When did you become interested in storytelling?

Oh boy, when wasn’t I interested in storytelling? At the age of four, I told my mom I would no longer watch Sesame Street because it was an insult to my intelligence, grabbed my doodle pad, and started drawing something I wanted to watch. I’ve heard this story from my family many times. I don’t know what I drew, and I’m sure I heard Sesame Street was an insult to my intelligence from one of my four older siblings, but my mom swears this was the beginning of writing for me. It may have been through pictures, but she says I always lived in my own little world.

What was your first book/story published?

Waking Up. It’s the first of a two book story for Tucker and Adriana and the beginning of the Healing Hearts Series.

What inspired you to write Sevyn?

Sevyn was inspired by 7 Years by Lukas Graham. The first time I heard the song I didn’t hear all the words. It just sounded like a song about a boy growing up, but it stuck in my head, and suddenly an idea sparked. In the twenty minutes I waited for my son to get out of work, I had this dark, twisted story played out in my mind.

What character in Sevyn is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I don’t know that any of the characters in Sevyn are like me. I definitely didn’t see myself in them as I was writing it, but if I had to pick something I would say it’s that many of the characters are fierce in the love they feel for their family. I am a total homebody who has never broken the law, so I am in no way like the characters in this story. I don’t like killing bugs. I’m not sure how I even came up with this one, but I’m glad I did. Kevyn’s story needed to be told.

What is your favorite part in Sevyn?

Let's face it -- Cornhole is awesome! For those who aren't familiar with the game, the object is to get colorful, little pouches of sand into a hole cut into a board. The harder the throw or the position you throw from the greater the points. There are even official guidelines on the size of the cornhole field and how big the board and hole should be. This is not simply a carnival game ... Cornhole is a serious business.

Yet, it can be drab as well. For serious players, all that's needed is the board and hole. For others, especially younger players, the more decorated the board is the better. It draws their eyes to the target and can possibly help them be more accurate on their throws.

So, how to decorate? Well, painting is always an easy go-to. If preparing this for a carnival or other kids program consider getting the children involved in the design and the painting. The biggest thing to avoid is surrounding the hole on the board with dark colors. This confuses the thrower. When designing, consider incorporating a pattern which makes the hole feel natural.

Tyndale Fiction; 404 pages; $14.99; Amazon

Now available from Tyndale Fiction is is the thriller Deep Extraction written by the bestselling author DiAnn Mills.

This book has been sitting on my to-be-read pile for a about two months, so I finally got around to reading it this morning with one cup of coffee. At around 400 pages, it wasn't an easy task to accomplish, but thanks to a great narrative, I was able to finish the book.

Deep Extraction centers on Tori Templeton, a web Special Agent in the FBI who's investigating the death of her best friend's husband, Nathan Moore. While Nathan looked like a successful business owner and a loving husband from the outside, he actually had a dark side that he hid from everyone else. A dark side that most likely lead to his death.

After Nathan's wife, Sally, becomes the prime suspect in his death, Tori teams up with the recently reinstated Deputy US Marshal Cole Jeffers to unravel the mystery.

Take a ride through 1895 Chattanooga as it's turned upside down when a young woman has the audacity to ride a bicycle-in bloomers-in Mike H. Mizrahi's new book, The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race!

Anna Gaines, 19, struggles to conquer her insecurities after a horrible fall years ago from her beloved horse, Longstreet. On a visit to Brooklyn, she's drawn to the new pastime of bicycling. But back at home, cycling is a scandalous sport for a proper lady. Anna has her eye on Peter Sawyer, president of the Cycling Club. As community outrage grows, an unexpected turn of events pits Anna against Peter in a race between the sexes.

Celebrate the release of Mike's new book by entering to win his $75 Amazon gift card giveaway!


One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race
• A $75 Amazon gift card

Enter today by clicking the banner below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on June 14. The winner will be announced June 15 on Mike's blog.

Redemption Press; 348 pages; Buy Link; Blog Tour

I have a bad habit of choosing new books to read by just their cover art alone, and that happens to be exact case with The Great Chattanooga Bicycle Race by Mike H. Mizrahi. I didn't even read the blurb for the book before I signed up to review it. I made my decision strictly on the cover alone.

Set in 1895, the novel centers on nineteen-year-old Anna Gaines, a young woman who's still conquering her fears after being thrown off her horse years ago. After visiting her aunt in Brooklyn, she takes up a new pastime called bicycling, which is something she would have never attempted back home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as the sport is scandalous for southern women. Any sports activity is strictly for men. However, Anna is determined to change things after she returns home.

This is a romance tale, so of course there is a male lead in the story, which happens to be Peter Sawyer, owner of the local grocery store and the president of the Cycling Club. He has been eyeing Anna for awhile, but every time she walks into his store, she just ignores him. After learning about her plans of trying to change the society's rules against women cycling, he supports her, even though he's jeopardizing his future in the Cycling Club.