Welcome to the Celebrate Lit Blog Tour for Dream Again by Ann Marie Bryan. I’m happy to welcome Ann Marie today to chat with me.
About the Book
Book: Dream Again
Author: Ann Marie Bryan
Genre: Christian Fiction
Release date: August 20, 2020
One random day. One burst of laughter. One perfect moment. That’s all it takes for Gianna Barrett to capture Carter McIntosh’s attention—and his heart. His whole life has been a series of miracles, so this falls right in line. If only it were that simple. The object of his desire refuses to give him the time of day. Not deterred, Carter is sure he’s ready to put his heart on the line for love. Big mistake. He isn’t quite prepared and finds himself wrestling a soul-deep hurt into submission.
“There has been an accident….”
That devastating revelation shattered Gianna’s life, and in that one chaotic moment, everything she had was taken away. She has spent years carefully crafting her new normal, so there is no way Carter can just insert himself into her life. The fight is on but not for long. Their attraction is instant, and before she knows it, all her cynicism goes out the door.
When Gianna learns more about Carter’s life, she gets a better understanding of her beginning. As she starts her journey to healing, she uncovers Carter’s startling secret. In the days that follow, she struggles with feelings of regret, fueling her natural tendency to retreat. But the flames of desire burn hot and it’s not easy to break their unexpected connection. As the past reaches for them, they soon realize that to move forward, they must look back. Will they allow God to be the anchor they so desperately need—before it’s too late? For all they ever wanted was to be loved.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Ann Marie Bryan is a dedicated multi-talented leader with a passion for excellence. She is the CEO and Founder of Victorious By Design, an organization committed to providing top quality professional writing services, comprehensive personal and professional development programs and exceptional performing arts services to meet the unique needs of individuals and organizations.
A Christian Fiction author, Ann Marie writes to educate, inspire, and empower others. She desires to tell great stories with fascinating characters to show the awesome power of God in the lives of people and places. Her celebrated bestselling Encounters of the Heart series, blend faith and romance that test the resilience of love.
Ann Marie’s greatest passion is to empower others to succeed by tapping into their God-given potential. She enjoys writing, reading, dancing, teaching, meeting people and traveling. With all the knowledge and experiences that God has so graciously blessed her with, Ann Marie is determined to make her life a ministry for the Lord.
Interview with Ann Marie
Please welcome, Ann Marie Bryan. I’m happy to connect with Ann Marie through this Q&A.
Q: What advice would you give your pre-published self?
A: Determine why you desire to write. Do research to obtain information on how you can best leverage your knowledge and abilities to fulfill your dream of writing. Benchmark against the best in the area of your writing assignment. Nevertheless, be a trend setter. Do not be afraid to break new ground. Also, create an author platform to connect with readers. Celebrate the milestones you have achieved during the process of completing your book. Stay expectant. Trust God. He will bring it to pass.
Q: What genre do you write in and why?
A: Currently, I write Christian Fiction Romance. It is a natural fit for me because I’m a Christian and I enjoy reading romantic stories. Above all, I get the wonderful opportunity to show the awesome power of God in the lives of my characters.
Q: Who was your favorite character to write?
A: I enjoyed writing the hero, Carter McIntosh, in Dream Again, Book 1 in the McIntosh Brothers series. Carter is a physically appealing, intelligent, sensitive soul. He has been through the storms of life and has survived after suffering a devastating loss. His faith is strong, and he has learned to rely on the Lord. In what can only be described as a perfect moment, Gianna Barrett captured his attention and heart. Carter and Gianna’s beautiful love story brings together faith, forgiveness, restoration, and new beginnings, while illustrating God’s desire to free people from life-altering events that haunt them.
Q: Which book was the hardest to write? Why?
A: Book 2 – Mirrored Hearts: Sealed by Fire, in the Encounters of the Heart series was the hardest to write.
