Author Elizabeth Ludwig--A Funny Woman and Gifted Author Who Knows How To Spread God's Love

Okay, I admit it. I was one of "those" some years ago who doubted I'd prefer e-mailing to hand-writing letters (never think about the latter now) or even as of last year wondering why I should ever get involved hosting a blog. Blogging has truly changed my life for the better. It's been a blessing connecting with people from all over the world, as well as helping others promote themselves and/or a great cause. And that's why I'm honored to have as this weeks's guest on Everyone's Story Elizabeth Ludwig. She has made me feel like a treasured guest on her own blog, The Borrowed Book, and has helped me navigate through a few blog black-holes.


Since this is a holiday weekend here in the US, Elizabeth has chosen to help lighten the mood by interviewing a character from her novel DIED IN THE WOOL (co-written with Janelle Mowery), a very fun, excellent read. She's also offering a giveaway of one copy of this novel to a randomly chosen commenter . . . so please do leave a comment. If you have any trouble, please email me directly (email address is in the right-hand corner of the blog page).


But first, please enjoy this hilarious You-Tube video that Elizabeth has made:



Character Interview of Mike Brockman--by Elizabeth Ludwig

Meet Died in the Wool’s leading man, Detective Mike Brockman…

Brief physical description

Life as a cop isn’t always easy, even in a town as small as Pine Mills. In two short years, Det. Mike Brockman has seen more murder and intrigue than he ever did in Boston. But while working the beat may have chiseled the softness from his body, it hasn’t affected his tender heart. Every now and then, he lets his guard down and allows others to glimpse the gentle man behind the brooding eyes and wavy brown hair.

Strengths and weaknesses

Mike’s strength lies in his ability to love deeply and laugh abundantly. While there may not be much to joke about on the job, he finds plenty to enjoy outside of the station…including his new girlfriend, Monah.

Quirks (if any) 

Mike’s a man’s man, thank-you. He doesn’t believe in being quirky, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love every one of Monah’s wacky character traits. In fact, he rather enjoys picking on her!

Background to the story

A woman with a secret. . .

Monah Trenary takes great pride in how she runs the public library, touting it as a quiet place of learning and discovery. But that peace is shattered when she discovers a body in the ladies restroom and the people of Pine Mills Massachusetts learn they once again harbor a murderer.

Will Monah uncover the truth in time to save her own life, or will the trail to the real killer also lead to secrets she would rather keep hidden? As the mystery unravels, Monah discovers there’s only one person she’s desperate to prove her innocence to, Detective Mike Brockman—the man who could send her to prison. 

The man she loves. 

And now, an interview with Detective Mike Brockman:

Hi, Det. Brockman! Thanks for visiting with us today.

Please, call me Mike. And thanks for having me!

Tell us a little about yourself. Have you always wanted to be a detective?

I always wanted to be cop, but it wasn’t until I worked my first homicide that I really started thinking about becoming a detective. Something inside me responded to the victim’s family and their need for answers. I realized it was important to me to provide those answers…maybe add a little bit of closure in the process. 

This last case really took some twists and turns. Were you surprised by the outcome?

Well, without giving too much away, yeah, I was surprised. Just when I start to think I’ve honed my investigative skills, someone throws in a monkey wrench. Tell you what, though, I NEVER thought I’d be forced to investigate Monah. That was a real gut-wrencher, all the way around.

And speaking of Monah, tell us a little about her. How long have the two of you known each other?

I’ve known Monah for a while now, and I’ll tell you what, I have never met a more beautiful, interesting person, inside and out. She has this amazing faith—I mean, she challenges me to live better, walk closer to God. She’s funny, smart…I don’t think she has any idea how attractive she is, which in a way, is pretty lucky for me. 

Lucky?

Monah could have any guy. I mean that. Absolutely any guy would be lucky to even have her look his way. But she chose me. That still blows me away.

Sounds like you might be in love! Any plans for the future?

(Clears throat) Uh…well…let’s just say I’ve got lots of plans. I just hope she shares some of those. LOL!

LOL! Okay, I won’t press about your relationship with Monah anymore. Let’s talk about Pine Mills. Including the mystery that Monah and her best friend, Casey Alexander, managed to solve last year, this makes two murders in as many years. Are you spotting a trend?

I sure hope not! Honestly, I think it’s more that God is just forcing a lot of things to light that have been covered for too long. Pine Mills is no different than any other place—it just happens to be experiencing a spiritual battle right now.

Spiritual battle? Can you explain that a little bit?

What I mean by that is, any time people start looking to God, warfare is gonna happen. God wants people to depend on Him, and if exposing sin is what it takes to make that happen, then that’s what He’s going to do—what He did do when Casey uncovered the truth behind her aunt’s disappearance.

Oh, you’re talking about your first case in Where the Truth Lies.

Yes, that’s right.

Do you have any other cases you’re working on?

Actually, yes, but I gotta admit, this one has me stumped. The answers are eluding me, but I feel like the clues are all there—in plain sight, ya know?

Indeed, I do, Mike. I look forward to reading all about your latest case—Inn Plain Sight, which just released as an e-book this month. Best of luck, and thanks for stopping by! 

Thanks again for having me!

Please visit with Elizabeth and leave a comment. Perhaps ask Detective Mike a question--he's really a good sport-- or just say a hello to Elizabeth. And please consider becoming a Follower to Everyone's Story--thanks ♡ ♡ ♡

Author's Bio:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Journey, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Janelle Mowery, earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year honors. This book was followed in 2009 by “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” part of a Christmas anthology collection called Christmas Homecoming, also from Barbour Publishing. 

In 2010, her first full-length historical novel Love Finds You in Calico, California earned Four Stars from the Romantic Times. Books two and three of Elizabeth’s mystery series, Died in the Wool (Barbour Publishing) and Inn Plain Sight, respectively, are slated for release in 2011.

Coming in 2012 is Elizabeth’s newest historical series from Bethany House Publishers. No Safe Harbor, the first book in the Edge of Freedom Series, will release in October, with two more books following in 2013 and 2014.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, and often attends conferences and seminars, where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoyed a wide readership in its first year, with more than 14,000 visitors in 2010. Along with her husband and two children, Elizabeth makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more about her work, visit her at www.elizabethludwig.com.