D.C. Stewart's debut book: WHERE WOULD COWS HIDE?

D.C. Stewart grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and spent most of her childhood getting into trouble with her younger brother on their ranch. She began writing short stories in high school, and won a writing competition at a nearby college at age 17. After graduating, she attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University and earned a degree in History, and also met her husband, Scott. She worked for a church in Maumelle, Arkansas as the Communications Coordinator for five years. After moving back to Oklahoma, she chose to stay home with their four year old twin boys, and six month old baby girl, and to pursue her dream of being a full-time writer. The Stewart’s live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Where Would Cows Hide? is her first novel.

Author Interview:

**How did you come up with your characters, Charlie and Brad?

A combination of what my brother and I were like as kids, the stories I heard about my husband and his twin when they were kids, and how I imagined my own twin sons acting when they reached eleven years old.

**Do you have experience living or working on a farm?

Any funny stories related to that? Everyone on both sides of my family are farmers, doing a combination of growing wheat and raising cattle. Our house was in town, but we spent most of our time, especially in the summer, on tractors, combines, wheat trucks, in pick-ups, and working cattle. The only funny story I can think of about me is helping my dad, mom, and brother one morning feeding and counting the cows. The cattle all came into the lots except one, and my dad told me to hurry and open the gate to let her in before the other cows could get out. As I pulled the gate open and trotted backward, I tripped over a concrete block used to hold the gate in place, and got hung up in the chain. I was stuck at such a weird angle I couldn't get myself loose and all the cattle were rushing at me to get out. I was kicking and waving all over the place trying to keep them back, but my family thought I was panicking because I was stuck. They still give me grief over that one.

**Brad and Charlie have a quirky younger sister who sometimes drives them crazy. Do you relate?

I have a younger brother who used to drive me nuts all the time, but we were also the best playmates because we are so close in age. I have friends who were the "younger sister" and I remember them getting yelled at by their older siblings all the time.

**Brad and Charlie stay at their grandparents for an annual summer vacation. What's your favorite place to vacation and why?

Honestly, I don't really have a "favorite" place to vacation. We didn't have the opportunity to travel much when I was a kid, so ANY vacation is awesome to me. I love to travel, eat different foods, take in the scenery, watch the people. It's all new and exciting to me.

**As a writing mom, how do you juggle the demands of your kids and your career?

With great difficulty. I have a wonderful and supportive husband who gives me time in the evenings and on weekends to write. Usually if anything suffers between my writing and taking care of the kids, it's our house. I'm more of a relaxed housekeeper (fancy title for slob), and I only move on the housework if there are no clean clothes, we have to order out because there is no room to cook in the kitchen, and if I walk across the floors and they crunch.

Buy Now: http://astore.amazon.com/whwocohi-20

The Parker twins, Brad and Charlie, didn't want to join their parents on vacation in Hawaii. A little sister can be annoying, but little sister, Zoey, was over the top. "The three of us aren't going to Hawaii," she told them. Her parents were shocked by her statement even though it was true. This was not the first time Zoey offered surprising knowledge of future events, nor would it be the last. Arriving at their grandparent's cattle ranch in Oklahoma, the twins learn of the disappearance of cattle from the ranch. This knowledge would set of a series of events that would challenge any detective. There were the mysterious neighbors, the strange lady at church, a psychic lazy dog, and a weird little sister to keep the twins totally confused in their efforts to solve this strange mystery.

Author D.C. Stewart is giving you a chance to win a copy of WHERE WOULD COWS HIDE?, and more!

Here’s how to enter for a copy of WWCH and to enter the grand prize drawing:

1) leave a comment on this blog post (or on any of the blogs participating in the blog tour);

2) email the contest coordinator at contest@novelinspirations.com with subject line “WWCH ENTRY”;

3) join D.C. Stewart’s ezine list by either sending a blank email to: dcstewart_ezine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcstewart_ezine/ and subscribing through the yahoogroups page.

Book winners and the GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be drawn on or before May 31st, 2008 and will be notified by email. Please make sure you leave a valid email address on applicable blog posts.

Blog Tour Stops:

April 15, 2008 : Lacy Williams at http://www.novelinspirations.com/

April 16, 2008 : Donna Moore at http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com/

April 17, 2008 : Carolyn Strawder at http://www.quiettimewithcarolyn.com/Serenity

April 18, 2008 : Margaret Daley at http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/

April 19, 2008 : Debbie Archer at http://debbiearcher.blogspot.com/

April 20, 2008 : Brittanie Terrell at http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/

April 21, 2008 : Gina Conroy at http://portraitofawriter.ginaconroy.com/ http://ginawrites.ginaconroy.com/ http://writerinterrupted.com/

April 22, 2008 : Justin Boyer at http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/

April 23, 2008 : Charlotte Schofield at http://burnforgod.blogspot.com/

April 24, 2008 : LaShaunda Hoffman at http://lashaunda.blogspot.com,%20http://blog.myspace.com/lchoffman

April 25, 2008 : Jenny at http://ausjenny.blogspot.com/

April 26, 2008 : Laura Williams at http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/

April 27, 2008 : Mrs. Margaret Chind at http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com/

April 29, 2008 : Myra Johnson at http://myra.typepad.com/randomly_/

April 30, 2008 : Laura Hilton at http://www.shoutlife.com/laurahilton http://www.myspace.com/lightboat http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/

May 1, 2008 : Leslie Sowell at http://footprintsinthesand.us/blog

May 2, 2008 : Kathy Brasby at http://sunballo.blogspot.com/

May 3, 2008 : Camy Tang at http://www.camys-loft.blogspot.com/

May 4, 2008 : Karla Cook at http://ramblinroadstoeverywhere.blogspot.com/

May 5, 2008 : Carla Stewart at http://www.carlastewart.blogspot.com/

May 6, 2008 : Pamela Morrison at http://daysongreflections.com/

May 7, 2008 : Ashley at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/01charger

May 8, 2008 : Kim Ford at http://berlysue.blogspot.com/

May 9, 2008 : Christa Allen at http://www.cballan.wordpress.com/

May 10, 2008 : Heather Thomas at http://misadventuresofthedynamicuno.blogspot.com/

May 11, 2008 : Deena Peterson at http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/

May 12, 2008 : Michelle Kralicek at http://michellesgreatblogs.blogspot.com/

May 13, 2008 : Leah Sande at http://ponderingsfrommyheart.blogspot.com/

May 14, 2008 : Rachelle Arlin Credo at http://zyphe.blogspot.com/

May 15, 2008 : Amy Lathrop at http://sprightly-amyanne.blogspot.com/

May 16, 2008 : Janna Ryan at http://www.cornhuskeracademy.blogspot.com/

May 17, 2008 : Kristy Walker at http://ineedtoread.blogspot.com/

May 18, 2008 : Amy Riley at http://thefriendlybooknook.com/

May 19, 2008 : Mimi Baker at http://www.wovenbywords.blogspot.com/

May 20, 2008 : Kathie Nolasco at http://takingastroll.blogspot.com/

May 21, 2008 : Julia Graham at http://www.reviewzbyjewelz.blogspot.com/

May 22, 2008 : Ashley Rutherford at http://godslightuponme.blogspot.com/