It's my pleasure to welcome Ginger Garret to Ink Dots. Ginger's the author of several critically acclaimed books on women of history. REIGN: The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel, is book three of the Lost Loves of the Bible series from David C. Cook. The other titles include DESIRED: The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah, and CHOSEN: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther.
Ginger’s first novel, Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther, was a finalist for the Christian Book Award, recognizing it as one of the top five inspirational novels for 2006. Ginger was also nominated for the Georgia Author of the Year Award for her novel Dark Hour. Her popular nonfiction Beauty Secrets of the Bible reveals how ancient women viewed beauty and the natural foods, perfumes and cosmetics that complemented their true beauty. You can learn more about her upcoming projects, speaking schedule, and contact information at www.gingergarrett.com
Reign - From the moment her marriage to prince Ahab thrusts her into the intrigues of palace life, Jezebel’s exotic beauty opens doors and her will breaks down walls. Torn from her homeland and wed to power in a strange country, Jezebel vows to create a legacy and power all her own. Some might call her a manipulative schemer, bent on having her way. But they don’t know the whole story. As she moves through the halls of power, her heart struggles between devotion to the gods she worships, the prince who loves her, and her thirst for revenge. She sparks a battle between her strangely powerless gods and the God of palace administrator Obadiah—a God who confronts her with surprising might. She will fight, though victory may cost her everything.
Part Three of The Lost Loves of the Bible fiction series it’s ideally suited for historical fiction fans and anyone fascinated by the lives of biblical women. It’s as haunting as it is relevant—the story of a woman forced to choose between love and vengeance.
Want to know more about Biblical fiction writer, Ginger Garrett? Here's a few of her secrets...
If I could go anywhere in the world it would be… Boston! I have family there. What a great city, and so much history! I also love Hilton Head beach, and stay there every summer. This year, I am hoping we can visit both places. But since I hate to travel without my giant dogs, travel is a little difficult to arrange at times.
One thing I enjoyed today… I ate a bowl of high fiber cereal, with flax oil, ground flax and chia seeds, honey and skim milk. It tastes like barn hay, but I liked feeling so super healthy. Plus I had to be good before I meet a friend for a pasta lunch!
A secret pleasure of mine is… Kettlebells! There is no faster way to tone up and they are so much fun. I like trying different things at the gym. And pretending that I am tough. I’m really just a softhearted girl who loves to eat and read.
A moment that changed my life is…In college, I was helping to stack chairs after a graduation ceremony. It was May in Texas, so it was hot, and I was sweaty. Plus, I was wearing ratty shorts and felt somewhat less than pretty, to put it mildly. A guy I knew walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. It was just a silly impulse to him, and he walked away. But I was so moved. When I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin, when I felt so unattractive, he just obliterated all my secret shame. He’ll never know what that silly kiss meant to me, and even today, I have trouble understanding how it seemed to land not just on my cheek, but right in my soul.
When I was a child I wanted to…Be a spy! I opened a school for spies in my neighborhood. For a modest fee of five dollars, I accepted students of all ages. Day One of training consisted of me lining everyone up along my fence. Then I threw rocks at their faces. I told them that they were learning to dodge bullets. There was no Day Two of training. It seems my students lacked motivation. (Best childhood story an author's shared on my blog so far... Ginger, you were one crazy kid!)
I probably shouldn’t tell you this but...The reason I don’t read reviews is that I don’t know what the agenda is. Everyone who writes a review has an agenda. Some people want to write a review and share their experience with other readers. That’s great and what a review is meant to do. Sometimes, however, people will trash a book out of anger over a personal issue, or frustration with their own art. If they are reviewing a faith-based book, the review can be more about theology differences than the book itself. I know of an author who was trashed repeatedly online by the same person using different fake names to write each review. Turns out, this person had a personal beef. That happens more than people realize. I seek critique from people I respect, who have my best interests at heart. Critique is the most important thing I do after I get the words on the page; but anonymous reviews can be tricky business.
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Tricky business indeed! Thanks for joining us this week, Ginger, and for sharing your thoughts on reading reviews. I'm glad you brought up the agenda question, as it's at the very heart of why we review, and needs to be examined by writers and readers alike.
Here's a question for my Ink Dots friends. Do you post reviews? What's your agenda when you review a book? Please leave a comment below, and you'll be in the running to win a a copy of Ginger's Reign, The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel.
Good luck, and happy reading,
