Interview with Author Ta`Mara Hanscom and a *GIVEAWAY* - Ended

Scroll to end of post to see winners! Thanks to all who entered!

I want to welcome author Ta`mara Hanscom to my blog today!
If you haven't joined us this week, please check out the intro for the week on her series The Caselli Family Series to see what the fuss is all about or you can browse back through the reviews this week on each of her books. 

Ta`Mara is one of my favorite authors, not just for her writing, but for her ministry to women and involvement in their lives. She may not be well known here on earth, but the Lord has a wonderful reward waiting for her in heaven. Her story has been an encouragement in my life, as I am sure in the lives of many others. 

Here is a little peak into who she is!

Tell us a little about your spiritual journey and day to day life:

     I didn't have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ until I was almost 15  

years old. I thought I had the whole thing figured out...teenagers  

have a tendency to think they know everything and I was no different.  

I attended a youth rally at a Catholic seminary and a young priest  

took the time to make sure I knew my Savior.

I'd like to say that I walked away from the youth rally filled with  

the Spirit, but I was still very disobedient. And my disobedience was  

very boring, so I'll spare you the details :)

I got married when I was 18, and my husband (Jim) didn't really like  

church so we stopped going. Jim worked long hours, which left me a lot  

of time on my hands and I found myself reading my Bible every night  

before I went to sleep. I loved the Gospel message. But it wasn't  

until I was almost 30, and having severe marital troubles that I  

developed a passion for God's Word and His ways, and I've never been  

able to put it down! I will turn 50 this year and I am more immersed  

than I have ever been.

What is your day to day life like:

I get up around 5:30 - 6:00 and read a little in my Bible (mostly  

Psalms) and then I pray. I have an enormous prayer list, and I date  

everything I pray about so that when it is resolved I have this  

amazing testimony that I can go back and look.

I have coffee with Jim at 7:00, breakfast at 7:30, talk myself into/or  

out of 30 minutes on the elliptical, and then I shower. Around 8:00 I  

start studying my Bible and writing the lesson that I'll be teaching  

on Sunday. I do that until 4ish in the afternoon when I fly through my  

house, make the bed, do some dishes and throw supper together. Jim  

comes home at 5ish and we have dinner. He does the dishes and I go  

back to my office until about 8. The rest of the evening belongs to  

Jim :)

Thursdays are different. My grandson comes over at 9 a.m. and stays  

until 1:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. I call my prayer-partner in Black Hawk,  

SD, and we are on the phone for about an hour. Then I get back to work.

This is pretty much day to day life for me. It looks boring, but it's  

not! The only time it changes is when I go on the road to a speaking  

engagement, or when we go on vacation - then I like to sit in the  

campground and read!

The books kind of feed off each other. It is hard to talk about them without giving away the story line - any tips?

I laughed out loud when I read this!  

My oldest daughter struggled so much with this that she actually  

started spilling the beans at speaking events! I finally had to make  

her stay home :) Try to keep it under your lid, but if you  

can't...that will be a bummer :)

What are you currently working on: 

 Book # 6 is on the back  

burner right now because of the Bible Study, which I will still be  

teaching in the fall. I am also going to do a short summer series of 4  

lessons revolving around awesome women of the Bible. (June 17, 24,  

July 1, 8)

Ta`Mara, Thanks so much for joining us this week!  Thanks for allowing God to use you as you minister to women through speaking and Bible study as well as sharing the story of how God has redeemed your marriage and done marvelous things in your life.  You have been an inspiration to me and I hope to my readers.

Thank you also for the books are providing for giveaway! I know the lucky winner will be touched and ministered to as I was!

Now for the GIVEAWAY! 

TWO - did I say two? YES! TWO lucky winners will receive a whole set of the Caselli series. That is 5 books each! YES FIVE!  Ta`Mara does not want the winner to be suspended after the first one, and I promise if you read it, you will HAVE to finish the series. 

How to enter?

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below either using your email or you can use facebook account.

Earn as many entries as you can!  Good Luck! Winners for print books - US only but if you like a kindle or Booknook e-version you can enter from any location. Author will be responsible for shipping and awarding prize.  18 or older only please. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway