Saturday, October 10, 2009

IF ONLY YOU KNEW, by Mags Storey


It's been a pleasure working with author Mags Storey, and her book IF ONLY YOU KNEW has managed to touch several heartstings in this little man. I know Laura Davis has posted an interview already, but I'd like to close the week out with an interview of my own. Just as Karen Slaughter has a mystery to tell, so also does Mags Storey have a story to tell, so let's begin.

CMW: You have an interesting name. I kept thinking that IF ONLY YOU KNEW was Mag’s Story. Where did you manage to get such an interesting name? People who know me know I love interesting names.

MS: Thanks! It’s my real name! My parent’s named me Margaret, but I’ve had the nick-name Mags since I was a teenager. Storey is my husband’s last name. (Actually, I’d always felt really conflicted about changing my last name – but for a name like Storey I couldn’t resist!)

CMW: Where did you get the idea of IF ONLY YOU KNEW?

MS: A thousand different places – but the initial idea came to me in a dream actually! I dreamed a couple of scenes involving three of the main characters. Then slowly, over time, imagined and invented a story to go with them. Oddly the ‘secret’ of Nate’s accident didn’t click for me until I’d already written three drafts of the book! The characters definitely came first, and then the plot grew up around them.

CMW: Was there a specific goal you had in mind when you wrote this book, or were you just trying to write a different kind of romance novel?

MS: I think the only goal I had at the outset was to write a good story – with characters I could love and identify with. But during the rewriting process, I realized it was also really important to me that my characters remained people the reader could hopefully identify with. I wanted to make sure my characters remained “real” and that their questions, their crushes, their doubts and even their mistakes were things my readers could identify with.

CMW: Tell us something about the characters. How did they evolve and become major players in your story, beginning of course with Jo, and including Kat, Sam, Kevin, Lisa and Nate?

MS: What a huge question! I tend to say all my characters are each inspired by half-a-dozen different people.
There is a lot of me in Jo. Although on the surface we are *very* different people, her insecurities, her fears and her failures are definitely reflections of my own. And all of Jo’s klutzy moments are based on real life embarrassing moments! (Though usually well disguised!)
Kat is inspired by several ‘older sister’ type women I was able to rely on in my life. At times, in real life, we are touched by the kindness, love and generosity of people who do not share the same beliefs. I am sure the man who was attacked by robbers on the road to Jerusalem did not expect his savior to be a Samaritan.
Sam is inspired by several different people – some in big ways, some in tiny ones that I only I would notice. There is a strong Sam-streak in me as well. He is an example of someone who always has a lot to say – but tends to hide what he is really feeling and thinking. (I should also add that Sam’s hellish ex-girlfriend Traci is slightly based on me too. Or at least she is a caricature of my worst faults!)
Kevin, on the surface, is based on the kind of guy I kept finding myself attracted to as a teenager and his name comes from my very first crush. However his struggles with faith were inspired directly from the stories of friends who have touched my life. Often I borrow pieces from a lot of different people, meld them together in my imagination, and out comes a unique character who is as real to me as the people he sprung from.
Lisa, on the surface, is inspired by various female friends. But again – she is me! :) I am definitely as talkative – and have said equally thoughtless things. Although my life story is completely different from her own, I did grow up in the spotlight of being a “missionary’s daughter” and know all too well the pressure to “be perfect”.
Nate… Oh how I love Nate! But he is the hardest character to write! Ironically, a guy I once dated inspired both Kevin and Nate. In some ways, I think of them as two sides of the same coin. There is a fierce strength and honesty to Nate’s relationship with God. To me he is the strongest example of true sacrificial love. Yet God put him through a lot – and Nate is struggling with the reality of that.

CMW: What one lesson would you hope readers would take away with them when they’re done reading this story?

MS: That God loves, and uses, and works through real people! J We, as Christians, behave sometimes like we have to hide the cracks in our own lives for fear that people will reject us if they know our true selves. But God cannot use us if we are busy hiding parts of ourselves from Him. And we can’t build significant relationships when we are busy hiding part of ourselves from each other either.

CMW: As a writer, where do you get ideas for your stories?

