Writing for Christ~~The Audience of One

A Novel to Be Shared ~ A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry and Dr. Gary Chapman ~ Review

2012-02-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

It’s a quaint novella, even for this reader, being a bit “thick” in catching onto the similarities to Dicken’s infamous Christmas carol (I know, pathetic). But never fear, most readers will not have this problem and it didn’t make me enjoy the story any less.

Some of the similarities between that old tale and this new one in “A Marriage Carol” are pretty funny: “Jacob and Marlee Ebeneezer”, but thankfully the dog was not named Scrooge. (wink)

All joking aside, I found this novella a quick read, but completely charming. It’s a real world story in a couple on their way to sign the divorce papers, but what happens on the road to the lawyer completely sidelines any plans they had.

I loved the little twist in the end, something I didn’t see coming and made me smile. It makes you think about how every choice we make effects our lives, no matter how small. In the book “Marlee” had the chance to see into her future, something that will never happen to the normal person in a normal world, but it certainly begs the question, would we make the same choices if we knew what the future’s outcome would be? Probably not.

It’s a good story that gets its point across, but in a way that is enjoyable, sweet and worthy of sharing with any struggling (or not struggling) couple.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Netgalley for my copy to review.

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More about the novel...

This book was supposed to take part in the CFBA tour, but I never received my print copy. Sooo, I requested one from Netgalley and thought I post the required CFBA posting for you. :-)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Marriage Carol Moody Publishers (September 1, 2011) by Chris Fabry and Gary ChapmanABOUT THE AUTHORS:

CHRIS FABRY is a graduate of W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and Moody bible Institute's Advanced Studies Program. Chris can be heard daily on Love Worth Finding, featuring the teaching of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. He received the 2008 "Talk Personality of the Year" Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has published more than 60 books since 1995, many of them fiction for younger readers. Chris collaborated with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye on the children's series Left Behind: The Kids. His two novels for adults, Dogwood and June Bug, are published by Tyndale House Publishers. Chris is married to his wife Andrea and they have five daughters and four sons.

GARY CHAPMAN is the author of the bestselling Five Love Languages series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio program airs on more than 400 stations.

ABOUT THE BOOK

On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm. This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit, divorce is imminent. Their relationship is as icy as the road they’re traveling and as blocked with troubles as the piling snow. They take a shortcut to get to the lawyer’s office, on a slippery, no-fault path. She thinks they need to stay on the main road. He disagrees. They fight. Story of their lives and they slam into a bank of snow , spinning, drifting, falling, out of control. Just like their lives. Reluctantly, freezing cold, hungry, scared, she trudges up the hill. Paul is nowhere to be found. Her ears frozen, fingers and hands red, she comes to a house on the hillside, built like a Bed and Breakfast, a green wreath on the red door and the door-knocker is in the shape of a wedding ring.

The red door opens and the first thing she notices is the fire in the room, blazing hot, a warm, inviting, friendly place and the voice of an old man welcomes her in. There are three golden pots on the hearth, shining, glimmering things. The old man claims that they are used to restore marriages. She laughs—and begins a journey through her past, present, and future that will test how she views her lifelong love. There are two futures available. Which will she choose?

If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of A Marriage Carol, go HERE.

Living in Fear

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

I struggle with fear.

I can be paranoid. On edge. Worried. Cautious. Overly anxious.

Basically fear. No matter how you label it, I have to fight it. And I have to fight it in such a way that I do not become blind to those things which I should be aware of, but also...not become consumed with that fear.

Because I do, much too easily.

My toes crimp around the end of the balance beam, but one slip of my eyes from the 2x4 beneath my body and I'm falling, falling, falling back into that pit of fear.

It's such a debilitating emotion. It cripples my soul and makes me want to give up. What is the point of continuing to fight and try when fear only creeps closer and closer?

There is every point. Because when fear grabs and jerks at my throat, it's the devil's talons sucking deep. And I can't live my life bathed in fear. I can't wake up to a day without hope or joy or peace. And I have to turn to the giver of those gifts, fall on my face and beg for His holiness to sweep through me.

But too often this is my last response. It's not my chosen direction and I give into the fear. Let it fill my chest until I can't breathe. It's not a pleasant way to live life. It's not an honest way to live life. Because God calls us to rise above the rest of the world. To put our trust in Him and Him alone.

That's not to say we shouldn't be aware or alert, watching the darkness around us. But it's everything about not letting that darkness slip in upon us.

I can't live in fear. So I make this stand.

I REFUSE to live in fear.

Giveaway and Author Interview: Hush Little Baby by Deborah Piccurelli

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ DeborahPiccurelli, itis great to have you here!

It’s a pleasure and honor to be here!

Do you have an interesting fact aboutyourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Maybe it shows from what I write, or in my website, but I am anadvocate for sanctity of life issues.

Do you have a favorite genre toread/write?

I like to read all genres, but my favorite is romantic suspense,which is why I write it.

Do you have a nugget of writing advicethat has completely changed how you view writing?

It’s the marketing thing. Be prepared and have a plan. It’s not aseasy as I thought.

5 things you love?

Can some be people? First, of course, I love the Lord, and HisWord. I love my family (husband, sons, puppy), I love writing (naturally), andreading (naturally, again).

What do you enjoy most about being apublished author?

I am touched whenever I receive feedback from readers about howmuch they liked my books and couldn’t put them down until they reached the end.

Places for readers to learn more aboutyou?

www.deborahmpiccurelli.com

Twitter: @DebPiccurelli

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1035534-deborahp

Iplan to join Facebook very soon, but have avoided it until now. I am alsohaving a blog constructed and added to my website which I call, “Nuggets fromGod.”

Thank you for being with us today!

My pleasure, and thank you for havingme!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Deborah's latest book!

Please leave an email adddress! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:
~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on February 10th.

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com

I Knew This Day Would Come (New Blogging Schedule)

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

I admit I've put this day off for a long time. But now I'm being forced into it.

I've always blogged 5-6 times a week. I love blogging and it's never been a hardship for me. But I realized something recently: I can't do everything. SURPRISE!

Oh I know I've had posts like this before, but really, I can't do everything. Even the things I love to do and don't find as work. So here goes:

I'm only going to blog three times a week.

Gulp. Now I've said it. So I've gotta do it.

Except...

(yeah, I know. Whatever.)

Those weeks I have to post more than three times a week because of the posts that have to go up on a certain day.

So...my new blogging schedule will be:

Giveaway Monday (same as always)

Devotional Wednesday (also Conversation Wednesday once a month)

Book Review Friday

Fridays and Wednesdays will be interchangeable as far as their blog topic as more often than not I am required to post a book review on a Wednesday and can't wait for a Friday.

I will still post my Up and Coming Fiction! posts on Saturdays as I find a great work of fictional art 'cause I plain love those posts and can't live without my fiction.

I'm also toying with the thought of combining my vision and love for Operation Encourage an Author and putting it into Writing for Christ. This blog is obviously more off the ground and has an awesome readership ;-)) and I can encourage an author once in a while here instead of a second blog (that unfortunately is slowly dying--still toying). Thoughts?

The times they are a changin' and I'm not sure I'm super excited, but with age does come more responsibility and in this case a part time job that wants more of me. (how dare they. ;-)

What say you?

Experiment--And I Need Your Help!

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

I'm hijacking another Wednesday post, but I need your help. :-))

Photo Credit

Have you seen the new threaded comments for blogger? I noticed that when I used my regular Internet Explorer, the page wouldn't load a direct link to a blog with threaded comments and I couldn't leave a comment. (I just know they were missing my wise and witty comments.)

However, after I updated to Google Chrome, I could leave comments.

My mom's work computer however, which is your regular computer internet WOULD let me leave comments.

So confusing.

I say ALL that to ask this: if you can read this post and leave a comment, please leave a simple 'yes'.

If I don't see a lot of comments, I will assume you can't. I want my blog to be user friendly and love our conversations. But I love the threaded comments option...

Let's see if we can get this puppy to work.

Thanks for helping me out. :-)

Rapid-Fire EXPLOSIVE Fiction! Firethorn by Ronie Kendig ~ Review

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

My Review:
I might not always get or understand all the tactical moves, I may not always follow the lingo and track all the players in the story. But one thing I *do* get when it comes the “Discarded Heroes” is this: the heart, the power, the faith, the drive, the conviction behind each of these men and women jumps through the pages and grabs me by the throat.
This last installment is nothing if not fast paced and high-intensity. And I saw something I never thought would be possible: Nightshade, special black ops team, dismantled and seemingly destroyed.

Each page leaves nothing to be desired and I should warn you now, if you care for your sleep, you won’t read this at night. Each word is used to the utmost advantage, catapulting me into the set of this story as though it were visually before me on a television screen.
Legend and Kazi are a duo not to be messed with from the very start and their romance, woven in amongst copious gunfire, death threats and bombs just adds another cord of tension for characters and reader.
It takes talent to take a reader who doesn’t normally read this genre (me) and transport that reader (me) into a world completely foreign and make that reader (me) a player throughout every intricate detail.
The ending left me mourning the loss of these brave heroes, but with more than enough hope they will continue to save the world, long after I’ve left them.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers and author through FIRST for my copy to review.

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Read more about the book, author and the first chapter....

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Ronie Kendig

and the book:

Firethorn, Discarded Heroes #4

Barbour Books; Discarded Heroes edition (2012)

***Special thanks to Ronie Kendig for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her only respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.

It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990. Married more than twenty years, Ronie and her husband, Brian, homeschool their four children, the first of whom graduated in 2011. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family and their three dogs in Dallas, TX.

Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, especially hurting people, which is why she pursued and obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie is an active member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has volunteered extensively, serving in a variety of capacities from coordinator of a national contest to appointment assistant at the national annual conference.

Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have been gained critical acclaim and national attention, including:

Finalist in Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards (Nightshade)

RWA’s Faith, Hope, & Love’s 2011 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Awards in Romantic Suspense (Nightshade)

Named one of the Top 25 Christian Fiction Suspense, Mystery, and Thriller Writers by FamilyFiction (Sept 2011)

2011 FamilyFiction Readers’ Choice Awards – 3^rd place as New Favorite Author, 8^th place with Nightshade for Novel of the Year.

