Showing posts with label Tricia Goyer. Show all posts
Hey everyone! If you've hung around my blog for a few years, you'll know I'm a big Tricia Goyer fans. Her stories are engaging and entertaining--and they tug on your heart strings!! So, I was absolutely thrilled to find out she was doing a book with a spy in it. OORAH!
Let me say straight out: due to a glitch, I didn't get a copy of the book. That's disappointing, but I would never skip out on promoting one of Tricia's books--especially one with spies (since that's what I write too!). And since she teamed up with Mike Yorkey, I know this book is going to be extra awesome! Yea!
About the book!
It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely "courier" Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating--and deadly--time in history.
About the authors!
Tricia Goyer is the author of several books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Montana. To find out more visit her website: www.triciagoyer.com
Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California.To find out more visit his website: www.MikeYorkey.com
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I have always loved Tricia Goyer's writing...and this book is no different. She's not only an amazing storyteller, but the way her characters grip your heart is just incredible!!
Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series
Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she's fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.
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Q and A with Tricia!
Q: A Shadow of Treason follows A Valley of Betrayal. This is the first time you've written books as a series instead of stand alone. Which way do you like better?
A: I love writing in series. It was great to continue with the same characters. In my stand-alone books I fell in love with these people and then I had to say good-bye after one book. It was wonderful to be able to continue on.
Q: In A Shadow of Treason Sophie must return to the person who betrayed her in an effort to help the Spanish people. It makes the book hard to put down because the reader has to know how Sophie's heart will deal with it. Why did you decide to make this an element of the book?
A: There are very few of us who go through life without giving away a part of our hearts to someone who didn't deserve it. Even though Sophie had the best intentions, she gave away her heart and she was hurt-not only that she must revisit those emotions.
I wanted to include this element-to delve into the topic that emotions are sometimes as big of a trap as any physical cage. Emotions are real and they guide us -- even when we don't want to admit it. Poor Sophie, not only does she have to deal with a war around her -- she also has to deal with a war within herself. It's something I've battled, and mostly likely others have too.
Q: There is an interesting element that arises in this book and that is Spanish gold. I know you can't tell us what happens in this book, but can you give us a brief history of this gold?
A: Sure. When I was researching I came upon something interesting. The Spaniards, as we know, had taken much Aztec and Inca gold during the time of the conquistadors. Well, at the start of The Spanish Civil War much of this gold was still held in Madrid. In fact Spain had the fourth largest gold reserves in the world at that time. The Republican government was afraid Franco would take the city and the gold. They had to get it out of Madrid and this included transporting priceless artifacts. The element of gold does make its way into my story. It was great to include this little-known (and true!) element into my story.
Q: Another historical fact I learned about was the Nazi involvement during this time. Not only were the Germans active in Spain, but they had spy networks busy around the world. How did you find out about this?
A: I love reading tons of research books. Usually I find one little element that I dig out and turn into a plot line. This is what happened with my plot-line for the Nazi pilot, Ritter. I dug up this bit of research of Nazi involvement in Spain -- and the United States -- because a lot of people aren't aware of the Nazi involvement prior to WWII. The truth is they were busy at work getting the land, information, and resources they needed far before they threatened the nations around them. The Germans knew what they wanted and how to get it. And most of the time they succeeded!
Q: A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. When will Book Three be out? Can you give us a hint of how the story continues?
A: Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in -- and (for a few) out -- of Spain. It's an exciting conclusion to the series!
Q: Wow, so we have a least one more fiction book to look forward to in the near future. Are you working on any non-fiction?
A: Yes, I have two non-fiction books that will be out the early part of 2008. Generation NeXt Marriage is a marriage book for today's couples. It talks about our marriage role models, our struggles, and what we're doing right as a generation. It also gives advice for holding it together.
I've also been privileged to work on the teen edition of Max Lucado's book 3:16. It was a great project to work on. What an honor!
