A DAD Of HIS OWN - Gail Gaymer Martin - March release

Good morning from Gail Gaymer Martin at http://www.gailmartin.com/

I'm excited to tell you about my upcoming release and the first book, A DAD OF HIS OWN, in the Dreams Come True Series released by Love Inspired in March. Make sure you hit the stores at the end of February. Our novels are only in the stores for one month. I hope you'll find this novel and let me know what you think.

Also look for a link below that will take you to my first video interview about this novel and also a little about my career.

A DAD OF HIS OWN is a very different kind of story, and when the editor of the LI line asked me about taking on a topic similar to Make A Wish Foundation, I turned up my nose, trying to imagine how I could make this book a happy-ever-after love story. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I enjoy writing stores filled with emotion -- laughter and tears -- and this seemed a perfect idea for me.

Here's a teaser from the back cover:

One Child's Wish


With his Dreams Come True foundation, Ethan Fox turns wishes into reality. Amazing trips. Meeting heroes. But Ethan has come to care deeply for a sick boy whose dream is. . .a dad. And not just any dad. Ethan. Though little Cooper has a great chance of getting well, widowed Ethan can't chance loving---and losing---again. Yet he's spending time with the sweet boy and his lovely, single mother, Lexie Carlson. Could a little boy's wish for a dad of his own come true after all?

I've been invited to visit so many people's blogs to talk about this novel, but the most unusual offer was to do a video interview.  I want to share that with you. . .so here it is.  Hit the link and you'll find me in my living room, talking to Borrowed Books about my career and my newest novel - A DAD OF HIS OWN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdjPlkGWOmA  I hope you enjoy the interview, and even more, I hope you love the novel.

Research Made Fun from Gail Gaymer Martin

Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at http://www.gailmartin.com/
Research can take more time than writing a novel. It's all the pre-work an author must do to bring her story to life. While I love writing, sometimes research gets frustrating. I want to make my story accurate so I check many details to make sure it is.

But research can be fun, especially when it involves travel. When I was asked to push back my next book deadline and write a duet novel for next Christmas, I agreed but not without thought. I had just sold three novels to Love Inspired---one completed and two to go---so I wondered if I could manage adding another one to my list of projects. But I hadn't written a Christmas novel in quite a while and had wanted to do one. . .so I said yes.

The problem was they needed a synopsis and information for the cover immediately plus a name for the novel and I didn't have a story yet. Being involved with publishing can be fun.

That night I went to bed and couldn't sleep because my mind was developing a novel for the book. In recent travels to visit a relative in northern Michigan, I'd passed many small towns along Lake Huron, and I thought about creating a new series set in this area. My mind headed for that idea with the Christmas book.

First I needed a town so I used the Internet to find a small interesting town on Lake Huron. I found it-- Harrisville. This is a town of about 500 people with many interesting events around Christmas so I decided a visit there was necessary. 

We went there in mid-November and I visited the elementary school where my heroine will find a job, the library (seen in this photo), the Chamber of Commerce, and a popular restaurant. I visited the stores and talked with the owners. One of them who lived in town was very willing to let me call her with questions.  That kind of resource is needed for an author. I learned about their tree lighting ceremony and a special event called Christmas In The Village which happens in early February.  I visited the park where I climbed the slide (you'll notice that in the first photo) but decided I'd end up in the damp sand if I slid down.

One of the best things I did was drive through the residential areas and take photographs of houses. This helped me create homes for my characters that are typical in a small town. Gathering this kind of information brings the story to life for me. I can picture my characters living their daily lives in this environment. Seeing the setting stimulates story situations that will add interest and meaning to the novel. Research is hard work, but it can be fun. Most of all it helps create a story that readers will love. I hope you enjoy Small Town Christmas to be released next November by Love Inspired.

My next visit with you will be to tell you about A Dad Of His Own, my next LI release, in March, 2011.