Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Proof of Heaven William Morrow Paperbacks (November 1, 2011) by Mary Curran Hackett

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Curran Hackett is the mother of two children, Brigid Claire and Colm Francis, and is married to Greg Hackett. She received an MA in English Literature from the University of Nebraska and a BA from the University Honors Program at Catholic University in Washington, DC. Born and raised in Danbury, CT, she has traveled extensively and lived in various places throughout the U.S., but her favorite place in the world is home with her kids, husband, and her stacks of books. Like her character Colm Magee, Mary suffers various heart and brain ailments, but thanks in part to her brother, a physician, as well as her own doctors, she now has a pacemaker and a heart that beats on its own at least most of the time. This is her first novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A mother’s faith, a child’s courage, a doctor’s dedication—a moving and thought-provoking tale of hope, love, and family.

He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born.
But the quest to find the dying boy’s missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery—a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.

A magnificent debut novel, Mary Curran Hackett’s Proof of Heaven is a beautiful and unforgettable exploration of the power of love and the monumental questions of life, death, and the afterlife.

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

Keep Me Accountable - One Week Down

It's been a busy week of writing as much as possible, keeping the story fresh on my mind and chatting with friends to keep me accountable. All in all, it's been a good week of progress! I've added a prologue this weekend, that may or may not see the light of day in the final draft... Nevertheless, the internal editor is OFF and the writing is commencing.

While Lindi advises her first draft is full of dialogue, I'm finding I have to "tell" the scene first. Unless the scene is already vivid in my mind, I cannot get the dialogue on paper until the characters actions are clear in my head. This is a good example of how each of us works differently.



A very long time ago, I finished a rough draft in 3 weeks. Another time, it took 6 weeks. I'm hoping to repeat the past this month and have at least 50K down by the end of November.



My current word count is 10,911. That's a great advance since I last posted!

Now it's your turn to check in!

Valley of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Valley of Dreams Bethany House (November 1, 2011) by Lauraine Snelling

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has up to sixty books published.

Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.

As a most sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply ... if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.

Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Winston. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Addy Lockwood's mother died when she was little, so Addy traveled with her father's Wild West Show and became an amazingly skillful trick rider, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father died, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go.

Now Addy has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show's manager, has driven the show into debt, and he's absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Addy decides to try to find the hidden valley where here father had dreamed of putting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers raised in a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who's been with the show for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves both the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.

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

Coming This Week to FAITH Blog - Maria Sutton!

Maria Sutton is the author of The Night Sky. Please join me on The FAITH Girls blog, this Friday for a great interview and book giveaway!

About the Author:

 

Maria Sutton was born in the barracks of Germany’s former Wehrmacht command center, which had been converted to house Europe’s Displaced Persons after WWII. 

In 1951, Maria, along with her Mother, Step-father, and sister immigrated to America and she has lived in the greater Denver metro area since that time.  Her book, The Night Sky:  A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back is the culmination of her 43-year search for her biological father, who disappeared shortly after her birth in war-torn Germany.  Without knowing the spelling or his name, nor his date and place of birth, Maria was able to find him – proving that with unwavering determination, anything is possible.

Maria graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting and has also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  She has been employed by the U. S. government in several capacities throughout her Federal career, receiving many awards for her writing and investigative skills.

The above title is available from Johnson Books, an imprint of Big Earth Publishing.  Her memoir will be translated into several languages, including German, Polish, and Ukrainian.

Maria and her family reside in Golden, Colorado. 

Keep Me Accountable - Magic Writing

photo from http://www.kids-pages.com/folders/colpages/Fairy-Tales/page8.htm

Hey, all!  It's Day 3 for Nanowrimo and I'm going strong - as strong as can be squeaking by with about two hours writing time per day. My total word count is 3,550!  I already had Chapter 1 written, however when nano started, I started at Chapter 2. It's going great.

It is hard to turn off the internal editor. I'll admit, there's a lot of "telling" going on. I'm forcing myself to "tell" the scene if I'm not seeing it clearly in my head. I just need to get it down to get on to the next scene and multiply those words.

However, in turning off that internal editor, I'm finding the process has organic qualities. Even though, I used plotter methods and am following my scene cards, what is produced in those scenes, is like magic. When I began Chapter 2, I needed my hero and heroine to meet. It ended up another character I hadn't planned on appearing this early, made her debut and added a lot of fun to the scene.

And, more fun for me as the writer.

I'll look forward to hearing from you and your progress! Any magic happening?

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing A Lasting Impression Bethany House (November 1, 2011) by Tamera Alexander

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers. Her second historical series, Timber Ridge Reflections (From a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart) continue her signature style of deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose which has earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

These awards include the 2009 and 2008 Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the 2010 and 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the 2010 and 2007 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2010 HOLT Medallion, the 2007 Bookseller’s Best Award, the 2007 National Reader's Choice Award, and Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction for 2006, among others.

Tamera's newest novel A Lasting Impression is the first of a brand new three-book Southern historical series, and the first two chapters are available for review. She's at work on her ninth novel which will release in fall 2012.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, along with Tamera's father, Doug, and with their two adult children who live near by. And don't forget Jack, their precious--and precocious--silky terrier.

ABOUT THE BOOK

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Lasting Impression, go HERE.

Keep Me Accountable: NANOWRIMO!!!

Today is November 1st and the first day of Nanowrimo. I will officially begin my push to write 50,000 words this month in just a couple of hours. If you are participating in this challenge, make me your writing buddy - I'm listed as christylashea.

I think I'm ready for this challenge. I've got a skeleton of scenes written to guide me through. If you've done Nano before and have any suggestions, please share!  We're all about helping each other reach our goals around here!




Now, I couldn't help share a couple of pictures from the last couple of weeks. Here, my daughter(6years) and son(22 months) share a nice treat during our recent trip to Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. It's just beautiful up there.

Here, I'm trying to get a picture of their beautiful gardens and these apple trees. I bought a half a peck of the Red Delicious. They were huge and very sweet!