Whispers In Purple

Hush, Little Baby, by Deborah M. Piccurelli: BookBites w/Giveaway

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

WHY I WROTE HUSH, LITTLE BABY

by DEBORAH M. PICCURELLI

As I began writing Hush, Little Baby, my romantic suspense novel woven around the illegal activity of fetal harvesting, and featuring little people as my main characters, there were the skeptics. Some wondered why I would choose such an icky subject. Others warned that readers would not be able to relate to my heroine (or hero). I knew they all made perfect sense, but I could not let go of this project. I understood I’d encounter a long, hard road to having this book published, but I’d spent so much time with these characters, and knew them as well as my own family members. Additionally, the message and awareness I yearned to bring about were too important to cast aside.

Around September of 1999, Good Morning America advertised an upcoming segment of 20/20 where a technician working in an abortion clinic reported to a pro-life organization the lucrative business abortionists and gifting companies established through fetal harvesting, because of loopholes in the law. 20/20 sent their own staff posing as potential investors to question the owners of the gifting companies on their policies and procedures. I thought that sounded like an interesting plot for a book, and scribbled a few lines on a small piece of paper, filed it in my notebook stuffed with story ideas, and promptly forgot about it.

Meanwhile, a few years later, TV talk shows often featured little people (dwarfs). I felt the way they were presented to viewers demeaned and exploited them. I vowed to someday write a novel with little people as my main characters, and show them living normal every day lives the same as anyone else. I began doing some research, found the organization, Little People of America, and contacted them. At that time, Matt Roloff was president, and personally answered the phone. In another call, I got to speak with and interview his wife, Amy. They both demonstrated kindness and grace.

By approximately 2006, I was ready to write about my little people, but didn’t have a plot. I turned to my trusty notebook of ideas, and didn’t find one storyline that fit my characters until I got to the last little piece of paper: The one on which I scribbled notes about fetal harvesting. I knew this was it. This was the story for my characters. There was really no connection to the characters, but somehow they fit together seamlessly.

I immediately started my research of fetal harvesting. What I found, however, both sickened and angered me. I also learned more about the abortion industry than I ever cared to know. Yes, I’d heard things before, but nothing quite so detailed and horrific. I’ve woven some of these elements into my novel, but did my best to handle them with taste and sensitivity. I haven’t heard a complaint yet, on that front.

For some reason, the Lord has seen fit to bestow upon me a heart for such issues. I am an advocate for sanctity of life, and especially for the unborn. That’s why I have pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from Hush, Little Baby to the aforementioned organization, Life Dynamics. Someone needs to make a stand for the innocent souls who never have a chance at life, and Life Dynamics has done a terrific job, thus far. By having written this book, I’m joining the fight against abortion, and exposing some of the many evils attached to it. Perhaps after reading my novel, you will, too.

Deborah M. Piccurelli is an advocate for sanctity of life, and tackles such issues in her novels, weaving them into compelling stories. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, their two sons, and a Yorkie mix puppy.

To purchase Hush, Little Baby in any format, or to learn more, visit:

http://www.deborahmpiccurelli.com

Deborah is giving away one copy of Hush, Little Baby to one of my blog readers and followers. Entering is easy: simply leave a comment below with your name and email contact information. Confirmed followers of my blog get an extra entry. Giveaway ends one week from Today, Friday, March 2, 2012. Winner drawn on Saturday, March 3 and will be notified via email, so be sure you leave that info in your comment.

Many thanks to Deborah for sharing her book and the story behind it. I have to admit that I find this premise intriguing and Hush, Little Baby is next on my TBR list.

Heaven Can Wait

2012-02-23T10:30:00.001-08:00

Got your attention, did it?

It’s been a strange week. We are into day four of “Operation Clean Sweep,” a free feral cat spay/neuter program to attempt to get the overpopulation of cats in our neighborhood under control.

It is a welcome opportunity for us, as our backyard has been a safe-house for all the unwanted and abandoned cats from homes where folks have either moved or been foreclosed and did not take their cats with them. Seems many folks think cats are disposable.

Our property is walled in with cinder-block on three sides and gated, so the cats gradually learned they were safe. Being the cat-lovers we are, we started feeding them. And, they multiplied. Twice a year.

We tried several times to contact the local animal shelters to come and get them, but it’s the usual story. They’re full. They can’t take any more in. BUT, we could come and pick up traps, catch the cats, and return them . . . to be euthanized. That was not an option.

Last week we were contacted by the above group “Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary” informing us that they were setting up a free TNR (trap, neuter, return) program in a certain area and would we agree to allow them to set up traps in our yard, since we seemed to have the most cat traffic they’d observed doing drive-around to see where to best target their efforts.

Long story short, on Monday afternoon, they arrived with traps, cat food (the bait) and we set the traps around the perimeter of the house and back yard. As of late last night, we’ve managed to capture 34 cats! They’ll be “fixed,” examined for disease, vaccinated, ear-tipped, and returned.

I’ve been getting up before 7 AM to meet the director as she picked up the trapped cats and set out new traps. After four days, as far as I can tell, there is just one elusive Siamese cat that seems to have gotten wise to the whole trapping thing. She’s (I think it’s a female) just been watching from the cactus in the corner of the yard. We can’t get to her, and she knows it. I’ve taken to calling her Cactus Sue (or maybe it’s Cactus Sam) – a very savvy cat, for sure. We have three traps out there right now, set in places I’ve seen her when she’s not hiding.

Weird thing . . . it really hurts me to see her out there all alone, her usual companions missing. But, we’ll get her, eventually, and her life will soon return to normal. And I actually miss the colony of cats! Even though they’re mostly wild and will never be pets.

Oh, one other thing. Once things settle back down, we can be “registered” as “Colony Managers” and will have rights to arbitration should neighbors decide to complain once these neutered cats are retuned. And access to more free services should more strays show up. All in all, it’s a win-win situation.

If you hear about a similar campaign in your area, I can’t urge you strongly enough to get involved. It’s the humane way to handle the overpopulation of cats. Euthanasia is not the answer.

Blessings

Blessed, Broken, and Given, BookBites w/giveaway

2012-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

BLESSED, BROKEN AND GIVEN: THE MAKING OF A SERVANT OF GOD, With Give-Away

Holiness … Relationship … Surrender… Servanthood

There is more to being a Christian than serving on the usher board, singing in the choir, and/or attending worship services and Sunday school. This book is about the process that the Lord takes Christians through to make us His servants. The process differs for each of us, but God has a plan and a purpose for every Christian life. God’s destiny for many of our lives can be delayed or aborted because of “religion”. Many of us are not told that God wants to use us to follow His Son and to glorify the Father with our lives, through servanthood. It’s easy to “do” church, but not so easy to “be” the church. You are God’s house, you are His building. This book is a study on the process of becoming a servant of the Most High God.

This is Roxanne’s debut book. She is an avid reader and writer of Christian devotionals and Bible studies. She is an AACC Biblical counselor and Christian Life Coach. Roxanne’s book can be purchased as a paperback or eBook at Amazon, at Barnes and Noble. Roxanne also has several web and blogsites:

Roxanne is offering a give-away copy of her book to one person who is able to describe what “holiness” is and post it on the Whispers In Purple BookBite blog for my book. The answer can be found on the Blessed, Broken and Given blog.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, February 26 at Midnight, Pacific Time. A winner will be drawn through Random.org on Monday, February 27 and notified via email. So BE SURE to include your name and contact information to be eligible.

Thank you, Roxie, it’s been a pleasure to have you here on my blog’s BookBites feature. Best wishes to you and your book.

Exhilarated

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Since it’s Monday, and there’s nothing else scheduled on the blog today, I’m going to SHOUT!

I spotted the following review of my new release TO SEE THE SUN on Amazon.com the other day. A 4-Star review from someone I didn’t even know. As you read, needless to say, I was completely blown away.

It is being posted here . . . and will be on my website, as well . . . with gracious permission. Read on and rejoice with me.

