Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Lost Melody Zondervan (October 25, 2011) by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. Lance and Lori are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market. To date, she has had over 100 books published.

Virginia Smith is the author of more than a dozen Christian novels and over fifty articles and short stories. Her books have been named finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Award, and ACFW's Carol Award.

A Certified Lay Speaker for the United Methodist Church, Ginny's messages are always well-received by a variety of audiences in conferences, retreats and churches across the country. When she isn't writing or speaking, Ginny and her husband, Ted, enjoy exploring the extremes of nature – snow skiing in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, motorcycle riding on the curvy roads in central Kentucky, and scuba diving in the warm waters of Mexico and the Caribbean.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The beautiful piano sitting in the corner of Jill King's apartment begs to be played. For over a year, it has sat untouched, ever since a terrible accident shattered Jill's ambition of becoming a concert pianist. The ragged scar on her left hand is a cruel and constant reminder of the death of her dream. But another dream is about to come to life---an unexpected, horrifying dream that will present Jill with a responsibility she never wanted. And choices she never wanted to make. Hundreds of lives depend on Jill's willingness to warn her small, oceanside town in Nova Scotia of a nameless, looming disaster. But doing so could cost Jill her reputation, jeopardize the political career of the man she loves, and ruin their plans for a future together. The fate of an entire community hangs in the balance as Jill wrestles with the cost of heeding one still, small voice.

If you would like to read a chapter excerpt of Lost Melody, go HERE.

Scentsy Launch Party!!!!

If you are reading this post, you have either already gotten up super early to take advantage of the great deals because it is Black Friday, or, you aren't going out to the malls or any retail establishments today because you refuse to fight the crowds!

Thank the Lord for the Internet! Great deals available here, too!

I'm at home today, planning to get some organizing done and hang out with my little guy as my daughter is with grandma.

I'm also celebrating the launch of my Scentsy business!

Yes, yes, I'm still writing.

Yes, I'm still working my 9-5 job.

But a while back I was introduced to Scentsy wickless candles.

The Scentsy system is where you have a warmer that is a beautiful piece of pottery as you see in the photo to the right. You plug the warmer into a near by electric socket which lights a low-watt bulb. At the top of the warmer is where you put your wax. The scented wax heats and as it heats, puts out the most magnificent aroma. There are over 80 scents to choose from. The variety of scents is from clean scents to woodsy to masculine scents.

I love candles, but with young children, accidents happen. Sometimes, we adults are accident prone. The thing I like about Scentsy wickless candles is that the wax doesn't get too hot to touch. Even while the warmer is plugged in and the scent is being produced, I can still dip my finger into the wax. It feels like warm bath water. So, if my child accidentally knocks the warmer over, he won't get burned.

 Also, using wickless candles doesn't blow black soot into your home like standard candles.

 This is a picture of Scentsy's Silent Night plug in. These are just darling! Great to plug in a bathroom, for example. But you can plug them anywhere!

I love this product because you have a nice scent for the room plus a night light.

I had to share some of our Christmas products with the Silent Night Plug in shown above and the Gingerbread Full Size Warmer as shown to the right.

These are a fun way to decorate your house. Also, they're great as gifts! With Christmas coming, you'll need to buy for family members, friends, teachers, coaches. Why not by them a Scentsy System!?

Scentsy has a product for everyone. On the left, this is our Anti-bacterial Fragrance Foam. Black Raspberry Vanilla is one of my favorites, and a part of my personal collection.

Scentsy also has scent circles - I like to put these in my car. I also have one hanging in my children's room. The circle comes in purple as shown above, and has been dipped in the fragrant wax. It doesn't overpower the room or the car.

Above, I'm showing you a Combine and Save pack. Scentsy has some great deals with Combine and Save which was one deal I took part in when I made my first purchases. Here, you will get a Premium Full Size Warmer, a Full Size Warmer and 6 Scentsy Bars of your choice. In this combination, you are saving $15!



My launch party is going on now, on my Scentsy website. I'd love it if you did some of your Christmas shopping through my Scentsy Website and here's a link to the Fall/Winter Scentsy Catalog.

Visit me at the FAITH Blog where I'm giving away a free gift!

Promise Brides by S. Dionne Moore

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Promise Brides Barbour Books (November 1, 2011) by S. Dionne Moore

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

S. Dionne Moore resides in South Central PA with her family. She is a weekly contributor to The Borrowed Book where she posts tips on the writing life, recipes, and teaches on various writing-related subjects. In addition to writing cozy mysteries, she pens historical romances that bring strong focus to locales within her region of Pennsylvania as a way of indulging her passion for history. In Fall of 2011 her first of three romances set in Wyoming, A Sheepherder's Song, will release.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Love is the same, no matter when, no matter where—it never comes without sacrifice. Theodore risks capture for Ellie, but will their hope for a future together be defeated? Can Marylu trust Chester, or is she asking for another broken heart? Will Alaina and Jack find common ground, or will flood waters destroy any possible future? Enjoy three romances from the historic state of Pennsylvania.

