Welcome Carla Capshaw, author of "The Protector"

I'm so pleased to have Carla here today!  Carla is a Florida native and a preacher's kid.  She is a two-time RWA Golden Heart Award winner.  She is talking about her newest novel, "The Protector".

Hi Janet! Thanks so much for inviting me to visit your blog today. It’s great to be here with you and your readers.

How long have you been writing and when was your first book published?

I’ve been writing about ten years now. I sold in 2007, but the book wasn’t released until Nov. 2009.


What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

It’s been so long since I had free time, I don’t remember what I used to do. ;-) If I did have extra time, I’d read and travel more.


Tell us how you come up with characters.

The first line of the story usually comes to me first. Then I have to figure out who said it and why. All of it goes along with the time period I’m working on. Once I have an inkling of who the first character is, I imagine who his or her most perfect, seemingly opposite partner would be and…voila.


What is a typical writing day like for you?

I wake up and go to work. Once I’m home in the evening, I start writing until 2 or 3 in the morning. I’m a night person, so it’s the perfect schedule for me.


Where do you write?

All over the place.  I write in bed, sitting on my couch or at my desk. Sometimes it depends on the scene I’m working on. There is a scene in my latest book, The Protector, set on the beach. I’m not a beach person, but I only live about five miles from a beautiful one on the west coast of Florida. So when I needed inspiration it was only natural that I took my laptop and trudged out there to sit in the sand and listen to the waves crashing on shore. I think it made the scene more realistic and helped me write faster since I had everything I needed to describe right in front of me.


Tell us about your latest book.

The Protector is a sequel to my first published novel, The Gladiator. The hero and heroine are Quintus and Adiona. Quintus is a Christian who was sentenced to death for his beliefs. While waiting for execution, he was sold to a slave trader, then to a gladiator school. He’s trying to earn his freedom and return to his hometown to make sure his son, who died just before Quintus’s trial, received a proper burial, since funeral rites were paramount to first century people. Adiona is a socialite who hides a lifetime of pain behind a mask of indifference and a lot of attitude. She has good reasons to hate men and has sworn them off for good. Unfortunately for her, she can’t shake her attraction to Quintus. Quintus is hugely attracted to Adiona, but doesn’t want anything to do with her for reasons of his own.
When someone tries to assassinate Adiona, Quintus is made her bodyguard. Adiona has to leave Rome and Quintus accompanies her for protection. Away from the intrigues of Rome and the differences in their social status, they’re finally able to learn the truth about one another and what’s really important to each of them.


What would you like readers to take away from your book?

Oh goodness, so many things!   I hope readers enjoy the romance and learn something they may not have known about ancient Rome. Most importantly and the reason I love writing Inspirationals, is because I get a chance to impart some biblical truth into the story without being preachy. That truth in The Protector is that God sees each of us as valuable, that no matter how damaged we are He sees us as the precious diamonds He created us to be.



What is the best lesson you have learned from another writer?

Never give up.


What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?

Meeting the deadline for the first novel I sold on partial. Until then, I’d always written at my leisure.



What is something readers would be surprised you do?

I speed. I really, really like to drive fast.



How do you reach new readers?

I pray.   And I do my best to write books people will tell their friends about.



How can readers get in contact with you? (email; website; blog; etc.)

I love to hear from readers. My website is http://www.carlacapshaw.com/. I can be found on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Goodreads, too. I have a ‘links’ page on my site so anyone can find me easily at those networks.


Thanks for your time, Carla!  Folks, we will be drawing a winner from all who leave a comment and their email address.  Not only is Carla sending the lucky winner a signed copy of "The Protector"....I will be sending a signed copy of her debut novel, "The Gladiator" to the lucky winner also!  So, the winner will get both books!!  AWESOME!!!!
Just read my review then write your comment after the review.  The winner will be randomly drawn on Sunday, July 24, 2010.  Good luck and God Bless!!

My Review:

This book is a sequel to Carla‘s debut novel, “The Gladiator”. If you’ve not read “The Gladiator”, don’t worry, “The Protector” stands alone. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy stories set in the Roman times. After winning “The Gladiator” in a contest online, I decided to give it a try. Boy, I’m so very glad I did!! Carla is an awesome writer who takes you back to Rome, gladiators, and the persecution of Christians.


Quintus Ambustus is a slave who fights for his life in the gladiator’s ring. He is also a Christian who has sacrificed everything for his beliefs. Adiona Leonia is a wealthy socialite who believes in nothing and no one. Adiona is a friend of Caros, the famed lanista, who owns Quintus as a slave. While visiting with Caros, Adiona sees Quintus and likes what she sees. Adiona is a widow who was badly treated as a child and is sold into marriage at the age of 13. She is treated even worse by her husband and when he dies, she feels that she is finally free. Because of her past she doesn’t trust men nor does she want much to do with them.

Quintus is appointed to take Adiona to see a relative of hers who is ill. Neither one wants the other to know how taken they are with each other. It becomes apparent early on that someone wants Adiona dead. They encounter many obstacles on their journey. Their relationship begins to grow and Adiona begins to ask questions about the God that Quintus serves. Does she put aside the gods she has prayed to and worshiped all of her life? Do her and Quintus find a future together?

You will want to grab a copy of “The Protector” and find out what happens. You won’t be sorry! And while you’re buying it, go ahead and get “The Gladiator”, too! Both of these books will take you back in time and you’ll be glad you went.
Remember, leave a comment along with your email address for a chance to win 2 of Carla's books!