INSPY Award Shortlist final in Mystery/Thriller (Dead Reckoning)

The Christian Manifesto’s 2010 Lime Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Nightshade)

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Blown and dismantled, Nightshade is ready to repay the favor.

Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin "Legend" Riddell is comfortable. So comfortable he never sees the set up that lands him in a maximum security prison, charged with murder. How can he prove his innocence behind bars?

Covert operative Kazi Faron is tasked with reassembling Nightshade—the black ops team someone dissected. Breaking Griffin out of a federal penitentiary amid explosive confusion may turn out to be her last assignment. What will it take to convince the fugitive that whoever set him up has also dissected the Nightshade team? As Kazi and Griffin race to rescue the others and discover the traitor, love begins to awaken in their hearts.
Can a covert operative and the felon she's freed overcome their mutual distrust long enough to save Nightshade? Will anything prepare them for who—or what is coming?

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Barbour Books; Discarded Heroes edition (2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1602607850

ISBN-13: 978-1602607859

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

To all American military heroes

At home and abroad,

Those who have gone before

and those serving today—

THANK YOU!

Because of you, we are FREE!

RECON CREED

Realizing it is my choice and my choice alone to be a Reconnaissance Marine, I accept all challenges involved with this profession. Forever shall I strive to maintain the tremendous reputation of those who went before me.

Exceeding beyond the limitations set down by others shall be my goal. Sacrificing personal comforts and dedicating myself to the completion of the reconnaissance mission shall be my life. Physical fitness, mental attitude, and high ethics—The title of Recon Marine is my honor.

Conquering all obstacles, both large and small, I shall never quit. To quit, to surrender, to give up is to fail. To be a Recon Marine is to surpass failure; To overcome, to adapt and to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.

On the battlefield, as in all areas of life, I shall stand tall above the competition. Through professional pride, integrity, and teamwork, I shall be the example for all Marines to emulate.

Never shall I forget the principles I accepted to become a Recon Marine. Honor, Perseverance, Spirit, and Heart.

A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word and achieve what others can only imagine.

Swift, Silent, Deadly

Chapter 1

The Shack

“It’s sad, really.” Marshall “The Kid” Vaughn trudged away from the thumping rotors of the helo that had deposited them back at the Shack, his pack almost dragging the ground. “Ya don’t realize how much a person adds until he’s gone.”

“Legend’s not gone.” Max “Frogman” Jacobs hoisted his rucksack into a better group, his mind locked on Sydney and their two sons waiting for him at home. Poor woman had to be going out of her mind with two of his Mini-Me’s running around.

“Yeah.” John “Squirt” Dighton hit the light breaker, then waited for the six-man team to clear the door. “He’s just temporarily detained.”

Lights sizzled and popped to life. Groaning bounced off the grimy windows as he hauled the door closed, locked it, then started toward the showers.

The Kid grunted. “Forty-years-to-life temporary.”

In the locker room, a depressive gloom hung over the team. They’d been on countless missions, hit just about every terrain and environment imaginable, but none had taken the toll the last couple had. And there was one reason—they were down a man. Griffin “Legend” Riddell. If Max could write the playbook, they wouldn’t do another mission without the guy. But with the man in federal prison for murdering a congressman, it’d be a long wait.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Max looked around the Spartan room. Walls of lockers, most unused. A few benches. A giant once-white bin for dirty duds. And the team. Six men, now. All very skilled. Good men. Even the one missing. Every man here knew Legend had been set up—he didn’t murder that congressman. But nobody could prove it. The evidence was damning. Justice—injustice was more like it—came swiftly. Lambert, ever the puppeteer, couldn’t pull the right strings to get Legend off.

“I’m heading up to visit him tomorrow. Anyone game?” Colton “Cowboy” Neeley slumped on a bench and ran a hand over his short, dark hair. His blue eyes probed the group.

“Nah, man. I’ve got a date,” the Kid said.

Squirt beaned him with a towel. “What girl would go out with you, mate?”

The Kid snapped the terry cloth back at the former Navy SEAL. “Your sister.”

Squirt froze. His jaw went slack. Then his eyes darkened.

Laughing, Canyon “Midas” Metcalfe rose to his feet from the corner. “You just proved his point by thinking your sister would actually go out with him.”

Squirt swallowed, his face drained of color. “I introduced them at a New Year’s party.”

Midas laughed harder. “Your mistake, mate.”

Shuffling closer, Squirt pointed a finger at the Kid. “I swear, you touch her, I’ll shove a fist full of witchety grubs down your gullet.”

“Give me credit, dude.” The Kid raised his hands. “I’m a gentleman.”

Max grunted. “Right.” As he strode around the lockers to the shower well, he heard more threats and much more laughter from the Kid. Max shook his head. Would the Kid ever grow up, learn when to leave things alone?

As he tossed his oily, grimy duds on the bench, Max paused, thinking maybe he should send his report to Lambert now so he wouldn’t have to mess with it tomorrow. The mission had been simple enough, a snatch-n-grab of an Iranian doctor. It’d been nice and clean, in and out. The report wouldn’t take long. Then he could shower, bug out, and know he had the whole weekend with Syd and the boys.

Max jogged up the iron stairs, which creaked and groaned beneath his weight. Down the hall to the right. He punched in the code and entered the secure hub, the door hissing shut behind him. The most high-tech part of this dump-of-a-warehouse.

Shouts drew his attention to the blinds. He jabbed two fingers between a couple and spread them to peeked down into the main area. Squirt and the Kid raced into the bay and back the way they came. Squirt looked ready to kill. The Kid’s face revealed his fear. Max shook his head again. Man, he wanted Griffin back. The guy seemed to bring balance to the team. Badly needed balance.

Max powered up the computer. Hand propped on the warped wood, he waited for the system to boot.

More shouts. Loud thuds.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Would they never—?

Tat-a-tat! Tat-tat-a-tat!

Instinct drove Max to his knee at the sound of gunfire. He scrambled to the window. Through the slanted blinds, he peered down into the slab of cement. His brain wouldn’t assemble what he saw. Gunmen. A dozen or more. Rushing into the Shack from the parking bay. Moving swiftly, as if. . .

They know the layout.

Max darted to the door and jerked it open. He sprinted down the hall toward the stairs. As his boot hit steel, he froze. A shadow emerged. Floated into the hall.

Too late.

Max jerked back. Pressed his spine against the wall.

By the showers, the Kid looked up. Max signaled to him. Then made his best and loudest Nightshade whistle, hoping it would penetrate the building, give the men warning to take cover.

The Kid threw himself back into the locker room.

Men swarmed the corner. One looked to his left, one right. His weapon slowly rose as he traced the stairs with his M16.

Max leapt backward into the darkness and into office. He closed the door. As the lock clicked, darkness dropped like an anchor over the entire building. Behind him, a glow screamed his location. The monitor!

Max spun. Lunged across the desk. Stabbed the power button. And paused with his hand still near the monitor. If someone was coming after them. . .accessing this computer. . .

On his knees, Max yanked the cords free. With the box, he moved to the window and reassessed the parking bay. Another van with a half-dozen men with AK-47s. They streamed into the warehouse.

Max’s gut wound into a dozen knots. They were screwed.

Think! Hand on the door, he considered going back downstairs. But that would get him captured. Killed. Yet he’d rather be with his guys than running like a chicken.

No, not running. Considering options, gaining the advantage. Planning. The invasion force was armed to the teeth. They knew who they were coming after. They’d brought weapons. And those guys moved with precision. Swift, deadly precision.

Though Nightshade had a stellar ops record, perhaps they had finally met their match. Still. . .two to one? Nightshade had faced worse.

A large black Suburban screeched to a halt in the middle of the parking bay. Two men emerged, both wearing trench coats.

Max cursed his luck to be up here, away from his gear, his weapons. Up here, without firepower. Thus, powerless.

Okay, enough. He was going down there. He eased the door open and slid across the hall. Bathed in darkness, he crouched at edge of the landing, using the wall for cover. A dozen men so far, rushing here and there. Quick, quiet chatter between the men.

A smirk slid into Max’s face. His team had taken cover and these goons couldn’t find them. If he could just get a weapon. . .

“Can’t find them.”

“They’re here. I saw them go in,” the man nearest the SUV shouted. “Find them! Lights!”

Light rushed through the building as headlamps from the vehicles stabbed the dusty, damp building. Max yanked back, out of sight. He needed to get down there, defend his men. His boot hit the landing.

Shouts erupted. A shot bounced off the steel rafters, taunting as it echoed through the Shack. Stilled, Max waited. More shouts. The sound of a scuffle. The half-dozen men waiting by the SUV lifted their weapons to the ready.

The locker room door swung open. A man walked backward, his AK-47 aimed at a large form filling the doorway. Cowboy. Arms raised, dressed only in his jeans, he stalked forward. Someone shoved him from behind, which barely moved the big lug.

Spine pressed against the wood, Max peered down into the bay.

“You move one wrong muscle,” the one in front of Cowboy growled, “and so help me God, I’ll kill you.”

“No you won’t.” Cowboy lowered his hands. “If you wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be out here.”

Ride ’em, Cowboy.

From the side entrance to the showers, three men dragged a shouting, cursing Kid into the bay. Max smirked that it took three tangos to wrangle the Kid.

Hand clenched, Max’s mind went into overdrive. What could he do? God. . .I need. . .something. What could he pray for? Intercepting the team was impossible. Twelve, fifteen armed tangos against one unarmed man?

He latched on to the hope that they’d only found Cowboy and the Kid. No Midas, Squirt, or Aladdin. Good. Maybe they could regroup and—

A man flew through the bay door from the showers and landed with a thud a yard from the others. Midas flipped over, scissored his legs, and swept the thug off his feet. The Kid seized the confusion to attack the men guarding him. And impressively. With a hard right, he dropped the first and used that weapon to disable the second.

