MY GUEST, SANDI ROG, DAY 3

This is our last day with Sandi Rog. If you have any questions, please let us know. I know she would be happy to answer them.

KA: What is the best thing you like to do?

SR: Sit down with my children on each side of me and read them stories.

KA: What is your favorite food?

SR: Can’t answer that since nothing tastes good to me right now. I’ve lost a lot of weight after this last dose of radiation, and I’m having a hard time getting my “taste buds” back. I do enjoy a well-made Caesar Salad on occasion (as long as it doesn’t have too much salad dressing), and I do well with hot wings that aren’t spicy but have honey barbecue sauce on them. In the morning, I usually enjoy scrambled eggs, and I need the protein to rebuild the muscles I’ve lost. But all my old favorites are out the window. I loved sweet things, like donuts, cookies, etc. I didn’t eat a lot of them, but now, I can’t stand the taste of sugar (can barely stand jelly on my toast). I also have learned that cancer feeds on sugar, so I figure that side-effect is welcome to STAY. lol

KA: What are your plans for the future?

SR: Don’t really have any, just taking one day at a time. But like I said above, I would like to go somewhere special for my 20^th wedding anniversary.

KA: Does Walks Alone have a sequel?

SR: I started one, but I’m not sure if I’ll write it. We’ll see.

KA: What are you working on right now?

SR: I’m supposed to be working on The Father’s Rock in my Iron and the Stone series. Gotta find a way to make a thief who’s seen the dark side of life and wonders how there can be a kind and loving God when there’s so much evil in the world become a light read. (Hope you were able to get through that long sentence, lol.) I’ve got some ideas, so we’ll see what happens.

KA: Sandi, thanks so much for talking to us these last few days. I know everyone feels like they know you better. Tell us how we can learn more about you.

You can just go to my blog or find me on Facebook and befriend me. Here’s the link to my blog: http://sandirog.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for having me here, Katt. It was a pleasure and an honor. 

MY GUEST, SANDI ROG, DAY 2

We're on Day 2 with Sandi Rog. I hope you enjoy it. Remember, Walks Alone is in ebook form until June 15, 2012, then you can buy the book.

KA: You did a lot of research for this book. How long did it take you to research the Cheyenne Tribe and the massacre?

SR: That’s hard to say. I did a lot of reading (books by George Bird Grinnel dating back to the early 1900’s; George Bent, a half-breed that my main character is practically based on, taught him nearly everything about the Cheyenne), and watched a number of videos online, which put me in contact with Don Vasicek who is a filmmaker. He was creating films on the Cheyenne at the time. He’s also the one who put me in contact with Cheyenne Chief Laird Cometsevah. It’s amazing I did all this from Holland (the other side of the world), but God led me to all the right people.

KA: I know right now you are trying to adjust back into the life of a well wife and mother. Has this affected your writing?

SR: Yes. I’m desperate to write something “light” (I’ve had enough dark going on in my life this past year) but the novel I have a deadline for is “dark.” That’s book three in the Iron and the Stone series. I’m trying to find a way to make it light. It hasn’t been easy to get back in the writing saddle, so-to-speak.

KA: Do you have a special place you like to write?

SR: Nope. Just on my laptop. lol

KA: Do you prefer to dress to write, or stay in pj’s?

SR: It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing.

KA: Besides prayer before you begin to write, is there any other ritual you have?

SR: Yes, I do pray. Only I pray throughout the day and night when I think about it. And then while I’m writing. As for anything else, sometimes I’ll listen to music to get me in the mood. I used to love to walk, and while walking, I’d listen to songs that would inspire me for my next scene, etc. I’m getting strong enough to get out again to walk, but the weather has been too cold for me.

KA: Tell us about your family.

SR: I’ll have been married 20 years this July 4^th. I lost an entire year during my cancer and I just realized (hubby had to remind me) that this year won’t be 19 years of marriage, but 20. I would really like to be able to do something special during that time. I won’t tell you where I’d like to go because it’s a setting I’d like to use for another book. :-)

I have four kids: Whitney who is 18, Kirsten who will be 15 this month, Aaron who is 11, and Chelsea who is 4.

MY GUEST, SANDI ROG

This week my special guest is Sandi Rog. Sandi's latest release is Walks Alone. The ebook is available now for an amazing price of $3.99. That's both Kindle and Nook.

This action filled book tells about an Indian brave and a Dutch girl and their hardships and love. You will love it! The love story is amazing, and the mysterious White Eagle will make you fall in love with him.

Sandi is a wonderful Christian, very devoted to God and family. She and her family have been through a lot in the last year, but she's coming through with flying colors. When I call her, I can hear Chelsea singing in the background. It sounds so sweet to hear her voice, since she had been without her mama so much during the past year.

Please leave a comment when you read what she has to say. If you can't get through to leave a comment, please contact me at kattanderson4@gmail.com.