Tricia is available for further interview. Contact Amy with your ideas and questions!
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Tricia's Bio:
Tricia Goyer has published over 300 articles for national publications such as Today's Christian Woman, Guideposts for Kids, and Focus on the Family, and is the co-author of Meal Time Moments (Focus on the Family). She has led numerous Bible Studies, and her study notes appear in the Women of Faith Study Bible (Zondervan).
She has written seven novels for Moody Publishing:
From Dust and Ashes (2003)
Night Song (2004)
Dawn of a Thousand Nights (2005);
Arms of Deliverance (2006)
A Valley of Betrayal (2007)
A Shadow of Treason (Fall 2007)
A Whisper of Freedom (February 2008)
Night Song was awarded American Christian Fiction Writer's 2005 Book of the Year for Best Long Historical. Dawn of a Thousand Nights won the same award in 2006.
Tricia has also written Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom (Zondervan, 2004), 10 Minutes to Showtime (Thomas Nelson, 2004), and Generation NeXt Parenting (Multnomah, 2006). Life Interrupted was a 2005 Gold Medallion finalist in the Youth Category.
Also, coming out in the next year are: My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson, 2007), Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah, Spring 2008), and 3:16-the teen version of the a book by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, Spring 2008).
Tricia and her husband John live with their three children in Kalispell, Montana. Tricia's grandmother also lives with them, and Tricia volunteers mentoring teen moms and leading children's church. Although Tricia doesn't live on a farm, she can hit one with a rock by standing on her back porch and giving it a good throw.
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Important Links!
First Chapter:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gmyNI3LG9MLxwLPN69On3xEhpcN1h6liE1oARX6NJ9TD4sMMLJha69wQMJVaU-KsxqwiHF5wXOP1BrYyK667h368F3uFctKzafk9FHoexUxZuS8SB01GH8r3ljrm5fNr7_1MJV11GNwj4qg3zRz-9vTyL6Hi9uNAgKkndg5fq-I=
Amazon Link:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gmyNI3LG9MJiAaEKTPURRwAdkZtiM05QIctbo0OcnFPWmD9Q4XsY3uuY3x2ETVAh8-l5dy-q586BdWSW43wU4QnqiJDMG1FrwcgQGLg3kB6sq0eg3IDtC4r5gnZgU0kjnXzY6kYtWKzsTK3KT0S9c_OMLLPJP88gvQ8nroyC7g2fxcTUu8bY5V6unIwOmxSv
Book 1, A Valley of Betrayal:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gmyNI3LG9MI7vuQEUFhxr38nKKTgByjqxlmDPo2fUyoRgQaoqnH6HMDbmSIG-QsyVDFfJx5o4puji0j6_7gj7UXCSj7dUc9LoOq71pfB1SHk-cbuJIOLgmg1naWr2D5y1q8BCxzrEBtsYlatpONgu903Mp_hq7SUUHAW7w2Q8gaXh8sxDGmU44jz659_TkK8
Tricia's Website:
Well, I spent the day traveling to attend a Veteran's Program in Grand Prairie, TX (two hours north of us). It was so very moving, and it was so beautifully time with the building concept of my new series.
Below, you'll find a salute to veterans created/forwarded by the incredible Tricia Goyer. Check it out!! From the bottom of my heart and my family's--THANK YOU TO ALL SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN!!
~~Forever Grateful~~
Veteran's Day is a time to remember:
I urged a friend to go with me, and I've been so thankful we went. The men were caring and opened their hearts to me. They shared stories with me that they hadn't shared with anyone before. They laughed. They cried. They took my hands and thanked me for caring about their story. They hugged me and kissed my cheeks.
When it came to writing my novel, I wasn't writing about fictional characters. I was writing pieces of Charlie's story, bits of Arthur's experiences. The memories that made LeRoy cry made it into my book. The snapshots that Tarmo carried around in his mind for 60 years transformed into scenes in my novel (and the novels to follow!).
