping to embark certain lessons in values to your readership?

Every author's values are present in his or her work, and I am no exception, but of course, each of us must make our own choices and respect one another's chosen path. As an author, I must tell the truth as I see it.

FQ: Your book also serves as a great travelogue. Could readers use Pilgrimage to find the churches, restaurants and hotels mentioned in the book?

All of the churches, restaurants and hotels are factual and welcoming to visitors and guests.Pilgrimage arose out of my travel journals and we often return to these beloved places in Italy.

FQ: Can you give readers a preview of what they can expect in the second book of the trilogy, Offerings?

In Offerings we travel again with Jack and Madeleine, this time through France in search of an expert surgeon to perform a lifesaving procedure. We also see France through the eyes of the agnostic Doctor DuPres. Themes involve the nature of love, the power of trust, and the question of belief. We visit Lourdes, Rocamadour, Vence, Lèrins, Lyons, Vézeley, Reims, and of course, Paris.

The third in the trilogy, Inheritance, set in England, will be released in the next six months.

To learn more about Pilgrimage please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Technorati Tags: christine sunderland, book review, author interview, pilgrimage, inheritance, offerings, christian inspirational, travel to france

New Reviews at Feathered Quill

Today was a busy day at Feathered Quill Book Reviews. Several new reviews were posted. Please check them out - there are some great books in several different genres.

• Pilgrimage By: Christine Sunderland
• Don't Mess With Earth By: Cliff Ball
• 21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone with Diabetes By: Cherie Burbach
• Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Nutrient Packed Greens By: Eric Frank & Jasmine Richardson
• Bahama Burnout By: Don Bruns

Technorati Tags: book reviews, microgreens, bahama burnout, don't mess with earth, pilgrimage, 21 simple things diabetes, christine sunderland, cliff ball, cherie burbach, eric frank, don bruns