Maggie's Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Maggie's Journey Realms (October 4, 2011) by Lena Nelson Dooley

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning author, Lena Nelson Dooley, has more than 675,000 books in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers http://www.acfw.com/ and president of the local chapter, DFW Ready Writers. She’s also a member of Christian Authors Network, CROWN Fiction Marketing, and Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.

Lena loves James, her children, grandchildren, and great grandson. She loves chocolate, cherries, chocolate-covered cherries, and spending time with friends. Travel is always on her horizon. Cruising, Galveston, the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Mexico. One day it will be Hawaii and Australia, but probably not the same year. Helping other authors become published really floats her boat, with fifteen signing their first book contract after her mentoring. Three of her books have been awarded the Carol Award silver pins from American Christian Fiction Writers and she has received the ACFW Mentor of the Year award at their national conference. The high point of her day is receiving feedback from her readers, especially people whose lives have been changed by her books. And she loves chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

Her last release is Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, from Summerside Press recently won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in publishing western fiction. Lena is currently under two 3-book contracts with Charisma House/Realms.

In addition to her writing, Lena is a frequent speaker at women’s groups, writers groups, and at both regional and national conferences. She has spoken in six states and internationally.

Lena has an active web presence on Shoutlife, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and with her internationally connected blog where she interviews other authors and promotes their books. You can check out her books and find out more about her on her blog.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Near her eighteenth birthday, Margaret Lenora Caine finds a chest hidden in the attic containing proof that she's adopted. The spoiled daughter of wealthy merchants in Seattle, she feels betrayed by her real parents and by the ones who raised her. But mystery surrounds her new discovery, and when Maggie uncovers another family secret, she loses all sense of identity. Leaving her home in Seattle, Washington, Maggie strikes out to find her destiny. Will Charles Stanton, who's been in love with her for years, be able to help her discover who she really is?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Maggie's Journey, go HERE.

Lisa Jordan ~ Author Interview and Giveway - Visit FAITH today!

Happy Friday,  Y'all!  Skip, Jump, RUN, over to www.thefaithgirls.com for an interview with Lisa Jordan!

Lisa's first book, Lakeside Reunion, comes out November 1st from Love Inspired and we're talking about contests, working and writing and the journey to publication on FAITH. Come join in the fun!

Keep Me Accountable - Day 6

I've missed a few days of blogging writing progress. Unfortunately, today's report isn't any better. I'm in a mess of plotting and reworking Chapter 1 and finding I need more time than just an hour to work (that includes email/blogs/writing.)  Let me try to cram everything into that hour, plus a little dishwashing and clothes washing. Ah!  And, I just haven't been in the mood to get up at 4am lately.... 4:53 maybe, but that's 50 minutes I could've written - or done some of that other stuff ;)

This is a senseless post and I'm really just here to state my word count so you all can give feed back on yours.

Current word count 3,165.  Goal: 80,000

I hope you've had a better week than me. How do you push over your slumps???

The 13th Demon by Bruce Hennigan

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The 13th Demon Realms (October 4, 2011) by Bruce Hennigan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bruce Hennigan was born and raised in the isolated countryside of Shreveport, La., a place full of possibilities for the active mind of a young boy. The fertile imagination he cultivated while playing deep in the Louisiana woods would lead to a lifelong love of creative writing.

In 2006, Hennigan pursued the Certified Apologetic Instructor Certificate from the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has become a frequent speaker at regional and state events on apologetics and his strong point is in making these sometimes hard to understand issues easily approachable for the average Christian. Hennigan’s experience in apologetics inspired him to write his new novel, The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye, a supernatural Christian thriller that combines science and faith. Now, combining his love for apologetics and his love for the art of writing, Hennigan is pursuing a career as the “Michael Crichton” of Christian fiction building powerful, fast paced stories around the truths of Christian apologetics.

Hennigan currently resides in Shreveport with his wife and daughter. He continues to write and to practice radiology at the Willis Knighton Health Care System. He has secured Jeff Jernigan of Hidden Value Group (www.hiddenvaluegroup.com) as his literary agent and has signed a five book deal with the Realms imprint of Charisma Media for “The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel”.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Jonathan Steel wakes up on a beach in a raging thunderstorm, naked, beaten, and bleeding, he has no idea who he is or how he got there. But just as he starts to make progress in his slow journey to recovery, tragedy strikes again, taking everything in his new life that he has come to love and rely on.
Filled with rage and a thirst for revenge, he searches the countryside for the entity responsible—an entity called only the Thirteenth Demon. His quest brings him to Lakeside, Louisiana, and a small country church where evil is in control and strange writing on the walls, blood-soaked floors, and red-eyed spiders have appeared in the sanctuary.