KA: I’m sure everyone knows Sandi has had a rough year, being diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma the day her first book hit the shelves. It’s been a long year with chemo and radiation. At this moment, she is in remission, but has one more treatment in Arizona the last of this month.

So, Sandi, how are you feeling?

SR: I’m feeling a lot better, though I still have a ways to go before I get to “normal.”

KA: We won’t dwell on your illness, but look to more positive things. I believe Walks Alone was the first book you wrote. Why did you choose the Cheyenne and the Battle of Sand River?

SR: While I was working on the first book in my Iron and the Stone series, I needed to take a break from the research and time period. I wanted to write something light and something that didn’t require so much research. So, I started on Walks Alone. I put the setting in Colorado since that’s where I’m from, and I loved the idea of writing a story about a woman being kidnapped by Indians (Native Americans). So, I looked up the Indian tribe that would have been around during that time period, and when I learned about the Cheyenne, I was shocked to discover the atrocities of Sand Creek. I grew up in Colorado and knew nothing about it! It amazed me how I could spend all my childhood years in one place and never know what really took place in my home state.

KA: Was it hard to keep Anna from proclaiming her love for White Eagle?

SR: Not really. She was so naïve and so desperate to get to Denver City, I think she didn’t really know what love was until much later in the story.

KA: When do you like to write, morning or night?

SR: Whenever I can, really. 

Come back Wednesday for more information about Sandi. 

SOME THINGS ABOUT SANDI ROG

Sometimes when we make a new friend, it sticks. That's what happened to me three years ago. I was going to my first conference for American Christian Fiction Writers, and I knew very few people. Everyone I did know already had roommates. Someone mentioned Sandi Rog and gave me her email address. From there, it is history.

We clicked. We had so much fun at that conference. That brings me to this blog. I wanted to tell you some things I know about Sandi.

1. She's a fighter. Not only battling cancer, but with her writing. I remember her chasing down acquisition editors and personally handing them her book, The Master's Wall. She wanted and needed that book to be published, and she stuck with it until it was.

2. She's a devoted wife and mother. She and her husband took me to dinner while we were there. Her children were so well-behaved. The three older children drew me into a conversation and talked to me on my level. That impressed me to think they had been taught to respect and appreciate their elders. Love you kids!

3. She giggles. Yes, Sandi Rog giggles. We giggled the whole time we were together, and now we giggle on the phone. She is so much fun. She enjoys life. When you have been through an experience like she has, you learn to enjoy every minute of your time on earth. You learn to appreciate what you have, and you never take it for granted again.

4. She's the best friend anyone could ever have. She loves to hear about what you are doing and enjoy in your life. She's good to give advice. She wants you to be happy. She wants you to succeed. I know this from experience. She's a keeper for sure.

Now that I've given you some information about Sandi, I ask you to check in on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to learn more about her. She will be my guest on this blog. We'll talk about her, her family, and her writing. Her latest release is on ebook form, and it's so good. It's Walks Alone. I enjoyed reading it. It is on both Kindle and Nook for $3.99.

Can't find the winner

I'm having trouble finding Jo. The address comes back incorrect. Jo, please contact me at kattanderson4@gmail.com. If I do not hear from you in two days, 48 hours, I will pick another winner. Thanks. Sorry to have to make this a post, but I didn't know anything else to do.

WINNER OF THE LADIES MAID

Drum roll, please. We have a winner! First, I want to thank everyone who made a comment. I appreciate it, and I know Susan does also. A great contest and a great book and author.

My husband picked the winner, and it is Jo. Jo, I will be writing you as soon as I publish this and get your address. Congratulations! I hope you will enjoy this book. This is a wonderful series, and I've read part of the next one and all of the last one, A Lady in the Making. 


I'm anxious for Cowgirl Trail to come out, and there will be another interview, if Susan will do it. She may have to help me with questions. We'll come up with something.

This is all for today. Jo, I hope you enjoy this book. Everyone have a great day.,

INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN PAGE DAVIS

KA: Can you give us a general idea of things you are working on?

SPD: This year I’ve mostly been doing historical romance, often with a dash of mystery or suspense. The Prairie Dreams series, opening with The Lady’s Maid, is a good example.

KA: You have helped me so much with my writing; can you give the other hopeful writers some pointers?

SPD: Study the craft of writing. None of us ever gets to the point where we have nothing to learn.

  

KA: Since moving from Maine to Kentucky, have you noticed any differences in the people and the area?

SPD: Oh, yes, and it’s not just the accent and the milder weather. Attitudes are different here. I used to think the regional differences were overblown, but not anymore. It’s hard to explain, but I think most people here are less intense, which may be good, but also less meticulous, which may be a loss. It’s not exactly that, and it’s not the same with everyone, but I think in general Southerners are more laid back than Northerners. In some ways I like it, but in other ways it makes me uneasy. (But then, I’m the type of person who always feels I should be doing more.)

KA: How many ebooks do you have out?

SPD: Twenty at last count, but I know Barbour Publishing intends to get three more out very soon.

