November 27, 2017

Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom by June McCrary Jacobs - Interview and Giveaway


Book details
Print Length: 144 pages
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (October 1, 2013)
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00FL1W2CW

Book description
“What's happened?” Amber asked.
“One of your students was critically injured in an accident.”
Amber let out a squeak. “Who?”

Tragedy brings heartache to the community of Apple Blossom. A car takes the life of 6-year-old Mary Noel Simmons’s best friend—her dog—and nearly destroys Mary Noel’s spirit as well. Now she lies at the hospital, traumatized and silent, while the medical bills are piling up with no way for her parents to pay them.

That is, until Mary Noel’s teacher, Amber Kellen, breaks out of her quiet, lonely life to help.

With the help of her new friend Paul, Amber sets out to solve the family’s financial problems by involving the entire community. And as the two friends work together, they discover that creating a Christmas miracle may also has some unexpected benefits. Filled with romance and kindness, this story of hope and faith will warm your hearts.

Meet the author - June McCrary Jacobs
Award-winning author, June McCrary Jacobs, won Cedar Fort Publishing’s 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, ‘A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom’. ‘Robin’s Reward’, released in April, 2015, was her first full-length novel. This inspirational contemporary romance is the first installment of the ‘Bonita Creek Trilogy’. The series is set in June's favorite location in California—the Mendocino coastal region. June’s original sewing, quilting, and stitchery designs have been published in over one hundred books, magazines, and sewing industry blogs in the past few years. She wrote a recurring column for a sewing magazine published in Great Britain and contributed several other articles to sewing and craft magazines published in the United States. When she’s not writing, reading, or sewing, June enjoys cooking, walking, photography, and visiting art and history museums, parks, and botanical gardens. She also enjoys touring historic homes {especially when they're decorated for Christmas!} and strolling around the many historic Gold Rush towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills. In the summertime you can find June at a variety of county fairs and the California State Fair admiring the sewing projects, quilts, and handiwork other inspired seamstresses, quilters, craftspeople, and artists have created.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: June enjoys connecting with readers, authors, aspiring authors, bloggers, designers, sewers, quilters, and crafters. Please connect with June at the following platforms: 


BUY LINKS: 

Interview
1. Who or what inspired you to start writing?JMJ: I believe my love for reading inspired my love for writing way back when I was a child. I liked to write poems, and as I grew older I decided I wanted to be an author. As an adult, I decided I had a lot to say through my fictional characters and stories so I began writing fiction in 2010 or so. I had previously written a column and other articles for sewing and crafting magazines published in the United States and the United Kingdom.

2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
JMJ: I rarely have writer's block because I have a lot of different story ideas recorded in my journals and sketch books. When my current writing project is not going well for me, I switch gears and work on something else or write a poem. Also, listening to classical music, reading my Bible, and sewing help me get back in focus.

3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
JMJ: I find I am the freshest in the mornings, so I try to dedicate time to write each weekday morning. I don't hold myself to a minimum or maximum on pages or words. I try to just go with the flow because that method seems to work best for me.

4. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
JMJ: Many people have asked me this question, Angela. I have always been a voracious reader along with being very creative with sewing, stitching, crafts, and in my thinking. Basically, I have an active imagination that never slows down.

Several of the elements of 'A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom' come from my life's experiences. The main character, Amber Kellen, is a first grade teacher working in a new town. I taught first grade for eighteen years, and my first job was in a new town. Second, the tragedy that kicks off the story is something I witnessed when I was about eight years old. It was an event I will never forget, so I used it as the catalyst to begin this story. {Read the book to find out the event to which I'm referring.}

5. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
JMJ: I love anything to do with sewing, quilting, and hand-embroidery. This includes sewing for my family and friends, making quilts for my favorite charities, and participating in a church quilting group which makes comfort quilts for members and friends in need of a boost during a difficult time. I also enjoy visiting gardens, parks, historic homes, history and art museums, photography, cooking, and reading. I love to walk, listen to music, and keep in touch with friends and family.

6. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
JMJ: I try to tell aspiring authors who contact me that the most important lesson I have learned on my author's journey is to be true to yourself, your beliefs, your morals and ethics in your writing. Don't write something you would not be proud to share with your closest friend or someone you've never met. Integrity in one's writings is paramount in my opinion.

7. Who is your favorite author or book that you would like to recommend to your readers?
JMJ: I recently read an excellent middle grade historical novel I consider to be one of my all-time favorite books! The book is 'Wolf Hollow' by Author Lauren Wolk. It's set in Pennsylvania during World War II. The book is simply awesome. It's so well-written and heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time.

I have so many favorite authors and books that I would highly recommend. I invite your readers to visit my Goodread's page at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7102562.June_McCrary_Jacobs to read some of my reviews and learn more about my favorite authors and their books.

8. If you could meet any famous person dead or alive who would it be and why?
JMJ: I have always admired Author Laura Ingalls Wilder for her independent spirit and perseverance in the face of adversity and tragedy. I love history, and her 'Little House' books were among my favorites as a child. I think she would be an interesting person to sit with and discuss life as she sees it. Can you imagine showing someone like Laura Ingalls Wilder who was born just after the Civil War a cell phone, laptop computer or computerized sewing machine? What would she think of our high-tech, digital society? It boggles my mind how different her childhood and life were than those of us born in the twentieth or twenty-first centuries.

9. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
JMJ: I have always dreamed of visiting Australia. The unusual wildlife and diverse landscapes there fascinate me. There are several authors, quilters and sewing designers from down under whose work I greatly admire.

10. Five interesting facts about yourself:
JMJ: Okay, here goes:

I have had over one hundred of my original sewing, quilting, and craft designs published in books, magazines (US and UK) and on sewing industry blogs over the past decade. I've had over a dozen columns and articles published in sewing and crafting magazines (US and UK).

I love rock music in the vein of The Who, Led Zepplin, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, The Rolling Stones, etc. I went to dozens of concerts when I was in high school and college and was fortunate enough to see many great acts. I also like classical music, the blues, classic Broadway musicals and jazz.

When I was a child I rode on a Goodyear blimp in Southern California. I remember vividly flying over a beach filled with people. I think it was in Long Beach. When they heard or saw the blimp approaching, they all turned and waved at us. How cool is that!

I lived in three states before I was six and a half; I've lived in California since then.

I love visiting historic homes, especially when they are decorated for Christmas. I had the pleasure of touring Hearst Castle at holiday time—it was elegant and stunning and unforgettable. I've also visited many historic homes in the Gold Country, Central Valley, and Bay Area of California along with some trips to homes on the North Coast of California and Nevada.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Angela. This was a treat for me to answer your well-crafted questions. I wish you and all of your readers a very blessed holiday season and a wonderful 2018!
Giveaway
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1 comment:

  1. June McCrary JacobsNovember 27, 2017 at 10:35 AM

    Thank you so much for hosting me on your awesome blog, Angela! Best wishes, June

    ReplyDelete

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