with Janice Thompson

What is your favorite memory from when you were a teenager?
I was a theater kid, so it probably won’t surprise my friends and family to hear me say that one of my favorite memories took place on the stage. When I was sixteen, I auditioned for The Sound of Music at my high school and got the part of Brigitta, one of the VonTrapp children. Ironically, she’s the one who makes her entrance holding/reading a book (which her father uses to swat her on the backside). I loved my years in theater and have since gone on to direct at several Christian theaters in the Houston area. A theatrical performance, like a book, is a great avenue to share a great story.

What did you enjoy doing the most as a teenager?
When I wasn’t performing (singing and acting) I was enjoying a leadership position in my youth group at church. I think I must’ve been a born leader! I was always the one trying to get everyone excited about upcoming events. I participated in Bible quizzes, church plays, choir and much, much more.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a teenager?
Ouch! You would have to ask. It happened in the middle of a huge choir performance in front of several thousand people. I was one of eight people who’d been given a solo part, and when my turn came, I got confused and completely botched it! Talk about making a mistake in front of a crowd! It took me years to get over the embarrassment (and thinking about it now still makes me cringe!)


Ouch is right. What was your favorite midnight snack?
I love cheese. When I was nineteen, I lived in California (Bel Air West) and worked at an office building on Avenue of the Stars. There was a great outdoor mall behind my building, so I’d go to Hickory Farms and buy Havarti cheese (yum!) which I’d take home late at night and nibble on. (Maybe I was a mouse in another life? Ha!)


Lol. What would you do if you found a purple-polka dotted panda in your living room one morning?Ask him to hang around for an interview so I could turn him into a character in one of my books.

What kind of books did you enjoy reading as a teenager?
Wowza. I loved great books, for sure. I loved the classics, particularly anything by Louisa Alcott. Little Women remains a favorite, even to this day. In my teens, however, I was mostly drawn to stage plays. I loved The Glass Menagerie, Brigadoon, The Sound of Music, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many, many more!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?
In 6th grade. At that point, I’d read every Bobbsey Twins book out there and needed more. . .so I wrote one!

Cool. Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favorite character in Fools Rush In would have to be Aunt Rosa. I can relate to her on so many levels! I love that she’s a great cook. I’ve always longed to be a great cook (but never quite succeeded)!

What was the hardest part of the book to write?
There were a couple of parts that I took great care in writing: the wedding rehearsal scene (with Guido and the toupee) and the scene where Bubba’s eyebrows are burned off just before the wedding. The reason I had to take such time/care with those scenes is because I needed/wanted them to be oh, so funny! Writing “funny” takes time/work.

It definitely does! What is your favorite verse?
Oh, this is an easy one! My favorite is Ephesians 3:20 -21: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I love that scripture because I’m such a dreamer and want to do so many things for the Lord. When I think that HIS plans are even bigger/better than mine, I’m overwhelmed! They must be HUGE!

What advice would you give to todays high school and college girls?
The same advice I gave my own four daughters (who are all in their late 20s). There is no relationship in the world more important than the relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Don’t give your heart away too easily. It might come back to you in pieces. Make sure you’re really hearing from God before stepping into a relationship, and make sure the person you’re connecting with is also in relationship with God.

Thank you for sharing that with us. Do you have another book coming out soon?
Yes, Swinging on a Star, the sequel to Fools Rush In, has just released. Here’s the blurb:
Bella Rossi's life is nearing perfection. She's got the perfect guy, she's running a successful business, and she's about to plan her most ambitious wedding yet, a Renaissance-themed fairy tale come true, complete with period costumes and foods, horse-drawn carriages, and even a castle. There's just one hitch. The best man just happens to be Brock Benson, Hollywood's hottest and most eligible bachelor. Oh, and did we mention he's staying at the Rossi house to avoid the paparazzi? With all the pressure surrounding this wedding, Bella's not sure she's going to make it through. Add her starstruck sister, her feuding aunt and uncle, and a trio of large, sequined church ladies with even bigger personalities, and you've got a recipe for disaster--and a lot of laughs. This hilarious romantic comedy is sure to delight both fans and new readers alike.

Where can readers find you at?
www.janiceathompson.com
http://weddingsbybella.blogspot.com/

Janice Thompson is giving away a copy of Fools Rush In. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Sunday, February 14th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment.

You can also watch the book trailer for Fools Rush In here:

meet Janice Thompson

Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over fifty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children's books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all.

Here's the blurb for Fools Rush In...

Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban? When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding? Book one in the Weddings by Bella series, Fools Rush In is fun, fresh, and full of surprises. Readers will love the flavorful combination of Italian and Tex-Mex, and the hilarity that ensues when cultures clash.

Here's a short excerpt from Fools Rush In.
I glanced out of the window, my sights falling on a black Dodge 4 x 4 complete with chrome, mud flaps, oversized running boards, and those big tires that looked as if they were made merely for recycling as multi-person flotation devices. Not unusual in Texas, but more than a little out of place in our neck of the woods. I held my breath as the door swung open and Dwayne Neeley stepped out. "Whoa." My imagination hadn't done him justice. Tall. Check. Burly. Check. Five o'clock shadow. Check. I stopped checking after that, worried I might lose track of the reason for his visit. He drew a bit closer, and I took note of the fact that Sophia--who'd been sitting on our veranda next door--was now on her feet, giving him a solid once-over. Watch yourself, girl. As Dwayne ambled up the drive, the pointed toes of his boots moving in perfectly timed steps, my heart seemed to beat along in sync. After a few seconds of staring at his broad shoulders and rugged good looks, I sprinted to the front door, pausing only to double-check my appearance in the front-hall mirror before stepping out onto the veranda. Once there, I did my best to look calm and unassuming. A smile lit my cowboy deejay's handsome face as he climbed the stairs to meet me on the porch. My, but the boy was tall. "Dwayne Neeley?" I managed. "The one and only." He extended his right hand. I took it, but found it difficult to focus, because, now that we were within hand-shaking distance, something else stood out, something that totally threw me. His clothes were, well, dirty. And he had that same wet puppy smell Nick's boys always got when they'd been playing in the summer sun too long. And I was pretty sure he had--what was that, sawdust?--in his hair.

Readers, here's where you can find Janice Thompson:

www.janiceathompson.com
http://weddingsbybella.blogspot.com/

Janice Thompson is giving away a copy of Fools Rush In. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Sunday, February 14th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment.

Here's the book trailer for Fools Rush In.

Hearts in Harmony

Hey guys! I hope your week hasn't been quite as hectic as mine has! Seeing my cousins :), cleaning my room so that my sister, Abby, and I can move our beds and dressers around and paint...
But even though I am so busy, I still sneak a couple of minutes here and there to read a good book.

Right now I am in the middle of reading Hearts in Harmony, by Gail Sattler, who blogs at www.gailsattler.com. Hearts in Harmony is one of the Men of Praise series, all of which are written by Gail. I must say that if you haven't read Hearts in Harmony, it is a very cool book in a very cool series. Those of us that have read Hearts in Harmony or another in the series know how neat they are. Here's the back cover blurb from Hearts in Harmony...

Lift up your voice!
Playing guitar for his church's worship team was not going as well as Adrian Braithwaite expected. Which was why he was thrilled to find a talented keyboardist in new church member Celeste Hackett.

But there was more to the lovely Celeste than met the eye—the skill that Adrian so valued came from her former career in a rock band. And though the pastor welcomed her, a threat from Celeste's past could destroy what she'd worked so hard to build, unless her musical partner could become her partner for life.

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? That's what I first thought when I read the back of it. So now I'm reading it. If you haven't read it already, this is one book that I'd recommend to anyone.

Be sure to check back later! Janice Thompson will be here with an interview and will be giving away a copy of her book, Fools Rush In. You can check out her blog at www.janiceathompson.com

Have fun!

About Me-Abby

Hi, I'm Abby and I'm going to be doing some book reviews on here. Some will be suspense/thriller books. I'm going to be doing those because Esther hates reading suspense/thrillers. Oh well, she's missing out on some amazing books.

For those who don't know, Esther and I are sisters. I'm older, but she's taller and believe me, she loves that fact. I, as you have probably already guessed, absolutely love reading. Writing research papers, book reviews, book reports, etc I do great at. Writing a story is a little more difficult. Which is fine by me, cause Esther's the writing whiz of the family.

I love listening to music and I also love anything that has to do with Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien's works and the Chronicles of Narnia. Those are my all time favorite movies and books. I'm homeschooled as well and love it. I am the 2nd oldest of 5 children.

Hey there everybody!

Hey, it's me, Esther! I'm from a large family that I love. One dog, two turtles, three cats, four siblings, and mom and dad. I'm homeschooled and I also love writing and reading (ask my mom, who blogs at Patterings) and anything that has to do with horses.

Okay, enough about me. Now it's time to talk about the blog.

The idea for this site is to do book reviews and author interviews from a teen's point of view, and book giveaways when they're available.

So thanks for stopping by. I hope that you'll enjoy it here and come back!

Welcome!

Welcome to Bookworms Review where we do book reviews and interviews with a teen twist.

We are working on the site, but it'll be up and running soon.

Thanks for stopping by!
Esther