This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten will be awarding $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
D. Tina Batten: As a Christian, my primary focus is creating, writing, producing, and directing projects in the Christian genre. The Lord draws us nearer to Him as our writings will draw people closer to get to know and learn about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It gives me so much pleasure to share the teachings of Christ through fictional stories that relate to the everyday person in hopes that they will seek the Lord out for themselves. To develop a personal relationship with Him for themselves. To make the decision for themselves. A scripture comes to mind, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalms 34:8 kvj
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: I write Christian women’s fiction because I love creating complex characters and covering subjects that highlight and share God’s love, redemption and healing power. I love being prompted to write certain scenes and what I learn even as I write the words on the page.
What research is required?
D. Tina Batten: Though our book is a book of fiction, the dreams we experience that sometimes will take us into the spiritual realm was our research. Not only research but personal experience as well. As people of faith, we know that we are spiritual beings living in a physical body. But there are times when the spiritual realm feels more real than the natural realm. As we wrote, there is a thin line between the spiritual realm and the natural. That was our research into writing this phenomenal book.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: Mmmm. For me and my co-author it is part imagination and part elaborating on our own experiences. Since our world is based on the contemporary real world.
Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.
D. Tina Batten: The heroine in our book is the main character Ms. V. I must say that I love learning from her consistency and discipline. Those are great traits and attributes to have as a person that seem to be a daily lesson for me as I strive to be more like her.
I admire Ms. V. 's discipline and consistency in continuing to pray for people even when her body aches and she’s feeling weary. Ms. V. will consistently pray for others when she doesn’t feel like it. She knows that she must do it in order to help those in need. Her consistency and discipline to do what she is called to do over and over and over again is something I aspire to do in my own life. As I said, it’s a daily lesson I still have yet to master.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: I have learned that though there is power with prayer you can’t ignore that we are still limited to a degree by our bodies. We can feel led to give a great deal of ourselves to others but we still have to take care of our health.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits, or superstitions?
D. Tina Batten: With all the technology, smartphones, flip phones and the like, I prefer to write long hand first. Can you believe that? Of course, I will evidentially convert my long hand writings into digital form, but I love the feel of pen/pencil to paper. Give me a brand-new smooth gliding ink pen and a pad of paper any day of the week. That is my happy place. LOL. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Am I?
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: I love writing and typing with my fingerless gloves. I have a few different pairs. Do they help me write or allow me to concentrate better? Nope. I just love the way they feel.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
D. Tina Batten: I’m definitely a plotter. I find writing outlines helps me to craft a well-developed character arc which makes for a more interesting story. I use this technique for all my writings, film, books, and stage. For me, it’s all about the story. A great story never gets old.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: I am a panster all of the way. I only have a general idea of what my books are going to be about. The rest I find out just a few minutes before I begin writing the page.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
D. Tina Batten: My huge Desktop Apple Computer Monitor ;-) I’m staring at it right now.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: My phone and some jewelry making tools.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
D. Tina Batten: Yes. Absolutely. I’m an extremely creative person. Creative people are always working on something new. We continue to create. Not only am I working on shooting my first feature film, but my co-author Traci and I have major plans for the future of this book. Too early to spill the beans just yet, but trust me, this will be another fantastic year for us and for the people who support our work. I will say that we are planning to collaborate on another book in the series. That’s something not too far off in the distant future.
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: I am currently writing the next book in my Promises to Zion series. I have been publishing for others over the last two years and now it is time for me to get my stories out again.
Do you have a question for our readers?
D. Tina Batten: I would love to ask a question that was asked of me. Those that had an opportunity; what lesson did they learn from reading The Prayer Warrior?
Traci Wooden-Carlisle: In The Prayer Warrior we give our readers a chance to choose between two endings. One follows a more spiritual route and the other a more natural route. Which one do you like more?
There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm.
Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.
By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.
By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.
Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?
Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?
Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.
Read an Excerpt
Ms.V. walked around the room, taking in the curio cabinet in the corner under the window, the maple shelving unit against the far wall, and the oversized plush chair and small glass table in the corner opposite to her desk. She used it as a quiet corner. There were small mementos along the surfaces given to her from students, past and present showing their appreciation for her words of honest wisdom and pure encouragement and positivity, and how she helped them from a moment of crisis to clarity. They were each symbols of gratitude for the love she had shown them over the years; the many talks with no judgment, just pure love.
Many times, she would encourage people to make themselves comfortable. To some, it meant taking off their jackets and scarves, to others it meant taking off their shoes.
She noticed the sound of slow rhythmic beeping and looked around for the cause, but just as quickly as it came, there was nothing but silence. It struck a chord in her, reminding her of what she’d overlooked.
She’d been so preoccupied by everything she’d dreamed that morning, and maybe imagined when she first placed her key in the lock, that she’d forgone her daily ritual of praying over everything seen and unseen in her office.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she focused on His presence. She ran her hands lovingly across the backs of the pleather chairs facing her desk as she prayed God’s love and peace would saturate them.
About the Authors: D. “Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.
Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.
As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!
You can find her at the following social media platforms:
Website:
http://www.sisterbatten.com
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Sister-BattenCom-Sister-Batten-Productions-157650117630075/
FB:
https://www.facebook.com/tina.batten.18
IG:
https://www.instagram.com/sisterbatten/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/sisterbatten
Subscribe to Sister Batten YouTube Channel:
shorturl.at/lsxA4
Walking in the Spirit Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sisterbattenfilms
If Not For The LORD, Where Would I Be? Delicious Episode Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sisterbattenproductions
Traci Wooden-Carlisle
Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.
Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors.
You can find her on the following social media platforms.
Website:
http://www.tawcarlisle.com
Newsletter:
http://www.tawcarlisle.com/subscribe
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Traci-Wooden-Carlisle/e/B00OIAS208/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/Author_TraciWCarlisle
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/traciwoodencarlisle
Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/tawcarlisle
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/traci-wooden-carlisle
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/traciwcarlisle
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/tawcarlisle
Book Video:
https://youtu.be/lw3DiS_-E0A
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