Today I welcome author and blogger Johnnie Alexander as she shares about her latest release and generously offers the choice of a print or e-book to one lucky winner. Read on through to find out how to enter the random drawing.

A Sneak Peek inside the book: 

Part One

If through a broken heart, God can bring His purposes to pass in the world,

then thank Him for breaking your heart.  Oswald Chambers

Chapter One

August 1997 ~ Winter Park, Florida

Beneath the brim of her black felt hat, Annalee Gilbert stared at the newly engraved granite stone. Her throat ached from breathing past unbearable sorrow, and hot tears stung her eyes. But she dared not weep. If she allowed herself to cry again, she’d be undone by past regrets and lost dreams.

Lifting her bouquet of blue and white forget-me-nots, she breathed in their delicate fragrance and slipped into the distant past. Rolf had arranged to have a similar bouquet sent to her dressing room one opening night, the first time he’d sent her flowers, and she’d worn them in her hair. A capacity crowd came to see her performance, but she played her role for him alone.

Placing her hand on the stone, Annalee steadied herself and laid the fragile forget-me-nots at its base.

The crunch of feet on gravel drew Annalee’s attention to the nearby path. She had timed her visit with perfection. Jenna always visited her mother’s grave on Saturday mornings. A pang seized Annalee’s chest as the trim young woman hesitated.

“Hello,” she said with a hesitant smile. An errant breeze tugged at her shoulder-length hair, and she cupped her hand over the yellow daisies she carried. “I saw you at the funeral. Did you know my mom?”

Annalee’s heart pounded an irregular beat. Her throat clenched, and she moistened her lips. “Once. It seems a lifetime ago.”

About Johnnie: 

Johnnie Alexander is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of more than thirty works of fiction. She is both traditionally and indie-published, serves as board secretary for the Mosaic Collection, LLC (an indie author group) and faculty chair for the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference; co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show; and contributes to the HHHistory.com blog. With a heart for making memories, Johnnie is a fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips. Connect with her at JohnnieAlexander.com.

Connecting Online: 

Amazon Author Page            http://bit.ly/JA-Author

BookBub                                http://bit.ly/JA-BBub

Facebook Page                       http://bit.ly/JA-FBk

Instagram                               https://bit.ly/JAInstag

Buy My Books                       https://bit.ly/ja-mybooks       

Getting to know Johnnie: 

What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?

• I enjoy the aroma that wafts from a newly opened bag of a specific brand of potato chips. And that’s why I’m the only one allowed to open a new bag of Lay’s Classic potato chips at my house!
• For a variety of reasons, I’ve moved five times in the past eleven years. A few months ago, I became a Florida resident for the third time in my life!
• My sister and I spent a week traveling around Europe via train a few years ago and then another week relaxing in Lisbon. One of the best vacations ever!

What do you enjoy most about writing?   

For me, writing has three phases ~ the imagining, the writing, and final revisions.

I love the writing process. I love-love imagining the twists and turns of a story, bringing characters to life, and the surprises I find along the way.

Most of all, I love-love-love going through the manuscript one last time and paying close attention to word choice and emotional depth. Then I take a deep breath, whisper a little prayer of thanks, and send that completed manuscript to the publisher.

Do you have a dedicated place to write, or a nook or corner of a room, or the kitchen table?

 This is my favorite place to imagine and write. It may not be efficient, especially when I need to situate my old-school notebook of printed info between me and my fourteen-year-old papillon who insists on napping as close to me as possible.

Enter a random giveway for your choice of a print (US or Canada) or ebook copy of When Memory Whispers. Include your email address, cleverly disguised so the 'bots don't get you. For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Your Turn ~ The place I love to write is also the place I love to read. Where do you like to curl up with an amazing read? Let me know in the comments and you’ll be entered in the giveaway for When Memory Whispers.