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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Spotlight on Debbie Fuller Thomas and Raising Rain

One day late, but better late than never, right? :) I'll do my best to pick the winners from the past 2 spotlights by tonight. Going out of town for the weekend, so want to have this all done before then.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


DEBBIE FULLER THOMAS writes contemporary fiction from a historic Gold Rush town in Northern California. When she’s not working on her next book, she enjoys singing with Colla Voce of the Sierras with her husband and spending time catching up with her two adult children. Her debut novel, Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon is a finalist for the 2009 Christy Award and the 2009 ACFW Book of the Year.

RAISING RAIN
by Debbie Fuller Thomas
Published by Moody Publishers

ABOUT THE BOOK

Four college roommates joined forces in the radical 60's and 70's to protest the war and champion the rights of women. But they had no way of knowing the impact their choices would have on Jude's daughter whom they all helped to raise in their off-campus apartment. Now a 30-something single woman, Rain wants to trade her career for a baby and her significant other has taken off for greener pastures. As one who has come to know God intimately, Bebe feels especially responsible because of a choice she made and a secret she kept. Is it too late to make things right for the young woman whom she considers a daughter?

Readers, buy your copy of Raising Rain today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

With the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this August, I wanted to explore the mistakes that many women have had to live with since that turbulent time. In particular, I read What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us by Danielle Crittenden which addresses the impact that 2nd wave feminism has had on a younger generation of women. Too many have put off childbirth until their late 30’s and are left to struggle with infertility and its many moral complications alone.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

I went to college in the mid-seventies, so some of the culture has been pulled from my own experiences, but I attended a Christian college and that’s where the similarities end. My husband and I suffered three miscarriages and were childless for nine years, so I definitely drew from those experiences in Rain’s story.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

I would have to say Rainbow Sherbet because ‘Rain’ is short for ‘Rainbow,’ and the fact that they tell her she has an ice cream named after her.

4. Are there any themes in Raising Rain that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

A strong theme is forgiveness for the past, both for ourselves and others. We have all made really big mistakes somewhere along the line and need to forgive ourselves. Often those mistakes affect the ones closest to us. Recognizing the need for healing and asking for it is also a theme that develops as the story moves along.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The most difficult parts for me were the ones where Rain’s mother was recovering from her cancer treatments. I am a 12-year breast cancer survivor and still vividly remember those treatments and recovery. Like Jude, I knew I was getting distance from a treatment when I craved salsa, but it wasn’t always a good idea to indulge.

My favorite parts were the flashbacks of the four college students who helped to raise Rain when she was a baby. I could hear Jude, Bebe, Mare and Toni all talking in my head at the same time. They were all so very different, and the dynamics of their relationships could be volatile.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Raising Rain debuts September 1st, and I’m working on my next proposal.

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Thank you, Debbie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Raising Rain.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Spotlight on Kimberley Woodhouse and Welcome Home

NOTE: Kim's book has already gone into its second printing...and it hasn't even been released yet. :) Congratulations, Kim! Readers, you will be touched beyond imagination by this poignant, entertaining and heartwarming story. I'm many times blessed to count Kim as one of my dear friends, and once you finish this book, you'll feel like you know her too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home. www.kimberleywoodhouse.com

WELCOME HOME: OUR FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO EXTREME JOY
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.

Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

Peak inside the Woodhouse family’s life (and their famous house) with a 16-page photo insert.

Readers, buy your copy of Welcome Home today!

MY REVIEW

I'm not one who is prone to tears, but I shed some while reading this book. I also laughed, smiled and was touched to the core by Kim's wit, wisdom, and poignant honesty as she shared her family's amazing journey that had led them to where they are today. Kim is straightforward, honest and sometimes blunt about their struggles and the truths surrounding the rising medical bills, as well as the fears of having a daughter with a rare life-threatening medical disorder. But through it all, the warmth, genuine love and Kim's characteristic sense of humor shine clear and bright. You'll go down in the depths of seeming despair and rise to the heights of triumph with Kim and her family as you read this heart-gripping story. I dare you to not be affected by the story.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your first book. Congratulations! You've told your story so many times in so many different venues. What inspired you to write about it in this way?

The publisher asked me to write it. Originally, I had planned the book to be something else, but God’s plans are always better than our own. And we’d had thousands of people writing in through my website needing encouragement, I knew the Lord was leading in this direction.

2. What has been the most memorable aspect for you of this book's publishing journey?

Writing it in two and half weeks. It was crazy, gut-wrenching, uplifting, and special.