As he faces the final confrontation with an evil presence that has pursued him all of his life, he must choose between helping the people he loves or destroying the thirteenth demon.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The 13th Demon, go HERE.

Attracted to Fire by DiAnn Mills

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Attracted to Fire Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (October 1, 2011)
by DiAnn Mills

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Her books have won many awards through American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005, 2007, and 2010. She was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a Christy winner in 2010. DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and is the Craftsman Mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops. DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. Visit her website at: www.diannmills.com or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/diannmills


ABOUT THE BOOK

Special Agent Meghan Connors’ dream of one day protecting the president of the United States is about to come true. Only one assignment stands in her way. After the vice president’s rebellious daughter is threatened, Meghan is assigned to her protective detail on a secluded ranch in West Texas. Unfortunately, working with Special Agent in Charge Ash Zinders may be as tough as controlling her charge. Ash has a reputation for being critical and exacting, and he’s also after the same promotion as Meghan. But when the threats escalate and security on the ranch is breached, it becomes clear this isn’t the work of a single suspect—it’s part of a sophisticated plan that reaches deeper and higher than anyone imagined. And only Ash and Meghan can put the pieces together before it’s too late.

Watch the book trailer:



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

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Christy here.......I had the pleasure of reading this book. Y'all, this is one to buy. Definitely a keeper. I was drawn to the storyline and the author's promise to "Expect an Adventure."

DiAnn Mills definitely takes you on an adventure with this story. Fast paced, interesting, the story is about Secret Service Agents. Not only do you follow the suspense of who is trying to kill the the vice president's rebellious daughter, Lindsey, and follow her subplot, but the danger extends to the whole crew who is working to protect her.

Soon, you find yourself suspecting Meghan and Ash's colleaques. Who can they trust? Why can you trust? In the middle of the suspense was a budding romance. As a sucker for a love story, there was strong tension between Meghan and Ash to make you interested in their relationship and stick around to see if either would give into their feelings. Definitely a good romance payoff along with a strong suspense storyline.

Without spoiling the story, there were enough twists and action to keep me guessing. I enjoyed reading it and the book accompanied me when I left the house. When I take a book with me, it's a sure sign I love it!

Keep Me Accountable - Day 5 - The Duel!

My bud, Dianna Shuford, is still my guest blogger over on FAITH through this weekend. If you haven't gone over, drop by and say hi. You'll be entered to win a $25 Office store gift card and I'll announce the winner on Faith on Sunday. The address: www.thefaithgirls.com.

Now, I mentioned a duel in my title. You see, Dianna has challenged me  to a writing duel this weekend. I accept the challenge!  This morning I logged in about 500 words.

Here in Georgia, it's a beautiful fall day and I won't be home for long.  I need a little competitive spirit to join in this duel and see how many words we can get through this weekend. Are you in?

Since I last posted, my word count is 3,207. My stated goal, 80,000.


Good luck!

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{photo courtesy of http://www.movie-page.com/1999/StarWarsEpisodeOne.htm)

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wonderland Creek Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Lynn Austin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

Extended family is also very important to Austin, and it was a lively discussion between Lynn, her mother, grandmother (age 98), and daughter concerning the change in women's roles through the generations that sparked the inspiration for her novel Eve's Daughters.

Along with reading, two of Lynn's lifelong passions are history and archaeology. While researching her Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings, these two interests led her to pursue graduate studies in Biblical Backgrounds and Archaeology through Southwestern Theological Seminary. She and her son traveled to Israel during the summer of 1989 to take part in an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Timnah. This experience contributed to the inspiration for her novel Wings of Refuge.

Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published twelve novels. Five of her historical novels have won Christy Awards in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009 for excellence in Christian Fiction. And two of her inspirational fiction books were chosen by Library Journal for their top picks in 2003, and 2005. One of Lynn's novels has been made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.

But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. While Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and myster--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

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

Keep Me Accountable - Day 4

Not much happening in the way of expanding my manuscript and adding words. In the Literal Sense.
However, I am working on the Hero's Journey, by Christopher Vogler and using this to develop the path my character's take. More on that later.

