When All My Dreams Come True by Janelle Mowery

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing When All My Dreams Come True Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2011) by Janelle Mowery





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beginning in 1998, Janelle Mowery coordinated and wrote for the Children’s Ministry of a Christian website called The Invisible Connection. When the holder of that site discontinued the ministry and website in the year 2000, she began writing inspirational fiction romance novels.



Janelle became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in the year 2002 and is an active member and leader in one of their critique groups, which has provided many opportunities for growth and development. In 2003, she entered her first novel in the Noble Theme contest and was named one of the top ten finalists in the historical category. In 2004, she had a short story titled ‘A Fair Chance’ published in the e-magazine, Romancing the Christian Heart. In 2005, her third novel, entered in the San Gabriel Writers’ League ‘Writing Smarter’ Contest, won first place. Also, Janelle’s fifth novel made it to the top ten finalists in the Noble Theme contest.



In 2006, she signed her first contract with Barbour Publishing in their Heartsong Presents Mysteries line. The novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Elizabeth Ludwig, released in spring of 2008. The second and third mysteries of the series, Died in the Wool and A Black Die Affair, is set for release in 2011.



Janelle has signed with Harvest House for a historical series set in Colorado. Release of the first book is set for early 2011. She has also signed with Summerside Press. Her novel, Love Finds You in Silver City, Idaho, released in October 2010.



Janelle has been married twenty-one years and is the mother of two sons. She is a member of Sandy Point Bible Church and serves as Treasurer. She also assists in the church’s teen program.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Bobbie McIntyre dreams of running a ranch of her own. Raised without a mother and having spent most of her time around men, she knows more about wrangling than acting like a lady. The friendship of her new employer awakens a desire to learn more about presenting her feminine side, but ranch life keeps getting in the way.



Ranch owner Jace Kincaid figures the Lord is testing his faith when a female wrangler shows up looking for work. Bobbie has an uncanny way of getting under his skin, though, and he’s surprised when she finds a home next to his heart. But when his cattle begin to go missing and his wranglers are in danger from some low-down cattle thief, can Jace trust God, even if it may mean giving up on his dreams?



An adventurous novel of faith, hope, and love in the Wild West.



If you would like to read the first chapter of When All My Dreams Come True, go HERE.

Save The Date by Jenny B. Jones

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Save The Date Thomas Nelson (February 1, 2011) by Jenny B. Jones



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.



When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.



My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.



Okay, that’s not exactly true.



Some facts that are true include:



I've always been refined!



A. I got my camera confiscated by big boys with guns at the American Embassy in Europe this past summer. O la la!



B. I once worked in a seed mill office and cleaned out mice on a regular basis. Ew.



C. I’m a former drama teacher.



D. I didn’t pass my drivers test the first time. Or the second…



E. I attract stray animals like a magnet.



F. I used to assemble and test paint ball guns for a local factory...



Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:



-watching E!

-updating my status on Facebook

-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and

-writing my name in the dust on my furniture



I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.





ABOUT THE BOOK

You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.

When the funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair, former professional football star and heir of Sinclair Enterprises—the primary donor to Lucy’s Saving Grace organization. Alex Sinclair has it all . . . except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Both Lucy and Alex have something the other wants. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart – and her future – on the line.



Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams . . . and maybe even a date.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Save The Date, go HERE

Words by Ginny Yttrup

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Words B&H Books (February 1, 2011) by Ginny Yttrup



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginny Yttrup is an author, freelance writer, and writing coach. As she writes, speaks, and coaches, her prayer is that God will use her words to replace the lies so many believe about themselves with the truth of His unconditional love and grace. To see someone grasp, perhaps for the first time, the truth of God's love, is truly an honor. Through a relationship with the Truth, Jesus Christ, the bonds of shame are loosed and freedom abounds!



When Ginny is not working, she loves spending time with her two college-age sons or with friends. She is surrounded by the most amazing people--each a gift in their own way. If she can spend time outdoors with those she love, it's even better. And she thoroughly adores her dog, Bear. He's a book lover too.



She has two grown sons and lives near Sacramento, California. Words is her first novel.



ABOUT THE BOOK

"I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I'd like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I'd open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can't take them."



Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn't speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary.



Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, Sierra's control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Words, go HERE.



Watch the book trailer video:

TTIN Challenge: Days 24 & 25

I'm becoming confused on the days of my challenge which is pretty bad since it's my challenge!

My grandmother was put in the hospital on Friday as she fell and broke her hip. She's had surgery and will be moved to a rehab facility for the next few weeks while she heals. I'm sharing this, because while I visited her on Sunday in the hospital, she was coming in and out of consciousness as she had not been out of the recovery room for very long. One of her friends was visiting and Granny began talking about her mother in law, Mrs. White. Granny said that Mrs. White was afraid of storms and many times my grandmother had to go and stay with her mother in law. Later, I asked Granny why Mrs. White was afraid of storms... my writer mind was going at that point, because I knew my great-grandmother would have been alive during the time of the tornado that hit my home town.  Granny agreed that Mrs. White had been in the storm and she thought that was why she was afraid of storms.

Now, my grandmother may have been in a drug-induced state, but I believe her account about my great-grandma... It makes me wonder if researching genealogy has some purpose. For those of you who are writing historical, have you gained anything for your stories by researching your own genealogy?

By the way, my word count is still the same... actually less. I edited a few words out. Other than that, this weekend has been a blur of hospitals and housecleaning.  I hope you all doing this challenge have had better days than this...

Making Changes

On Sunday, I blogged on FAITH how there is a time for everything. Every second of every day, I try to accomplish something, but one thing that is a consistent slip for me is meal planning. I find myself busy with everything, and then, when meal time comes, I'm at a loss. Eating out is getting more and more expensive, plus, it's unhealthy!

On Julie Jarnagin's blog,I read about her success using E-mealz. Basically, you choose the store that you shop most frequently and you will receive a customized menu that corresponds with the store's weekly deals. I just signed up for this and I hope that I can plan more meals for my family and save money in the process. Already, I have an easy meal set up for tonight, something I can pull together in about an hour.



What are some ways you have learned to save time, money and get more accomplished?

Lone Star Intrigue by Debra White Smith

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Lone Star Intrigue Avon Inspire (February 1, 2011) by Debra White Smith



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debra White Smith is a seasoned Christian author, speaker, and media personality who has been regularly publishing books for over a decade. In the last twelve years, she has accumulated over 50 books sales to her credit with over 1 million books in print. Her titles include such life-changing books as Romancing Your Husband, Romancing Your Wife, The Divine Romance: Developing Intimacy with God, the The Lonestar Intrigue fiction series, and The Jane Austen fiction series.



As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. For you see, Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.





Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And, her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German Chocolate ice cream.



ABOUT THE BOOK

In the small town of Bullard, Texas, the Mansfield brothers seem to have everything in order . . . except for their love lives. Jack is the lonely police chief still pining after Charli, his college girlfriend. Younger brother Sonny keeps busy on the road as a private investigator, and a secret from his past prevents him from finding someone to settle down with. But all that is about to change...



Read the two stories...



In Texas Heat, Charli is wrongly accused of a terrible crime. Now Jack must arrest the one woman he's ever loved and risk everything to prove her innocence and save her life.



In Texas Pursuit, a single mother is a target of a relentless stalker—and Sonny finds himself both the only man who can protect her and the one who inadvertently leads danger back into her world.



Page-turning novels of romance and suspense, the Lone Star Intrigue series will give you faith in the power of love, and remind you that having faith in a God who redeems our mistakes is the greatest love story of all.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Lone Star Intrigue, go HERE.

TTIN Challenge: Days 20-23 Link to the article: "Untangling the Waiting"

Hi all!  I've been quiet on the blog front, but I've been working... Today, I finally finished Chapter 1 of my historical. I reworked the scenes onemoretime to get them to a point where I think I can move on to the next chapter. I also had to begin working my 6-page synopsis down to a one page for future contest entries.  As I type this, I realize how slow this is going. But as we all know, life happens and just the mere accomplishment of writing anything, writing something, is better than nothing at all.

I ran across an article I thought would be very helpful for all of us still working toward publication.  
Untangling the Waiting by Ronie Kendig

My current total word count is 4,422.... That's only 75,578 words to go to reach completion!

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Promises to Keep Bethany House (February 1, 2011) by Ann Tatlock





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy Award-winning novel All the Way Home. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Eleven-year-old Roz (Rosalind) Anthony and her family have just moved to Mills River, Illinois, to escape an abusive situation. Only days after settling into their new home, they are surprised to find the previous owner, Tillie Monroe, on their front porch reading the newspaper.



Though her sons have sold the house and sent her to a facility for the aged, she is determined to die in the place she lived her life, and somehow manages to find her way "home" day after day. Feeling sympathy for the elderly woman, Roz's mother allows Tillie to move back in.



Mara Nightingale becomes Roz's first friend in Mills River. In spite of their many differences, the girls discover they have something in common that binds them together--both are hiding secrets. So they make a promise--"cross my heart and hope to die"--never to tell anyone else. When danger stalks the Anthonys, Tillie exhibits unimaginable courage and selfless love in her determination to protect the family she has adopted as her own.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Promises to Keep, go HERE.



Watch the book trailer:

TTIN Challenge: HD 19

Today, I spent my day on the phone. Alot. Although I can do two things at once, I can't talk on the phone and write(the book, that is). However, my phone calls were not a loss. They are never a loss. On one call I was able to catch up with a friend far away and the other call turned out to be a good brainstorming session.

So....Nada on the word count for me today.  However, there is much to be done. There are revisions to be made and emails to be sent with the manuscript attached.

Whatever you are working on, I welcome your progress here. You never know how your motivation and what you are working on could do to encourage someone else. So keep 'em coming!

Now, here's a question... How many of you send out query letters on a regular or random basis to editors and agents?  And, for those of you that do, are you finding you are getting good responses or just a lot of "No Thank you."

TTIN Challenge: HD 18

Sometime between Heyday 17 and 18, I managed to eek out about 200 more words. Yay! 

Your turn....

Another Dawn by Kathryn Cushman

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Another Dawn Bethany House (February 1, 2011) by Kathryn Cushman



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. After practicing as a pharmacist, she left her career to marry and begin a family and has since pursued her dream of writing.



Other books by Kathryn, A Promise to Remember was a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book-of-the-Year in the Women’s Fiction category, and Waiting for Daybreak was a finalist in Women’s Fiction for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.



Leaving Yesterday, her third novel, was a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award.



Now her fifth book, Another Dawn, has arrived in stores, and I’m very excited about it!



On the homefront, Kathryn has been married to Lee for over twenty years now, and their two daughters are currently braving the worlds of junior high and high school. They’ve lived in Santa Barbara for the last nineteen years. It’s a beautiful place and Kathryn feels blessed to be there (although a seventy degree Christmas still leaves her dreaming of a white one—or at least a colder one!)



ABOUT THE BOOK

Grace Graham is back in Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work, helping her father recover from surgery and spending time with her sister.



Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn.



Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Another Dawn, go HERE.

TTIN Challenge: HD 17

Checking in on this beautiful Sunday morning! 

I am barely over 4,000 words on my manuscript and am inching through Chapter Two.  I need to just write bad and worry about the rest later!!! Can I hear an AMEN?

And, today is my day to blog on FAITH.  Come check us out....

Now, it's your turn... how's everything going on the writing front?

TTIN Challenge: Heyday 15 & 16

If I followed my blog schedule, today would be the day I share a slice of my life.

Here it is:  My laptop died last night. This time, for good.  I'm waiting for the TV guy to come today because all of our favorite channels are acting up.  It's unfortunate, because when I watch TV, there are only about four channels I watch, out of the 200+ we have....

Okay, my slice of life is quite boring... let's move to writing! 

Heyday 15 was unproductive. And the sad fact is that I was at home all day... Today, #16, has begun and seems to be going somewhat productively...My current word count has increased to 4,110 words.

As you can see by another background change to this site, I had trouble getting the writing in gear. After I played with designs and formats for the website, I began Chapter Two. I wrote bad, I told the story, but the exercise worked.  I managed to write three pages this morning. 

I think this is the key to moving forward. Just write something. Just write your thoughts down to get the story moving along. If you wait for it to be perfect, it won't happen.  So, I have to continually remind myself that I must write something, anything.

When you sit down at the blank screen, or page, what helps you become productive?

TTIN Challenge: Heyday 14

Ladies, I'm on a roll!

After days and days of hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock, I FINALLY woke up at 4am this morning, got the coffee going while I started putting up clean dishes. The tasks helped wake me up, and I began updating the outline for my book with some super awesome ideas I'd brainstormed the night before with my critique partner, our very own regular visitor on this blog ~ Dianna Shuford.

Currently, my house smells of freshly baked muffins... No, I haven't purchased a new candle from Yankee Candle... I actually baked them this morning!!! 

I've been in a slump for a while, but when I finally dig deep and uncover the nuggets of the story, I run toward the goal like a mad woman. I'm thrilled at this progress and by my writing this morning, as I've reached the end of Chapter One. I'll be starting Chapter Two on my lunch break today, Lord willing.

My current word count is 3,107.

I'm gaining on you ladies that have reached and exceeded 5k and I'm thrilled!! Woo-Hoo!

Okay, it's your turn - are you as thrilled as I am or have you hit a deep slump? Share and let us encourage you to plow through the muck!

TTIN Challenge: Heydays 12 & 13

I've fallen behind on my blog posts, but not on my writing!  I've been working diligently and have a good solid Chapter One completed.  It needs tweaking, and possibly some filler, but I'm really pleased with my progress!  My word count: 2,797.  Woo-Hoo!  How are you doing?