Let me start by giving the background on how the series started. I am a member of the Tallahassee Authors Network (TAN) Christian Sub-group and we decided to write an anthology about the consequences of sin. We were given various topics and somehow, I ended up writing about infidelity. As I wrote my short story for the anthology, the story took on legs of its own, and so Shades of the Heart became the first novel in the Encounters of the Heart series. Needless to say, I had to come up with another concept for my short story.
The Encounters of the Heart series is based on Proverbs 4:23 (KJV) – “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” To write Book 2 – Mirrored Hearts: Sealed by Fire, I had to do research to make the story authentic. I knew it would be challenging to write but it’s a topic that cannot be addressed enough.
In Mirrored Hearts: Sealed by Fire, readers meet Larry Kanate and Rozene, a modern-day power couple. Years in the making, they have managed to keep love alive while supporting each other’s dreams. Their undeniable love connection is unshakeable… seemingly unbreakable, until Larry discovers his wife’s crushing secret. As their picture-perfect world falls apart, she does everything in her power to get away from her past sin, but he is bent on never letting her forget it, all the while keeping his “little secret” close to his heart. As their marriage explodes and their lives shift in unexpected directions, both must learn to relinquish control and trust God in order to embrace the future.
The story was simply difficult to write, in terms of journeying with Larry and Rozene through this painful situation. Plus, I had to find a way to bring them together to achieve the expected happily-ever-after. Glad to say, I pulled it off.
Q: Are you working on a new novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
A: I’m writing Book 2 – Love Again, in the McIntosh Brothers series. Here’s a bit about the McIntosh brothers.
Henry and Nora McIntosh have three sons, Paxton, Carter, and Rylan. Nora wanted to have a daughter, too, but according to her, “I was going for child number four, hoping it would be a girl, but my body would have none of it.”
Close-knit would aptly describe the McIntosh family. Their support of each other is admirable. They are a musical family and one of the ways they keep in touch is by having music rehearsals twice monthly. The McIntosh brothers were groomed for success. To that end, they are all financially successful. Paxton is a heart surgeon and Carter and Rylan are in business together – McIntosh Homes. While the brothers are close, Carter and Rylan are closer, perhaps because they work together. Nevertheless, the brothers have a good understanding of themselves and their roles in society. With respect to their relationship with God, Paxton and Carter have a strong relationship with the Lord. Rylan is coming back into a right relationship with God.
In Love Again, readers will meet Rylan (Ry) McIntosh and Savannah McKenzie, his love interest who disappeared years ago for no good reason. Well, none that Ry could think of. The two reconnected in a bizarre situation that could only have been divinely orchestrated. In a season that would bring many changes, they long for peace… and yearn for love. Will they trust God to overcome the past and find the strength to take a chance at life and love with each other? Stay tuned, Love Again will be available in 2021.
Thank you, Ann Marie, for sharing with us.. I can’t wait to read Dream Again
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, February 18
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 19
Through the Fire Blogs, February 20
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 21
Susan K. Beatty, Author, February 22 (Author Interview)
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 23
Inklings and notions, February 24
For Him and My Family, February 25
deb’s Book Review, February 26
Artistic Nobody, February 27 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 28
By The Book, March 1 (Author Interview)
Spoken from the Heart, March 1
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 2
Pause for Tales, March 3
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Ann Marie is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of Dream Again!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/10868/dream-again-celebration-tour-giveaway
I enjoyed learning more about Ann Marie and her book. Thank you for hosting.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for commenting!
Thanks so much for sharing! Greatly appreciated.
My pleasure. May God bless you and your readers.
I always enjoy the author interviews!
It’s great getting to know the “behind the scenes” scoop!
This sounds really good. Nice cover!
Ann Marie will be thankful for your comment! Thank you.
Thank you for sharing the author interview and book details, this sounds like an excellent read
It’s my pleasure to share what other authors are writing. Thank you for commenting.
I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s reviews about this book! I’m obsessed with the cover!
The cover is wonderful! Thanks for commenting.