3. Are there any themes in Welcome Home that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

Joy is the main theme. On this journey, I learned that God’s joy is always there, it can never be taken away. Another theme that I think it vitally important is to keep going. Don’t quit. When you feel like you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and swing.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The most difficult parts were definitely during the stage when Kayla was not diagnosed and then later when she had to have brain surgery. I cried until I didn’t have any tears left. My favorite parts were going through all my journals and notes, remembering all the hilarious stories of my kids and times when they taught me invaluable lessons.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Be looking for more non-fiction and fiction. I can’t talk about the who’s and when’s yet – but keep watching my website www.kimberleywoodhouse.com.

6. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

Thank you! Thank you for having me here, Tiff. I love you, girl!

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Love you too, Kim! :) Thank you for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Monday, August 17, 2009

CFBA Blog Tour - Mary Connealy and Montana Rose

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Montana Rose
Barbour Publishing, Inc. - July 1, 2009)
by Mary Connealy


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARY CONNEALY's writing journey is similar to a lot of others. Boil it down to persistence, oh, go ahead and call it stubbornness. She just kept typing away. She think the reason she did it was because she was more or less a dunce around people—prone to sit silently when she really ought to speak up(or far worse, speak up when she ought to sit silently).

So, Mary had all these things, she want to say, in her head; the perfect zinger to the rude cashier, which you think of an hour after you’ve left the store, the perfect bit of wisdom when someone needs help, which doesn’t occur to you until they solve their problems themselves, the perfect guilt trip for the kids, which you don’t say because you’re not an idiot. She keep all this wit to herself, much to the relief of all who know her, and then wrote all her great ideas into books. It’s therapeutic if nothing else, and more affordable than a psychiatrist.

So then a very nice, oh so nice publishing company like Barbour Heartsong comes along and says, “Hey, we’ll pay you money for this 45,000 word therapy session.” That’s as sweet as it gets.

Mary's journey to publication is the same as everyone’s except for a few geniuses out there who make it hard for all of us. And even they probably have an Ode to Roast Beef or two in their past.

Mary has signed an exclusive contract with Barbour that will have her writing eighteen (18) books for them over the next four years! This book is the first in the Montana Marriage Series. The second book will be the Husband Tree, and the third will be Wildflower Bride

ABOUT THE BOOK

MONTANA ROSE
by Mary Connealy
Published by Barbour Publishing

Fire up your love of romance with Montana Rose.

When surrounded by a mob of ill-bred, foul-smelling, women-hungry men, the newly widowed and seemingly spoiled Cassie “China Doll” Griffin has no choice. Marrying handyman Red Dawson seems the only alternative to Cassie’s being hitched to a brutal rancher. But can this “China doll” bear exchanging smooth silk for coarse calico? Red was reluctant to be yoked to an unbeliever, but sometimes a man has no choice. Will Red change Cassie’s heart by changing her name? Wade Sawyer is obsessed with saving Cassie from a marriage of convenience. How far will he go make her his own?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Montana Rose, go HERE

Buy Your Copy of Montana Rose today!

* * * * *

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of Montana Rose.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Spotlight on MaryLu Tyndall and The Blue Enchantress

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARYLU TYNDALL, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but expose Christians to their full potential in Christ. For more information on MaryLu and her upcoming releases, please visit her website at http://www.mltyndall.com or her blog at http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com.

THE BLUE ENCHANTRESS
by MaryLu Tyndall
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Searching for love and value, Hope Westcott throws herself at any man who looks her way. Betrayed by the nobleman she longed to marry, Hope is being auctioned off as a slave at a distant port when Nathaniel Mason comes to her rescue and sells one of his prized ships in order to save her. Determined to erase the stain of his mother’s past, and angry at his loss, Nathaniel wants nothing to do with the stubborn, wanton girl and procures passage for them on the first ship home. But will he be able to resist the provocative beauty, and what is he willing to give up to save her? And will Hope find the love she seeks in God or will she fall back into her sordid ways?

From the Carolina Coast to the Caribbean, through stormy seas and shipwreck, can Hope and Nathaniel put aside their painful pasts, listen to God’s voice, and fine true love and acceptance?

Readers, buy your copy of The Blue Enchantress today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

The Blue Enchantress is the 2nd book in my Charles Towne trilogy, each about a different sister in one family—all daughters of a British Admiral. The theme for the series comes from the parable of the seed and sower in Matthew 13 where Jesus describes 4 types of seeds and the soils they fall upon. Each sister and each book in the series deals with one type of these seeds. In the first book, The Red Siren, the heroine Faith represents the seed that fell on the rocky soil which Jesus describes as someone who receives the Word of God but when problems occur and tragedy strikes, they quickly fall away. In The Blue Enchantress, Hope represents the seed that falls on the thorny ground wherein the Word of God is choked out by the pleasures and concerns of this world.