(Photo from http://www.ebookcrossroads.com)

What tools do you use to develop your story or characters?






Current Word Count: 2,702
Goal Word Count:    80,000

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Love on the Line Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Deeanne Gist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After a short career in elementary education, Deeanne Gist retired to raise her four children. Over the course of the next fifteen years, she ran a home accessory and antique business, became a member of the press, wrote freelance journalism for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel, and acted as CFO for her husband’s small engineering firm--all from the comforts of home.

Squeezed betwixt-and-between all this, she read romance novels by the truckload and even wrote a couple of her own. While those unpublished manuscripts rested on the shelf, she founded a publishing corporation for the purpose of developing, producing and marketing products that would reinforce family values, teach children responsibility and provide character building activities.

After a few short months of running her publishing company, Gist quickly discovered being a "corporate executive" was not where her gifts and talents lie. In answer to Gist’s fervent prayers, God sent a mainstream publisher to her door who licensed her parenting I Did It!® product line and committed to publish the next generation of her system, thus freeing Gist to return to her writing.

Eight months later, she sold A Bride Most Begrudging to Bethany House Publishers. Since that debut, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, three RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.

Her latest releases, Beguiled, Maid To Match, and Love on the Line are now available.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of twenty-eight years and their border collie. They have four grown children. Click here to find out the most up-to-the-minute news about Dee.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Love on the Line, go HERE.

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Christy here..........

Wow, what an introduction for an author & an interesting road to publication!  

These books became parts of my life based on good ol' word of mouth. A friend of mine had already claimed Deanne's books as her favorite and told me I needed to check her out. Well, I did and I've read them all except one of the earlier, Courting Trouble, and her latest with J. Mark Bertrand Beguiled. But these are on the to-be-bought list!!!

Love on the Line was a fun story. Ms. Gist didn't disappoint with her latest release. As always, there is good humor, high caliber romantic tension and the story is peppered with characters which help make the world come to life. But wait, there's train robberies, bird watchin' and bird huntin' all packed in this story.  There's a story twist, too, that will definitely catch you by surprise. 

This is a book I recommend. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads!

Keep Me Accountable - Day 3 - Anything Goes

Anything goes in this challenge.

I'm making the rules and I think as long as we fill up a blank page, we will count toward our total word count. I keep thinking I can't revise a blank page. I can't revise a blank page.

I just added a scene to my current manuscript that I'd written several months ago. It's a flirting scene between my Hero and Heroine. I will have to revise the scene to fit into the location and current situation of this book - because things have changed since I actually wrote the scene!  Again, this goes back to having something within the body of the book to simply work with. I've labeled it the Kitchen scene and inserted a page break so that I know it is separate from the rest of the book.

This may appear I'm cheating, but like I said at the beginning of this post - anything goes. Cheat away!  As long as you have something on the page - whether it's a lot of telling, or it's a scene you want to happen between the characters but don't have a "place" for it yet, just put it in there! Add to your word count and be encouraged that you just wrote something!

So, here I am... I cheated. But my word count is now 2,702. I'm making progress toward that 80,000 goal!

HOORRAYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How are you doing? Cheated any?

Keep Me Accountable - Day 2

It's a new day and I'm juggling the creation of this story with reading a new book by Diann Mills, Attracted to Fire. Review will come in a couple of weeks, but it's hard to write when a book has captured your attention. However, another book has the other half of my attention and that's my historical.

I love to read historical novels. Its the feeling of stepping into another world that draws me. Another thing that draws me is a strong, plausible romance. The research for a different time period is quite daunting, however. My story is set in 1903. Right on the cusp of a new century.

There isn't enough time in the day to research and to write, so I find I must divide my time accordingly. Yet, research isn't limited to stories set one hundred years ago. I've found research is important in contemporary novels. If I only "wrote what I know" I wouldn't be writing very much. What I know tends to get boring pretty fast, so, I'm always learning something new. What about you?

Progress report:  
Word Goal: 80,000
Current Count: 1,095

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Reclaiming Lily Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Patti Lacy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patti Lacy, Baylor graduate, taught community college humanities until God called her to span seas and secrets in her novels, An Irishwoman's Tale and What the Bayou Saw.

