Coming Home--A Christ Centered Blog by Christian Writer Miralee Ferrell

Book Give Away by Darlene Franklin

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Darlene Franklin is visiting with us today and she's giving away a copy of her new book, a compilation of three stories, Maple Notch Brides. Here are the rules. You must ASK Darlene a question. I can be based on something she shared below, or something you'd like to know. If you only leave a comment saying you want to be entered in the contest, it won't count.

For a second entry and third "extra" entries in the contest, subscribe to my blog (be sure to let me know you have) or let me know if you already do. (Scroll down on the right hand column...right under the pretty blue picture of the otter it says "Subscribe to blog"). Same with Darlene's blog....go to it and follow, but you MUST tell me you did. (We get notices that you have, but it's easier to verify if you've put it in the comments as well).

I'm sorry, I wish I could include international entries, but this is limited to the U.S., although all comments are welcome.

Miralee wants “interesting”facts about me. The problem is, I think I’m fairly boring! Standardinformation: I was born in New Hampshire, grew up in Maine, spent twenty years in Denver before moving(back) to Oklahoma.(However, Utahis the farthest west I have ever traveled.) In spite of my New England upbringing, I love the west! I am divorced, have onedaughter who is at home with the Lord and a son who lives close by with fourprecious grandchildren. I’m a Bible college and seminary graduate, and now getto “live the dream” of writing full time. My outside interests have shrunk aswriting takes more of my time and crippling arthritis takes more of my health!I still play piano for our church choir. You can find me online on Facebook (ofcourse!) and at darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com.

To encourage any hopeful writers out there: Since I beganwriting full time 2½ years ago, the number of books under contract doubled inthe first year and now I have about twenty books either in print or undercontract! I didn’t have a single contract when I decided to try it full-time. Andsince I’m divorced, I am my sole support. So it can happen!

Darlene can be found (and followed) here:

http://darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com/

Some of her other books are:
Most recent releases: LoneStar Trail (Rivernorth Fiction, 2011) and Christmas at Barncastle Inn (Barbour, 2011)

Maple Notch Brides:

Climb into adventure in the Green Mountain State where partypolitics, parental pressure, and personal misperceptions challenge threecouples.

Sally Reid and her family of Patriots are in hiding. Can she trustJosiah Tuttle, a man whose father is loyal to King George?

Beatrice Bailey’swealthy father wants his daughter to marry up—not down. Does farmer CalvinTuttle have any chance of winning Beatrice’s heart and her father’s blessing?

Clara Farley has accepted the role of spinster. Can Daniel Tuttle get her tochange her mind? Will God show these couples a way above the fray?

About Prodigal Patriot from Kathleen Maher:

I just finishedthis book in one sitting. . . The characters invited me into their world ofRevolutionary War Vermont,and drew me with their hardships, ingenuity, and pluck. The writing disappearedand allowed a vivid story world to emerge. I was invested.

Commenting on Love’s Raid from Regina Jennings:

Darlene hasdone her research and highlights this little known event . . . Clara isconscientious and faces an unspeakable dilemma with courage and conviction.It's no wonder Darlene remains a reader's favorite year after year.

The blog owner did not get paid in any way for posting this give away.

X Factor -- Attitude ISN'T Everything

2011-11-22T16:12:00.001-08:00

Obviously. Not after last week's judges decision to put a pouting, fit-throwing Astro through ahead of Stacy. Sure, Astro is super talented, (although he never SINGS anything, LOL!), but to say he didn't want to sing again because America didn't think enough of him to keep him out of the bottom two? Good grief, that's ridiculous. EVERYONE will end up getting the kicked off at some point other than the winner. So apparently he expected to win and can't take anything less?

Yes, I'm willing to cut him a little slack because, after all, he's only 14. I remember our kids at that age, when they didn't excel at something, or thought they were getting slighted--pouting happens. But not on national TV, when you're very existence is riding on your attitude as well as your talent. I'm guessing the only thing that saved him was the host whispering in his ear--no doubt telling him to get a grip fast if he didn't want Simon to give him the boot.

It's kind of sad, since so many kids look up to artists who sing this type of music. I was hoping "Astro" would be a good role model, but it's not looking real hopeful.

Do Some Good this Christmas Season

2011-11-21T20:36:00.001-08:00

Imagine you're a mom of four, living with MS, still readjusting to life in the states after years spent abroad, and finally seeing a dream come true. The book you've researched for years and poured your soul into is finally, today, being released into the world. After all the struggles of moving, of helping children acclimate, of learning a new city, of juggling motherhood and family and writing, you get to celebrate the realization of a dream.

And on that same day, your doctor tells you to come in right away--you you have stage 4 T-cell lymphoma, possibly caused by the medication you've been taking for MS.

This is what happened to Sandi Rog on November 1, 2010. For the last year, Sandi has endured chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant, with the hope of destroying this aggressive cancer. And then, just a few weeks before the release of her second book, new tumors were discovered near her spine that show the cancer has not succumbed the way we had all hoped.

So now, in the face of the holiday season, the Rog family finds themselves settling in for another year of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual battle as Sandi faces more treatments--one of which holds much promise but is not covered by insurance. As you can imagine, the financial cost of fighting cancer can be overwhelming, and that's why we're hosting this fundraiser.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
Right now, we're in the process of soliciting and accepting donations of items we can use to create some of the most spectacular "gift baskets" ever. (The quotes are because there will likely not be any baskets used, but that phrase gives you an idea of what we're aiming for.) As items are received, we'll post here so you can see what kinds of goodies will be available for you to win starting November 25th. To purchase a raffle "ticket", donate $5 at GiveForward.com And here's the link to the blog that has all the great items that are going to be raffled! There's literally pages of items so far, so be sure and check them all out.

Thanksgiving in Early America

2011-11-14T09:27:00.001-08:00

by Elaine Marie Cooper

When we sit down at our Thanksgiving meal this month, we’llbe recreating a celebration that is as old as our country: sharing food withloved ones while thanking the God Who has provided the abundance.

While we understand that the First Thanksgiving wascelebrated here by the Mayflower survivors along with the Indians that hadhelped them, the first official proclamation that was decreed to celebrate sucha holiday was in 1777. It was a recommendation to the thirteen states by theContinental Congress to set aside December 18^th that year as a“solemn thanksgiving” to celebrate the first major victory for the Continentaltroops in the American Revolution: the Battle of Saratoga.

The Battle of Saratoga has significant interest for my ownfamily since one of my ancestors was a soldier there. But he was not on theAmerican side—he was a British Redcoat. After surrendering to the Americans, heescaped the line of prisoners and somehow made his way to Massachusetts andinto the life and heart of my fourth great-grandmother. *SIGH* L’amour!

This family story was the inspiration for my Deer Run Sagathat begins in 1777 with The Road to Deer Run. There is anelaborate Thanksgiving meal scene in this novel as well as in the sequel, ThePromise of Deer Run.

Some may wonder why such detail was afforded this holiday inmy novels set in Massachusetts, while Christmas is barely mentioned. The reasonis simple: Thanksgiving was the major holiday in the northern colonies, withChristmas considered nothing more special than a workday. According to JackLarkin in his book, The Reshaping of Everyday Life,“The Puritan founders of New England and the Quaker settlers of Pennsylvaniahad deliberately abolished (holidays) as unscriptural.”

But Thanksgiving was begun as a way to give thanks to Godfor His provision. It usually began with attending church services in themorning, followed by an elaborate feast in the afternoon. The food for thismeal was prepared for weeks in advance.

Since the individual state governors chose their own date tocelebrate the holiday, it was theoretically possible for some family members—ifthey lived in close proximity—to celebrate multiple Thanksgiving meals withfamily and friends across state borders. The dates chosen could be anywherefrom October to December, according to Dennis Picard, Director of theStorrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Chicken was most commonly served, said Picard, as it wasreadily available in the barnyard. And the oldest woman in the home had thehonor of slicing the fowl for dinner.

Pies were made well in advance of the holiday and stored andbecame frozen in dresser drawers in unheated rooms.

“I like the idea of pulling out a dresser drawer for, say, aclean pair of socks, and finding mince pies,” said Picard, tongue in cheek.

Indeed!

Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving!

Fantastic Gift Basket Drawing--Celebrating a New Release

2011-11-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Elaine Marie Cooper, Author of "The Promise of Deer Run"

Elaine is giving away a fantastic gift basket to celebrate the release of her new book, The Promise of Deer Run (available in paperback, hardcover or ebook).

Here are the rules: Leave a comment about the giveaway and let me know what your favorite item in the basket is to receive one entry. Subscribe to my blog or let me know you're already a subscriber, and you'll get TWO additional entries. You must tell me you're a subscriber to get the extra entries.

I'll draw my winner on Nov 18th, and give it to the blog hostess heading up the blog tour. A grand prize winner will then be drawn from the winners from each blog taking part and will be posted/notified on Nov 21. Be SURE you leave a way for us to contact you. Write your email out like this: miralee at yahoo dot com, etc.

Grand Prize (Retail Value: $297.38)Contains:

Basket
$25 Starbucks gift card
Spode Christmas teapot
Spode Christmas mugs
Yankee candle
Hardbound copy The Road to Deer Run
Hardbound copy The Promise of Deer Run
Bath and Body Paris Amour scent
An AbsolutelyCharming Tale!
Once again, ElaineMarie Cooper pens an absolutely charming tale of eighteenth century Americana.War, no matter the era, takes its toll on both soldiers and families. ThePromise of Deer Run is a precious next story following Mary andDaniel’s story in The Road to Deer Run, picking upwith Mary’s sister, Sarah a few years down the line. Be sure to read the firstbook too! As a historian and author, I am grateful to Elaine for her dedicationto authenticity. —Lisa Lickel, author of A Summer in Oakville

About The Promiseof Deer Run:
America’s war for freedom from England has been over for seven years, but thewounds of that conflict still haunt the minds and hearts of the residents ofDeer Run. Young American veteran Nathaniel Stearns has withdrawn to a life ofisolation as he awaits his father who never returned from the war.