Erin Macintyre finds her life turned upside the day her husband, Justin, was killed. The baby she carries will be raised without his father. If that's not enough to deal with, now someone is after her, leaving notes and threatening phone calls but she doesn't know why. P.I. Clay Buchanan returns home after he gets an envelope from Justin with a note to call him. Only thing is, the envelope is four months late in arriving. The first place Clay goes when he arrives home is to Justin's gravesite and he runs into Erin. Clay and Justin were best friends and Clay vows to himself he'll do everything to protect Erin. She's not happy to see him but his feelings for her remain unchanged. Now he has to find a way to convince her that her life is in danger and that she needs to trust him. With few options available to her, Erin reluctantly trusts clay with her life but will she trust him with her heart?
Oh what a tangled web we weave! WOW! This is definitely a story that keeps you on your toes the whole time you're reading it. As I was reading I kept thinking this would make a great episode of "Murder She Wrote" or "Columbo". The tale was very tightly woven and keeps you turning pages to find out what's going to happen next. I must admit that I didn't care for Erin very much in the beginning, but slowly I warmed-up to her as I learned her story. I loved Clay and how he handled things. His quiet faith and steadfastness had an impact on Erin. There was a great cast of supporting characters whom I hope to see again. This author really allowed you to become completely entangled in the lives of these characters and I found myself trying to solve the puzzle right along with them. Slowly but surely the intensity builds as you gather each clue with a few red-herring along the way. Although this story has a climactic ending that is totally satisfying, the door stands open and ready for the next book. I'll be watching for that one! This is Peggy Blann Phifer's debut novel but it sure doesn't read that way. To See The Sun is book 1 in the Desert Faith Series and one I definitely recommend!
This review is reposted here with the gracious permission of Sherry Kuhn: http://love2readnovels.blogspot.com, and she posted it with a 4-Star review on Amazon.com on February 6, 2012 at: http://amzn.to/yEymbt

While you’re there (at Amazon) take a look at the other reviews, two of which garnered 5-Stars!

If you have read To See the Sun, please consider posting a review at Amazon.com and/or Barnes & Noble.com. I would certainly appreciate it.

It was a truly blessed weekend.

No BookBites today

2012-02-17T10:42:00.001-08:00

Obviously.

So, what is there to talk about?

Have you noticed the box on the sidebar “Today’s Scripture Promise?” For several years I’ve been a follower and supporter of World Challenge, Inc, a ministry founded by Rev. David Wilkerson, who’s tragic death last year rocked the Christian world.

Wilkerson may be best known as the author of a book titled The Cross and the Switchblade, a true accounting of his daring and dangerous foray into the gang-ridden streets and alleys of New York City.

Anyway, right around Christmas time, along with the usual newsletter and updates from the organization, I received a little pocket calendar, Standing on the Promises of God. Each month is headed with a main Scripture reference, and each day provides yet one more. Instead of keeping it in my pocket, or purse, I keep it in my Bible, currently a soft leather-bound NLT (New Living Translation) from Tyndale.

Flipping through it the day it arrived, I thought “Hey, why not share each day’s promise Scripture with my blog readers?” So, that I have done. It’s a wonderful way to start the day, don’t you think? That, and my daily reading from Jesus Calling on my Android tablet, a Dell Streak 7.

So, this is Friday, the verse for today is up, taken from the NLT as I read it each day.

Speaking of The Cross and the Switchblade, I bought several copies last year, one to replace the one I lost a long time ago, and one to give away.

If you’re interested in this little paperback and it’s enthralling, unforgettable story, just leave your name and email and the title of the book for that extra copy I have. I’ll draw a name next Friday, February 24. Must be a resident of the 48 contiguous United States.

Thanks for following my blog. I have something else up my sleeve I’ll be announcing as soon as I get all the kinks smoothed out.

Special Guest Blogger, Susan Sleeman

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

A NEW LINE OF MYSTERIES FOR YOUR E-READER Susan Sleeman here. Do you have an e-reader or maybe an iPad? Then I'd like to tell you about a line of cozy mysteries that has recently released with most books retailing for only .99 for a limited time. Spyglass Lane Mysteries are published by a group of cozy mystery authors who have joined together to bring you a new cozy mystery every week. Currently, there are over 25 wonderful mysteries in this line.

Stop by the website to view all of the available books and while you're there, be sure to sign up for our email newsletter where we announce each new book that releases and our authors share behind the scenes stories about the books.

I'd also like to share a little bit about my Garden Gate Mystery Series that is releasing as part of this line. The first book, Nipped in the Bud has already released and book two, Read Between the Tines will release in February 23rd. Here's a little bit about both books.

NIPPED IN THE BUD

WHEN YOU FIND YOUR BOSS PUSHING UP DAISIES. . .

Life in full bloom, landscape designer, Paige Turner, scores her first landscaping contract to spruce up the park, her radio talk show shoots to number one, and her retail shop is simply blossoming. Yes, her life is a bed of roses. Until she finds the city manager served up on the blade of her favorite shovel mere hours after she’s threatened to have his head on a platter, then the thorns come out. And there is none thornier than the local police chief declaring Paige the one and only suspect and threatening to plow her under.

YOU’VE GOT TO FORMULATE A PLANT OF ATTACK . . .

Paige teams up with dashing attorney, Adam Hayes to weed through the list of suspects, and clear her soiled reputation. And along the way, discovers that Adam just may be the man of her dreams.

» Read an Excerpt »Order It Now

READ BETWEEN THE TINES

IF YOUR LIFE IS A BED OF ROSES. . .

Recovered from her near death at the hand of a killer, landscape designer Paige Turner is certain her life will soon be a bed of roses. That is, until her employee, Daisy Rose Plante, finds a dead body, and the thorny police chief looks no further than Daisy for a suspect. Paige digs in and weeds through the list of potential killers, and before long, her sweet smelling rose of a life is soundly trampled.

YOU’LL HAVE TO SURVIVE THE THORNS. . .

Paige would be much happier working over-thyme on her budding relationship with handsome attorney, Adam Hayes, but it soon becomes clear she’ll be in a hoe lot of trouble with him if she continues digging for the killer. Does Paige risk all and try to unearth the killer? Or does she settle down in peaceful bliss with the man of her dreams?

» Read an Excerpt

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.

Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson.

To learn more about Susan visit: Website, her Facebook page, or on Twitter

Late, Updates, etc

2012-02-15T16:13:00.001-08:00

I didn’t get a blog post up today, in case you haven’t noticed.

Anyway, for your information and edification, I am on Casey Herringshaw’s excellent blog, Operation Encourage an Author both today and tomorrow. Check it out at: http://bit.ly/AnKGKD

I wrote an article I called The Metamorphosis of a Novel over at Joy DeKok’s blog where there’s also a fun Backward Scavenger Hunt going on with some great prizes. Check them both out at: http://bit.ly/yqMSdp

BookBites drawings still open . . . both have giveaways"

Staci Stallings’ The Price of Silence: http://bit.ly/w0EMbK – ends Friday, Feb 17.
Lillian Duncan’s Deceptioon: http://bit.ly/xnhhLb – ends Tuesday, February 21

Coming up tomorrow I have guest blogger Susan Sleeman introducing her exciting new Spyglass Lane Mysteries for eReaders. I don’t have the direct link yet, but it will be at the top of the page when you visit here tomorrow. You’ll also be notified if you’re a subscriber to my blog or get the RSS feed.

Friday, Feb 17, is scheduled for a BookBites from Molly Noble Bull, but she has yet to send me her content. We’ll see.

Deception, by Lillian Duncan: BookBites w/Giveaway

2012-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Publishers and editors can be quirky— sometimes even downright annoying. Writers write all these beautiful words and what do they do? They slash, cut, and kill them. It’s not always a pretty sight when you get your manuscript back and you see all those red tracking lines.

Well, that’s their job. They know what it takes to make a good book great and as writers we have to learn to trust them but that doesn’t make it any easier to tolerate. Nor does it mean we always agree.

Once your book is contracted, editing takes on a whole different feeling. It’s no longer my book. Instead it becomes our book. As with any negotiation or collaboration, everyone’s opinions need to be heard. Everyone needs to feel as if their ideas were respected and their needs were met. In the end, the story becomes stronger and better, thanks to the editors. But it’s not always an easy process—just ask my husband. He’s the one who heard me grumbling, complaining, and whining.

My newest release, DECEPTION, was released on December 30. It’s a story that is near and dear to my heart. The underlying theme of the story is forgiveness and reconciliation when someone you care about hurts you. I wrote this story after a close friend died suddenly. At the time, we’d had a falling out with each other. It taught me that sometimes we don’t get second chances at reconciliation, so it’s important to take the opportunity when it presents itself.

Here’s a quick snippet of the story:

As identical twins, they played the game of DECEPTION. Now, it’s not a game. It’s a matter of life and death.

Twins are supposed to have an unbreakable bond, but Patti and Jamie have serious “relationship issues.” When a niece she knows nothing about calls, Patti must unravel the yarn of Jamie’s life and her disappearance. Patti is determined to find her sister. Each step brings her closer to the truth, but pulls her further into a web of danger and deception.

The prologue was completely cut from the book. I worked so hard on it and I loved it (still do), but my editor didn’t want it in the book. See what I mean about editors. She felt it took away from the mystery and suspense. And I could see her point but as a surprise here it is.....Hope you enjoy it....

Jamie paced the perimeter of her living room feeling frustrated, anxious, and alone.

She glared at the white leather sofa, the plush white carpet the exact same shade as the leather, and the splashes of brightly colored accent pillows tossed about the room. The room was so perfect it could have been in House Beautiful.

Jamie detested the room and all it represented.

All she wanted was to go back home and for her daughter to have a normal childhood. She wanted her daughter to know her aunt. Jamie stopped pacing at the thought of her sister. She put a hand over her heart; the pain of missing her twin so real it hurt.

Her life was a mess and she had no one to blame but herself but soon she would be able to clean up the mess. As much as she wanted to quit her assignment that moment, she wouldn’t.

If she didn’t finish what she started, innocent people would die. She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t do all she could to prevent it.

She took a deep breath. Worrying and obsessing over things she had no control over did her no good. She needed to focus on the present. Her life depended on it as well as countless others. Soon, it would be over and then she could go home.

She moved to the sliding glass door leading to her patio and opened it. The steamy air rushed into the air-conditioned house to greet her. Darkness enveloped her. She inhaled the scent of the tropical flowers adorning her patio.

She welcomed the darkness and the quiet of the late night. Wound up to the point she couldn’t think, and that could be dangerous. Jamie eased off her robe, revealing a scanty black one-piece suit with a plunging neckline. Her wavy blonde hair sparkled against her tanned body.

Guilt tugged at Jamie once again. Sabrina deserved a full-time mother, not one who spent a handful of days with her every few weeks. This craziness would stop soon, and then she could make a real home for Sabrina.

She hit a button and the cover of the hot tub slid away. Steam bubbled up into the night air. The warm water enveloped her as she lowered herself into the hot tub. Her muscles relaxed. She chided herself for wasting time in the hot tub. She had a ton of things to do before she left the next day but she felt better already.

While her body enjoyed the heat, her mind focused on the impending culmination of her efforts. Her gut told her it wouldn’t be long. She had to find out the ringleader’s name before disaster could strike America once more.

She and the team had worked so hard to learn his name but so far success eluded them but failure wasn’t an option. She had to learn this man’s identity. It was the only way to stop the madness he planned.

A slight whispering in the bushes drew her attention. Jamie turned toward the noise and peered into the darkness. Nothing. Still, she felt a chill creep up her spine in spite of the warmth of the night.

Her senses went on alert.

Time to go in. She stood and turned toward the patio door. As she stepped out strong arms encircled her. She struggled to break the hold. Too strong. Her training kicked in and she allowed herself to go limp. Her attacker’s arms went slack for just a moment. It was the moment she needed.

Slipping through his arms, she whirled to face her attacker and in one fluid movement slammed her foot into his face. The man grunted and fell back. She jumped out of the hot tub, water sloshing over the patio.

Her gun. But it was in the house. If she went in, she would only bring the attacker closer to Sabrina. She advanced toward her assailant, who crouched and squared his shoulders. Jamie kicked at the man again, but this time he was ready.

He grabbed her foot and hurled her to the pavement. He pounced on top of her but she rolled out of his grasp and brought her head up and smashed it into his. She heard a moan but in the next second, more arms encircled her from behind. Before she could turn, the new attacker shoved a chloroform soaked cloth over her nose and mouth.

Please God, keep Sabrina...

So...what do you think? Was the editor right or was I? If you want to see what happens, you’ll need to read DECEPTION.

Lillian Duncan writes stories of faith mingled with murder and mayhem. To learn more about her writing and her books, visit her at www.lillianduncan.net or www.lillianduncan.wordpress.com. DECEPTION (published by HarbourLight Books) is her latest release.

The Giveaway: Lillian is offering a free eBook copy of Deception available to all . . . no boundaries, no exceptions. After reading the snippet Lillian shared, just express your thoughts on her question . . . was the editor right, or was Lillian . . . based solely on what you read here. No fair if you’ve already read the book!

Just leave your contact information in a comment to be entered in this drawing. Contest ends next Tuesday, Feb 21. Winner will be notified via email, so be sure your information is correct.

Thanks, Lillian, for being a part of my blog’s BookBites feature.

The Price of Silence, by Staci Stallings. BookBites w/Giveaway

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Price of Silence

by Staci Stallings

Where do you turn when the watching eyes are everywhere?

Where do you go when no place is safe?

Who do you turn to when saying anything could get someone killed?

Who can you trust when “they” could be anyone?

Robyn Lockhart liked her simple but predictable life in the small Iowa town she grew up in. But when her mother moves them to the big city, Robyn has no choice but to brave the tumultuous high school she’s thrust into. Then, with barely a blink and as an outsider looking in, Robyn begins asking questions that no one seems willing to face. Is it possible to stay silent while simultaneously shouting from the rooftops that something is deadly wrong? And if you shout, beyond those watching every move you make, who will even hear?

~“Stallings takes a much darker turn with this novel than in her previous three outings and she does so very well. The sense of desperation and anguish on the part of Robyn is palpable and you definitely find yourself sympathizing with her. Stallings has created a very memorable character here… an Atticus Finch styled hero who refuses to let threats stop her from seeking the truth and justice. It would be interesting to see the author continue using Robyn Lockhart in future novels.” —–Kevin Apgar, Fun With Dead Trees

The following is a feature story in the James Madison High School Chronicle on the recent controversial suspension of one of the student body's newest members and Chronicle reporter, Robyn Lockhart. It is not intended to influence the investigation into the incidents surrounding Miss Lockhart one way or the other. It is only to give the students the chance to see the different sides of the story and decide for themselves.

Robyn Lockhart

Hero or Villain?

If given the chance, don’t call James Madison senior Robyn Lockhart brave.

Upon hearing that word, she will tell you, repeatedly, that moving from her former small town in Iowa to the big city took all of her courage before she ever even made it to James Madison.

“The truth is I didn’t want to come here,” Lockhart said in an interview from her home pending the investigation into the incidents leading to her suspension. “When my parents split up, it was my mom who wanted to move here. I was just part of the baggage she happened to bring along.”

However, it wasn’t long after her arrival in these halls that Lockhart began to make her mark through her stories in the Chronicle.

“Robyn Lockhart?” Principal Findley said. “Yes. Yes. Of course I know her, but I’d rather not discuss the circumstances surrounding her status at the present time. We will just wait to find out what the investigation uncovers. Beyond that I have no comment.”

Others, however, were more willing to come to Lockhart’s defense.

“Let me tell you something,” Mr. Tucker, Chronicle advisor, said. “Robyn Lockhart is nothing but an asset to this school. She put herself on the line to get the administration to pay attention to the problems we’re having--not just once but several times.

“In fact, I’ve not met a more compassionate, concerned student in all my time here. Robyn will stand up for what she believes in even if her very best friends are questioning how smart she is to do that. Take Sean Hudson for example. The other day in class the two of them got into this heated exchange over a poem that would have left a presidential candidate winded.

“If you ask me, James Madison needs more Robyn Lockharts rather than suspending the one we’ve got.”

Nevertheless, when this Chronicle reporter caught up with Chad Mayes, a James Madison senior and one of Lockhart’s reported friends, a different side of the story emerged.

“I’m not one to point fingers and think bad of people,” Mayes said. “But when you see the evidence I saw in that hallway after that fight, well, what’s a guy to think, you know? What is it they say, ‘Who are you going to believe--me or your lying eyes?' Yeah. Evidence like I saw doesn’t lie no matter how much you might want it to.”

However, the longer one follows this story, the more angles one finds. For instance, Kathryn Layton, a reporter with the Chronicle and reportedly one of Lockhart's best friends, provided a very different take than Mayes who is her boyfriend.

“Robyn is no thief. I can tell you that,” Kat, a James Madison senior, said. “I don’t know how it happened, but I was there when it all went down at the school that night. I’ll tell you this, Robyn did not do what they are accusing her of doing. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all. I know Robyn Lockhart. I trust Robyn Lockhart. She is my friend. You cannot tell me any of this was her fault.”

So, who is the real Robyn Lockhart? Is she a thief or a hero who fights for justice and right?

“Don’t even go there with that whole villain story line,” Sean Hudson, Lockhart’s other good friend (obviously despite the flare-up in Mr. Tucker’s class), said. “Robyn is a good person. In fact, she is the best person I know. She went into that school building the day after the break-in. Why? Because the students of James Madison deserve better than their getting right now that's why. She went in there, knowing she might get into trouble and knowing she was walking into a minefield. But she went in. For me and for you. For all of us because she was trying to get to the bottom of all the junk that's been happening around here.

“And if you’re wondering, the answer is yes. I am talking about the break-in, but I'm talking about so much more than that. I’m talking about the incident at the gym last February and the countless stolen items and instances of bullying that nobody wants to talk about. Robyn may be just another student in the hallways, but she is a student who cares more about this school than most of us who have been here for years. So put that in your little paper and give Robyn a break for a change already. She doesn't deserve all the nasty things people have been saying about her.”

So who is Robyn Lockhart? Innocent small town girl? Or dangerous thief and fomenter of trouble at James Madison? We will leave that up to you and the investigators to decide.

The Price of Silence by Staci Stallings

Giveaway:

The Price of Silence is an eBook, which means there are no limitations as to who can win. To enter, just leave a comment below and tell us what you think about Robyn’s situation? Be sure to leave your email/contact information so we can notify you should you be the winner.

Followers of Whispers in Purple will get one extra entry. Giveaway ends on Friday, February 17. Winner drawn on Saturday, Feb 18.

What? You don’t have a Kindle or Nook e-reader? Not to worry, you can download an application of either (or both!) for your PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, iPhone, Win7 phone, iPad, etc and read it on your computer or phone, or . . . any of the above.

Thank you, Staci, once again, for being part of my blog’s BookBites feature. Blog readers, I’ve read The Price of Silence. Technically classified as Young adult, I want to tell you this is an eye-opener for parents of teens today. You don’t want to miss it.

Where do you see yourself in five years? A Devotional from Zari Banks.

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: This is not a feel-good post. This is a post that the Holy Spirit put on my heart, and different than what I’d originally planned to write. And, there’s a challenge attached to it: if you feel uncomfortable or irritated as you read this, spend some time in your quiet place listening for the Lord’s instructions and then get to work.

2012: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

Many believers know that numbers are important to the Lord. For example, the number seven is perfect (seven seals, seven churches), 40 is the number for preparation (Moses was in Egypt 40 years, in the desert 40 years, David reigned as king 40 years) and the number 12 is for government (12 tribes of Israel).

This year, 2012, an anointing has been released for believers who are willing to serve God unwaveringly and spread the Gospel in these last days. A lot of believers seem to be blind to what’s happening in America and in the world economy. I know if you’re reading this blog post you’re intelligent enough to realize that, contrary to what politicians are claiming, the economy will never recover. And, the main reason for it is because God said it will not recover.

People love to tell God ‘yes’ after He’s said ‘no.’ If you have read and believe the Bible – believe God, that is – you can identify things that are happening right now in our world that God declared however long ago and put in His word to document for our Age.

James 4:8a (NLT) reads, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” God’s promises are always conditional. If we do A, He’ll do B, C and D. Because He’s the God of increase, He never gives back only the little bit we offer up.

This is a time for those who love Him to draw near to Him. We have to spend time reading the Bible, in prayer, listening and living our godly purpose. At this time my assignments are to love and minister to kids and single parents, and to teach effective prayer. If I’m obedient to do those things God has promised to provide my needs in abundance. I believe there are four things that will confirm you’re living your godly purpose right now: 1. Passion for the assignment; 2. Inspiration to work on it daily; 3. Wisdom to complete the assignment. Remember the Proverbs tell us wisdom is the principle thing, wisdom is more valuable than rubies and gold, it gives long life and adds riches and honor; and 4. Peace in the process.

So, where do you see yourself in five years?

Let’s just say for argument’s sake that five years from now you’re standing before the Creator of the Universe and he’s reading your history – every thought, word, deed, unconfessed sin, everything. And, He reminds you that you lived in the days of the manifestation of Ezekiel’s and John’s prophecies (Revelation) but you didn’t believe it. You didn’t get involved in His work or with those He loves (He loves everyone – John 3:16). What are you going to say to that?

Perhaps you’ll say you figured you had more time. Maybe that you just assumed He’d exempt you because you believed you needed a Savior. Or you just didn’t believe His word cover to cover.

I have to admit, I didn’t always believe all of God’s word. I used to like to pick and choose. I accepted Christ when I was seven years old, but it took me 20-something years to believe that He meant it when He said, “Pray for your enemies.” I used to love to remind God that He promised to supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19) but, I didn’t want to have to obey all of His commands in order for that to be true in my life. But, that’s what He requires.

Are all of God’s promises being manifested in your life right now? If not you have to consider what commands you’re choosing to disobey or what it is about God you don’t believe.

I’m amazed at what I’ve experienced with God in just the last five months since committing to walk in obedience. And, I’m not the only one who’s been given this promise of blessing and favor for this year in preparation for what’s to come over the next four or five. I keep running into people who’ve been told the same thing. This isn’t a time to fear. This is a time for faith. The anointing is available for ALL who believe and serve the One True God right now.

My prayer for all who read this is that you will believe God and trust Him with all of your being, and allow Him to use you to do miraculous things for the kingdom while there’s still time.

Learn more about Zari Banks at her site:http://zwriteswords.weebly.com/

A lull in BookBites

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t know what went wrong, but a BookBites spotlight scheduled for yesterday, February 7, never happened. It may have been my fault, or a matter of miscommunication, but . . .

Whatever. Today is your last chance to enter to win a copy or Rita Gerlach’s fascinating historical book, Before the Scarlet Dawn. When I’m not reading romantic suspense . . . the genre in which I write . . . I love historical fiction, and this book fascinates me.

Take a brief trip back to learn about Rita’s book. As I said, today is your last chance to win a copy!

Just go HERE to read about the book and enter for your chance to win a copy.

It ENDS TODAY!

Next, make a note to come back here Friday, February 10, for something from Staci Stallings. I never know what to expect from her, but I’m never disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Reviews, I’m getting reviews!

2012-02-06T14:51:00.001-08:00

Today is the one-month Anniversary of the release of my debut novel,To See the Sun: Desert Faith Series Book One (Volume 1) – so I thought I’d share a few of the reviews I’ve been getting.

Superb! is one word of many that can be used to describe the debut novel of Peggy Blann Phifer. "To See the Sun" is an intricately woven story which encompasses everything from romance to humor with enough suspense to have the reader sitting at the edge of their seats until the last page is read. One will have a hard time putting the book aside!

Readers will be drawn into Erin MacIntyre's life so completely they will feel as if they are standing alongside her and those she loves. With the turn of each page, you'll marvel at each circumstance she must endure and yet survive and then begin to realize just how she does so.

The events of Erin's life leads her to re-awaken her faith and trust in God. As these grow stronger, she learns to listen to His whispers of guidance. Erin finally comes to know what true forgiveness is and how it impacts not only her life but of those around her.

I for one will be anxiously awaiting for Volumes Two and Three to be published! —Marsha V, posted on Barnes & Noble.

Peggy Blann Phifer did a knockout job crafting To See the Sun. After the loss of her parents and her husband, Erin MacIntyre expects her life to calm down. Instead it grows more intense as she faces having a baby and raising it alone. Then two stalkers make it clear that her life is in danger. Although her faith waivers, she keeps talking to God. I stayed up several nights unable to put the book down, wondering whether Erin would accept help from an x-boyfriend or if she would be the victim of another murder. Great characters, suspense and yes, romance. I can hardly wait to read the next in the series. —Sue Tornai, freelance writer and editor.

And here’s a link to one just up today that makes me smile! http://amzn.to/yz1a7B

You’ll pardon my self-promotion, but that’s what authors do! We writes ‘em and then we markets ‘em.

You can go HERE to read the back cover blurb and the first chapter. There’s also a link to order a personally autographed copy (Trade Paperback) to be mailed directly to you.

Sweet and . . . Random

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t usually post on the weekend, but this time I’ve done it on both Saturday and Sunday. But,

This blog was nominated for The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award by my friend Tracy Ruckman. Be sure to check out her blog.

I’ll accept the award if I can have just the strawberries and the creamy stuff beneath. If that’s cheesecake on the bottom, well, maybe that, too . . .

Of course, this award comes with strings . . . um . . . a recipe? (I like that better.)

Open blog.
put the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award badge up on a new blog post.

(Hmm, all that red and pink clashes with all my purple. I Sigh. I just might have to tweak that, though I’ve never seen purple strawberries.)

thank the person/blog who nominated you

I just did. See the turquoise hyperlink above.

nominate at least ten other blogs and contact them to let them know

I’m going to modify the ingredients here: Optional. . . all those calories in the cheesecake, y’know? Don’t want to ruin anyone’s diet.

share seven random things about yourself/your blog.

Here goes…

I’m Irish
I have a temper. Guilty of knee-jerk reactions.
I’m stubborn and tenacious
I have seven cats and one dog
My blog is purple
For a brief period in time during my first marriage, I lived in a tiny “shack” with four rooms, no indoor plumbing, three kids under the age of five, a wood-burning Ben Franklin-type stove for heat . . . and snakes. I nearly lost my mind.
I don’t remember the original color of my hair.

Thanks, Tracy! This was fun. Please forgive me for modifying things. I’ve been blocked by friends when trying to pass these things along. But I will willingly accept this award . . . and I am going to try to change the border color to purple! )

Your Life, a Legacy, by Joy DeKok and a fun contest.

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Your Life, a Legacy, by Joy DeKok: A Review

For being only 45 pages, Your Life, a Legacy is amazingly packed with wonderful truths and insightful thoughts. Things, I admit, to which I have seldom, if ever, given much consideration.

Joy did a guest post on my blog earlier this month and blew me away. We’ll get to that later. For now, let me share a few things that touched me. No, they whomped me right upside my head. Real eye-openers.

Joy begins with some bits and pieces of herself. Things she experienced through the years and how they affected her. But then she talks about the regret in not knowing much, or not enough about her family background. She knew who they were but not much about where they’d been, what they’d done. A lot of these memories used to be handed down through generation after generation when everyone would gather together for family celebrations. Does that happen anymore? I wonder. So Joy wrote this little book to help us to leave a legacy for our future generations.

“Legacy Giving is an opportunity for you and your Receives to get the best there is from the times of your life.”

Call them memoirs, maybe, but I believe she meant something much more. Not just the good things. Joy tells a little story about something she did as a little girl that comes back to haunt her every now and then. I have a similar story. I’ll bet you do, too.

Okay, Joy quoted someone who is Giving a Legacy as saying, “As I write, something unexpected is happening. I’m owning my life. All of it.”

Ah. In other words, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is oddly freeing. Am I ready to do it? I don’t know. Would my children and grandchildren be interested or even care? Again, I don’t know. But, giving it some honest thought, perhaps it would help them understand things that have happened over the past 30 years.

So, that’s whomp number one, and for me the biggest.

You see, the cover of Your Life, a Legacy has some old black and white snap shots, and as I looked at that for the first time, my mind snapped to the realization that I have a whole bunch of pictures like that! Where are they? Not sure. But my sister, about 15 years ago, started scrapbooking, and she assembled a remarkable “Memory Book” as she called it, with pictures from our youth, some wonderful old pictures of our grandparents, and some stories she gleaned through one-on-one interviews with our mother and father. I don’t have that scrapbook. It was intended for her children and grandchildren. However, I did talk Marty into copying the pages for me. And I’d forgotten I even had that.

Well, maybe I got off track here a bit, but then, I don’t really think so. The intent of a review is to express how it affected me as the reader of the book. Obviously, it had a great deal of impact. And as a result, I am highly recommending it to you, no matter your age. It’s never too late to start Giving your own Legacy.

It’s an eBook you can get on Amazon HERE

There’s a fun giveaway riding along on this. Joy and I are doing a Backward Scavenger Hunt. Below you’ll find a scrambled word. It’s not hard. Shouldn’t take you more than 30 seconds to unscramble it.

Here’s the first clue . . . Unscramble this: EORC That’s the easy part.

Set it aside and go to my Whispers in Purple blog where Joy guest-posted and look for a dangling single letter just hanging out there all by itself. That, too, should be easy . . . there’s just one. (We don’t want to make this hard, we just want to make it fun!) Leave a comment there with your name and email address (you[at] yourdomain [dot] com/net/org) stating “I found the letter!,” but DON’T say what it was.

Once you’ve found that, take the lonely letter and add it to your unscrambled word to form a new word. Then choose a letter of your own and add it to form yet another word. Leave a comment here with the same contact information, but here you may share your words. Now, set them aside because you’ll be directed back here. That’s the backward part. Then wait for the next clue, which you’ll find on Monday, February 13, at Joy Dekok

The Prize is being assembled, but there WILL be a free copy of my new release TO SEE THE SUN—(paperback or e-Book, depending on your geographical location)—a copy of Joy’s YOUR LIFE, A LEGACY, and a sterling silver heart necklace with a diamond. So far that’s all I’m sure of. Watch the next post/s to see how the prize builds.

If any of this has confused you, please leave a question below and I’ll try to help untangle it. I love scavenger hunts, but this is my first time doing it backwards! Yeah, I’m a little bit of off-center.

Before the Scarlet Dawn, by Rita Gerlach: BookBites

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Before the Scarlet Dawn, by Rita Gerlach

Book 1 in the Daughters of the Potomac Series

Evolution of a Book Series

Three years ago, after I had signed a contract with Abingdon Press for my stand-alone novel 'Surrender the Wind', I sat down at my computer and wrote three words.

Winter came early.

In my mind's eye a heroine by the name of Darcy Morgan appeared in the year 1778, the setting—the Maryland wilderness. I titled the novel Beside Two Rivers. In my notebook I wrote: the place—along the Potomac River in Maryland. Time—the Revolutionary War era.

I kept writing, and when I had enough chapters to submit to my editor, I sent them off. She called me and said as is she could not accept it. There was nothing wrong with the writing per say, but something wasn’t right. I knew I had to trust her, and explore the story deeper.

It was enlightening to have such a deep conversation over this book with my dear editor. But even more amazing were the revelations that unfolded one morning while I was in the shower. It hit me like the water suddenly going to freeze mode. I had written a good portion of Darcy's story in Beside Two Rivers. But I realized I had to write her mother Eliza's story. And then! I had to write Sarah's story. Thus came the series, Daughters of the Potomac.

Once the idea for the series took shape, I had to set aside Beside Two Rivers and begin book 1 Before the Scarlet Dawn.
At the beginning I had questions:

Who is Eliza Bloome?
Where did she grow up?
Who were her parents?
What does she look like?
What are her beliefs?
What does she want?

Eliza began to take form in my imagination. I saw a young woman with raven hair, clear skin, and violet eyes. She is a bit naive when it comes to the ways of the world. She is the daughter of a vicar and lives with him at a small vicarage in the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, England until his death. Her mother died when she was a baby.

Eliza loves God and wants to do the right thing. She believes with all her heart that He is guiding her to the man she longs for. What she wants most is to be loved unconditionally, and to be accepted for her mind and soul, to find a husband who treats her as his equal.

To get this all down on paper, I jotted down these attributes in my notebook for Before the Scarlet Dawn. In writing the story, the best technique for me is writing the scenes out by hand first in the notebook. Writing freehand, for some reason I cannot explain, causes the words to flow out of me. It is raw, unedited prose. Perhaps it has to do with the right side of the brain, the creative side. All I know is this technique is what helps me start and finish a novel.

The story begins its evolution with Eliza sitting at her father's beside late at night. A knock on the door echoes up the staircase. The servant of a local gentleman must speak to Reverend Bloome in private. And what he has to tell launches the story.

Sounds a bit crazy, but I pictured Eliza telling me 'write my story'. She became to me a person who once lived, breathed, and walked this earth. If I could not achieve that, my readers will not connect to her.

So in the evolution of book 1 in the series, I began with characterization. Eliza, being the main character, comes on stage awaiting the inevitable. She then moves on and readers begin to meet the people in her life. Her devoted servant, Fiona Goodall. A suitor who sees winning her as a challenge named Langbourne. An indentured servant named Sarah that puts herself at risk for Eliza. And then the man Eliza loves above all others—Hayward Morgan—proud, wealthy, in search of a stalwart wife. The major players are in place, and the question arises. Will Hayward love Eliza unconditionally? Will he see her as his equal, and be devoted to her no matter how the storms of life rage against them?

My editor accepted the proposal enthusiastically. I will not deny how challenging it has been to write these books, with each woman’s story meshing with the others. But with any challenge, there is joy in accomplishing the task.

About the Book:

On a windswept night in April of 1775, Eliza Bloome sat at her father’s bedside hoping he would recover. A servant arrived with a message for Reverend Bloome, a proposal of marriage that would set Eliza up for the rest of her life.

When Eliza learns of the proposal, she rejects it. She does not love the man who has offered her a comfortable life, but instead falls in love with Hayward Morgan, the slightly condescending son of a landed gentleman who has recently returned from America. Out on the misty moors of the Hope Valley, Hayward rescues her from the unwelcome advances of a local scamp. And when Eliza learns of his plans to leave England and build a life in the Maryland frontier, she decides to present a proposal of her own.

But before she can make such a bold attempt, Eliza’s father dies, and she receives word from Hayward’s father that she must vacate the vicarage to make room for a new minister, his wife, and children. Forced to leave the home she grew up in, Eliza offers herself to him. But she is below him. He could never wed a vicar’s daughter.

Eliza prepares to leave the vicarage with her servant, and on the last night she hears a carriage and a horse draw near. Hayward has come, and after much thought he decides to take her up on her offer. Once they are married, his father finds them and there is a confrontation. Hayward has been disowned. Eliza realizes Hayward will not allow anyone to stand in the way of his dreams, whether they are hurt by his actions or not. She believes she can change him by being an example of compassion and love, and by being a dutiful wife. She has no idea the trials she is about to face and how much their love, their faith, and their duty will be tested.

The Genre:

These books are not in the category of formula romances. They are what I like to call Historical Dramas. You will find romance, but you will also find a story about relationships between people. The stories are about forgiveness, redemption, loyalty, and the power of love. Each character has good points, but they are also flawed human beings that make mistakes and fall hard, and at some point struggle through the adversity, dust themselves off and move on. So the sugary sweet romances they are not. Just thought I would add a little more light to the genre.

Author’s Bio:

Rita Gerlach lives with her husband and two sons in a historical town nestled along the Catoctin Mountains amid Civil War battlefields and Revolutionary War outposts in central Maryland. She has published four historical novels to date. Abingdon Press will release the next two books in her Daughters of the Potomac Series within the next year.

~ Read Chapter One for free ~

http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=2517746

Buy Links:

Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/3o8hzbq
ChristianBooks.com http://tinyurl.com/3uoyxbw

THE DAUGHTERS OF THE POTOMAC SERIES

Book 2 ~ Beside Two Rivers ~ Fall, 2013, (The story of Eliza's daughter, Darcy)
Book 3 ~ Beyond the Valley ~ Spring 2013, (Sarah, an indentured servant's story)

Official Website for Rita Gerlach: http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

Many thanks to Rita for sharing her “evolution” path. Very interesting!

Now,. Rita is offering one free copy of Beyond the Scarlet Dawn to one reader of this blog. Confirmed followers of this blog will get an extra entry. Be sure to leave contact information (i.e: you [at] yourdomain [dot] com/net/org) to enable me to reach you should you be the winner.

This giveaway is open to the Lower 48 United States only. Giveaway ends Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at Midnight Pacific Time. Drawing will be held Thursday, February 9, 2012, through Random.org and will be notified via email

What do you think?

2012-02-01T06:14:00.001-08:00

Can’t argue with this sentiment.

Threads of Hope, by Andrea Boeshaar: BookBites w/Giveaway

2012-01-31T06:04:00.001-08:00

Fueling Passions for the Past, by Andrea Boeshaar

While researching my brand new novel, Threads of Hope (Realms/Charisma House) the first book in my series, Fabric of Time, I garnered the help from Wisconsin’s Brown County Historical Society and learned about the Hazelwood Historic House Museum.

Built to face the Fox River in Green Bay, Hazelwood was the original home of Elizabeth and Morgan Martin. As I gazed at Mr. Martin’s portrait, I thought of my own characters, Karl and Sam Sundberg, who are Indian Agents and involved in local politics – just like Mr. Martin had been. I laughed at the coincidence (and here I thought I had made up those positions!).

A guided stroll through Hazelwood revealed so much to me about life in the 1840s, particularly 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state. I had actually assumed life in Green Bay, Wisconsin at that time was rustic and uncivilized – and much of it had been. However, as both a busy port on Lake Michigan with access to the Fox River, Green Bay was nearly as sophisticated as Milwaukee and vying with it and other cities to be Wisconsin’s major port. The Erie Canal had opened in 1825, so by 1848, Green Bay received shipments from all over the world, although much of the commerce consisted of fur trading. The Fox River, I was told, was like Milwaukee’s present day I-94 freeway system. Barges, canoes, and sundry other boats filled the river and traveled to and from the Bay of the Great Lake.

But back to the Hazelwood home. I decided to fashion the Sundbergs’ after it so I made notes and took pictures. From my Brown County Historical Society guides, I learned that a parlor and a sitting room are not to be confused. I had thought the terms were interchangeable. But not so. A parlor was where special guests waited, like the mayor’s wife or an important politician. The sitting room, then, was like today’s family room. Members of the Martin family might have gathered in the evenings and, perhaps, one would play the piano while another would accompany him/her on the violin. Table games were often enjoyed in the sitting room, and children typically recited their schoolwork or Bible memorizations. Ladies sewed and chatted and friends were welcomed to join in the fellowship.

Two of my favorite discoveries in Hazelwood were in the kitchen and one of the upstairs bedrooms.

According to my Historical Society guides, when a person awoke, they could boil water for tea on one of the bedroom stoves which brought up heat from the main fireplace. Thus, there were no logs to light and fires to stoke. It was quite the convenience back in the day.

While doing my research, I had a hard time discovering what kind of stove women cooked on in 1848. Via the Internet, I found everything from an open hearth cooking to a stove that attached by pipes to the open hearth. But, according to my guides, Mrs. Martin cooked on a wood stove, complete with a small bread oven. In addition (and I’d heard of this before), women with any sort of means in Wisconsin typically had a “summer kitchen” in the basement so they could bake bread and cook despite the hot and humid seasonal weather.

After my tour, I felt confident about the historical facts I’d used in my newly-released novel and I realized that no textbook could have taught me what I’d learned on my tour of Hazelwood. Years ago when I wrote my novel, Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky (Summerside Press), I learned that hands-on research fuels the imagination. I had visited Stanford, Kentucky and learned Miracle is the rural part of that town. I talked to some of the folks there, saw homes where my characters might live, found the church I thought they’d attend. While such research enhanced my contemporary novel, it’s imperative, I think, when writing today’s historical fiction.

We’re a visual and information-ready society. A writer must possess the ability to accurately describe settings, in word paintings, so readers can see them in their minds’ eyes and experience the story as it unfolds. What’s more, if a writer cannot backup her facts, and readers know or find these facts are incorrect, it’s a discredit to, not only the author, but the editor and publisher who let them slip.

I thank God for places like the Hazelwood Home and organizations such as the Brown County Historical Society. http://browncohistoricalsoc.org/ Without them, lovers of history and writers of historical fiction, like me, would be nearly helpless in both our passions and our imaginations regarding the truth about days gone by.

About the book:

The year is 1848, and Kristin Eikaas has traveled from Norway to Wisconsin with dreams of a new life. But when she arrives, she finds one disappointment after another. Worse, her superstitious uncle now believes that his neighbor’s Oneida Indian wife has put a curse on Kristin. Everyone knows the Sundbergs put spells on people…

Everyone except Kristin. Her run-ins with Sam Sundberg only prove that he is a good man from a Christian family. But when her uncle discovers she’s been associating with Sam, his temper flares. To escape his wrath, Kristin gratefully accepts a job as the Sundbergs’ house girl, finding solace at the family’s spinning wheel.

In the time Sam and Kristin spend together, their friendship develops into much more, and Sam prays about a match between them. But opposition threatens to derail their newfound love.

Will they have the courage to stand up for what is right—even against their own families?

Additional Info: web site: www.andreaboeshaar.com

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this with us. How I would have loved to be with you touring this house. Love that blue sofa!

Now, to the Giveaway: Andrea is offering one copy of Threads of Hope to one of my readers. To enter, leave a comment mentioning something about this post that captured your imagination, along with your name and e-mail address (i.e. you [at] yourdomain [dot] com/net/org) so we can contact you if you win.

Giveaway ends Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Midnight, Pacific Time. Winner will be drawn through Random.org on Monday, February 6,2012. Open to Lower US only.

State Secrets: A Novella in Cherry Blossom Capers w/giveaway

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Food: One Thing That Brings Us Together, by Lynette Sowell

About the Author

Lynette Sowell is the award-winning author of five novels and six novellas for Barbour Publishing. When Lynette's not writing, she divides her time between editing medical reports and writing a column for her local newspaper. Lynette was born in Massachusetts, raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but makes her home on the doorstep of the Texas hill country with her husband and a herd of cats who have them well-trained. She loves reading, cooking, watching movies, and is always up for a Texas road trip.

About the Book

Tara Whitley, an assistant White House chef, doesn’t expect to become an amateur investigator. Then old flame and FBI operative Jack Courtland steps back into her life and recruits her to help uncover a plot to sabotage the next State Dinner. But she doesn’t expect Jack to uncover feelings for him she thought had long since died. Can she trust him with her safety, and her heart?

Now, let’s hear from the author

When my coauthors and I first started brainstorming Cherry Blossom Capers, I knew right away where I'd like to set my story: in the White House, with my heroine as a White House chef. Every year the White House is featured in a show that's a behind-the-scenes look at the Executive Mansion at Christmas time. I've always enjoyed seeing the party planning that goes on in the kitchen for State dinners and other events.

If there's anything that cooks know, whether it's your grandmother or a top executive chef, food brings people together. In a place that's a political hotbed like Washington, D.C., food can be a stabilizing factor. I think that's also true just about everywhere. Food relaxes us, draws out conversation between friends and family, and helps break the ice when we sit down with new friends.

In Cherry Blossom Capers, my heroine Tara Whitley loves participating in history being made in the halls of the White House. Away from work, she enjoys the warmth of Cherry Blossom Estates. She also uses her friends as guinea pigs for her new appetizer recipes when they gather for classic movie nights. However, Tara doesn't expect the FBI to arrive at the White House, and one of the agents to be an old flame that left her with a broken heart years ago. Then the FBI shows up at her townhouse at Cherry Blossom Estates and she finds herself under their microscope.

One of the things I loved most while writing this novella (besides my research) was seeing our four neighbors develop their own personalities and how they all came together. I hope readers enjoy visiting with all four of our characters during their dangerous journeys to love.

Links

Cherry Blossom Capers Blog http://cherryblossomcapers.blogspot.com/
Lynette on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynettesowellauthor

About the Giveaway

Open to Lower US and Canada only. To be eligible, you must answer the question: How many cats does Lynette have? Locate the correct answer and come back here to post it. BE SURE to include your name and email information so you can be notified promptly if you win.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, February 1 at Midnight Pacific Time. Winner’s name will be drawn on Thursday, February 2 and notified via email.

Thanks, Lynette, for taking part in BookBites. It’s been a pleasure having you here.

Unhallowed Ground, a book review

2012-01-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

UNHALLOWED GROUND, by Mel Starr, the fourth chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon, from Monarch Books, a UK division of Kregel Publications, 2011

I must admit I’m drawn to almost anything medieval, which is why I requested this book for touring on my blog.

I also must confess that I have NOT read the previous three offerings in the series.
But the concept of a 13th Century Surgeon cum Detective intrigued me, not to mention an endorsement from Davis Bunn, whose writing I really enjoy.

Okay, here’s the back cover blurb:

Thomas atte Bridge, a man no one likes, is found hanging from a tree near Cow-leys Corner. All assume he has taken his own life, but Master Hugh finds evidence that this may not be so.
Many in the town had been harmed by Thomas, and Hugh is not eager to send one of them to the gallows. Then he discovers that the worldly and corrupt priest John Kellet had been covertly in Bampton at the time atte Bridge died.
Master Hugh is convinced that Kellet has murdered atte Bridge—one rouge slaughtering another. Searching for proof he sets out for Exeter, where Kellet now works. But there he finds that the priest is an emaciated skeleton of a man, who mourns the folly of his past life.
Hugh must return to Bampton—and discover which of his friends has murdered his enemy . . .

Yes, this further tickled my interest. But . . . the plot is good. Love the characters , and the setting, location and time period captured me. (It’s my heritage) I also believe the author did an impeccable job with research, and presented his story with solidity and knowledge of his subject. Kudos!

Alas, the forward motion was . . . uh . . . a tortoise. It eventually got there, but plodded in too many places that tempted me to flip pages or set the book down. Not good.

Perhaps that’s why most publishers limit series to just three. Having the same characters reappear through four+ books, the only thing that changes is the plot . . . again, not good. I have to say I’m disappointed.

I don’t give “stars” on this blog. If you want to know how I rated it, check Amazon.com and others in the next few days for my final answer.

I’m giving away my review copy to one person who leaves a comment WITH email contact information. Ends one week from today.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications, and was asked to give my unbiased feedback on the book.

My First Interview Online

2012-01-25T15:20:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited!

My first ever interview as a published author is up on Amber Stockton's blog, "A Fictional Life" -- If you get a chance, I'd love for you to visit and leave a comment. You can even read the first chapter. I'm giving away a copy of my debut book TO SEE THE SUN. Just go here: http://bit.ly/x8E9Ib

Please take a moment to visit, leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a free copy of my book, either in print or e-book.

And thank you very much!

Amelia’s Journey, by Martha Rogers: BookBites w/giveaway

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Amelia's Journey: A prequel to the Winds Across the Prairie series

Amelia’s Journey, my second release for January came about because readers wanted to know more about the aunt and uncle who were Lucy’s guardians in Becoming Lucy. Because they played major roles in all the books that followed, people were curious about the backgrounds of Ben and Mellie Haynes.

I had fun going back and telling their story. Amelia Carlyle lived the life of a young woman growing up with Boston’s socially elite. Ben Haynes’ father and mother chose to leave Boston and their society friends to strike out on their own in an adventure to the prairies of Kansas. The Haynes family and the Carlyle family remain friends and when Ben and his family return to Boston for the wedding of Amelia’s older sister, sparks fly between the two young people and love blooms.

The road to their marriage is everything but smooth with objections from her father and Ben’s return to Kansas. Two events, one in each family, serve as catalysts to bring the two closer to one another, but they still must overcome Mr. Carlyle’s proclamation that the relationship must end.

The biggest surprise to me with this book came with the change in Mr. Carlyle’s attitude. I planned for him to object to the very end and all but create a scene before the wedding and disinherit Amelia, but he wouldn’t let me do that. So, I had to go another route with him and it turned out to be a rewarding experience.

I’ve heard other writers talk about how their characters talk to them and tell the author to change things because a character doesn’t like a particular plot development. When I say that one of my characters “told” me something, my friends look askance and wait for me to explain. They have a difficult time believing I listen to imaginary people in my head.

As a SOTP, I find this happens more frequently than not. No matter what I plan ahead of time, it’s going to change along the way. Those chapter outlines become mere guidelines with what happens as the characters interact becoming the final story.

I hope you enjoy reading about Amelia’s journey from Boston socialite to Kansas rancher’s wife, and if you’ve read Finding Becky, you’ll see how Becky inherited some of her mother’s personality traits.

Blurb for Amelia’s Journey:

Once childhood friends, Amelia Carlyle and Ben Haynes, meet again at her sister’s wedding and love blooms between the two. Despite objections from her father, the two grow closer, but his living in Kansas on a ranch and her entrance into Boston’s society threaten the relationship. Will their love survive despite the objections and losses they experience along the way?

Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and the author of the Winds Across the Prairie series as well as the novella,Key to Her Heart in River Walk Christmas. Summer Dream, Autumn Song, and Winter Promise, the first three books in her new series, Seasons of the Heart are now available. She was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2009 and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband live in Houston. In addition to her works of fiction, Martha has stories in a number of compilations as well as devotional contributions to several anthologies and writes the weekly Verse of the Week for the ACFW Loop. She is a retired teacher and lives in Houston with her husband, Rex where they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and attending football, baseball, and basketball games when one of them is playing.

Martha can be found at:

Get Amelia’s Journey at:

The Giveaway: I’d love to send a copy of this book to one of you. All you have to do is go to my Website and come back here and answer this question:

Find the “where and when” I’ll be speaking/teaching in 2012 and tell us in your comment what I’ll be teaching in February.

Giveaway ends Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Midnight, Pacific Time. Winner will be drawn through Random.org and notified on Monday, January 31via email. So be sure to leave your email contact information to be eligible to enter.

Thank you so much, Martha, for sharing your book with us here. God Bless you.

I’ve got to share!

2012-01-22T09:02:00.001-08:00

The following is a copy of a post on my Facebook wall that appeared last Thursday, January 19, regarding my newly released book, TO SEE THE SUN.

The book is dedicated to my sister, my parents and my brother, all four members of my family that have “gone ahead of me to see the SON. And, in the back of the book, in the acknowledgements, I gave special recognition to my sister as one of my earliest readers, as well as her being the inspiration for Magie*, one of my secondary characters.

Okay, that’s the setup for what follows:

I LOVE IT!!! ") Got it yesterday around 3 and read all day into the night around midnight - got about 1/4 left to go . . . RIVETING and exQUISitely written - I am SO impressed, Auntie!! And, of course, I'm LOVIN the subtle references to Mother you've woven into the story ~ BRAVO! ") ") ") Hope you had a happy birthday, too ~

Of course, this is from my niece, my sister's #2 daughter. Still, it’s pretty special. I’ve never known her to “gush” like that, even for her Auntie. And, you may have picked up that my birthday was the day before she sent this.

Think I should put her in charge of my “fan club”?

*No, that’s not a typo. You’ll have to read the book to find out why it’s spelled like that.

The Secret of the Love Letters, by K.Dawn Byrd, BookBites w/giveaway

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

THE SECRET OF THE LOVE LETTERS, a Zoe Mack Mystery, by K. Dawn Byrd

You asked what led me to writing a mystery, so here goes...

I was published in romantic suspense, romance, and young adult before tackling my first mystery. My love of mysteries goes back to my childhood. I spent many wonderful hours with Nancy, Bess, and George and loved every minute. That love of all things Nancy Drew carried over into my adulthood when I became a collector. At last count, I had well over 1,000 books in my collection from the 1930's on. The older, the better I like them because I love anything old including antiques.

I love mysteries, but I also love a good romance. It's hard to find the two together in one package. That's when I decided to write my own. My debut novel is titled, Zoe Mack & The Secret of the Love Letters. My characters are college-age and the romance is a little steamier than my other young adult books, but still good, clean fun. For those who love the innocence of young adult novels, the thrill of mystery, and the passion of romance, this series should be enjoyable.

I've found that writing mysteries is hard work. Make that, very hard work. An author friend said she could never write a mystery because there's so much to think about. Personally, I think it's much more difficult than other genres because so many things have to come together to make it work, such as the right number of suspects, clues, and Red Herrings.

So far, I've enjoyed writing mysteries. I'm currently working on the second book in the series, Fatal Attraction, which will be out in June with the third and last book this year to follow in December.

From the back cover:

Zoe's cousin Emma thinks she's the recipient of some sick joke when an old boyfriend she thought dead shows up on the internet. Can Zoe solve the mystery that's causing Emma so much pain when her attraction to the town bad boy is so distracting?

When Zoe Mack moves in with her grandparents to start college, she's thrown into more mystery than she bargained for. Her cousin, Emma, is terrorized by a stalker who breaks into her house and leaves a photo-shopped image of Emma hanging from a tree. Nothing is as it seems and Emma soon learns that even the man she thinks she can trust is suspect.

Zoe can't wait to reunite with Nate, the bad boy who doesn't talk about his feelings much, but the passionate kiss he gave her last summer had to have meant something. When she arrives back in town and discovers that he's in trouble with the law, she must take matters into her own hands in order to clear his name. She has her hands full with a needy Emma, a cop who gives her the creeps, and Nate, the guy she desperately wants to call her own. Can Zoe solve the mystery, clear Nate's name, and make him fall in love with her?

Bio:

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance and romantic suspense with five books published so far. Recently, she tried her hand at young adult fiction and found that she really enjoyed writing it. Three books in the Zoe Mack Mystery Series are scheduled to release January, June, and December 2012. Shattered Identity, the sequel to Mistaken Identity, will release in April.

K. Dawn Byrd is an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com, most of which are signed by the authors. She's also the moderator of the popular Facebook Christian Fiction Gathering group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444.

When not reading or writing, K. Dawn Byrd enjoys spending time with her husband of 16 years while walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home and plotting the next story waiting to be told.

Giveaway:

We’re offering a Gift Card for a free download copy of The Secret of the Love Letters to one winner who posts name and contact information in the comments section below and tell us why you’d love to read this book.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at Midnight, Pacific Time. Winner will be drawn through Random.org and notified via eMail on Thursday, January 26, 2012. Be sure you include your name and email address to be eligible.

Thanks, K. Dawn, for taking part in BookBites.

I Wish, by Joy DeKok, guest blogger

2012-01-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

I Wish

With the release of my new book, Your Life, a Legacy – Exploring and Recording the Times of Your Life, the question is often asked, “Why did you write this book?” I usually tell them that after teaching on this topic for fifteen years and when listeners specifically asked for it, I wrote it. That’s only fifty percent of the story. Here’s the other half.

When I was a little girl, I loved to hear the grown-ups telling stories about their lives. I’d color or play paper dolls nearby while they talked and drank coffee. In those conversations, I heard about God, politics, music, books, the weather, the crops, hair styles, crime, and sports.

A curious child, I had so many questions I wanted to ask. Instead, I did what good girls did back then – I was silent (most of the time) until spoken to.

As time passes, the edges of some of the stories have blurred and in some cases have faded to a phrase that means little or nothing. So many life lessons that could be giving me strength, guided me, or given me pleasure now are gone.

My great-grandmother lived in a sod home on the South Dakota prairie, gave birth to three children out there, chased away curious Sioux Braves with her corn husk broom, and later managed a saloon with a pearl-handled pistol at her side. She was four feet and nine inches tall. I knew these things about her, and wanted to ask more questions, but I didn’t.

How I wish I had.

As her great-granddaughter, I missed out on her wisdom and life experiences. I know a lot about her, but nothing from her. I have no idea how she met my great-grandfather, what it felt like to sweep the dirt floor of her home, or what happened in her soul after a big tent revival years later. Only she knew what she was thinking, feeling, or wishing for. I never got to walk with her in her flower garden and ask.

I wish I had. S

This wishing could be a waste of time if I hadn’t seen the value in the wish. I knew I’d missed out on a true legacy – an inheritance of the heart, mind, and soul only she could give me. I accepted the truth that there wasn’t anything I could do about her stories – they were gone. Then, I realized I could preserve my own and encourage others to do the same.

In that moment, Your Life, a Legacy was born as a speaking topic that grew into a book. I wrote it short – it’s around forty pages long including the front pages that no one reads. My goal was simple: get people writing their legacies . . . now.

The book has only been on the market a few days, and I have a new wish: if you buy the book and write at least one of your life stories, I’d love to read it.

I believe with all my heart that your story matters and someone, somewhere is waiting for it. Who knows? It might be me.

Joy started writing as a little girl. She carries a large purse so she can take her journal and an assortment of pens with her.

Joy lives on thirty-five acres of woods and field in Minnesota between Rochester and Pine Island. She’s been married to Jon for thirty-five years and they enjoy their many nieces and nephews. Their dogs, Sophie and Tucker, keep them company when they explore the land riding their John Deere Gator or while watching the many birds that visit their feeders.

She has seven books in print and is working on a novel series featuring main character, Olivia Morgan. Joy is also developing a writing group called, Write Yourself Strong, for hurting women.

Faith is a vital part of Joy’s life. When she was sixteen, Joy asked God to find her and He did.

Find out more about Joy, her life, and her writing at:

Joy, thank you so much for sharing your heart with us. I will be posting a review of this little book on my next open date and will be offering a free copy at that time. You’ll be asked to answer a specific question related to THIS post. So read carefully

Love Finds You in Annapolis: BookBites w/Giveaway

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

In 1784 peace has been declared, but war still rages in the heart of Lark Benton.

Never did Lark think she’d want to escape Emerson Fielding, the man she’s loved all her life. But when he betrays her, she flees to Annapolis, Maryland, the country’s capital. There Lark throws herself into a new circle of friends who force her to examine all she believes.

Emerson follows, determined to reclaim his betrothed. Surprised when she refuses to return with him, he realizes that in this new country he has come to call his own, duty is no longer enough. He must learn to open his heart and soul to something greater … before he loses all he should have been fighting to hold.

~*~

Thanks so much for hosting me on Book Bites, Peggy!

Today is January 17. I love the fact that I'm promoting this book during the same time of year that the story takes place, because it allows me to a kind of This Day in LFY in Annapolis sort of thing, LOL.

On January 13, 1784, peace with England was finally ratified after a long, bitter war and during a long, bitter winter. Though peace had been declared, both England and the U.S. had to ratify the peace treaty for the Revolutionary War to be officially over.

Congress had been in possession of the Treaty of Paris for months, but they couldn't get the quorum they needed for ratification--you see, the winter was the worst in recorded history, and delegates couldn't make it to Annapolis. But the deadline was looming--if the Treaty wasn't returned to Paris by March, the peace would be null and hostilities may just begin again.

After begging and pleading aplenty from Thomas Jefferson, the needed delegates finally braved the snow and ice for a January 13 meeting--and the Treaty of Paris was finally ratified.

My hero got to witness the event, and over the next week, the peace Emerson got to witness--along with the continued hatred of some of his old friends for the British--brought him to a deeper understanding of what it meant to be an American. On January 17, which was a Saturday that year, he would have been sitting in the parlor of Randel House, listening to my heroine Lark read to him from Gulliver's Travels.

Not knowing that a mere four days later, his hopes and heart would very nearly be defeated by the shadow of his and Lark's hostilities.

~*~

Now allow me to direct you to an awesome giveaway. =) During my blog tour, anyone who comments on a guest post/interview is entered into the Great ANNAPOLIS Giveaway, but you can get way more entries than that! Please visit http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com/p/great-annapolis-giveaway.html for details. And you'll want to, because this package is so sweet I really want to keep it for myself. ;-)

It includes a leather bound journal (like the one Lark receives for Christmas) and quill and ink set (like the one she uses to write in said journal), a Colonial-style mug with hot chocolate (favorite drink of the day), a Colonial-styled doll, and the obligatory copy of Annapolis.

And you get extra entries for spreading the word, so visit the giveaway's page to see how! Again, leaving a comment here will get you ONE entry. If you're a follower of Peggy's blog, that's another.

Commenting on and following mine are two more.

~*~

About Roseanna

Roseanna M. White grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, the beauty of which inspired her to begin writing as soon as she learned to pair subjects with verbs. She spent her middle and high school days penning novels in class, and her love of books took her to a school renowned for them.

After graduating from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, she and her husband moved back to the Maryland side of the same mountains they equate with home.

Roseanna is the author of two biblical novels, A Stray Drop of Blood and Jewel of Persia, and the upcoming historical romance, Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland. She is also the senior reviewer at the Christian Review of Books, which she and her husband founded, the senior editor at WhiteFire Publishing, and a member of ACFW, HisWriters, HEWN Marketing, and Colonial American Christian Writers.

www.RoseannaMWhite.com www.RoseannaMWhite.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/roseanna.white

Roseanna did not give me any giveaway dates or limits. I’ll try to find out and update this a soon as I can.

Update: Roseanna tells me this contest/giveaway will run until February 15. There’s still lots of time to enter for this fantastic prize.