Cowboy took a step back and rammed his elbow into the gut of the nearest guard. The gunman bent forward—straight into Cowboy’s meaty fist. The big guy pivoted, slapped the interior of the gunman’s wrist, effectively seizing the weapon and flipping the muzzle around. He fired at the guy.

Crack!

In the split second it took for Max to realize the sonic boom that rent the air wasn’t the report of Cowboy’s .45 MEU but of a rifle, Max saw the man in the black trench coat drop to the ground. A circle spread out like a dark halo.

“Sniper!” someone shouted.

The dead guy had fallen backward. Most likely shot from the front. Which meant. . . Max’s gaze rose to the rafters. With no light, it’d be the perfect hiding spot. But. . .who? Squirt? Aladdin?

Crack!

The man guarding Colton stumbled forward, then went to his knees before hitting the cement.

The man in the black trench coat nearest the SUV dropped. A pool of blood spilled out.

“There!” One guard swung and fired his fully automatic at the ceiling. Four others followed suit, firing at the bank of grimy windows on the southeast wall of the building.

Max followed their direction and watched. Waited, his breath caught at the back of his throat. Cracks and shattering glass blended with the staccato punches of the guns to create a wild cacophony of noise. Max tuned it out, praying whoever—Aladdin or Squirt—wouldn’t be hit.

But then he saw it. A shift of a shadow. Like someone rolling. . .

The gunfire petered out as a body plummeted the eight feet to the ground.

The thud seemed to have supernatural powers as it pounded Max’s chest and pushed him back. Away from the window but not far enough that he lost line of sight.

Silence dropped on the Shack.

“Where’s Max Jacobs?”

As the question streaked through the warehouse, Max registered a red glow in the far corner. Even as he noticed it, he heard a beep. Another. His gaze darted to the source of the noise. Two men were walking the perimeter, their M16s dangling as they raised their arms and pressed something against the supports. Arms lowered and the men stepped back revealing gray bricks with wires.

Explosives.

Gotta stop this. Do something. His gaze collided with Cowboy’s. The big lug gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Max’s nostrils flared as he wrestled with what to do.

“Where’s Dighton?”

How do they know our names?

“Dead,” someone answered.

Pulled back into the shadows, Max clenched his eyes and bit down on his tongue. Dighton was dead. What about Aladdin—had he survived the fall?

Sirens wailed in the distance.

“Load ’em up.”

“What about Jacobs?”

“Outta time.” The leader left as the gunmen dragged the team out of the building.

Stealthily, Max held on to the box and sprinted the length of the hall to the side of the Shack. In the conference room, he plunged toward the window. Craned his neck to peek out. Three vehicles—twin white vans and a black town car.

The guys were loaded into the van and one into the car.

The leader shifted, held something out, then it wavered.

Detonator.

Max spun around, searching for an out. Doors. Only one way down—the stairs. But they led to the bay, which would be engulfed.

Windows. Overlooked the dock. The canal. It was January. The water would be brutal cold. His split-second assessment told him no matter what route he took, it’d be deadly. Despite his training, if he didn’t find shelter out of the water once he broke surface, he’d die an ice cube. If he stayed, he’d die a fireball.

Good thing SEALs are insulated against cold water.

Max vaulted toward the window, hurtling the computer through the window. The glass shattered as a violent force blasted through the air. It lifted him. Up. . .up. . . Flipped him. Searing pain sliced through his arm. Heat stroked his back and legs. Fire chased him out of the building. Into the night.

Boom!

Another wave slammed into him. Threw him backward. Toward the water.

Something punched his gut. Knocked the breath from his lungs.

Bright white lit the night. Blinded him. Then—almost instantaneously—black. Pure black. And he was falling. . .down. . .down. . .

Ro n i e K e n d i g

Firethorn

Discarded Heroes # 4

OTHER BOOKS BY RONIE KENDIG
Nightshade (Discarded Heroes #1)
Digitalis (Discarded Heroes #2)
Wolfsbane (Discarded Heroes #3)

Giveaway and Author Interview: Death in Dahlonega by Deborah Malone

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ Deborah Malone, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

First let me say thank you for having me as a guest. I write for “Georgia Backroads” a historical magazine – just like my main character in “Death in Dahlonega.” I also enjoy photography.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Cozy mysteries would be my favorite to read and write. But, since I’ve had my blog I’ve read many different genres and I’ve really expanding my reading enjoyment.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

There’s probably more than one I could list, but I would say writing in active voice instead of passive. I’m still working on this one.

5 things you love?

Oh my! Besides the Lord of course. My children. Chocolate. Reading. Writing. And Arithmetic – just kidding about arithmetic. Last, but not least, my friends.

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Well it’s still new to me and I’ve been on a roller coaster ride. I guess I’d have to say seeing my dream in print. Knowing I didn’t give up when I wanted to.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

www.deborah-malone.com

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.lamppostpubs.com

Thank you for being with us today!

Casey, thank you so much for having me. It has been an honor to be on your blog.

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Deborah's novel!

Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on February 3rd.

Up and Coming Fiction! Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond!

2012-01-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

When the life she planned for herself is snatched away, Sophia's eyes open to the life God has planned for her.

Sophia Makinoff is sure that 1876 is the year she's going to become the wife of an up-and-coming congressman. But when the congressman humiliates her by proposing to her mousy roommate, Sophia wants nothing more than to disappear and avoid the wedding plans. She grasps at her first opportunity for escape and signs up for the Board of Foreign Missions.

She thinks she'll be going to China . . . but even running away doesn't go as planned when she's instead sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the Dakota Territory. It's an abysmal, primitive place for a lady of society, but as she gets to know the people, she discovers she can't abandon them. The motives that led her there were anything but pure, but she finds a new purpose in trying to protect "the least of these."

The water rushes around her—literally and figuratively—as Sophia learns that the only way to fulfill her purpose is to ignore the distractions and focus on God's leading.

Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond

Thomas Nelson / July 2012 /

ISBN: 9781595549259 / Pages 352 /

Paperback: $15.99

Thomas Nelson ~ Catherine Richmond

Mailbox Friday

2012-01-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

I got so many books in the mail this week and was pretty excited for many of these. It never ceases to get old, ripping open that package and seeing the glossy new cover of a lovely book. :-))

I have very eclectic taste. ;-)

What did you get your mailbox this week??

Friday's note:

The winner of K. Dawn Byrd's The Secret of the Love Letters is...

God's Jewel!

I've emailed you, so be haunting your inbox. ;-)

Conversation Wednesday

2012-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

I don't do this enough on my blog.

It's not all about me...I want it to be about you as well.

So I wanted to ask you a question that won't take a lot of time to answer (depending on what you want to put into it) and something that will help us get to know each other better.

My question?

If you know your life would end tomorrow, what would be the last thing you would do?

I'll answer first.

I'd want to sit one person down and tell them about Jesus. And not worry about how my words might sound. Not think about whether or not they might be "offended" by my faith. But share and love and speak for what He has done for me and what He can do for them if they open their heart.

So often I don't say anything because I'm not sure how, without expounding into nothing for fifteen minutes when I only had five. Know what I mean?

What would you do if you knew you only had one day left?

(and this doesn't have to be all serious. I'd probably eat my fill of caramel Taffy all that day too. ;-))

Up All Night Suspense in "Downfall" by Terri Blackstock ~ Review

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

“Up All Night Fiction” was a pretty good description for what I wanted to do several points in the novel “Downfall”. Over the last three nights I was glued to the pages of this latest suspense and more than once didn’t want to go to bed, but to only keep reading for one…more…chapter. (They are short, honestly!)

After following the characters of Emily, Lance, Barbara and Kent for three books, you’ve come to know them and how they think and act in a scene. I’ve really enjoyed seeing Emily progress from the drug addict she was (and still struggles to fight) to the woman she is submitting herself to be. You wouldn’t have to read the first two to understand this last book, you will appreciate it more if you have.

Tension is a good word for some of the scenes in the novel. Surrounding several murders and moments with “The Avenger”, it pretty much kept me wanting to turn the pages and figure out what was going on.

I will admit Barbara kind of rubs my nerves the wrong way. Oh not all the time and I can understand her vulnerability when it comes to her daughter’s drug problem. She was just a bit too hysterical at times for my taste.

Really from beginning to end, the novel is a solid suspense. I pretty much figured out the villain, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the rest of the story. It’s a fast read, intense, but satisfying.

This review is my honest opinion. My thanks to the author’s PR manager for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More about the novel...

Emily Covington has turned her life around after a drug addiction, but her family still has trouble trusting her in this unabridged audio download of Downfall. Though Emily has committed herself to a year-long treatment program and has been sober for almost a year beyond that, even her mother walks on egg shells around her, fearing she'll relapse. After her behavior during her drug years, Emily realizes she has a lot to prove.

When police discover a home-made bomb under Emily's car, and she then learns the wife of one of her friends was murdered that same morning, she knows things are deadly serious.

But who wants Emily dead? And why?

A conversation she had with two men, an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and a plan for a double-murder all conspire for one explosive ride ... and Emily is the only one who can identify the killer and save the life of the next potential victim.

As she frantically works to solve this ever more complicated puzzle, Emily finds herself playing right into the killer's hands.

Giveaway and Author Interview: Redemption Ranch by Leann Harris

2012-01-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ Leann Harris, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

I am an avid gardener and a master composter. If I get stuck on a plot or a scene, I go outside and dig in the dirt. That helps. I also am a teacher of the deaf. I taught high school math.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I love romantic suspense, as well having written it most of my career. It has only been that last few books that I’ve done straight romance. I also love romantic comedy.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Since changing from suspense to romance, I’ve learned how to plot in a different way. I have started using the 16 Master Archetypes by Tammy Cowden. It is a wonderful book. It gives you tools to plot your book.

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

The thing I love the most is I can share the stories of my heart. When God gives you a story, you want others to read it and see the lesson that God has shown to me. There are some passages in my books when I finish writing them, I know it wasn’t me who wrote that. I’m just the tool. That is exciting.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I have two websites, www.leannharris.com and www.barbharrison.com About a month before my next book, Redemption Ranch, LS, 04/12, comes out, my characters will start blogging their thoughts about the book and give away little secrets about the book. It’s a behind the scenes look at the book. I’ve done that for the last two books. I also blog with http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/, http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com/ and http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

Thank you for being with us today!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Leann's latest book!

Please leave an email adddress! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

Up and Coming Fiction! A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh

2012-01-14T03:00:00.002-08:00

Campbell Carter has come to Sweethaven in search of answers about her mother’s history. Just before losing a battle with cancer, Suzanne Carter wrote letters to childhood friends from her hometown of Sweethaven, Michigan. Suzanne’s three friends—Lila, Jane, and Meghan—haven’t spoken in years, yet each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together as girls. Suzanne’s letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers.

With the help of a handsome local man and her mother’s three friends, Campbell hopes to finally uncover her mother’s twenty-five-year old secret. In the process, she discovers a family she never knew and the friendships she’s always wanted.

As the women reconnect over the pages of the old scrapbook, wounds are mended, lives are changed, and friendships are restored—just as Suzanne intended.

A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh

Guidepost Books / February 2012 / ISBN: 978-0824945190 / Pages: 320 / Paperback: $13.99

Guidepost Books ~ Courtney Walsh

The Last Novel He Ever Wrote (and book winners)

2012-01-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

I remember reading Stephen Bly's books when I was younger.

We sat and shared the Retta Bare books together as a family and they became some of my favorite YA books of all time.

After I read them, my sister did and I'm sure my brother will as well.

Photo credit

I never had the chance to meet Stephen, but his fiction legend is anything but fictitious!

When not many people write westerns anymore, Stephen knew how and connected with his audience.

I hosted him on this blog several times and one time he broke one of the records for the fastest turnout of comments on that first giveaway day.

He was a joy to work with and I loved having the chance to connect, even if only via email with one of my childhood heroes.

It's been several months now since he has passed away. But his family has not let his legacy slip away. In his final release, his wife, Janet Bly and their three sons, have finished and put out Stephen's very last novel.

And it makes me wonder, what will my legacy be? And it begs the question, what am I doing to change and/or make my legacy matter?

Friday's news:

The winner of Hailee by Penny Zeller is...

Patricia!!

And the winner of the surprise giveaway of The Captive Heart by W. Dale Cramer is...

Nancye!!

Be haunting your inbox, ladies! Happy reading. :-))

Holding My Breath ~ "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Susan May Warren ~ Review

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

“The Shadow of Your Smile” is one of those novels that twines itself around your heart. Its hurting characters and their struggles make you stop and think: what I would do in this kind of situation?

So much history and dynamics play into this family and it shows how one person’s bad choices have nearly ruined an entire family’s relationships. Noelle and Eli might have been married for years, but after the tragic death of their daughter, they might have been in the same house. But they haven’t really lived.

Their changing love story impacted me in the heart. I wanted to see them come together. I wanted to see them change. But there was SO much going against them. And when Noelle loses her memory and a gun-toting bad guy, can anything put them back together?

Several times during the book, I held my breath, hoping, hoping that the characters would make the right decisions. Those are the kind of stories that engage the emotions and bring the reader into the story.

There were quite a few subplots (even though everything did tie neatly in the end), it felt a bit quick and I’m hoping we can return to a few in future books set in the charming Deep Haven.

It’s a novel about relationships. Relationships with our family, loved ones and friends, with God more than anything.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to Litfuse for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel....

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile.

**CONTEST INFO!!**

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Last Minute Giveaway!! The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Captive Heart Bethany House (January 1, 2012) by Dale CramerABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dale Cramer spent his formative years traveling the world as an Army brat, then settled in Georgia at the age of fifteen when his father retired.

After high school he became an electrician, a job that took him to places as diverse as power plants, stadia, airports, high-rise office buildings and a hard-rock mining operation.

Twenty-five years of experiences in the trades provided him with the wealth of characters, stories and insights that populate his novels.

When he married his childhood friend, Pam, in 1975 he had no way of knowing they would not have children until fifteen years later.

In his early forties, when Dale left his job to become a stay-at-home dad, he suddenly found himself with time on his hands, so he pursued a lifelong dream and taught himself to write.

Using an online writer’s forum as a training ground, he wrote his first short stories in 1996. As his writing skills improved he turned to novels, publishing his first book, Sutter’s Cross, in 2003.

Since then, Dale has published four more novels and garnered a measure of critical acclaim with two Christy Awards, a listing among Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2004 and numerous other Best lists. Dale and his wife Pam live in Georgia with their two sons.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bandit troubles intensify as Caleb Bender's family tries to settle into their new life in 1920s Paradise Valley. When El Pantera kidnaps Rachel and leaves her brother, Aaron, for dead, Jake Weaver and the Mexican native Domingo pursue the bandit leader to his mountain stronghold in a hopeless rescue attempt. Jake and Domingo manage to escape with Rachel, with the bandits hot on their trail. In a desperate attempt to avoid recapture, Domingo puts himself squarely in harm's way, giving Jake and Rachel time to get away. This is not the quiet life Caleb Bender envisioned when he led his family out of Ohio. What is a father to make of his daughter's obvious affection for a man outside the fold? And how will a pacifist Amishman like Caleb respond to the events that threaten his family and their way of life?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Captive Heart, go HERE

**GIVEAWAY**

I actually was not supposed to get this book, but it arrived in my mailbox by accident. Not having time to review it, I requested permission to give the book away instead. So...here is your chance to have The Captive Heart land in YOUR mailbox. (on purpose! ;-)

Leave a comment on why YOU think "bonnet fiction" is so popular and one winner (from the U.S. please) will win the novel.

Have fun!

Guest Review: The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Written and shared with you by mom. :-))

“The Keeper” was a novel filled with several unexpected twists—and more than one that left me completely surprised.

The pages of the story flew quickly as I read, each engaging and entertaining in the whole book. I quickly grew to admire Julia and her tenacity in life and through the struggles it had given her. Her ability to voice her own opinions was something I admired about her character.

The story is an easy romance in how it read, but certainly was not free of its complications. Julia’s father’s search for a heart, guilt and lost love riddled the pages with intrigue. I did not feel bored as I read the story.

Several plot twists took me by surprise. I’m usually a reader who can see around a story’s curve, but this one certainly knew how to hide the surprise until it happened and I never felt cheated in how those surprises occurred.

Beginning to end, the novel was delightful, an easy read and an enjoyable one. I look forward to the next story and hope it includes more of these engaging characters.

This review is my opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

**Available January 2012 from Revell, a division of Baker publishers**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
More about the novel....

Photo credit

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding—again—she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

**CONTEST INFO!!**

It’s a “Honey of a Giveaway” from Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Suzanne is hosting a "honey of a giveaway"during the blog tour for The Keeper! During 1/3-1/17 you can enter to win an iPad2 from Suzanne and connect with her on January 17th at The Keeper Facebook Party!

During the giveaway one Grand Prize winner will receive a Prize Pack valued at $600:

A brand new 16 KB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi

A $25 gift certificate to iTunes

A copy of The Keeper

But wait there's more! Just click one of the icons below to enter, then on 1/17 join Suzanne for The Keeper Facebook Party! During the party Suzanne will announce the winner of the "Honey" of an iPad Giveaway and host a fun book chat and give away some fun "honey" inspired prizes - It'll be 'sweet"!
RSVP early and tell your friends!

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 17th!

Giveaway and Author Interview: The Secret of the Love Letter by K. Dawn Byrd

2012-01-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ, K. Dawn Byrd! I'm thrilled to host you here today.

How did this story come to you?

Sometimes I get the strangest ideas! I love a good mystery and I love romance, but you don't find the two together very often. Also, there are very few books available with college-age characters. I pitched the idea of combining all of the above to Desert Breeze and the rest is history.

Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.

I had already published several books with Desert Breeze when they opened a young adult line. I'm excited that they liked the idea for this new series.

Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs.

I love sour things....pickles, lemons, sour candy.

I used to ride a Harley, but gave it up in order to have more time to write. (My husband always wanted to stay out way too long and take the scenic route home. He still has his bike, but I don't miss mine at all.)

What are you working on now and what's next for you?

I just finished the edits on my April release, Shattered Identity, which is the sequel to Mistaken Identity. I'm now working on the second book in the Zoe Mack series.

Parting comments?

Thank you for hosting me! For those of you who love Christian fiction, please check my blog for weekly book giveaways. I interview 3-5 authors a week who give away their books. www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Dawn's novel!
Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Up and Coming Fiction! Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

2012-01-07T03:00:00.004-08:00

Sidelined by injuries from a vicious assault, chaplain Riley Hale is determined to return to her former duties as an ER nurse. But how can she show she’s competent when the hospital won’t let her attempt even simple tasks? Determined to prove herself, Riley volunteers at a controversial urban free clinic despite her fears about the maverick doctor in charge.

Dr. Jack Travis defends his clinic like he’s commander of the Alamo. He’ll fight the community’s efforts to shut its doors, even if he must use Riley Hale’s influential family name to make it happen.

As Riley strives to regain her skills, Jack finds that she shares his compassion—and stirs his lonely heart. Riley senses that beneath Jack’s rough exterior is a man she can believe in. But when clinic protests escalate and questions surface about his past, Jack goes into battle mode and Riley wonders if it’s dangerous to trust him with her heart.

Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

Tyndale / May 2012 / ISBN: 978-1-4143-6111-6 / Paperback: $12.99

Tyndale ~ Candace Calvert

Homeschooling? Best and Worst Memories via Vlogging!

2012-01-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

After my debut vlog post last month, I asked you if you had any questions for me. Something about me, my faith, the way we raise our food, homeschooling. You name it!

And Jodi Janz asked me what my favorite and worst homeschooling memory is. So....this is my answer. ;-)

(I apologize for the length. I couldn't seem to get it under 3 minutes)

I'd love if you share your best and worst homeschooling memories in the comments. And if you have any questions for next month's video, leave them! They just might be come a vlog post.

Don't say I didn't warn you. ;-)

Giveaway and Author Interview: Hailee by Penny Zeller

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to Writing for Christ Penny Zeller, I am excited to have you here for a second time. ☺

Hello, Casey! Thank you for having me again as your guest.

What has changed in your writing life since you were last here?

Since I was last here, I have had two more books published – Book #2 (Kaydie) and Book #3 (Hailee) in my Montana Skies Historical Romance Series. I’ve also starting working on another historical romance series.

What recent read stood out to you as truly spectacular?

I recently read the Bible Study Understanding What Matters Most -The Book of Ecclesiastes by Stephanie Shott. It is an excellent Bible Study and I highly recommend it! As far as fiction goes, I just recently started reading Cowboy by Staci Stallings and am really enjoying it as well.

Do you have favorite authors?

That is a great question! I actually have several favorite authors and couldn’t narrow it down to just one (or two, or three!) J

What do you find the most enjoyable part of writing or connecting with readers?

I love to connect with my readers and hear from them how my books have impacted them in a positive way.

What do you find the most ideal atmosphere for writing? Do you ever get those surroundings? ☺

My ideal atmosphere is in my home office with the fireplace going during winter (I have a hard time staying inside during the summer!) while my children are in school.

Okay, something fun for those writers out there: In what point of your writing career did you surprise yourself by writing the most words ever in the shortest amount of time?

While I was working on another manuscript, I actually had to stop in the middle of it and write one that was just “begging” to be written. I sat down and wrote an entire manuscript from start to finish – over 80,000 words – in six weeks. I praise the Lord for that because it usually takes me at least three months to complete a manuscript of that length.

Thanks for being here again! It has been a joy and we wish the very best with your novels.

Thank you, Casey. It is always an honor to be here. You are such a blessing to fellow writers and I appreciate all of your encouragement and willingness to promote authors on your website. May the Lord bless you in your writing as well!

www.pennyzeller.com (website)

www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com (blog)

www.facebook.com/pennyzellerbooks (Facebook)

http://twitter.com/pennyzeller (Twitter)

Book Trailer for Hailee: http://youtu.be/LEGoM43jtwA

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Penny's novel!

Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Grace

2012-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

I've never been one to put a lot of stock into new year resoluations, or even the "one word" resolutions that have carried in popularity lately.

But I seemed to be haunted by the the one word this year, seeing it pop up on Twitter, Facebook and blogs and I started wondering...if I chose a "one word", what would that word be?

It seems easy to pull a word out of the air and think it will apply to our lives. Sure we all need patience, faith, trust, compassion, etc. But what one word do we really need to apply to our lives? And I realized I didn't want to tack any word to my life and year and not let it change me through the year.

I was trying to fall asleep one night a week or so ago, talking with God, discussing this "one word", still not sure if I really wanted to commit myself to one more promise I struggle to keep or maintain. When I felt God whisper...Grace.

And since than I can't get the word out of my head. Grace. I need to give it away more. To those around me, to my family and to those who aren't very nice to me or I don't happen to like.

I need to extend more Grace.

And I realized in finding that one word to make for my year, it's not an empty fad. It's a heaven-sent nudge from God rooted in the prayers I have begged from Him: teach me. Grow me. Make me more like You.

Grace. It's my one-word for the new year.

Thank you to Melanie at Only a Breath for my LOVELY button!

Do you have a one word or are you not one for words or resolutions?

A Right and Proper Regency ~ The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen ~ Review

2012-01-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Because of a few schedule flubs. (mainly I did not have a cover yet for my Monday's giveaway), I am varying my weekly schedule a bit and will definitely have a giveaway this week, I just don't know when. ; -) Thank you for being patient!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Maid of Fairbourne Hall Bethany House (January 1, 2012) by Julie KlassenABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years (first in advertising, then as a fiction editor) and now writes full time. Two of her books, The Girl in the Gatehouse and The Silent Governess won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Girl in the Gatehouse also won a Midwest Book Award and The Silent Governess was a finalist in Romance Writers of America's RITA awards.

She graduated from the University of Illinois and enjoys travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. Julie and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.
ABOUT THE BOOK

Pampered Margaret Macy flees London in disguise to escape pressure to marry a dishonorable man. With no money and nowhere else to go, she takes a position as a housemaid in the home of Nathaniel Upchurch, a suitor she once rejected in hopes of winning his dashing brother. Praying no one will recognize her, Margaret fumbles through the first real work of her life. If she can last until her next birthday, she will gain an inheritance from a spinster aunt--and sweet independence. But can she remain hidden as a servant even when prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall?

Observing both brothers as an "invisible" servant, Margaret learns she may have misjudged Nathaniel. Is it too late to rekindle his admiration? And when one of the family is nearly killed, Margaret alone discovers who was responsible. Should she come forward, even at the risk of her reputation and perhaps her life? And can she avoid an obvious trap meant to force her from hiding?

On her journey from wellborn lady to servant to uncertain future, Margaret must learn to look past appearances and find the true meaning of "serve one another in love."
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, go HERE

MY REVIEW:

Writing a good regency must be a great deal more complicated than it looks upon first appearance. But when done in the correct and proper manner, good regency shines like the silver by which “Nora” polished belowstairs in Fairbourne Hall.

For anyone who has read even just a little of this period of fiction, one would not expect a rich society girl to one day be attending a masquerade ball and the next scrubbing a chamber pot. But as crazy as that sounds, the plot of the story perfectly supports Margaret becoming “Nora” in a lowly maid.

For nearly four hundred pages I waited for the moment to come when she would be found out. And while she had many close calls that had me hanging by a single thread, becoming the servant she needed to be changed her in more ways than I think she expected.

Romance of course is varied and slow, but such is normal for this genre. Nathanial’s struggles to plant his feet squarely beneath him both financially and emotionally do not stop from making him a perfectly honorable and likeable hero.

Many subplots travel through the story and all play seamlessly into the main plot of the story. From a near murder attempt to “Nora’s” fear of being discovered, the story is one I looked forward to returning to time and again. And the romance is well worth the wait.

A very right and proper regency indeed.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through CFBA for my copy to review.

Up and Coming Fiction! Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

2011-12-31T03:00:00.003-08:00

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Bethany House / June 2012 / ISBN: 978-0-7642-0965-9 / Pages: 352 / Paperback: $14.99

Bethany House ~ Karen Witemeyer

The Best Novels of 2011 (From My POV)

2011-12-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

This is always one of my favorite of favorite posts to write every year.

It's also the HARDEST!

Because while it is great fun to look back on a great year of phenomenal novels, it is also incrediably hard to make it a list of ONLY ten.

But thus, I still try and give you my Top Ten Novels of 2011. Also included is a direct link to buy on Amazon and one line from my review.

Share your list too!!

#10:

A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City Kansas by Erica Vetsch

Vetsch crafts a story with amazing imagery, but most of her all her characters LEAP from the page.

Amazon

Surrender the Night by MaryLu Tyndall

Every story is predicable, but it’s how you get there that makes it UNpredictable. This is one such story.

Amazon

Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry

I felt as though I’ve now walked a mile in their shoes and to me, there is no better sign of good storytelling.

Amazon

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

There is really one word for this book: unique and un-put-down-able. Okay that’s two. Yes, it was THAT good.

Amazon

She Makes it Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen

I could not put this book down. The writing is superb, the characters deep and the plot wide and full.

Amazon

Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer

When I closed the cover on this book last night, after staying up nearly two hours past my bedtime on a Sunday night, I couldn’t have been more thankful for one of the best finds I’ve had this year in Christian fiction.

Amazon

The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz

Never in all the books have I read, have I come across an author who writes with more lyrical and beautiful quality than Laura Frantz.

Amazon

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund is a new name in today’s fiction, but one I firmly believe will not be leaving us any time soon. I certainly hope to never see that day!

Amazon

A Heart Revealed by Julie Lessman

I am a diehard Lessman fan, but none of her novels have been able to knock A Passion Most Pure (her debut novel) from the coveted “favorite” position. I’m sorry APMP, take a back seat, because I’ve got a new favorite.

Amazon

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

My heart aches to return to the setting among friends and a love that surrounds me in the town of Deep Haven.

I think I might be craving donuts…

Amazon

Wow! That was a hard list to put together and so many other books that didn't make my list, but I still loved and want to list here:

Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones; A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad; To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer; The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall; Love on the Line by DeeAnne Gist and Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes

WHAT a reading year!! And 2012 looks just as promising!! :D

Friday's Note:

The winner of Rodeo Dust by Shannon Vannatter is...

Lane Hill House!!

And the winner of her choice of one of M.L. Tyndall's first series is...

Linda!!

You've been emailed ladies, be haunting your inbox!

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Where Have All the White Dresses Gone?

2011-12-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

But in truth, the white dresses have only seemed to multiply in abundance.

It seems that when the wedding day comes around, the white dress is a must. Whether she has earned it or not.

I still remember when a white dress really meant something.

Purity.

Honesty.

Truth.

It was a gift worth giving, to her husband, to herself. To God.

A statement to the entire world and all the wedding witnesses that she waited.

She kept herself pure.

What does a white dress mean now?

Now it depends on the bride. And we can't trust that crisp white anymore. We can't look at a bride clothed in white and know that she earned that dress. And she deserves to wear it.

I have known so many brides in the last few months and years who have lived with their boyfriends. Sometimes for many years and produced children and then decide to get married. In a white dress.

What does that mean?

Nothing.

And what does that mean for the bride that did wait?

It's a loss of respect. It cheapens what you and I and my sister are waiting for. Purity. Truth. Honesty.

And yet, every bride who has ever been a little girl dreams of that white dress and longs to wear it. But she has to earn it. Because a white dress that hasn't been earned shouldn't be worn.

And when I think of those brides who haven't earned the right to wear that white dress, have made the mistake of going against God's divine wishes for our lives, my heart sobs just a little bit more. Because it represents less and less to me as I wait for my wedding day.

So I ask again, where have all the white dresses gone? And along with it, where has our respect for what white respresents fled?

Charmed and Beguiled by "The Merchant's Daughter" by Melanie Dickerson ~ Review

2011-12-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

To read a medieval novel is to be there and on those occasions when I want to read a medieval novel, I want it to be such as “The Merchant’s Daughter.”

I was incredibly impressed with the fact that there wasn’t a great deal of overwhelming facts about the setting or customs of the time period, and yet the setting was masterfully crafted through the entire novel. I could have been standing in that square, or scrubbing that floor in the castle, because without a great deal of “thinking about it” I stepped into this enchanting world.

Loosely based on the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, I was caught up in the unlikely romance between Ranulf and Annabel. Right from the beginning they both have so much going against them, and yet the closer they become, the more the rift seems to want to pull them apart.

I wouldn’t call the romance simple. It was definitely sweet, but with an edge that left me breathless as to whether that edge would destroy what little ground Ranulf and Annabel had claimed.

“The Merchant’s Daughter” charmed and beguiled me and in the end left me hopeful and content, though wishing for a few more pages, just to enjoy the wonder of the story.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the Amazon Vine program for my copy to review.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

More about the novel...

An unthinkable danger.

An unexpected choice.

Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf.

As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

Giveaway and Author Interview: Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Shirley Connolly

2011-12-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ, Shirley Connolly, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Gosh, my life is such an open book I would really have to think about this for a few minutes. Let me see. Maybe it's that I used to enjoy being a Court Jester back when I was in high school when we did our May Fete Queen and Princesses. I never wanted to try to be the high school beauty, but I loved doing silly things. More often than not, with the things I wrote and the crazy things I did, I got myself in plenty of hot water.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I love reading Regency and Post Victorian Romance. I don't know why I haven’t yet written Regency, as much as I devour it at night. But I do my best to stay educated with my research to get anything Post-Victorian that I write spot on, but at the same time, not always common knowledge back at that time. (I'm always looking for something just a bit different from what others have.)

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Yes, I think I do. When I am at a loss of what to write, and it happens sometimes when I am in the middle of something important, I not only pray, I also go searching through my writing books that I've collected over the years, and I skim through them for reminders to myself of what I've been taught. It never fails to help me out. I suggest the same for other newer writers, but not only them, I'm sure all writers who have been around a while get a lot out of looking back at the basics now and then. Everyone gets stale sometimes. And it shows in our writing, if we are not careful.

5 things you love?

1. SEAFOOD FRESH. Mmmm Yes. Especially the seafood I used to get when we lived in Seattle. Yes, yes, yes.

2. Being around people from the age of 35-45 who really love the Lord and aren’t afraid to show it. Though I'm a bit older than that, young men and women of that age, continually remind me of how wonderful it is to trust in the Lord for everything not just to trust Him in some things.

3. Decorating my house for holidays (and, yes, buying new stuff. (If only could always do that.) I love to make. Decorating and moving furniture around somehow always seems to give me a real boost.

4. Listening to classical music . It really helps my creative juices to flow

5. Writing stuff in my devotional journal. It gives me a chance to reveal to myself the true me.

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Meeting people like you, Casey. Writing, being completely finished with my story, and discovering what I was looking for in my writing from the beginning, after I thought I would never find it.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

MY WEBSITE: www.shirleykigerconnolly.com

MY AUTHOR PAGE AT FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shirley-Kiger-Connolly-Author-Page/155515914463370

MY TWITTER PAGE: https://twitter.com/?iid=am-206364096013224470450129081&nid=23+recipient&uid=16698543&utm_content=profile#!/shirleyhere

ME OVER AT DESERT BREEZE: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-195/Shirley-Connolly-Kiger-Say/Detail.bok

ME OVER AT VINSPIRE: http://www.vrpublishing.com/vinspirepublishing.com/author_pages/shirley_connolly.html

MY BLOG: http://apenforyourthoughts.blogspot.com/

And my books can be found at Amazon, at your favorite bookstore, at Barnes n Noble, and wherever you click on my name.

My newest free read is a prequel to my August release SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY. It's called TEARS OF TWO. Here is the link so you can get yourself a free copy. Hopefully it will spark your interest in SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY! http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-242/Decisions-Prequel-Tears-of/Detail.bok

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks so much, Casey!

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Shirley's novel!Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is open internationally and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on January 6th.

Up and Coming Fiction! A Bride Shop Opens in El Dorado, California by Keli Gwyn

2011-12-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

Determined widow Elenora Watkins escapes her controlling father and heads west with her nine-year-old daughter to accept a partnership in a successful mercantile. Upon her arrival, the surprised proprietor, Miles Rutledge, withdraws his offer because she's a woman, a fact his well-meaning but meddlesome mother had kept from him. Although Miles comes to regret his hasty decision, Elenora informs him she has no intention of being his partner after all and will open a mercantile of her own across the street instead. The two fight for the town's business—and against their growing attraction.

A Bride Shop Opens in El Dorado, California by Keli Gwyn

Barbour Books / July 2012

Barbour ~ Keli Gwyn

Re-Discovering One of My Favorite Series!

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

<><><><><>

A Fleeing Woman and a Man Battling a Sordid Past
are Brought Together
on the Tempest Caribbean Sea
Click to Order

MaryLu Tyndall (also known as M.L.) was one of the first Christian authors I read. Aside from Janette Oke, I really did not have a great depth of knowledge of the current Christian market.

When I discovered that first book on my library's shelves and read it in a weekend, I was hooked. More than hooked, I had just discovered the greatest addiction of my life!

The titles didn't last long in my hands and not long after, I emailed MaryLu, started following her blog and grabbed the next Tyndall book.

Then.

A Marriage and a Ship Threatened to be
Split Apart by Villainous Caribbean Pirates
Click to Order

Oh then, I found out that this series was going. out. of. print.

Sob!

I bought one of the last sets on the market and mourned (I'm not exaggerating) for the readers who wouldn't get to read these books.

Then!

(fast forward a couple years)

<><><>

An Intricate Plot of Vengeance Weaves
Together the Lives of a Scorned Woman,
an Obsessed Pirate, and a Twisted Nobleman
Click to Order

Oh then! I found out MaryLu herself was re-releasing the titles and they will once again be available in ebook and paperback form!

Woot! I was so excited I had to let you know here.

This series is one of my favorites of my fiction time. My favorites of MaryLu's writing and just a wonderful collection of adventure and romance perfectly packaged. The author's passion for the sea, romance, adventure and God are so clearly displayed.

Travel the pages of these novels and find out just why these three books are among my favorites. Especially if you have discoverd MaryLu's fiction before, you're going to want to check this series out. It's not to be missed!

(the trailer for The Redemption-- a great video with stirring music. :-)

I love this series so much, I want to help you discover it too!

**GIVEAWAY**
SO! If you have never read a book by MaryLu Tyndall, leave a comment and I'll draw one name to pick their choice of one of the above featured books (ebook or print edition). This giveaway is for readers who have just heard of or always wanted to read a M.L. Tyndall book. Happy Friday!!

Friday News:

The winner of her choice from my impromptu interview two weeks ago is...

God's Jewel!

Congratulations, you've been emailed, so go check your messages. ;-)

Swept Off My Feet in The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter ~ Review

2011-12-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

4.5 stars to a novel that completely charmed me!

I’ve gotta start this review off with props to the dialogue. It has some of the best dialogue to read and is fast-paced, quick and to the point and escalates the tension so quickly! Shay comes off snarky and stubborn, but I loved her. She knows what she wants and has struggles to overcome, but deep down, she is so completely relatable. More often than not she had me giggling at something she said or did. Oh, of course she was upset with Travis when she said it, but I loved her.

Oh Travis. Travis. Travis. What a hero to fall for. He has so many excuses to get angry and walk away from his “accidental” marriage (I’ll let you read the book, and trust me, you should. ;-) to Shay, but making up for his past mistakes to her means more to him. And his love for her melted my heart. Oh to be in Shay’s shoes. Sigh.

From cover to cover, I sighed. I grinned. I groaned when Shay told Travis off because she was too stubborn to accept his help and I swooned during more than one kiss.

Really what it comes down to is you need to read this book. It’s got just about everything it needs to be a really great romance with a plot that drives the story without stopping. A great read!

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

More about the novel....

When a wedding reenactment turns real, this cowgirl suddenly finds she's an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite her hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water-and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart-the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busy body and an absent minded preacher, the wedding reenactment results in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she'll lose her home. But if she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn't sure if the recent events are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

Is Santa Claus Our New God?

2011-12-21T03:00:00.001-08:00

About this time of year, you start seeing Santa pop up. Oh, he's here, he's there, he is just plain everywhere.

You know the song, he's watching when your sleeping, he's watching when you're awake. He knows what your naughty and he knows when you are nice. (something like that)

I had a friend who's son told her, "Mom, that is just plain creepy."

I'm with that son, I don't really like to think of a fat, jolly old man (even if he is supposed to be jolly) watching me when I go about my everyday life.

Have you ever noticed that we have TONS of Santas every year? We have a Santa at the mall. At the grocery store. On the TV--on every commercial, sure they all look the same, but they aren't all the same. They are played by different men, dressed up in a red suit and white beard.

But have you noticed that no one has ever tried to dress up and play God? Sure we assert our want for control in our own lives, but God can't fit into any kind of suit. God can't be generalized into one perfect image that everyone recognizes when they see Him a dozen miles away.

And yet...why can't we? Why can't we see Christ? We should be the perfect light for God so when others see us, they see Him. We should be as obvious for our Father in heaven as the man in the red suit is.

When we live our lives for Christ and aren't ashamed to share our love affair with Him, we have the opposite affect as "Santa" does. Because our God doesn't scare other people with his wandering eye. We fall in love with Him, knowing He is watching after us. Taking care of us.

May our light so shine.

Will Not Leave You Unchanged ~ Edge of Grace by Christa Allan ~ Review

2011-12-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

“Edge of Grace” is one of those titles that does not leave you untouched. Even if you don’t completely agree with everything written, you have to agree, this book will make you think and be prepared to be a bit uncomfortable!

The novel has a fantastic literary quality. One of my favorite lines: “…like tap dancing on mud”. What a visual! And there were many such images through the story. I just had to pause often and dwell on the image the word painting evoked.