I get many letters from readers who say that my novels come to life on the pages--that's because the men's experiences came to life to me as I looked into their eyes and saw glimpses of young heroes. Also, the following year I went to Europe and walked the streets of the SS housing with a man who'd been nine-years-old when the camp opened near his home. Again, I "saw" the story in his eyes as he shared--this time from someone on the outside.
There was an added benefit to this diligent research that I didn't expect. After my second novel Night Song came out I received a letter from a veteran. He made a list of twenty minor research points that I'd gotten right, and then he asked, "One thing I didn't understand was the faith element of this story. Can you tell me more about your faith in God?"
YES!
Because I had done the research, I'd was able to share about my Jesus with a veteran who has since passed away.
One more fun thing I didn't expect. One of the men I met at the reunion was Pete. Pete was a medic--the one medic I met. Years later I received a letter from a reader who had read From Dust and Ashes. She was a survivor of Mauthausen--actually, she was born there. When she was 3-weeks-old she was close to death. When the gates were open a medic spent a full day lancing and cleaning infected boils on her skin, saving her life. She asked me if I knew any medics. I knew one, and I passed on his phone number. It turns out Pete was the one who saved her life! They have since met on numerous occasions.
If I hadn't gone to that reunion I wouldn't have met Pete, and I wouldn't have been able to connect him with Hana--what a God thing!
Of course, I do have regrets concerning research, too. In my most recent series on the Spanish Civil War I received a letter from a SCW veteran who said he was willing to help me with research. The letter got put into my "very important" pile on my desk and weeks and months passed. I pulled it out again, and I planned on calling him when I heard from someone else that this man had passed away. That has happened more than once with men who offered to be interviewed, and I'm always regretful of the "one more story" I missed. After all, once gone they are gone for good.
the route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her. On her darkest night,
Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. Among these
volunteers, she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known
around the world through the power of art.
Well, anyone who knows me also knows that I am a HUGE fan of Tricia Goyer's. I find her to be an amazing woman--friend, wife, mother, homeschooler, writer, minister... Being a homeschool mom myself, I'm absolutely intrigued that she can manage all these tasks. Impressed, really. Anyway, enough rambling...on to Valley of Betrayal.
It came in the mail today. I grinned shamelessly, but set it aside to read on my vacation a week later. An hour later, I walked past the book--and it snagged me. I picked it up, thumbed through it, read the back cover copy...again. Stared at the cover. Took it with me upstairs.That was my first mistake. Before I realized what happened, I'd read three chapters. I was supposed to be working on things for a contest and preparing for our vacation. But that's what's so amazing about Tricia's writing. She makes you care. The worlds and characters she creates pull on your heart like 12 Gs!! You can't stop reading--more than that--you don't WANT to. :-D
Get sucked in like I did. Read the first chapter HERE!
The Story Behind the Novel:
A few years ago when I was researching for my fourth World War II novel, Arms of Deliverance, I came across a unique autobiography. One B-17 crewmember I read about claimed to make it out of German-occupied
Nazi tanks rolled across the hillsides and German bombers roared overhead, dropping bombs on helpless citizens. Italian troops fought alongside the Germans, and their opponents attempted to stand strong—Americans, British, Irishmen, and others—in unison with other volunteers from many countries. And their battleground? The beautiful Spanish countryside.
From July 17, 1936-April 1, 1939, well before
Unlike World War II, there is no clear line between white and black, good and evil. Both sides committed atrocities. Both sides had deep convictions they felt worth fighting and dying for.
Loyalists—also know as the Republicans were aided by the
Nationalists—or Francoists were aided mainly by
During the Spanish Civil war, terror tactics against civilians were common. And while history books discuss the estimated one million people who lost their lives during the conflict, we must not forget that each of those who fought, who died, had their own tales. From visitors to
Tricia Goyer, October 2006