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

Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Christmas In Sugarcreek Avon Inspire (October 25, 2011) by Shelley Shepard Gray

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Since 2000, Shelley Sabga has sold over thirty novels to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Abingdon Press. She has been interviewed by NPR, and her books have been highlighted in numerous publications, including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Under the name Shelley Shepard Gray, Shelley writes Amish romances for HarperCollins’ inspirational line, Avon Inspire. Her recent novel, The Protector, the final book in her “Families of Honor” series, hit the New York Times List, and her previous novel in the same series, The Survivor, appeared on the USA Today bestseller list. Shelley has won the prestigious Holt Medallion for her books, Forgiven and Grace, and her novels have been chosen as Alternate Selections for the Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club. Her first novel with Avon Inspire, Hidden, was an Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two children in college, and is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and currently leads a Bible study group, and she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals.

When she’s not writing, Shelley often attends conferences and reader retreats in order to give workshops and publicize her work. She’s attended RWA’s national conference six times, the ACFW conference and Romantic Times Magazine’s annual conference as well as traveled to New Jersey, Birmingham, and Tennessee to attend local conferences.

Check out Shelley's Facebook Fan page


ABOUT THE BOOK

Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season.

But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox.

Ben Knox is the “bad boy” of Sugarcreek. Though he’s never considered jumping the fence, he’s certainly never tried to be anything close to dutiful. Two years ago he left Sugarcreek under a cloud of shame. Rumors circulated that his rumspringa had been filled with more than the usual harmless explorations.

Now he’s back and working side by side with Judith.
As the chaos of the holiday season threatens to sap all joy, sparks fly between Ben and Judith. But Judith steels herself to ignore her infatuation. The last thing she wants to be is just one more girl who falls under Ben’s spell. Ben, on the other hand, wants Judith to realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation. When he fled Sugarcreek, he was running from a disruptive home life. Now that he’s back, he wants a fresh beginning.
Could this Christmas season bring love and a new life for the unlikeliest pair in Sugarcreek?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Christmas In Sugarcreek, go HERE.

What's Happenin' ???

Hey, everyone! Today I'll be on Lindi Peterson's blog doing an interview with her. Stop by to see me!

And tomorrow on FAITH, Cozy Mystery author Deborah Malone will be interviewed. Death in Dahlonega is her first book and we're giving away a copy! Come by and say hi to Debbie!

Long Trail Home by Vickie McDonough

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Long Trail Home Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (November 1, 2011) by Vickie McDonough

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of twenty-four books and novellas. Her books have won the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, Texas Gold, the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards. She was voted Third Favorite Author in the Heartsong Presents Annual Readers Contest in 2009. Vickie is the author of the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series from Barbour Publishing. She has also authored two books in the Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series, in which she partners with Susan Page Davis and Darlene Franklin to write a six-book series that spans fifty years of the Morgan family. Also, next year brings the release of a new series from Guidepost/Summerside: Pioneer Promises, set in 1870s Kansas.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Long Trail Home is third in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read on its own.When Riley Morgan returns home after fighting in the War Between the States, he is excited to see his parents and fiancee again. But he soon learns that his parents are dead and the woman he loved is married. He takes a job at the Wilcox School for the blind just to get by. He keeps his heart closed off but a pretty blind woman, Annie, threatens to steal it. When a greedy man tries to close the school, Riley and Annie band together to fight him and fall in love.But when Riley learns the truth about Annie, he packs and prepares to leave the school that has become his home and the woman who has thawed his heart. Will he change his mind and find the love he craves' Or will stubbornness deprive him from the woman he needs' Through painful circumstances, Riley and Annie learn that the loving and sovereign hand of God cannot be thwarted.

If you would like to read the Prologue of Long Trail Home, go HERE.

Keep Me Accountable - A Celebration!!

I've written just over the 21,000 word count mark on my manuscript. some of my writing buddies - a shout out to S.L. Morgan and Ciara Knight are kicking some major booty on their manuscripts!  They're helping to keep me accountable as I chase after the same goal.

In other news, I'm thrilled to announce my BFF / crtique partner - Dianna Shuford - has finaled in the Finally A Bride Contest.  And the same week, learned she had a full manuscript request from another contest she entered. Woo-Hoo!!!  Congratulations, Di!!!!!