New Release: Contagious Hope

UPDATE: The winner of this copy of Contagious Hope is KARIN! CONGRATULATIONS!!

We're so excited to announce our latest release, Contagious Hope! To celebrate, we interviewed author Debbie Roome. Leave a relevant comment below - perhaps even asking Debbie a question of your own - for a chance to win a copy of her new book!

About Contagious Hope:


Savannah James, a young New Zealand therapist, volunteers for a six-week mission trip to South Africa. During her journey, she is confronted with AIDS, prostitution, murder, and even a midnight escape to a safe house. Her new friends have struggles of their own, and one may lead them into even more danger.

Will Savannah, Blake, and Pumzile ever be safe again? Will they ever be able to make a difference in the lives of those around them or will their final destination put an end to it all?

How did you come upon the story of Contagious Hope?

Earlier this year, Tracy asked me if I would like to write a novel with a theme of hope. I asked her which country I should use as a setting and she said it was my choice. I then asked God what He wanted and He dropped the entire storyline into my mind.

Have you ever done mission work?

Having lived in Africa for 40 years, I’ve been part of many missions. One memorable one was an ongoing effort to feed impoverished black people in Zimbabwe. As a church, we had access to fields of cabbages and were allowed to go and cut the remnants once the farmer had reaped his crop. These would be taken out to a nearby village where the people were literally starving. My husband and I spent many weekends out there.

Do you miss Africa?

I left Africa at the age of 41 so it was a big part of my life. Occasionally I’ll hear a song or see a picture that makes me yearn to go back – but only for a visit. I firmly believe that God had a specific plan in mind when bringing me to New Zealand and I love my new home.However, I don’t regret my years in Zimbabwe and South Africa and without them I would not have been able to write Contagious Hope. The areas in the book are all familiar to me and in places, fact mingles with fiction.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? 

The hardest part was finding the time. I wanted to write it all day every day but life interfered.

What is your favorite scene of the book?

I like the scene where Savannah and Pumzile have an argument that leads to a midnight conversation overlooking Hillbrow. It’s a time of healing and reconciliation and they discuss how God collects our tears.

Will there be a sequel?

Yes, there will be. The plot is currently incubating and hopefully the book will be available in the first half of 2013.

What are you working on now?

A teenage novel that highlights the dangers and pain of cyber-bullying. Having recently endured this type of abuse for over a year, it’s something very real to me and I know how devastating it can be. I want to offer hope to teens through a fictional story.

Thanks so much, Debbie. I truly love this story and can't wait for readers to get hold of it! (And I'm so excited about the sequel!)

Contagious Hope is available in print and digital formats:

Amazon

Kindle

Nook

About Debbie:


Debbie Roome was born and raised in Zimbabwe and later spent fifteen years in South Africa. In 2006, she moved to New Zealand with her husband and five children. Writing has been her passion since the age of six and she loves to write stories that touch people's lives and turn them towards God. Over the years she has won many awards and trophies for her work, including placing first in the Rose & Crown Novel Writing Competition in 2009 and second out of 7000 in the FaithWriters.com Best of the Best contest in 2007. Debbie's writing has opened doors for public speaking and she is often asked to share her life story and her experiences as a writer.

Visit Debbie online:

Website – www.DebbieRoome.com

Blog – www.DebbieRoome.blogspot.com