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Monday, July 23, 2018

Welcome, to author Larry Hammersley, discussing his book "Motorcycle Woman"!


It is such a delight to welcome the wonderful author and supreme gentleman, Larry Hammersley,
to the blog! Larry, thank you for visiting with us. With your many books and interesting occupation, you have such a dynamic and fascinating life. I am sure readers will have lots of questions for you. Larry will give away two Kindle copies of "Motorcycle Woman" to two of his readers who comment here. Thank you, Larry!



Author Larry Hammersley grew up in Williams, Indiana.
Welcome to my blog, Larry.  What is your newest book about?
It is entitled Motorcycle Woman. Her name is Tess McBride.  Her father ran off with another
woman and her mother dies a year later of a broken heart.  Tess takes to the road on her Harley
Sportster to leave the unhappiness behind and will not allow a man to enter her life.  She is an
expert motorcycle mechanic and runs with a gang for a while, but that brings her nothing but
trouble despite her keeping the gang member’s motorcycles repaired.  She splits from the gang,
but when she stops to fix stranded biker, Johnnie Parker’s motorcycle, her life changes. She has
never met anyone like Johnnie, but she is reluctant to let him into her life despite him treating
her with respect and of course falling in love with her.



Where did you get your inspiration for this novel/book/work?
Although I never ran with a gang, I owned an old vintage Harley Duoglide and later bought a
new 1967 Harley Electra Glide and rode it to work for over 30 years.


What kind of research did you do for this book?
uring the many years I owned and rode my motorcycle I learned how they worked and could
do some minor repairs and servicing on it.  I learned a lot from a friend who ran a shop in nearby
Bloomington, Indiana. I also learned from a couple of relatives.


Did you put real experiences from your research in this story?
Yes.  That involved taking a four-day trip on my motorcycle and stopping by a shop in
Wisconsin.  I got their permission to mention their shop in the story. I worked in tidbits of
mechanics I performed and learned from my Bloomington friend.
What intrigues you most about writing these stories?
It takes me back to another time and place I’ve either been to or wished I’d been. In the
college based stories I relive some of the experiences I’ve had when in college.


Tell us a bit about your other books.
I have two science fiction novels and two romance novels along with a novella
(Motorcycle Woman) and several short romance stories. My mother wrote a lot of poems and I collected those into a thin book (see photo below). They are about her world travels, friends, early jobs, birthdays and other special times. I've included poems I wrote to her, as well. Some are humorous and some are serious reflections. The two romance novels involve clean romance between the man and woman while they are in college and the work place. The science fiction novels cover the man and woman as they explore space in the
solar system and beyond.








Which of all your characters is your favorite?
That is a difficult question as I like all my characters.  My main female character, Jody,
in my first novel, 'A Change of Heart', and Buddy, my main character in 'The Vanishing Shed',
the second novel come to mind.  Surprisingly, a minor character, Marcy, in my first
novel who lost her quest for Leroy’s heart to Jody, is a character I felt so sorry for
that I wrote a short story where she finds romance with the quarterback, Ross.  I must
include The Shunammite Woman, an Old Testament Bible character. I love this woman
and have a nonfiction/fiction novella out about her.











How did you get started in this genre?
I read science fiction when I was growing up and always had an interest in astronomy.  
As a child I liked to fantasize about female movie stars and would dream of them
falling for me.  Should I have said that?


When you have time to read, who are some of your favorite authors?
Science fiction author Doris Piserchia who I believe is still living.  Jacqueline
Lichtenberg who wrote the Sime/Gen series and who gave me a critique on a short
story and encouraged me to keep writing.


Let’s get personal for a moment: Please share with us the most daring
thing you’ve ever done.
Favorite meal? City you would love to visit and why?
I would say exploring an unexplored cave where crawling was the only option.
Favorite meal involves a desert, Tapioca Pudding which I usually make myself.
The city.  I would like to return to a place where my job sent me years ago.  
That was Nome, Alaska. The charisma of Alaska overwhelmed me despite my being there in October when it was rainy, unseasonably warm and muddy as the streets were not paved when I was there.




To learn more about Larry Hammersley, visit his thwebsite
at http://larryhammersley.blogspot.com/   
You’ll find all his books at Amazon by typing in Larry Hammersley.


Here are his links:




The novels The Vanishing Shed and The Silver Dart are only
available from the author
while supplies last as the publisher has closed their doors.
Short stories are available through Amazon by typing in author’s
name Larry Hammersley.  A few short stories are available at
Smashwords again by typing in the author’s name.

Thank you so much for visiting, Larry. Best wishes in your writing!

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Welcome to Author Linda Weaver Clarke and Her Historical Romance Series: "Bear Lake Family Saga"






                               It is a joy and an honor to welcome the fantastic author
                              Linda Weaver Clarke to 'Gina's World of Good'. Let's hear 
                                     from this inspiring, prolific writer all about her 
                               Historical Romance Series: Bear Lake Family Saga
                                                            Welcome, Linda!


"Hi Regina! I would love to have an ebook giveaway and an Audible audiobook giveaway. Those wanting to enter the giveaway can tell us why they like to read historical romance by the 23rd of July."

Who is Author Linda Weaver Clarke?

I was raised among the Rocky Mountains of southern Idaho and live in Color Country in southern Utah. I am the author of 23 books. I have several genres that I write in—a Historical Romance series: Bear Lake Family Saga, a Mystery Suspense series: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, a Cozy Mystery series: Amelia Moore Detective Series, and a Period/Adventure Romance: The Rebel Series. I am also a missionary at the Family Search Center. I help people find their ancestors and learn about their heritage.

What draws readers to this historical romance series: Bear Lake Family Saga?

This series has strong female characters who have a destiny to fulfill. Each woman wants to make a difference in someone’s life. No matter the trial that comes her way, she is ready to fight for what she believes. I love the male characters. Even though they are strong and masculine, they have their tender moments that can melt your heart. Bear Lake Family Saga has plenty of adventure along with a tender love story.

What was the inspiration for this series?

My ancestors were my inspiration. I was writing their histories so my children would learn to appreciate their heritage. Their stories were intriguing and full of adventure. When I was done, I decided to write a historical romance series and give these true experiences to my fictional characters.



Give us a brief description of each story in this series?

Melinda and the Wild West (Book 1): Melinda is a schoolteacher. She has many challenges but it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love.

Edith and the Mysterious Stranger (Book 2): Edith is a nurse. When a mysterious stranger starts writing to Edith, she gets to know a man's inner soul before making any harsh judgments. Whoever he is, this man is a mystery but is he as wonderful in person as he is in his letters?

Jenny’s Dream (Book 3): Jenny is an aspiring author. She has a dream to fulfill, but the only thing standing in her way is an unpleasant memory, which has haunted her since childhood. She must learn to forgive before she can follow her dream.

Sarah’s Special Gift (Book 4): Sarah is a beautiful and successful dance teacher but she is not an average young woman. Sarah is deaf, but this does not stop her from living life to its  fullest. And it does not stop her from falling in love with a man who needs her help.

Elena, Woman of Courage (Book 5): The Roaring Twenties was a time of great change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. As Elena fights to prove herself as the town’s first female doctor, the town’s most eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her heart.

Are your books in audiobook form?

Yes. I have a narrator who is narrating them for Audible. I have one narrator for Melinda and the Wild West, and then changed to a different narrator for the next four. Carolyn Kashner actually sings in Edith and the Mysterious Stranger, and she has such a lovely voice.

Who is the most intriguing character in this series?

I love all my female characters, but I feel that Elena from Elena Woman of Courage is the most interesting. She has to endure a lot of prejudice from the town bully who feels that women doctors have no right to practice medicine. But that isn’t all. This story takes place during the roaring twenties, and Elena has decided to be a part of this new generation by bobbing her hair and raising her hemlines. That takes a lot of courage. Of course, the town’s most eligible bachelor finds her most intriguing. He actually admires her tenacity. I admire Elena, as well.

(For history buffs: Bobbed hair caused a lot of commotion. A teacher in Jersey City was ordered to grow her hair back by the school board or she would be fired. Women with bobbed hair were fired from prestigious department stores without any warning. A preacher pounded the pulpit, saying that a “bobbed woman was a disgraced woman. The raising of hemlines had its problems, as well.)

They developed a new vocabulary during the roaring twenties. What were some of the words you discovered while writing this story?

This was the fun part of writing Elena Woman of Courage. During this time period, they spoke a language foreign to their parents. Here are some examples.

If you were excited about something, you say: Cat’s pajamas!
If you didn’t agree with someone, you say: Ah, horsefeathers!
If you were a feisty woman, you were referred to as: a bearcat.
If you were an attractive woman, you were referred to as: a doll.
Women were also referred to as: a tomato.
When John wanted to spoon” with Elena, she said: The bank’s closed.
A woman’s body was referred to as a chassis and her legs were gams.

Where can readers find you?
My website has sample chapters to read: www.lindaweaverclarke.com

Remember to leave a comment by July 23rd about why you like to read historical romance to be eligible for Linda's generous ebook and audio book giveaways! And author Larry Hammersley joins us next on the blog, discussing his new release, a novella titled "Motorcycle Woman".