The secrets women keep and why they keep them continue to enliven Patti's gray matter. A third book, The Rhythm of Secrets, released in January of 2011. Patti's, Reclaiming Lily, documents a tug-of-war between a Harvard-educated doctor and an American pastor and his wife for a precious child and explores adoption issues, China's "One Child" policy, and both Christian and secular views of sacrifice.

Patti also facilitates writing seminars in schools, libraries, and at conferences and has been called to present her testimony, "All the Broken Pieces," at women's retreats. She also leads a Beth Moore Bible study at her beloved Grace Church and has had a blast planning the September 2009 wedding of her firstborn, Sarah.

Patti and her husband Alan, an Illinois State faculty member, live in Normal with their handsome son Thomas, who attends Heartland Community College. On sunny evenings, you can catch the three strolling the streets of Normal with their dog Laura, whom they've dubbed a "Worchestershire Terrier" for her "little dab of this breed, a little dab of that breed."


ABOUT THE BOOK

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

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

Keep Me Accountable - Day 1

After a trip down to the doldrums of not writing much, of having too much going on and not enough time to do it, of lacking strong ideas for a story and being all down and out over it, I'm back.

I'm over it.

I'm writing again.

Some of you swear by NaNoWriMo and some of you are apart of Novel Track. Some of you do both. Some of you are just looking for a place to start. Well, here's something I've been told many times before. It's advice that is the best I've ever been given.

YOU CAN'T REVISE A BLANK PAGE.

So... WRITE!

Between yesterday and today, I've written 3 pages on my new historical romance. Actually, its not a new story. I started it about four years ago. Only recently have I gotten up enough guts to just go for it and write it.

Word count for today: 468.
Total goal for the book: 80,000.

Will you join me in this writing journey? 

A Wedding Invitation by Alice Wisler

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Wedding Invitation Bethany House (October 1, 2011) by Alice Wisler

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice was born in Osaka, Japan in the sixties. Her parents were Presbyterian career missionaries. As a young child, Alice loved to walk down to the local stationer's store to buy notebooks, pencils and scented erasers. In her room, she created stories. The desire to be a published famous author has never left her. Well, two out of three isn't bad. She's the author of Rain Song, How Sweet It Is, Hatteras Girl and A Wedding Invitation (all published by Bethany House).

Alice went to Eastern Mennonite University after graduating from Canadian Academy, an international high school in Kobe, Japan. She majored in social work and has worked across the U.S. in that field. She taught ESL (English as a Second Language) in Japan and at a refugee camp in the Philippines. She also studied Spanish at a language institute in San Jose, Costa Rica.

She has four children--Rachel, Daniel, Benjamin and Elizabeth. Daniel died on 2/2/97 from cancer treatments at the age of four. Since then, Alice founded Daniel's House Publications in her son's memory. This organization reaches out to others who have also lost a child to death. In 2000 and 2003, Alice compiled recipes and memories of children across the world to publish two memorial cookbooks, Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After returning home from teaching English at a refugee camp in the Philippines, Samantha Bravencourt enjoys her quiet life working at her mother's clothing boutique in Falls Church, Virginia. When she receives an invitation to a wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she looks forward to reconnecting with her college friend. Instead her life collides with Carson, a fellow teacher and the man who broke her heart, and a young Amerasian refugee named Lien who needs Samantha and Carson's help to find her mother before Lien's own wedding. When the search for Lien's mother reveals surprising secrets from the past, Samantha must reevaluate her own memories and decide whether to continue to play it safe or take a risk that could change her life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Wedding Invitation, go HERE.

Watch the book trailer:

The Mercy by Beverly Lewis

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Mercy Bethany House (September 6, 2011) by Beverly Lewis

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rose Kauffman pines for prodigal Nick Franco, the Bishop's foster son who left the Amish under a cloud of suspicion after his foster brother's death. His rebellion led to the "silencing" of their beloved Bishop. But is Nick really the rebel he appears to be? Rose's lingering feelings for her wayward friend refuse to fade, but she is frustrated that Nick won't return and make things right with the People. Nick avowed his love for Rose--but will he ever be willing to sacrifice modern life for her?

Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, is living in her parents' Dawdi Haus. Her estranged "English" husband, injured and helpless after a car accident, has reluctantly come to live with her and their young daughter during his recovery. Can their marriage recover, as well? Is there any possible middle ground between a woman reclaiming her old-fashioned Amish lifestyle and thoroughly modern man?

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

Watch the book trailer: