Blogside Chat | Candace Calvert + Giveaway!

Please join me in welcoming Candace Calvert to i blog 4 books today! If you haven't read her books yet, you're missing out! She writes what I call "medical romantic suspense," which is essentially romantic suspense with a medical flair. And they are incredible books! Candace is here to talk about her latest release Trauma Plan. (You can read my review here.)

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i blog 4 books: Candace, welcome! I'm so glad to have you here today! For any readers who might not be familiar with you, please tell us a bit about yourself.

CC: Candace Calvert: I’m a veteran ER nurse, native northern Californian, wife, mom, and proud grandmother to seven. Plus I’m a passionate cook. Folks who follow me on Twitter and Facebook hear apron tales regularly.

ib4b: What was the inspiration behind Trauma Plan?

CC: We recently lived several years in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, and I was eager to share that colorful setting with readers. Featuring a nurse sidelined by injuries from a vicious assault, then pitting her against a controversial “maverick” of a physician added plenty of conflict and adventure.

ib4b: I've heard a lot about the Hill Country from my aunt, so it was fun to read a story set there! What message or lesson do you hope readers will take away from reading it?

CC: Trauma Plan explores the universal emotion of fear (at odds with faith) and shows the triumph of hope. Folks often describe me as the author of “medical hope opera,” and I consider it a compliment.

ib4b: How do you see yourself in the book?

CC: There is quite a similarity between heroine Riley Hale’s journey and my own: I too was a trauma victim. An equestrian accident landed me “on the other side of the stethoscope” as a patient in my own ER. I suffered multiple rib and back fractures, a bleeding lung, broken neck and spinal cord injury. Like my heroine, I feared I’d never return to my nursing career, and I doubted God’s plan for my life.

ib4b: The more I read, the more I appreciate the research that authors do to deliver a realistic story. Tell us about your research process for this book.

CC: Because I’m a nurse, I’m fortunate to have many professional connections for my medical scenes. Living near San Antonio was the perfect opportunity to get a great taste of the Trauma Plan setting, including country western music, an armadillo in our swimming pool, and incredible barbecue. I was also able to use my skydiving experience for an exciting and realistic scene, numb teeth, stomach butterflies and all!

ib4b: It seems like most authors have quite an interesting journey to getting published. What did you do in your "former life"?

CC: I was an Emergency Department nurse for three decades, great background for writing medical drama. Like my heroine, I’ve also been trained as a lay chaplain. Interestingly, it was my devastating riding accident that directly led to my first published work: an inspirational account of the event, “By Accident,” appears in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul.

ib4b: Where do you like to write?

CC: I love my office, which I share with my husband. But we’re fortunate to have a wonderful garden and patio, and I often sink onto the couches out there, sharing the space with hummingbirds, butterflies, and the occasional chattering squirrel.

ib4b: Your garden / patio sounds incredible! What were some of your favorite books growing up?

CC: I was (and am) a horse lover, so I fondly remember Black Beauty. But I read widely when I was growing up, from Nancy Drew to Tolkien to Ian Fleming and Robin Cooke to Danielle Steele romances. Very eclectic, still am.

ib4b: What was the last "must read" Christian fiction book that you read?

CC: My critique partner Nancy Herriman’s debut historical, The Irish Healer. It’s wonderful!

ib4b: What was your biggest fashion mishap?

CC: A Wonder Woman costume within camera range.

ib4b: Ha! Love it! The beach or the mountains?

CC: Beach

ib4b: What's your favorite comfort food?

CC: A tie between mashed potatoes and cream of tomato soup

ib4b: Do you have a "life verse" or favorite Scripture?

CC: Several, but I’m especially heartened by the Scripture I used as a foundation for my novel Critical Care, Jeremiah 29:11: 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'

ib4b: Write your memoir in six words or less.

CC: Funny, warm, joy-filled, hopeful encourager.

ib4b: Can you tell us a bit about what you're working on now? When can we expect to see it in stores?

CC: The second book in my new Grace Medical series, Rescue Team, is now in the edit stage. It’s set in Austin and features nurse Kate Callison from Trauma Plan and a wonderful new hero who is dedicated to search and rescue. This new book should release around the beginning of 2013.

CC: Thank you so very much for the opportunity to connect with your readers, Brooke. It’s an honor to have you all “scrub in” with these hopeful stories.

ib4b: Candace, thank you so much for stopping by! I enjoyed getting to know you a bit better and am looking forward to reading Rescue Team!

Candace Calvert Online

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Candace has graciously offered a signed copy of Trauma Plan to one of you! This giveaway is open internationally and will end on June 28. Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

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