MS: I find stories from moments in my own past (especially my own mistakes) and then find a way to retell those through fiction. Although normally by the time I have rehashed the story in fiction no one would recognize it but me. I’m also really inspired by the stories of other people and by honest song lyrics by bands like Jars of Clay. Raw, honest emotion always touches me.

CMW: Have you any more stories like this? Do you follow any of these characters into another book? Or are future books merely similar in genre?

MS: I have recently finished writing an action-packed adult suspense novel. Again, it has romance, violence, plot twists, broken people and the honest search for God in the midst of it all. I’m now currently writing my third book – but of course it is all up to the publisher! There is a sequel to If Only You Knew – but it only exists in my own mind at the moment. Let’s just say I intentionally left some loose ends at the end of the first book. We will see some of the characters struggle with the consequences of their actions in the first book, and am also planning on bringing Traci back in a big way! I just hope enough people enjoy If Only You Knew that I get the chance to delve more into my character’s struggles and relationships. There is a lot of growing certain characters still need to do and hopefully, the readers will be taken by surprise by what happens next.

CMW: Thank you for your time. We've been talking to Mags Storey, author of IF ONLY YOU KNEW. It's been great having you here. Drop by and say "Howdy!" whenever you want.


Don't forget to visit Mags' site. I visited it and although I'm not big fan of the romance genre, she has a really great site and talks about some really interesting things. She doesn't preach at anyone...except maybe herself. You'll find her site HERE

Some of the places you can purchase her book are:

ChristianBook.Com

Amazon.Com

Barnes & Noble

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.
Careful now. You might just find some people posting more than once, also you can visit any CFRB member's site and, hopefully, you will find a standard post. The links below indicate that you will find special posts.



IMPORTANT
The Christian Fiction Review Blog (known as CFRB) is a ministry that promotes quality Christian fiction in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be shared with others who might otherwise not hear it, at least in a context that they would appreciate and understand. Each book is "previewed" in order to maintain the quality and content of the book. Books that are accepted for blog tours are given to the members by the author to review, according to the number of members requesting a copy. It is the belief and practice of CFRB to post positive reviews as a type of payment for these books. However, I want to emphasize again that these books first go through a preview stage where they are deemed of a high enough quality to tour.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

IF ONLY YOU KNEW, by Mags Storey


The Christian Mystery Writer's Forum welcomes you to another Christian Fiction Review Blog tour, this month, IF ONLY YOU KNEW, by Mags Storey.

Maybe because I'm old, maybe because I'm a guy and romances aren't really my thing, the book just didn't seem to come together like I wanted it to. It is well-written in every other aspect, but I found the pacing a bit off. Some things seemed a little predictable, although this was twisted a bit so you weren't really sure if your first instincts were correct.

Okay, now that I've gotten the negatives out of the way I can get right to this really great work. Romance writers always fight an uphill battle with me, so the above comments should be taken with about a bag or so of salt. IF ONLY YOU KNEW is about the life of Joanne Mackenzie. It's summer and she's between high school and the rest of her life. As she looks around she feels like everyone else has their lives mapped out, but Jo doesn't have a clue. She's living with her cousin, jobless, and not all that interested in getting a job. (I remember those day). She doesn't think she's ugly, but less than average. If the short end of the stick were given out as a prize she would be sure to win it...every time. Her perception of herself doesn't change after meeting this gorgeous guy who asks her out. Of course his ability to meet her at the appointed place and time may have had something to do with that, as well as her falling off a railing into the lake below, then being escorted out by a guy she saw earlier get dumped by a "psycho".

IF ONLY YOU KNEW is filled with personal insights into the conflicting emotions of a young woman trying find her bearings in life. At times it is humorous, and other times you just want to slap some sense into her. One of the absolute best things about this book is Mags Storey's ability to make you feel your way through. That is to say, she draws you so far into the characters that you experience their emotions, their feelings, their triumphs and failures, that you feel like you know these people. I know I'm probably supposed to say things like, "Jo meets a guy she saw run down a year ago and now has to deal with the fact that he not only survived, something she totally thought impossible at the time, but someone who ends up becoming a key figure in her life." I'm choosing to take another route, because this isn't so much about who did or did not get run over as it is about a young woman so lost she will turn against herself if she happens to have a good day. She's a real person in this sense.

