Give Us this Day by author June Foster

June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA
in counseling. She writes full time and travels in her RV with her husband Joe.  June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series,  Give Us This Day – February 1,
2012, As We Forgive – September 1, 2012, and
Deliver Us – April 1, 2013, and Hometown Fourth of July –
July 1, 2012.
June's book, Ryan's Father, will be available from WhiteFire Publishing January 2014. For All Eternity, Red and the Wolf,  and Misty Hollow, God willing, will be published in the near future. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the issues in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives.

 June, please tell the readers about your novel. Who or what was your inspiration behind it?
             
Though Jess Colton gave his life to the Lord, he held onto an old habit. Fueled by alcohol, he spent a night with a girl from his past, defying his Christian principles. When he quit drinking to honor God, he discovered another  addiction. Now he can't manage his own life as his weight soars and diabetes threatens to claim him. Jess is baffled when the beautiful Holly Harrison declares her love.
             
Holly Harrison lived  to please herself. But everything caught up with her in one moment of time when a destructive motorcycle accident altered her life forever. Nowhere else to turn,
she looked to God for answers. Now, she's convinced no Christian man would be
attracted to her. She doesn’t plan on falling in love with the handsome Jess Colton seeing past his bulk to the godly, tender man within. When Jess drives a wedge between them, she loses hope of a future together.
             
Can Holly overcome her handicap? Does Jess find control over his eating and his life? Only God can provide the answers.

I believe some Christians experience problems similar to Jess Colton's. Drinking alcohol isn't an acceptable practice at church potlucks. I say that with tongue in cheek. Many precious people who've given their lives to the Lord are still plagued with addictive tendencies, so they look to an "acceptable" habit—over eating. That could've been my own
story.

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How did you decide on the setting? Did you need to do research?

Give Us This Day  is set in the fictitious city of Bellewood, Washington. I lived in Washington  state for ten years and love the green forests, towering volcanic mountains,  and sparkling blue lakes. This backdrop seemed a natural location to place my  characters. I didn't have to do as much research as I do now with my current
  WIP set in the Appalachians of Tennessee. 
 
How did you choose the names of your characters?

Generally, I give my characters names I've always loved. I'd often wished I'd had more kids so I could assign them my favorites, but now I can bestow my names on my characters. For Jess's last name, Colton, my husband and I were in Kentucky when I was writing the book, and we went to a great steak house called Coltons. So I decided that might be a good last name for Jess.

Which did you create first, the plot or the characters?

The plot and the characters are so much a part of each other, it's hard to say. I started with a general story idea and then did a character study through interviews and brainstorming. Too, I did research to discover why a person grows up with an addictive personality. This told me more about Jess.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

My favorite chapter is when Jess talks about how imperfect his body is because he tops the scales at 300  pounds. Holly risks her dignity by showing him her prosthetic which she's disguised since they first met. Since she's skilled at wearing the device on  her left leg under her knee, no one knows about her handicap. I love this scene because of the emotional impact it makes on readers.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers about your books, or you personally?

I love to write stories about Christian characters who overcome seemingly impossible issues by the power of God and His word. So far I have four inspirational romances published, a contract for another, and three more for which I'm seeking  publication. A few of the difficult life situations I write about are obesity, anger, unforgiveness, homosexuality, illiteracy, and abortion. 

Amazon purchase link.
http://www.amazon.com/Bellewood-Book-One-Give-This/dp/1612529313/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375822313&sr=1-1
 


  

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