The novel isn’t so much about Caryn’s brother’s gay relationship, but how Caryn chooses to accept that relationship. I could sympathize with her, because while I don’t have gay relations (that I know of) I could understand her confusion and trying to deal with it.

Where I struggled, is I don’t believe gay and Christian can be synonymous. The Bible clearly states that relations between the same sex is wrong. But we are also clearly told to love and minister to those around us. And this book walked that very fine line.

The ending was very open ended, maybe even a bit abrupt. But can such a story be tied up in a neat little package? Hmm. Not likely.

I think with what had to be tackled, it was done well. Very well written and engaging.

If this book does nothing else, I think you (and me) as readers will not be so quick to judge and faster to show Christ’s love. May they see Him through us.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel...

When her brother becomes the victim of a brutal hate crime, a woman faces her hypocrisy and begins to rebuild their relationship only to discover her decision may result in losing her business.

Giveaway and Author Interview: Rodeo Dust by Shannon Vannatter

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to Writing for Christ Shannon Vannatter, I am excited to have you here for a second time. J

What has changed in your writing life since you were last here?

It's been a weird year. One of those, now you see the contract--now you don't. Oh wow, it's back. I learned nothing is set in stone in publishing and that I should be thankful for every deadline.

What recent read stood out to you as truly spectacular?

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes. It's just a beautifully written book. It's lyrical. Since I've studied writing so much, I tend to edit when I read. I'm always thinking, Oh the author should have done this or that and the story would have been better. I didn't edit this book. There was nothing to edit.

Do you have favorite authors?

Denise Hunter is my new favorite. I'll delve into women's fiction on occasion, but my true favorite is romance. I didn't edit Denise's books either. My very favorite of hers, The Convenient Groom. It has such a great premise, it made me wish I'd thought of it.

What do you find the most enjoyable part of writing or connecting with readers?

I love when readers ask me about a character or a scene in one of my books. To know that someone actually read something I wrote and it made them think.

What do you find the most ideal atmosphere for writing? Do you ever get those surroundings? J

My office in a quiet house. When my son was younger, I could write amidst turmoil and noise, but since he started school, I've gotten spoiled. During the school year, I have a quiet house during the day. In the summer, I write after everyone is in bed.

My husband has been a bi-vocational pastor since 2002. This month, he's starting as a full-time pastor at our church. When the deacons brought it up, I told him he had to stay away during the day. If no one's in the hospital or needs visiting, he's to stay at the church so I can get my job done. During the transition, he's had some time off. It's been really hard to stick to my schedule to meet a deadline instead of running around with him.

Okay, something fun for those writers out there: In what point of your writing career did you surprise yourself by writing the most words ever in the shortest amount of time?

My third published book, White Pearls. It took so long to write my second book that I only had four months to write the followup. I finished the first draft in two months. The story just flowed out of my fingers. I wish they were all like that.

Thanks for being here again! It has been a joy and we wish the very best with your novels.

Thanks for having me back. I enjoyed meeting you at the ACFW Conference this year. The only problem with the conference is that we never have enough time to visit.

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Shannon's novel!
Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Up and Coming Fiction! Baroness by Susan May Warren

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

What could they possibly want when
they already have everything?

Two daughters of fortune have been handed all the
makings for storybook happily-ever-afters. The
only problem is, they don’t want to live fairy-tale
lives. But when forced to decide, will they really be
able to abandon lives of ease and luxury for the love
and adventure that beckons?

Coming of age in theturbulent Roaring Twenties, each woman sets out to find romance—on her own terms. But at what cost will she find her happy ending?

Baroness by Susan May Warren

Summerside / March 2012 / ISBN: 978-1609366315 / 320 pages / paperback: $14.99

Summerside ~ Susan May Warren

Dipping a Toe in the Vlogging Waters

2011-12-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

I said I would never do this.

Keli Gwyn said I should.

So I dug out the manual on the video thingy on my computer.

Not really, I don't read manuals.

Took a deep breath and hit record.

Tried to not run screaming from the room.

Finally decided on a video that would be a good Friday post.

Registered a YouTube account.

Tried to not run screaming from the room at the thought of being on YouTube.

I'm sensing a pattern here.

And finally gave you this:

Not really loving the whole automated freeze frame thing.

YouTube just does that to be mean, I swear.

Love it?

Hate it?

I kind of liked it, the question is...will you??

Leave a question/comment, it just might become a vlog post!

Scary.

Take this as a warning: you've been warned.

;-)

Friday's Note:

I have winners! The winner of Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar is:

Wendy!

And the winner of Lost in Dreams by Roger Bruner is:

Melanie!

Congrats, be stalking your inbox. ;-)

Blogging Break...

2011-12-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo credit

I was so busy writing my 2,000 words tonight, I forgot all about my post for today.

And to be painfully honest I've got no ideas....(that happens every once in a while, shocking I know!)

Between my writing, finishing up my last 11,000 words for my WIP (yyayy!!), hopefully editing another 20 pages, I'm taking a blogging break and I'll be back on Friday.

Pass the peppermint, I have another 4,000 words to write! ; - )

Have a great day!! (feel free to come and visit with me on Twitter : - )

Emotionally Impacted ~ Wonderful Novel! ~ Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry ~ Review

2011-12-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

I was viscerally – emotionally – affected by this book. A novel I picked up for the pleasure of reading it and not for the purpose of reviewing, I was completely blown away by the power packed into this debut novel.

The story of a preacher’s wife who becomes the preacher’s widow left me with emotions as though I had lost my own husband. I had such a clear taste of what that grief must be like, but I wasn’t bogged down until I felt as the reader, I couldn’t get out of the emotional trauma.

There is even a bit of situational humor. The main characters have such a voice upon the page that sometimes you can’t help but chuckle at the thoughts they share. And this story truly does become like a living, breathing moment in time when I stepped between the pages.

The wordsmithing and craft of the novel was really outstanding. When I finished the story I had hope for the characters, but more than that I was impacted by their story. I was moved by their journey and inspired by their determination.

I felt as though I’ve now walked a mile in their shoes and to me, there is no better sign of good storytelling.

**I was not required to write this review, I did so because I loved it!**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

More about the novel...

Leona Harper loves being a pastor's wife. Her impressive resume touts thirty years of coaxing hot water from rusty parsonage plumbing, planning church potlucks, and standing beside her husband while members take potshots at his sermons. Except for the little tiff with her grown children, Leona feels her life is right on track with the wishes of the Almighty . . . until her husband drops dead in the pulpit.

When the church board decides to fill the Reverend's vacated position, Leona is forced to find a paying job, mend her fractured family, and tackle her fears. With life spiraling out of control, Leona might find the church members' antics comical if she weren't so completely panicked. Can the faith of an overwhelmed widow withstand the added heartache of two resentful children and several underhanded church members? If Leona can't trust God, how will she learn to trust herself?

A Monday Shift ~ But A Giveaway Still!

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Flickr

**Sorry my post drafted again**

And a happy Monday to you, my blog readers! Thank you to each one of you who took a bit of time to let me know what you like/don't like about my blog. Your input means the world to me!

I'm dreaming up a few new ideas for the coming year and we'll see which one wins a spotlight. ;-)

For two years now, I've had giveaway spots on my Mondays, well...my guest today just never showed, so I'm throwing my own impromptu giveaway.

And why not take the time to answer a couple of my own questions. See what kind of torture I put my guests through. ;-)

**Psst. Psst! Just one little note: Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson is FREE right now for ereaders. Here is the Kindle link. DON'T miss this book, it's flat out perfect. And to prove it: my dad, picky readers of all picky readers, LOVED it!! We're anxiously awaiting the second installment series with this loveable, quirky family. :-D**

Welcome to Writing for Christ, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Interesting fact? This question needs to be scraped. I here by offically apologize to all the authors I have put through this form of torture, disguised as an "interview".

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Women's fiction, though with my last WIP, it had decidedly more romance in it than my previous stories. I still like the stronger story themes and delve deep into the human condition and what makes us tick.

Read? Everything! Except secular (once in a while, I have a Nicholas Sparks on my TBR right now). And Sci-fi. Oh and fantasy. So probably "everything" is too inclusive for me. ;-)

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Enjoy it! You can't write unless you really enjoy what you're doing. Learn the rules and then just write. Learn to turn off the internal editor and go. Because you can't edit a blank page.

5 things you love?

Jesus

Sunshine/Green grass

Books

Family

Friends

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Oh. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL 'Nuff said. ;-D

Places for readers to learn more about you?

You're on it! But I'm also on The Writer's Alley: http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com And I have a jewelry site: http://bugsbeads.blogspot.com and I'll be bringing back my Operation Encourage An Author blog in the new year: http://encourageanauthor.blogspot.com

Thank you for being with us today!

Oh it was my pleasure. ;-)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hey readers! I've got a chance for you to win! I have several novels that I have set aside specifically for giveaways. These will not be coming off my swap list. You'll be getting the real thing. ;-)

Many different titles to choose from including:

The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

Never the Bride by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

And several others! You know the lingo, but I'll repeat it here again...

Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Up and Coming Fiction! The Ride of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad

2011-12-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

The only man pragmatic Lilly Hart needs in her life is a six year old. Widowed two years ago, Lilly leaves the shelter of her intrusive in-laws' home to stand on her own and provide for her young son by working for the summer as a cook at Lake Manawa. However, her in-laws find that life utterly unsuitable for their grandson, and when a row ensues, a handsome stranger--who designs roller coasters, of all things--intercedes on her behalf. Still, Lilly is not about to get involved with any man, especially this cocky (though charismatic) gentleman. Little does she know she is about to begin the ride of her life.

Filled with delightful characters and the romance of summer, The Ride of Her Life is another supremely entertaining story from the witty Lorna Seilstad. Readers will laugh out loud and sigh contentedly as they spend the summer of 1906 in Lake Manawa.

The Ride of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad

Revell / May 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-3447-3 / 384 pages / paperback: $14.99

Revell ~ Lorna Seilstad

Saturday's Note:

The winner of Second Time Around by JoAnn Durgin is....Melanie! Congratulations, be checking your inbox!