Apart from the pacing problem mentioned at the outset, IF ONLY YOU KNEW is an amazing story that deserves your consideration. You will be delighted in Mags Storey's story telling abilities. You will find yourself wondering why such and such happened, or why she just doesn't get this or that. It's fun to read, exciting and fresh. Check out the links below and get your copy today.

Now don't forget to visit Mags' site. I visited it and although I'm not big fan of the romance genre, she has a really great site and talks about some really interesting things. She doesn't preach at anyone...except maybe herself. You'll find her site HERE

Some of the places you can purchase her book are:

ChristianBook.Com

Amazon.Com

Barnes & Noble

Check out these other member blogs this week for more info.
Careful now. You might just find some people posting more than once, also you can visit any CFRB member's site and, hopefully, you will find a standard post. The links below indicate that you will find special posts.



IMPORTANT
The Christian Fiction Review Blog (known as CFRB) is a ministry that promotes quality Christian fiction in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be shared with others who might otherwise not hear it, at least in a context that they would appreciate and understand. Each book is "previewed" in order to maintain the quality and content of the book. Books that are accepted for blog tours are given to the members by the author to review, according to the number of members requesting a copy. It is the belief and practice of CFRB to post positive reviews as a type of payment for these books. However, I want to emphasize again that these books first go through a preview stage where they are deemed of a high enough quality to tour.

Tangerine

Tangerine by Marilynn Griffith



This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about Tangerine (Revell, January 2007) by Marilynn Griffith (fellow CFBA member, blogger, writer, and mother of *GULP* seven!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marilynn Griffith is wife to a deacon, mom to a tribe and proof that God gives second chances. Her novels include Made of Honor (Steeple Hill, Jan. 2006), Pink (Revell, Feb. 2006), Jade (Revell, June 2006), and If the Shoe Fits (Revell, 2007). Her other credits include Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman’s Soul, Cup of Comfort Devotionals and her Shades of Style series (Revell, 2006). She lives in Florida with her husband and children. To book speaking engagements or just say hello, email: marilynngriffith@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Tangerine is the third book in the Shades of Style Novels.

Fans of Pink and Jade will eat up Tangerine, the third book in the cutting-edge Shades of Style series. Jean Guerra, a designer at Garments of Praise design firm, doesn't like surprises. These days though, the unexpected meets her everywhere. Since Jean's return to the church a year ago, her God-encounters occur with increasing frequency, along with thoughts of her husband-the one she vowed to divorce and gave up on long ago. The one nobody at work knows about, not even her best friend, Lily, or her boss, Chenille. But when the designer assigned to work with Jean on a line of men's suits shows up, her heart flips. It's her husband, Nigel Salvador. Jean is finally rendered speechless. Can her bruised heart become whole enough to love again? Or will she remain in the trenches of loneliness forever?



The book link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800730429


Marilynn's website link: http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/

THE 3RD COVENANT - a Comparison

The following table shows where THE 3RD COVENANT stands against 7 top authors and 14 other books.

Title

Author

Times out

times per month

Judge and Jury

Cold Moon

Death Dance

Promise Me

The 3rd Covenant

The Camel Club

Violet Dawn

3rd Degree

The Collectors

Web of Lies

The 12th Card

Words of Silk

Above and Beyond

Entombed

No Second Chance

James Patterson

Jeffery Deaver

Linda Fairstein

Harlan Coben

David Brollier

David Baldacci

Brandilyn Collins

James Patterson

David Baldacci

Brandilyn Collins

Jeffery Deaver

Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown

Linda Fairstein

Harlan Coben

CHO 9

CHO 17

CHO 17

CHO 16

CHO 11

CHO 21

CHO 4

CHO 34

CHO 2

CHO 2

CHO 17

CHO 29

CHO 30

CHO 19

CHO 31

2.25

2.43

2.43

2.28

1.83

1.71

1.3

1.08

1.00

1.00

.94

.94

.91

.82

.72