When the Nile Runs Red by DiAnn Mills

Paul Farid, who once persecuted the southern Sudanese, now loves the weary people whose lives have been destroyed by war.

Colonel Ben Alier has led his battle-hardened soldiers for two decades against the North, yet he pursues a relationship with his son even as his own demons pursue him.

Dr. Larson Kerr Farid works long hours caring for the sick, but fatigue and worry about her husband, are taking their toll. And she’s just learned something that will make everything more complicated.

These three friends face constant danger as tensions escalate between the north and south, and as Paul’s family schemes to kill him and Larson. Will Paul and Larson bridge the gap that seems to grow between them? And will Ben find peace as more than a soldier?


Click here to view a Promo Video Clip for When the Nile Runs Red -

When the Nile Runs Red is being used to raise awareness of the atrocities that are taking place in Sudan. Book sale proceeds will be donated to restore the Sudanese community.


What reviewers are saying about When the Nile Runs Red:


"I cannot put into the appropriate words how truly amazing this novel was. I felt like my heart was being pulled in all different directions; I highly recommend this novel. You get to take a look into the current events in Sudan, see the love grow and flourish between Larson and Paul, and see the fate of Ben that will have you wipe a tear from your cheek. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that is worth reading again and again." - Ashley Denis for FrontPage Reviews


"Mills has created a masterpiece in the inspirational fiction, When the Nile Runs Red. Plenty of action scenes as well as twists and turns in the plot keep the reader engaged with the story. With real characters, real struggles, life-and-death situations and a present but not overwhelming inspirational theme, Mills has created a wonderful read." - Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended. Lacy J. Williams


"The book is definitely hard to put down – I ended up reading it in one sitting because I couldn’t walk away! Beautiful, wholesome, and educational, When the Nile Runs Red is definitely an eye-opening read! DiAnn Mills excels at bringing a very worth cause to light while still maintaining her reputation as a best-selling author of fiction. Absolutely fantastic!" - Vicki Landes for Reader Views


When the Nile Runs Red is full of action and its characters are unique and engaging. Even minor characters are carefully developed and Mills balances effectively description, back-story, action, dialogue and introspection. From its tense opening scene to its dramatic finish, the book’s plot is well constructed. The momentum never falters and the various political, personal and spiritual conflicts all meet and resolve at the conclusion. Readers who enjoy Christian fiction and those who enjoy adventure stories will find plenty to like in this book and they will probably find it hard to put aside once they’ve begun reading." - Evelyn Sears

"With its apropos title When the Nile Runs Red is a deep look at the atrocities occurring in the Sudan. The three prime players are fully developed and feel heroically genuine so that their encounters provide a realistic graphic glimpse at humanity’s darkened soul. Although there is a bias towards Christianity as the benevolent religion vs. the alleged harshness of Islam, readers will be stunned by the powerful vivid exposé of genocide." - Harriet Klausner


Endorsers:


When the Nile Runs Red has all the earmarks of a great novel—a hold-your-breath plot, larger-than-life characters, with a beautiful thread of hope and valor woven through—all handled with DiAnn Mills’ accomplished voice. A victorious follow-up to When the Lion Roars."

––Deborah Raney, author of Remember to Forget and A Vow to Cherish


“DiAnn Mills is a masterful storyteller who’s written a powerful tale of love, faith, and courage that could have been plucked from today’s headlines. When the Nile Runs Red puts a human face and heart on the suffering in the Sudan. This book is a must-read.”

—Mark Mynheir, author of The Void.


Q & A with the author - DiAnn Mills


1. What inspired you to write this novel?

I had previously written a nonfiction book about the Lost Boys of Sudan – Lost Boy No More. From that research, I wrote the novel When the Lion Roars, but the story would not let me go.

Through numerous interviews and extensive reading, I grew to love and admire the courageous Sudanese people and was burdened by their incredible needs. I had to bring them back in When the Nile Runs Red.

2. Why Sudan?

This country went through nearly two decades of civil war strife. In 1983, the northern government launched a holy war against the south. This grew out of the views of the Islamic north against the mostly Christian black African south. The war had three aspects: religion, politics, and oil. The atrocities committed against the southern people are too many to list, but the war was fought in the south through genocide.

3. How did you conduct your research?

I grabbed my backpack and sun screen and traveled to Juba, Sudan, the southern capital. There I stayed at a Christian compound and met with southern Sudanese from all walks of life: refugees, political leaders, and church leaders. I talked to as many people as I could, snapped pictures, and listened to what was being said.

4. Regarding your trip to Sudan, what touched you the most?

The incredible faith. I could look into a Sudanese’s eyes and see the pain of persecution and the hope of Jesus. Here, we say we love Jesus while we live in our huge homes, drive our fancy cars, are well-fed, are not hunted down for our faith, or are concerned about medical care. The Sudanese understand that all they have and need is Jesus.

5. Can you give us a brief description of your characters?

Paul Farid was once a Muslim who actively persecuted the southern people, but now he’s a Christian who flies dangerous missions into war-torn areas to deliver food and medical supplies.

Dr. Larson Kerr Farid risks her life to bring healing to the Sudanese. Just like her husband Paul, her life is often in danger. But there is a problem between her and Paul with no easy solution.

Colonel Ben Alier has been fighting and leading the southern army of Sudan for nearly two decades. Often referred to as a warlord, Ben fights his own demons.

The three are friends, an unlikely friendship forged by their love for Sudan.

6. How do you build your plots?

Always out of character with two simple words: what-if? John Gardner said to create the best possible characters and allow the worst possible things to happen to them. That says it all. It’s easy to coat our darlings with easy trials and struggles, but the hard stuff, the struggles that define the character are what have to happen. I’m a huge fan of Donald Maass and wouldn’t consider writing a paragraph without using techniques found in his books Writing the Breakout Novel and Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook.

7. What are you goals for this novel?

To increase awareness about the situation in Sudan and to share my passion for the Sudanese people through a compelling story.

The proceeds for this novel go back to aid the Sudanese.

8. What do you hope the readers will gain?

To lose themselves in the novel. That’s every writer’s goal. But I also want the reader to sense a call to action and support the Sudanese cause.

9. What is your next project?

I’m currently writing a romantic suspense series with a working series title of “Behind the Sunglasses”.

10. How can readers learn more about what you are doing?

Check out my website at www.diannmills.com. I have sections about Sudan, and for readers, and writers. Those signing up for my newsletter get to download a chapter of an upcoming release.

11. Aside from your passion for writing, what else are you doing?

Speaking to groups about the situation in Sudan.

Teaching at writer’s conferences.

Conducting Fiction Mentoring Clinics. These are small groups who work closely together for three work-filled days to develop their craft.



Meet DiAnn Mills:

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold more than a million copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” Her desire is to show characters solving real problems of today from a Christian perspective through a compelling story.

Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2007. She is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.

She lives in sunny Houston, Texas, the home of heat, humidity, and Harleys. In fact she’d own a Harley, but her legs are too short. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.


Website: www.diannmills.com

Click here to buy When The Nile Runs Red

Since I'm frantically getting ready for the ACFW conference, would you mind going over to faithchicks to read my "Cowboy and Christmas, among other things" blog there? LOL. Nothing like getting redirected, is there? Click HERE! See you there!

Doesn’t She Look Natural?
By Angela Hunt



An interview with Angela Hunt:

How did you come up with the concept for Doesn’t She Look Natural?

I read HEAVEN by Randy Alcorn and naturally began to think about the life to come. I’ve also lost several friends over the last couple of years, and I’ve come to realize that death, for the believer, is not to be feared. I thought a series about a funeral home might be a good way to address issues affecting the living and those who are facing death.

Is any part of Doesn’t She Look Natural factual?
Jennifer Graham and her family are completely fictitious, but Mt. Dora is a real place.

How closely is this Doesn’t She Look Natural based on your life and your practice?
There are bits of every author’s life in every story he or she produces, but I am happily married with two older children. I’ve never been a mortician, but I’ve always been interested in all things medical.

How long did Doesn’t She Look Natural take you to complete? About the average length of time for me—four or five months.