A near-tragedy in thewoods brings Nathaniel face-to-face with nineteen-year-old Sarah Thomsen,someone he had long admired but he assumed had eyes for another. This chanceencounter opens a crack into the door of his heart as mutual affection quicklyblooms.

But slander and liessoon mar the budding romance, rendering both Sarah and Nathaniel wounded anduntrusting as their faith in both their God and each other is shattered. Set in1790, this book continues the story of the Thomsen and Lowe families as theystruggle to survive in the aftermath of the war that birthed the United States.
The Roadto Deer Runwon the following honors:
- Finalist: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
- Honorable Mention: 2011 Los Angeles Book Festival
1. Best Romantic Moment: ClashoftheTitles.com, February 2011

I was given a complimentary copy of the book to read for a future review, but the publisher or author did not pay me to take part in this tour.

Always Remember--An Article from Romania

2011-11-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

We rarely get a chance to see anothercountry's editorial about the USA

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper .... The article was writtenby Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii,meaning 'Ode To America ') inthe Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'.

~An Ode to America~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one anothereven if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages ofthe world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religiousbeliefs.

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a handput on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, theArmy, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobodyrushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto thestreets nearby to just gape about.

Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smokingruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the nationalflag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and onevery car a government official or the president was passing. On everyoccasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to thestory of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchairwithout knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave hislife fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a targetthat could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being?

Imperceptibly, with every word and musicalnote, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. Andwith every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put intocollection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which nomoney can buy. What on earth unites the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs andmurmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over,I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedomcan work such miracles.

CornelNistorescu

(This deserves to be passed around theInternet forever). It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see whatwe take for granted !

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Are You Ready for Winter?

2011-11-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Thanksgiving is approaching and daylight savings time ends tomorrow night? Where has the summer gone? And did we really even have a fall? Our summer hers in the Pacific NW didn't kick in until July 15th...two months later than normal, and it ended toward the latter part of Sept. I'm hearing rumblings of heavy snows and even hints that we could see some white stuff drifting down over the next few nights.

I'll admit...I'm NOT a winter lover. Give me 12 months of spring, summer and fall...let's just avoid winter all together, shall we?

At least I was able to find time this year to bed all my rose bushes with bark chips, something I didn't do last year, and I lost four plants as a result. We still need to dig up the rest of our potatoes, drain a pump in our pond, and a couple of other little things before icy cold hits.

How about you? Are you looking forward to winter? Running away to warmer weather instead? Staying home, snuggling down in front of a fire and don't care if it snows? Or are you a snow bunny heading for the ski slopes? What do you to to get you through the long, dreary days of winter?

I'd love to hear from you, and if you have any great ideas to cheer up a person who does NOT enjoy winter, send them my way!

My Exciting News!!

2011-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm blessed beyond measure!! Last month I signed a three-book contract for a new historical romance series, with the David C. Cook Co. I'm extremely excited to be working with such a solid publishing house, and can't wait to get started. My first book currently titled Katherine's Hope is due to my editor on June 1st, and releases exactly a year later, in 2013. It's a long ways to wait for the first book, but after that, the next two release just 6 months apart.

Katherine's Hope is set in the late 1870's in Baker City, Oregon, and is part womens' fiction, part romance. Here's the opening scene (as it stands now) to give you a tiny taste of what's coming.

Baker City, Oregon

Late June, 1879

KatherineGalloway’s soft breath sent the dandelion fluff dancing on the warm current ofair, but it didn’t bring the anticipated relief. Gripping the stem, she sat inthe grassy field with her eyes closed and waited. Why didn’t it come? It hadalways appeared when she needed it before. How many years had it been? Ten?Fifteen?

She shook her head and a loosened curl scraped her cheek.More. Many more years. But always her mind returned to those times when thedandelion fluff had carried her away to a place where mothers were loving andkind, and little girls didn’t need to be afraid of cutting words.

Hadshe ever known a time like that, other than in her dreams? She’d thought shehad, but now she knew. It was all an illusion, just like the sunbeams glintingoff the tiny bits of white settling to the ground. Seeds, that’s all they were.Seeds that brought unwanted weeds when they matured. Just like her life.

Unwanted.Unwelcome. Unsung.

At least by theone person who mattered the most while growing up. Her mother.

She pushed to her feet, letting the dandelion stemdangle from her fingers. There was no fantasy world where thirty-two-year-oldwomen, or little girls for that matter, could ride the dandelion fluff andbecome someone they weren’t. No. It was time to put the past behind her. Mamawas coming to stay at her house, and somehow Katherine had to survive.

Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home

2011-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

By Edie Melson and other contributing authors

I wrote one short (true) story in this fantastic resource for military families who have a loved one deployed. Be sure you check this book out on Amazon--buy one for every person you know who has someone in the military. Our son served in Iraq, and I know first hand what it's like to send someone into harm's way. I get nothing for the sale of this book, so I'm not talking it up to make money--I truly believe it's a great book.

Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home

Saying goodbye to a loved one leaving for war is a gut-wrenching proposition. But for those left behind, their deployment marks the beginning of our battle. And yet, it is possible to find God’s peace in the midst of fear and conquer the terror that lurks in the darkness of doubt. In Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home, parents, spouses and siblings recount their personal journey as God goes before His people during times of spiritual, physical and military warfare. Learn the secret to living a peace-filled life when a loved one leaves for battle. Fight fear; win the war at home.

Infamous Elvis Psychic's Story of Redemption Revealed in New Book

2011-10-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

I read this excellent article online recently. Barbara (the author who wrote this book) is a friend and a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), as well as our local Portland, Oregon chapter that I head. I've only posted part of the article, so please click on the link included to take you to the site where the full article is written.

The Christian Post Entertainment|Wed, Sep. 28 2011
Infamous Elvis Psychic's Story of Redemption Revealed in New Book
By Eryn Sun | Christian Post Reporter

Family members of the 1980s famed “psychic to the stars” are ready to open up about the story behind the man who allegedly regularly contacted Elvis Presley from the dead – David “Jamil” Guardino.
Related

    * New Poll Reveals How Churchgoers Mix Eastern, New Age Beliefs
    * How Many Americans Believe in Ghosts, Spells and Superstition?
    * New Barna Report Explores Teens and the Supernatural
    * Psychic Show Chaos
    * You as Intuitive, Mystic, and Healer

Mother Harriet Smith Guardino and sister Barbara have co-authored a biography, titled My Son, My Son, Redemption of a Psychic, about their late son and brother who made a living swindling celebrities, businessmen and even politicians with his psychic abilities for more than 30 years.

Hoping to not only expose fraudulent occult practices, but also help heal from their wounds inflicted by David’s “bizarre lifestyle” – one filled with deception, flamboyance and hedonism – Barbara Guardino says the book serves to “tell the world of the Lord’s readiness to redeem the hopelessly lost” and “open some eyes to the power of Satan.”

My Son, My Son is based on the mother’s personal journals documenting her spiritual battles over her son’s lifestyle, which eventually led him to prison – where he died of obesity and diabetes – and testimonies from other family members who sought to remember the strange life of their brother David.

The self-proclaimed “world’s greatest psychic,” once a Roman Catholic, eventually returned to his Christian roots and accepted Christ just before he died in prison in 2007, answering a three-decade prayer by his mother.

While most of the family avoided David as much as possible during his 35-year psychic career in Las Vegas and Graceland, Tenn. – where he rose to fame for his séances summoning stars like John Lennon, Marilyn

“I never gave up seeking my son’s salvation,” she penned in an excerpt from the book.

“For three decades, I kept a journal that detailed the spiritual warfare that I, David’s sister Pat Cummings, and scores of other Christians fought on David’s behalf. In 1981, a prayer partner gave me the Scripture: ‘I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they will be my people and I will be their God. For they will return to me with all their heart.’ Jer. 24:7.”

“Mom believed this was God’s promise to her about David,” Barbara told The Christian Post in an email. “[She] never gave up on David. She prayed for him daily, kept a detailed journal, some of which is included in the book ... [She] was the spiritual anchor of our family, and through her faithfulness in praying for her prodigal son, she actually led others to the Lord, including my father.”

Susan May Warren Opulent Gilded Age Give Away!!

2011-09-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Win an opulent Gilded Age Prize Pack fit for an Heiress from Susan May Warren!

Enter 9/22-10/5!

Post:

Win an opulent Gilded Age Prize Pack fit for an Heiress from Susan May Warren!

Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest historical book, Heiress!

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

Heiress, a richly complex historical romance, is the first in Susan's three book Daughters of Fortune series. In honor of Heiress’ debut, Susan is hosting a FABULOUS Gilded Age Giveaway and giving away an opulent prize pack fit for an heiress!

One grand prize winner will receive:

A $100 gift certificate to ModCloth.com

A sleek silver iPod™ Shuffle

A beautiful strand of Pearls

Titanic DVD

Speakeasy Compilation Music CD from Starbucks™

Heiress by Susan May Warren

Click one of the icons below to enter. But do so soon - this giveaway ends 10/5/11. The winner will be announced Thursday, October 6 on Susan’s blog.

Summerside Is Giving Away More Books!!

2011-07-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yep, you heard it right. My wonderful publisher, Summerside, is giving away three different books to help out my release bash/celebration. Only you don't have to buy anything to win. Sure, I'd love it if you bought a copy of my book on August 1st (and if you do, you'll automatically get the free epilogue and other three gifts) but you don't have to buy a thing to get your name in this drawing.

Simply leave a comment here letting me know if you'll consider getting my book from Amazon on August 1st to help give my Amazon numbers a big 'bump', and I'll put your name in the drawing.

And remember, if you follow my blog already, let me know. You get two entries. If you don't yet, and subscribe to follow my blog, I'll give you an extra entry as well.

If you post a link and a note on Facebook or your blog or Twitter about this give away and my new release & let me know, you'll get another entry.

But you MUST leave comments on my blog, as FB doesn't like contests.

Summerside is giving away my Love Finds You in Tombstone, AZ, along with two other LFY books (I'll announce which ones later, so keep watching!), as one prize. Then, a journal as another, and a devotional book as a third. Pretty cool, huh!

Extra, Extra! Win a Gift Card!

2011-07-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Did you mark your calendar yet to purchase my book on August 1st from Amazon to get the four free items and be entered in a drawing for a free gift card?

Before we move on to that....there's one more COOL prize I want to mention.
Upload a video on You Tube of you reading a section of dialogue from my new book...you choose the character, and give me your BEST character impersonation. The person with the most votes on You Tube gets one of my other books free!!! (this contest will go on until the end of August to give readers time to get their books and will be mentioned again in the future).

I promised you more information on winning the gift cards. Who doesn't like to spend money on Amazon or get a treat at Starbucks?

If you purchase Love Finds You in Sundance, WY on August 1st, not only will you automatically get four free gifts from me, you'll be entered to win a $5 gift card from Starbucks AND a $10 gift card from Amazon. That's more than the book cost you, and there are ways to get multiple entries.

The first person who sends me a picture of you holding a copy of my book at a book store gets 5 entries.

If you follow/subscribe to my blog and let me know, you'll get another entry in the drawing.

If you leave a comment on this post telling me you follow my blog AND plan to buy the book on August 1st, you'll get a third entry in the drawing (besides the one for buying the book)!

If you Tweet this blog post or mention it with the link on Facebook, Or ANY Just just tell me in the comment section where you posted it, and if it's a blog, give me your blog addy.

If you link to my blog, you get another entry. (again, you must tell me you did this and give me your blog address)

If you join my Reader's Group on Facebook or are already a member there, you get another entry. Just let me know in the comment section. Here's the address for my Reader's Group:

Exciting News!!

2011-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

I just wrote a new epilogue for Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, that ISN'T in the book!!

My book releases Aug. 1st, but it doesn't contain an epilogue. How would you like a special peek into what happens 'after the story'?

It's for my special group of friends who are my loyal supporters and love my books.

Is that you? I'm emailing the epilogue and three other gifts to anyone who purchases my new book ON August 1st, from Amazon.

Mark your calendar now so you don't miss out!

You'll receive.....

* A four page epilogue that tells you what happens after the story ends

* Five pages of recipes, some old family favorites used by my mother and grandmother

* A sneak peek at the first chapter of the new book I'm working on. That's right, you'll be the only group of people who get to read the first chapter BEFORE it releases!

* A fun list of baby names that were popular in 1889, when Angel Ramirez was riding the range in Sundance. See if your name or your baby's name was popular 120 years ago!

How do you get all this great free stuff? Buy my book on Amazon on August 1st, email me a receipt at miraleef at gmail dot com. Yes, Kindle books count, as well.

AND!!!! If you participate, I'll also enter your name in a drawing for a gift card to Starbucks and Amazon! Come back tomorrow to learn more about the drawing. And remember, mark your calendar for August 1st!

Can't wait to see what you think of the secret epilogue!!!!

Win Laura Hilton's New Amish Book!

2011-07-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

This drawing will close on Thursday evening, July 20th. READ ALL The Directions or you'll miss out on how to enter.

Want to win a copy of Laura's new Amish book, A Harvest of Hearts?? Read about what Laura enjoys doing and ask her a question. Sorry, just leaving a comment won't get you in the drawing. Asking a question shows us you've read the directions and read this post, and Laura is anxious to interact with her readers.

Laura's book will be mailed to the winner after it releases in Sept., so please be patient if you win. You can pre-order it now from Amazon or CBD, so pop on over and do so quick!

Be sure you give us a way to contact you, and let me know if you follow my blog. If so, you get your name put in the drawing twice, not once.

If you're outside the US you may enter, but if your name is drawn you'll get an emailed PDF of the book, rather than a printed book.

Thank you for visiting, and please consider subscribing to my blog....you'll increase your chance to win, but you must tell you you do, as I don't have time to search through all the followers.

Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her first book “Patchwork Dreams” in her Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House released in April 2011, the second book, “A Harvest of Hearts” in September 2011, and the third in April 2012.

Laura loves lighthouses and she used to go to the Coast Guard festival in Grand Haven every year. She also has fond memories of going to Holland Michigan where she went to Windmere Island and always brought home a box or two of fudge. She collects lighthouses and tea cups.

As a family, they enjoy taking mini-vacations around the area where they live. They have visited Blanchard Caverns, Mammoth Springs, Hardy, Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, and other spots.

She also enjoys playing Monopoly with her husband and one of her sons, or Clue with her younger children.

If Laura could go any place on vacation she would love to visit Alaska, Prince Edward Island, and London England. She also would love to go to Germany and Austria, and see other sites in the U.S.A. such as Mt. Rushmore and Niagara Falls.

Now, for "A Harvest of Hearts"

Book 2 of the Amish of Seymour series, September 2011

Matthew Yoder volunteered to be part of the swap of Amish men from his Old Order Pennsylvania Amish Community, to the Amish community in Seymour, Missouri. There is nothing for him in Pennsylvania, as the youngest of twelve children, and the lack of farmland around Lancaster County, he felt he could make a better future in another district.

Shanna Stoltzfus has been raised Amish, and couldn’t wait for her rumspringa so she could pursue her education. She hated having to quit school in the 8^th grade to stay home and learn everything that makes a home run smoothly. But now she has earned her GED and is taking college courses, but her family is begging her to come home; her little sisters miss her. And there’s something about newcomer, Matthew Yoder that draws her attention. But is it enough to give up her dreams of education and join the Amish church?

FREE Stuff for YOU!!!

2011-07-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

My new book, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, releases August 1st and I want you to help me celebrate. I'm putting together a package of online freebies and YOU could get the entire lot.

How, you ask? It's simple.

Order my book on Amazon between July 29th and August 1st. Any of those three days. But if you order on August 1st, you'll get one extra that no one else gets.

Send me a copy of your receipt from Amazon showing you've ordered and the date, and you'll be set.

What will you be getting free? You'll have to check back here next week to find out. But I think you'll enjoy them. No...not a free book....these are little free gifts that I've put together that have something to do with my books, and a couple of them specifically for Sundance.

Check back in, I'd hate to have you miss out!

Book Summary:

Angel Ramirez is tired of living a lie. But can she live like a lady?

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works her way across several states disguised as a boy and working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler. After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals her true identity and must fight to prove her worth as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her
role as woman.

Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her?

Living in the Moment

2011-07-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

A author friend of mine, Ethel Herr, said something a few days ago that was profound, and she agreed to let me share with you...

I've learned the importance of living in the moment. If we live in the past, which cannot be changed, we destroy the present and leave no possibilities for the future. Living in the future, where we have no control, only weird imaginations and wildness, also robs us of the present. God introduced Himself to Moses as the I AM. Not the I WAS, or the I WILL BE, but I AM. He did appeal to Moses to remember what He had done and promised that He would go with him in the future. But He is the great I AM. I amness builds a past for examples and assurance for the future. But we can never live any place but the present.

Isn't that awesome?

I don't know about you, but when she shared that I SO needed to hear it. My husband and I have been going through a lot of 'stuff' this past year--much of it financial stress that's worn us down. So many times I've been tempted to look back into 'better days' wishing we could go back, or find myself longing for the future when I hope life will be brighter. And in doing so, I've realized I'm robbing myself of where I am now.

God isn't caught by surprise by anything that happens to us--so I have to ask myself--if I'm in this situation that's hard right now, what does He want me to learn? What is He trying to say? Is there are a reason I'm here now, and if so, I need to discover what it is and be obedient, if He's asking something of me.

How about you? Are you living in today, yearning for the remembered tranquility of yesterday, or wishing away your life hoping for something better in tomorrow? Let's make a decision to live in the present, learn the lessons God wants us to learn NOW, and let yesterday and tomorrow take care of themselves. After all, we're only promised the time we have in this moment. I've decided I want to make it count!!

Sherry Kyle--Win Her New Release!!!

2011-07-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased to introduce a good friend and fellow author....

Sherry Kyle has recently released a wonderful contemporary romance, Delivered With Love. If you'd like to win a copy you'll need to read this post and ask Sherry a question based on something she's shared or something you'd like to know about her life or her writing. Be SURE you ask a question, not just leaving a comment if you want your name entered. Also, give me a way to contact you.

Would you like your name put in for double the chance to win? Let me know that you just started following my blog (subscribe to it) OR that you're already a follower & I'll enter you twice. You can do this in the same post where you ask a question.

I'm sorry...Sherry can't ship to addresses outside the U.S.

Now....a little more about Sherry!

On July 9^th twenty-three years ago, Sherry and her college sweetheart, Douglas Kyle, said, “I do”—a decision that she says is the best one she’s ever made. Eighteen and a half years ago, Sherry became a mom for the first time and has since added two more children by birth and one by adoption to her brood. She loves to spend time with her family—whether they are taking walks along the beach where they live in Central California or playing in the snow of northern Tahoe. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, you can find Sherry moving to the beat of Latin music at her church’s Zumba class. Besides dancing, she enjoys reading and hanging out with her friends at local coffee shops. She has two books in print, one for tween girls titled The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style, and Delivered with Love, her debut novel.

Hey everyone....Miralee here.....if you have a young teen or pre-teen, you MUST get a copy of Sherry's book The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style. It's fantastic!!!!!!

And Now.....Delivered With Love

An old love letter found in the glove compartment of a young woman's inherited 1972 Volkswagen propels her to leave her life in Los Angeles and go to the small town of Capitola, California. There her dream of finding the writer of the letter leads her on an unexpected journey that changes her life forever. 

Claire James, age twenty-three, is ready to make it on her own. When she's fired from her job as a waitress and subsequently kicked out of her sister's home, she sees it as an opportunity to start over. But even before moving, a thirty-five-year-old love letter written to her mother keeps Claire stuck in the past. Michael Thompson, a middle-aged real estate agent, wants to keep the past where it belongs--at least until his grown daughter is married. But, then a young woman comes to town...

Endorsement:

Delivered With Love--delivers--romance, suspense, conflict, humor and terrific true-to-life characters. Every one of them has something special that drew me in. And the setting, Capitola, California, is a lovely backdrop to this heart-warming story that will keep you turning the pages. A great start for debut novelist Sherry Kyle.

~ Karen O’Connor

Find Sherry at these places:

Website: www.sherrykyle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Sherry-Kyle/194852293891406 (author page)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/sherrykyle

Blog on website: http://web.mac.com/dkyle/Site/Blog/Blog.html

Contributor to these blogs:

Fun Faith 4 Girls: http://www.funfaith4girls.blogspot.com/

Christian Authors Network: http://canblog.typepad.com/

Book trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOVAZDpyYzQ

Tour of Capitola, California:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AldWh3i_ak

The blog owner has not been paid to post this giveaway nor did she gain anything by it.

Book Drawing with Linda Windsor--Thief!!

2011-06-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Lisa won a copy of Andrea Boeshaar's new release on my drawing from last week. Thanks everyone for the great questions you asked and for taking part!!

We're doing a book drawing for Thief, the second book in the Brides of Alba historical series by Linda Windsor. Linda is joining us this week until Friday evening, answering your questions. Please ask about her writing, her home (we've included two pics of her lovely home decorated at Christmas), her books, etc., for a chance to win her book. Also, give me a way to contact you & let me know if you follow my blog (or are a new follower) as you'll get another entry in the drawing. (sorry, U.S. addresses only on this drawing).

Thief-----Exiled in shame and wounded in battle, Caden O’Byrne accepts a mission of penance—to search for his healer’s long-lost daughter. At worst, he’ll finally get his death wish. At best, this could be God’s second chance. But the lovely minstrel Sorcha wants no part in him, his newfound God, or the rescue. In fact, she’s robbed him blind—to help finance her work of buying young captives and returning them to their families. She’s also gone into debt and promised to marry a man she doesn’t love—all for the chidlren’s sake. But before she and Caden can sort out the situation, a treacherous murder forces them to run for their lives…together. While Caden’s rekindled faith is tested, Sorcha wonders if his God is real. If so, can a thief like her dare hope for His mercy? And do the two of them have a chance of reaching home—Sorcha’s real home—alive?

Now, let's join Linda Windsor, best selling author as she shares a bit about her life and her books.

Since so many readers have asked to see pictures of our home, here are some holiday pictures of the great room & dining room. I constantly battle soot on the walls from our love of candles! I had my web mistress recreate my big cooking fireplace on my website and we decorate it seasonally, just like I do at home. At the moment, there is a vase of colorful flowers in it, since it’s summer, and the decorations are beach motif.

The house is made up of three single room cabins ranging in age from 1790-1830. They are cobbled together with a second floor added sometime around 1900. We left many of the original beams exposed. And like the families that lived in the house before us, we added on as our family grew. I have not used the big fireplace since my husband died six years ago, but my goodness, the delicious roasts, chickens and pies we cooked and prepared for guests.

Linda’s research for the early Celtic Gleannmara series resulted in a personal mission dear to her heart: to provide Christians with an effective witness to reach their New Age and unbelieving family and friends. This knowledge of early Church history enabled Linda to reach her daughter, who became involved in Wicca after being stalked and assaulted in college and blaming the God of her childhood faith—a witness that continues to others at medieval fair signings or wherever these books take Linda.

Linda’s testimony that Christ is her Druid (Master/Teacher) opens wary hearts wounded by harsh Christian condemnation. Admitted Wiccans and pagans became intrigued by the tidbits of history and tradition pointing to the how and why Druids accepted Him. She not only sells these non-believers copies of her books, but also outsells the occult titles surrounding her inspirational ones.

When Linda isn’t writing in the late 18^th century home that she and her late husband restored, she’s busy speaking and/or playing music for writing workshops, faith seminars, libraries, and civic and church groups. She and her husband were professional musicians and singers in their country and old Rock and Roll band Homespun.

Presently, she’s working on REBEL, book three of her new historical series Brides of Alba, which tells the story of three brothers finding faith and love in war torn Arthurian Scotland. But woven into the background are the little known historical traditions of the early British church, the Grail Church and its protection of the Irish Davidic kingly and the British Arimathean priestly bloodlines that allegedly survive in the British royal family today. Meanwhile, rave reviews continue to pour in for the first two of this series from her peers and industry professionals.

In Healer, Linda Windsor combines a knack for thorough research and the skill to draw from it judiciously in telling an engaging story. She weaves together a rich and detailed tapestry of sixth century life in Scotland. Her notes about Arthurian characters, the Grail Palace, and the bibliography are well worth reading. Linda has done her homework and written a fine story.

Randy Alcorn
Author of Safely Home and Deception

"I've read and loved many of Linda Windsor's novels; Thief runs away with the prize as my absolute favorite! The conflicts are real, the characters more so, with larger-than-life Caden O'Byrne fighting body and soul to win a spirited woman worthy of his warrior's heart. Stirring romance, high adventure, and genuine faith all beat like a drum from first page to last. Once you start reading, Thief is sure to steal your every waking hour!”

Liz Curtis Higgs
Best-selling author of Here Burns My Candle

“Windsor's competent storytelling makes her tropes fresh and entertaining.”

Publishers Weekly on THIEF

“Windsor keeps us on the edge of our seats, mixing romance with early Christian testimony. An enchanting tale of intrigue and the power of compassion.

Romantic Times TOP PICK!

Devotional For Us All

2011-06-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's Friday but Sunday's Comin'
by Diana Flegal

This came to me via a daily devotional I subscribe to and it really ministered to me, so I wanted to share with my readers.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. Mark 16:6

A few years back - ahmm, I don't want to say how many, I attended a Jesus event where Tony Campolo preached a sermon titled, It's Friday but Sunday's Comin'! He brought us to our feet and in our hearts, to our knees.

I have returned often to that powerful analogy many times throughout the years.

At the Philadelphia Writers conference last year I shared it with a few authors and editors while taking a break midst our appointments. The message turned into church right there and we were struck once more with the power that Christ provided for our lives by going to the cross on our behalf, suffering as He did to take upon Himself our sins and triumphing over the grave to rise and now reign on high.

When they laid Him in the tomb it looked like the enemy had won, but it was Friday... and Sunday was comin'. Glorious Sunday! Oh how we long for those days.

The bills are piling up and you have no idea where the money is going to come from, but I would like you to consider it is only Friday, and Sunday is coming...

You just lost your job, and your interviews are not bearing fruit, but it is Friday and Sunday is coming....

You just buried your loved one and you are heartbroken, will you ever feel real joy again? It is Friday, and Sunday is coming...

You have attended the right workshops, paid for the business courses you were told you needed to gain the edge yet the rejection letters are piling up, but it's just Friday and Sunday is coming....

I would like to encourage you to look at your present circumstances with this new perspective.

May your life be empowered as you celebrate meditate on Christ's sacrifice and victory he secured on your behalf.

Diana Flegal is a literary agent for Hartline Literary Agent

Do Dads Ever Sleep?

2011-06-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

This is article is courtesy of Kathy Carlton Willis, www.kathycarltonwillis.com

Do Dads Ever Sleep?

By Dr. Charles W. Page

Considering the pace of our modern world—dads probably shouldn’t sleep. Who’s got time?

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Unpaid bills.

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Undone tasks.

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Unrealistic deadlines.

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Untimely interruptions.

Even when fathers prepare for rest there are too many thoughts racing through a dad’s mind:

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Unkept promises.

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Unfamiliar circumstances.

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Unpredictable people.

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Unforgotten failures.

Sometimes in sleepless desperation dads can feel like throwing in the towel—wondering if they will ever be good enough to meet the challenge of living in our nanosecond culture. Instead of looking around at the challenges facing them or within at their own inadequacies, dads must learn to look up. When we look up toward our Heavenly Father, the whole equation changes:

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Unchanging God.

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Unsearchable wisdom.

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Undeserving grace.

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Unfathomable love.

Christian dads can sleep because God’s got their back. Dads who understand that God’s eyes never close can rest in calm assurance as they lie down to sleep (Psalm 121:1-6). God’s got your back, Dad and He never slumbers or sleeps. And if God’s staying up anyway there’s no reason why you should miss out on rest. As we look up to God our helper we are

reminded of several truths that give our hearts calm assurance as we lay our heads on our pillows.

Trust in God’s providence as we lie down to sleep.

Whatever circumstances we face—they pass through the hands of a loving, all knowing God.

Trust in God’s provision as we lie down to sleep. For most dads the greatest challenge is the “to do” lists that burden our minds as we lie down for rest. As dads we must learn to trust God to finish the things left undone in His way and in His time.

Trust in God’s protection as we lie down to sleep. Dad, you can rely on God to surround you and your family with a hedge of protection as you rest. Psalm 121 reminds us that God is watching or guarding our lives—day and night. The one who never slumbers or sleeps has your back while you close your eyes for rest.

Your Heavenly Father always knows best, allowing you to rest in the truth of the verse “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). As you close your eyes for sleep, you can trust in God’s providence, provision and protection. Allow God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself while awake. The One whose eyes never close in slumber created you

Dr. Charles Page is a sleep-deprived surgeon who completed medical school and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He and his wife Joanna live in Texas with their five children. He is the author of Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective, which releases later this summer. When the project goes live, you can find more information at www.surrenderedsleep.com.

This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you previously request permission through KCWC at russ@kathycarltonwillis.com.

My New Cover is LIVE!!

2011-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so thrilled to unveil my newest cover to my book releasing August 1st, Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming, published by Summerside Press.

Angel Ramirez is tired of living a lie.
But can she learn to live like a lady?

On the run from a dangerous outlaw, Angel works
her way across several states disguised as a boy and
working as a varmint tracker and horse wrangler.
After taking a job on a Wyoming ranch owned by a
bachelor and his widowed sister, she finally reveals
her true identity and must fight to prove her worth
as a ranch hand while somehow discovering her
role as woman.

Hiring a woman doesn’t sit well with Travis Morgan, and the dark-haired beauty is causing a ruckus among his cowboys. Just as Angel decides she’ll never be able to please her boss, an unexpected surprise arrives from across the ocean and makes trouble on the ranch. Will Angel leave with the person who’s come so far to claim her?