Tapping On Your Computer Screen Hello!! Look Here for a Sec, Will You?

2011-12-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Thank GOODNESS it's Friday!!!

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!

Just had to get that out of my system. ;-)

I've got a QUESTION for you--my readers who stop by my blog, but don't often comment.

Yes, I see you over there. In your pajamas and cereal on your chin. (okay, maybe I can't see you, but I can imagine you.)

Your visits make a HUGE difference to me, but I need your HELP now!!

What do you enjoy MOST about this blog and why? This is not an ego rub, so I'll also ask: What do you like LEAST about this blog and why?

Why do you visit and what makes you stop and take a second look at a post?

AND THEN I would REALLY like to know: what would you LIKE to see on my blog.

You are a HUGE reason I blog, so do share! I wanna know and help me be creative for the new year. It is almost here, you know. ;-)

Does Anyone Else Find Encouragement Almost...DIScouraging??

2011-12-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I hit a slump--actually it was right around the time of my blog party. Not that I didn't have an absolute BLAST--don't count me wrong there. I was practically grinning all week long.

But I noticed something that week: constantly being "on" is e-x-h-a-u-s-t-i-n-g.

Mentally. Physically.

It's the curse of social media and I don't mind admitting that.

I'm the type of person that loves to lift other people up. I hate to see other people struggling or sad and I want to make their day better. And most of the time this is as easy as breathing to me. I don't even have to think about it and it always comes from my heart. I want the best for others. To experience the pure joy that Christ gives us in each day. And I hope I can be just a glimpse of that to someone each day.

But being "on" is really more than I want(ed) to put up with. And as I was talking to a friend I realized anew: I can't be all things to all people.

I can't. Plain and simple.

But boy do I want to be! And it eats at my insides when I can't give to someone else--because I have nothing left to give. And I realize in trying to meet everyone's "needs" or be "nice" to everyone (not that I wouldn't be...but I think you get my point) only means I have less to give.

Encouragement is not a constant faucet and the Giver can turn that flow off when it does more harm than good. It's usually about that time that God taps on my shoulder, clears His throat and reminds me...He is all things to all people. I am merely one of His servants and He will use me where He puts me.

Let Him be what the world needs. Once I figured that out...I realized I am once again filled, once again able to pass that smile (cyber or otherwise ;-) and really, honestly and truly mean it as the gift God has given me to give away. And be the glimpse of Christ someone needs today.

Oh and by the way, a day off--which I took recently--from all distractions and spent it with those who love me best makes one's outlook much brighter.

What about you...do you find being encouraging sometimes DIScouraging?

WRITE ON Erica Vetsch ~ A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch ~ Review

2011-12-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

I have a fine rule that I play in my book reviews: don’t mention the author. It’s just my personal choice when it comes to writing these things.

I’m breakin’ that rule, because…I really, really love Erica Vetsch’s writing!

From the first story I read, I feel in love with the style and voice of Vetsch and boy did I adore this latest title. The character arc, the setting, the action…it ALL seamlessly came together for a really riveting plot. I stood out in the cold, while our family roofed our hay shed and in between helping handing up sheet metal, I read. And when I closed that page, I held the book to my chest, sighed in delight and then immediately hated to think of story being over.

Vetsch crafts a story with amazing imagery, but most of her all her characters LEAP from the page. They jump to life, dance on the page and then while they are at it, make it pretty much impossible to put the book down.

I laughed (virtually impossible for me in a novel), I flipped pages until they turned hot and cheered at the ending. It’s a romance. It’s got a twist of suspense that is cloaked just right. It’s a character’s story and a historical romance lover’s dream.

WRITE ON Erica Vetsch!!

**I was not required to write this review, I did so because I loved it!**

More about the novel...

Quench your craving for good fiction with this wonderfully written Old West adventure. Hoping to leave the shadows of her shady yesteryears behind, Adeline Reed is focusing on her photography career. But when her ex-boyfriend’s compatriot in crime shows up in Dodge City her entire past is threatened by exposure. Can Addie keep her secrets while helping to catch a killer? Deputy Miles Carr’s investigation into a shopkeeper’s murder leads him to Addie’s door. Will his attraction to this female photographer keep him from catching the true culprit? Or will Addie lead him off course in more ways than one?

Giveaway and Author Interview: Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Writing for Christ Tessa Afshar, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Thank you so much, Casey. It’s wonderful to be here with you and your readers.

One of the things that most readers might not know is that I have a slight accent. I was born in the Middle East and moved to England when I was almost fourteen. I learned to speak English while attending a boarding school for girls named Princess Helena College in Hertfordshire. Half of my family still lives in England. So although I’ve lived most of my life in America and this is my home, my accent has shades of the Queen’s influence. That, and a bit of Persian. Americans usually ask me if I’m Irish. The Irish ask me if I’m American. The real answer is that I’m a citizen of heaven.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I love a good historical. Suspense can also make my day. Put them together and you are my friend. Give me a Brother Cadfael mystery by Ellis Peters, for example, and I can spend the day lost in Twelfth Century Shrewsbury. Add a steak and fries and a bit of chocolate and I might never leave.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

I’ve just started writing my third book, so this world is still new to me, and I have a lot to learn. The one thing I have to remember is the importance of perseverance. In my life, there are good writing days when words flow without interruption; but there are also some hard days when the concepts don’t come together. When one is facing the pressures of deadlines and the reality that other people are depending on you, it is easy to feel stressed. I am learning that if I persist, I can eventually turn that corner.

5 things you love?

Jesus. My family, my closest friends, whipped cream, books, movies, the writing world. Oh, wait. Sorry. I got carried away and lost count. But I can’t bring myself to delete anything. Sign of a bad self-editor, that!

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Letters from the readers.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with you. It’s been an absolute pleasure. If you would like to visit me on my website, the address is http://www.tessaafshar.com/ or visit me on my Facebook author page where there is always some new discussion going on: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tessa-Afshar/337761827820?ref=ts

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Tessa's novel!
Please leave an email address. If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win!

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Up and Coming Fiction! Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

2011-12-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her trailer park teen years. Until an unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. So when Bethany is left the land, he must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace she’s not even sure exists?

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

Waterbrook/Multnomah/ May 2012

ISBN: 9780307730381 / 320 pages / Paperback: $9.99

Waterbrook/Multnomah ~ Katie Ganshert

How the Weekend Looks From My Angle...

2011-12-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit

Editing...

Because I honestly wanted this first rough read-through done, like...two weeks ago.

Writing...

I hit 54,500 on November 30th (and my goal was to make it to 50K by the end of November ;-) On to the end of the story now!! (goal to have it complete at 90K by the end of December)

Bazaars...

I've got a very full Saturday (my mom and I both) selling my jewelry at a local bazaar. Always a great deal of fun!!

Correspondence...

I have letters and a couple thank you cards yet to write--need to get those completed this weekend. :-))

Photo Credit

Reading...

Heaven help if I don't get just a *bit* of reading done this weekend. ;-)

That's what's on MY plate this weekend...

...what about you??

Writing for Christ~~The Audience of One

A Novel to Be Shared ~ A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry and Dr. Gary Chapman ~ Review

Living in Fear

Giveaway and Author Interview: Hush Little Baby by Deborah Piccurelli

I Knew This Day Would Come (New Blogging Schedule)

Experiment--And I Need Your Help!

Rapid-Fire EXPLOSIVE Fiction! Firethorn by Ronie Kendig ~ Review

At home and abroad,

Those who have gone before

and those serving today—

THANK YOU!

Because of you, we are FREE!

OTHER BOOKS BY RONIE KENDIGNightshade (Discarded Heroes #1)Digitalis (Discarded Heroes #2)Wolfsbane (Discarded Heroes #3)

Giveaway and Author Interview: Death in Dahlonega by Deborah Malone

Up and Coming Fiction! Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond!

Mailbox Friday

Conversation Wednesday

Up All Night Suspense in "Downfall" by Terri Blackstock ~ Review

Giveaway and Author Interview: Redemption Ranch by Leann Harris

Up and Coming Fiction! A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh

The Last Novel He Ever Wrote (and book winners)

Holding My Breath ~ "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Susan May Warren ~ Review

Last Minute Giveaway!! The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

Guest Review: The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Giveaway and Author Interview: The Secret of the Love Letter by K. Dawn Byrd

Up and Coming Fiction! Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

Homeschooling? Best and Worst Memories via Vlogging!

Giveaway and Author Interview: Hailee by Penny Zeller

Grace

A Right and Proper Regency ~ The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen ~ Review

Up and Coming Fiction! Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

The Best Novels of 2011 (From My POV)

Where Have All the White Dresses Gone?

Charmed and Beguiled by "The Merchant's Daughter" by Melanie Dickerson ~ Review

Giveaway and Author Interview: Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Shirley Connolly

Up and Coming Fiction! A Bride Shop Opens in El Dorado, California by Keli Gwyn

Re-Discovering One of My Favorite Series!

Swept Off My Feet in The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter ~ Review

Is Santa Claus Our New God?

Will Not Leave You Unchanged ~ Edge of Grace by Christa Allan ~ Review

Giveaway and Author Interview: Rodeo Dust by Shannon Vannatter

Up and Coming Fiction! Baroness by Susan May Warren

Dipping a Toe in the Vlogging Waters

Blogging Break...

Emotionally Impacted ~ Wonderful Novel! ~ Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry ~ Review

A Monday Shift ~ But A Giveaway Still!

Up and Coming Fiction! The Ride of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad

*Tapping On Your Computer Screen* Hello!! Look Here for a Sec, Will You?

Does Anyone Else Find Encouragement Almost...DIScouraging??

WRITE ON Erica Vetsch ~ A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch ~ Review

Giveaway and Author Interview: Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

Up and Coming Fiction! Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

How the Weekend Looks From My Angle...

OTHER BOOKS BY RONIE KENDIG
Nightshade (Discarded Heroes #1)
Digitalis (Discarded Heroes #2)
Wolfsbane (Discarded Heroes #3)

Tapping On Your Computer Screen Hello!! Look Here for a Sec, Will You?