Writer Wednesday: Guest Author Stacy Monson . . . and a giveaway!!

Happy Writer Wednesday!

Today I’m excited to bring to you my good friend and fellow Mosaic Collection author, Stacy Monson! Stick around to the end of the post and find out how you can be entered to win EITHER a print or eBook copy of the very first Mosaic Collection novel, When Mountains Sing. It’s a wonderful book, and once you start it? You can’t put it down!!!

 

Story Behind the Story – A Summer of Reckoning

When I started writing When Mountains Sing, book 1 in the My Father’s House series AND the first book in the Mosaic Collection books, it was going to be women’s fiction. The main character ends up on a search for answers about herself and her family. She wasn’t looking for a love interest, nor was romance ever intended to be part of her journey. But lo and behold, Dawson Dunne showed up. And kept showing up no matter how many times I tried to write the story without him. He was one persistent character!

I tried writing him as a friend she encountered along the way (a very vague friend), then as someone who helped her find answers, and then as perhaps a love interest at the very end of the story, leaving that up to the reader’s imagination. But no, he wasn’t content with a cameo or a minor role. That guy wanted to be front and center. Sigh.

So finally I wrote him in (although I kept him out of the picture for as long as possible), and he blossomed into one of my all-time favorite characters. He wasn’t the strong silent type, or tall/dark/handsome. That guy liked to talk! And he was cute, in an outdoorsy kind of way. But he had a way of accepting people as they were, and he had a heart for young people. As the owner/director of an outdoor adventure camp, he had the best of all worlds, in his opinion. He got to spend most of his time outdoors, sharing his faith and teaching kids life skills (not just outdoor survival skills but also how to believe in themselves, be a leader, and live out their faith).

Readers seemed to love him. I loved him! And needless to say, so did Mikayla. In the Mosaic Christmas Anthology, Hope is Born, I wrote the epilogue to their story – Mountaintop Christmas. Again, readers were drawn to him and asked about his backstory. What made him such an exceptional leader? How had he developed so much patience with kids, and with Mikayla? Where had his unshakeable faith come from?

When the Mosaic Collection authors decided to put together a summer anthology, Before Summer’s End, I knew it was the time to write Dawson’s story. A Summer of Reckoning starts when he’s a teen stumbling through life, dealing with anger issues and constantly in trouble because of poor choices. And it follows him through juvenile detention, a sentence to be served on a mountain, and devastating rejection. The hardest part for me was keeping it to a “short” story (not that 20,000 words is technically short!). There was so much of his journey I wanted to include but word count limited me to those most essential and life-transforming moments in his young life.

Now I’m on to Book 2 in the My Father’s House series which will focus on Mikayla’s sister, but I know Dawson will make a few appearances throughout because that’s just who he is. Someone who loves being in the thick of life, offering encouragement, sharing his faith, and being the man God called him to be!

Before Summer’s End releases in June 2020, and I’m thrilled to be sharing Dawson’s story.

About A Summer of Reckoning

Dawson Dunne is stuck in the never-ending angst of his late teen years—with a long rap sheet that highlights his many bad decisions. A last chance offer from the judge sends him to Outlook Adventure Camp where he learns there’s more to life than poor choices and jail cells. But is he brave enough to reach out and grab hold of the chance to turn his life around, or will he stay with what he knows?

About Stacy Monson

Stacy Monson’s stories reveal an extraordinary God at work in ordinary life. She’s a member of the Mosaic Collection, a group of award-winning authors from around the world. The first release from this collective was her book When Mountains Sing, book 1 of her My Father’s House series. Other books in her series include Mountaintop Christmas and A Summer of Reckoning. She’s won awards for The Chain of Lakes series including Shattered Image, Dance of Grace, and The Color of Truth, and also Open Circle.

Residing in the Twin Cities, she is the wife of a juggling, unicycling recently-retired physical education teacher, mom to two amazing kids and two wonderful in-law kids, and a very proud grandma of 4 (and counting) grands.

For news about upcoming books, contests, giveaways, and other fun stuff – stop by www.stacymonson.com and sign up for her newsletter.

Facebook        https://www.facebook.com/stacymmonson/

Twitter                        @StacyMonson

Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/stacy_monson

Pinterest          https://www.pinterest.com/stacymonson/

Goodreads       https://wwwgoodreadscomstacy_monson

Purchase links:

https://amzn.to/2SCMt3v

Thanks, Stacy, for sharing today!

Now for the giveaway! Leave a comment answering the following question to be entered for the drawing of YOUR CHOICE of print or eBook of When Mountains Sing:

Dawson learns about life at an Outdoor Adventure Camp. Have you ever attended camp, and what kind of camp was it?

If you haven’t been to camp, answer anyway, and I think you’ll be in good company. A little tidbit about me? My family served as volunteer missionaries at a state church camp for three years, and we lived there when I graduated from high school – but I’ve never attended camp! LOL!

Have a great day, and stay safe and well!

P.S. If you ever get up to the North Shore of Lake Superior, in Minnesota, you’ve got to find “Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen!” Here’s a shot of myself, Stacy, and Brenda Anderson in summer 2018 after picking up a few ounces (er, pounds) of delectable chocolate!

P.P.S.!! Before Summer’s End is now available for pre-order!!!!! Check it out HERE!