What is the meaning behind the title: Doesn’t She Look Natural?
When my editor and I were talking about titles, we were trying to think of things people always say at funerals. We’ve come up with three: Doesn’t She Look Natural?, She Always Wore Red, and She’s in a Better Place.

Do you have a favorite character? Why?
I’m a little partial to Bugs, Jennifer’s five-year-old son. He says the cutest things . . .

How much research did Doesn’t She Look Natural take? Quite a bit, and this is just the beginning of the series. In the second book, Jen goes to mortuary school, and by the third book she is actively operating the funeral home. So I’ve had to learn quite a bit about funeral homes, caskets, supplies, embalming, burial versus cremation, etc.

What are some of the challenges you face as an author? I think all authors face the same challenges—the need to place ourselves in a chair and stay there until the work is done, the challenge of staying fresh in the face of many revisions, and the challenge of wearing entertaining stories and spiritual truths. People looking for the former aren’t always looking for the latter.

Are there any other new projects on the horizon? Of course! I still have to write the third Fairlawn book, She’s in a Better Place, and I’m working on another thriller called The Face.

Who has influenced you the most with your writing? It’s be impossible to name one single person—I had a sixth grade teacher who complimented my writing before I had any inkling that I might be any good at it, and Pastor Derric Johnson suggested that I switch from music to writing as a career. And at Tyndale House, it was Ken Peterson who suggested that I move from children’s books into adult fiction. You might say that God has frequently spoken to me through the voices of my friends.

What advice would you give to a person trying to become a novelist? Read, read, read. And then get to a good writer’s conference where you can learn from people who are actually doing the work.

What message would you like your readers to take away from Doesn’t She Look Natural? I would like readers to see that God is always leading us . . . even when we don’t like the direction in which we’re moving. And when God moves us, He supplies our needs . . . sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

What is your goal or mission as a writer? My goal in life is simply to love and obey God. Right now I’m doing that by writing the stories He places on my heart.

Click here to order Doesn’t She Look Natural now!

How do you live when God asks you to bury a dream?
Jennifer Graham, the no-nonsense chief of staff for a Virginia senator, quits her job after her divorce—and finds herself an unemployed single mom. Forced to live with her mother until she can find work on Capitol Hill that does not involve her gregarious ex-husband, her efforts are stymied until she learns that she has inherited a funeral home in picturesque Mt. Dora. Jennifer journeys to the small Florida town with her two sons and her mother, never dreaming that within a mortuary she will uncover mysteries of love and life.
Reader Reviews:
"Doesn't She Look Natural? proves the point that Angela Hunt is one of the most versatile authors writing today. Hunt can bring her readers up close and personal to any emotion common to the human heart, and she does just that in her latest release. With her trademark lovable, multifaceted characters and flawless, unpredictable storytelling, she allows us to view life through a lens that ranges from humor to pathos, from dreams to grit, from anger and frustration to courage and hope. I loved these people. I loved this book." ---BJ Hoff, author of the Mountain Song Legacy series, the American Anthem series, and An Emerald Ballad.

When an unexpected twist in life turns Jen upside down and shakes her, she gathers the spilled change from her pockets and begins anew. Hurt by the unwelcome death of her marriage, she nevertheless allows God to begin to heal her and breathe new life into her circumstances. A heroine to cheer for and identify with and an endearing ensemble of well-meaning but meddling mothers, sweetly persistent new friends and a few men who remember how to be honorable round out a light-hearted read that is simply to die for. --Sandra Byrd, author of Let Them Eat Cake and other novels.

Doesn't She Look Natural is a wonderful change of pace for Angela Hunt. While still dealing with timely and serious subject matter, Angie does it with a refreshing breath of humor. Realizing that God is still in control of every situation of life (and death), the reader is shown a lighter side of circumstances that lifts the soul from the pit of despair and gives it hope in what lies ahead.
The little snippets of so-true-to-life Red Hatter escapades are a special added treat, especially for the other-side-of- fifty genre who will be enjoying this book. And I should know, being the real and original Queen Snippy! This is a truly delightful book that you will not be able to easily put down! Can't wait for the next two books in this heart-warming series! --Tanzel Rousey, aka Queen Snippy, Red Hat Society of Heavenly Daze