  

KA: Susan, thank you for being my guest this week. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future. You can find Susan at www.susanpagedavis.com. I’m sure you both will enjoy the visit.

SPD: Thanks, Katt! I’d also like to mention that I give away several books on my website each month, and the winners pick the titles they want.


Remember to make a comment and leave your name and your email address. You will not be qualified if you do not leave both. I'll keep you updated with Susan. She has some fantastic books coming out in the future. If you have a problem leaving your name, write me at kattanderson4@gmail.com.

Interview with Susan Page Davis

This week is a fun week with Susan Page Davis. This is a wonderful author and a giving person when it comes to saying a kind word to unpublished writers. She's also a fun person. She is also giving away a copy of The Ladies Maid. Comment this week and your name will be in the drawing. Please give your name and email address. If you name and email address is not in your comment, your comment will be disqualified. I will draw noon, Monday, January,16, 2012. Good luck and I hope you enjoy Susan as much as I do.

KA: Some of the readers may be new, and would like to learn more about you. So, tell us a little about yourself, married, children, and I know grandchildren. What do you like to do for fun?

SPD: I have been married 35 years and have 6 children and 8 grandchildren. I’m from Maine, but have lived in western Kentucky for about 20 months. I enjoy needlework, reading, genealogy, and travel.

KA: How did you come up with the idea for The Lady’s Maid?

SPD: My editor asked for a prairie story, and I was working at the time on a different book that involved royalty (Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island). I read a lot about the customs and protocol of the day. The idea of aristocrats on a wagon train struck me as a fun way to bring the Victorian period to the West.

KA: Susan and I live a few miles apart, so it’s hard for me to think of a question to ask. When will the next book in the series come out?

SPD: Lady Anne’s Quest will release April 1. It will answer a lot of questions readers have about Anne and her uncle David. The third book will come out in October.

KA: How many books have you finished that will come out in the future?

SPD: Well, I just this morning finished the rough draft of the third book in this series, A Lady in the Making. I have a Heartsong book coming out in March—Almost Arizona. Coming in April, along with Lady Anne’s Quest, is Cowgirl Trail, part of the Texas Trails series. And I have some books coming out from Guideposts—Secrets in the Storm is my February book, #19 in the Patchwork Mysteries series, and I’m doing a couple of installments in the Miracles of Marble Cove series, but those aren’t written yet.

KA: What is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?

SPD: That’s a toss-up. Maybe hearing that my first book was bought. But I’d have to put my marriage to Jim and the birth of our first child up there too.

KA: What is the strangest thing that has happened to you?

SPD: I had a stroke in 1997. It affected the language part of my brain, but I’m happy to say, I’ve had no residual effects.

A WEEK WITH SUSAN PAGE DAVIS

I thought this week would be a good time to spend it with Susan Page Davis. Susan lives close to me and I have gotten to know her quite well. She's an amazing person and a wonderful writer.

Susan's latest book to be released is The Ladies Maid. I think you will enjoy the book and one will be given away on Monday noon. Please reply with a comment. I think you will enjoy learning more about her and her writing. Below will be a description of this book.

Travel along with Elise Finster and her British mistress, Lady Anne Stone, as they search for the new but missing earl of Stoneford. Determined to follow David Stone’s somewhat cold trail leading to Oregon, greenhorns Elise and Anne secure livestock and supplies to join a wagon train. Will the ladies succeed in their quest or succumb to the malfeasance of the mysterious man dogging their heels? Scout Eb Bentley’s initial disgust with these ill-prepared women eventually turns into admiration for one lady in particular. Can he protect her long enough to win her over, or will prairie dreams turn into a Wild West nightmare?

BELATED HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012 started for us with good news. Sandi Rog has been declared in remission! That is the best news to begin the new year. She said there was no cancer in her bones or her blood. She will return to Arizona for one more treatment. She's still weak, but is getting stronger.

Our other good news was our son-in-law's heart surgery went well. They were able to do exactly what they wanted to do. He feels so much better. In February he will be weaned off his heart medicines. The Lord has been so gracious to us. I can't thank Him enough.

This year, my hubby and I decided to start going to the gym. There is a program for senior citizens, and we decided to try it. Yesterday was our first day and we both felt so much better after we returned home. We are both overweight, and we thought this might help us some. Anytime you move is good.

I'm anxious to get back to writing. I did a little yesterday, very little, but it was a start. I'm sorta stuck, but I had a good idea on how to go last night. I will begin my writing in a few minutes. I feel so good when I write. I want to continue, even if I never sell a book. It is good therapy for me.

My plans are to also start a store on Etsy. My daughter has one, and she's encouraged me to start making my purse organizers and some other things to sell on there. I love my purse organizer. It can be made in different sizes and has pockets on the inside for things that normally get lost in the black hole of your purse. It's also a light color so you can see what you have. I hope to get it started this month. You will hear more later.

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2012, and I hope only good things come your way.