To expound on that theme, however, I created in Hope a character who I believe many women can relate to in our culture today. She is young, beautiful and has discovered that she can use her beauty to attract attention from men. Unfortunately, because she had a difficult and unloving childhood and she has never experienced the love of God, she mistakes this shallow attention for love and ends up getting herself into a heap of trouble!

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

For this particular book, I drew quite a bit from my own experiences because I have much in common with Hope, the heroine. Hope has grown up in a very chaotic home. As the middle child, she never seemed to measure up to her sisters. She fought constantly with her mother and never received her father’s approval. Betrayed and attacked by a trusted relative, Hope uses her beauty to find value in the attention of men. Even though she is often left heartbroken and used, she mistakes their affections for true love and continues her search. This could be described as my life for many years before the Lord rescued me, so I found Hope’s character an easy one to identify with. In general, however, I would say that there is a little bit of me in all my characters.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Great question! Hope would have to be Rocky Road. She's got a soft heart like a marshmallow, she's a bit of a wild nut, and everybody craves her like chocolate. Nathaniel would be pure vanilla with a swirl of caramel through it. He's wholesome and good and everybody likes him but if you dig a little deeper, he's got a wild streak.

4. Are there any themes in The Blue Enchantress that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

The main theme that I started out wanting to portray in the story is that true love and true beauty come from knowing God, but as I wrote, I noticed these other themes developing out of the plot and the character's lives:
  1. Outward beauty is fleeting while inward beauty is eternal.
  2. Giving yourself away outside of marriage is very destructive and will leave you feeling empty and used.
  3. You cannot truly change and become a better person without the power of God.
  4. If you try to run from God, He will find you.
  5. Only by fulfilling God’s will for your life, will you find true joy.
5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

In the first half of the book, there's a hurricane that strikes the ship. Writing an accurate and believable account of a hurricane's affects on a tall ship and her crew and how they would survive it, took quite a bit of research and time in writing. I know I spent a couple weeks on those scenes. My favorite scenes to write were the ones between Hope and Nathaniel when they are starting to love each other but aren't ready to admit it. I just love writing those highly emotional, tense scenes.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

There is one more book in my Charles Towne Belles series, The Raven Saint, coming out in January. The Raven Saint is the story of the third sister in the series who represents the seed that fell on the good soil in Matthew 13. Grace is a good Christian lady who spends her time ministering to the poor around Charles Towne and serving God in any way she can. But when she is kidnapped by a French mercenary bent on selling her to a Spanish Don, she cannot understand why God has allowed such tragedy in her life.

* * * * *

Thank you, MaryLu, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Blue Enchantress.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Spotlight on Nicole O'Dell and Truth or Dare

SPECIAL: Today's spotlight is targeted at moms with teen or soon-to-be teen girls. If this is you, or you know someone who would love these books, make sure you enter. And tell anyone else you know who might like these books. Direct them to this blog.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NICOLE O'DELL is happily married to her husband Will, with whom she is attempting to restore an old Victorian home. She is the mother of six wonderful children, the most recent additions being triplets, born in August of 2008. Along with her six kids, Nicole is very proud to have birthed a unique teen-fiction series called Scenarios: Interactive Fiction for Girls. It has been a true labor of her love—in the most literal sense. The completed manuscripts for Truth or Dare and All that Glitters, the first two books in the Scenarios series, were submitted from her hospital bed as she awaited the arrival of the triplets.

www.scenariosforgirls.com -- a site for tween girls...giveaways, devotions, girl talk, etc.
nicoleodell.blogspot.com -- Nicole's blog

TRUTH OR DARE
by Nicole O'Dell
Published by Barbour Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lindsay Martin is faced with a tough choice: Does she give in to peer pressure and make her friends happy or does she do what she knows is right—even if it means losing her friends forever? Tween readers make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Lindsay’s life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.

Readers, buy your copy of Truth or Dare or All That Glitters today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I play a game with my kids that I named "Scenarios". I tell them a story and put them in a moral dilemma and then give them options as to how they'd respond. We then talk about what they decided and what the consequences, good or bad, would be. It's been such a great tool for opening the lines of communication with my own kids, that I wanted to provide it for others, too.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

I find myself in parts of all of my character, and I draw from my own life probably more than I'd like to admit. Macy, one of the characters in this book, struggles with her weight and then blossoms through puberty. That's exactly what happened to me--I see myself in her a lot. Lindsay, the main character, has a lot of the internal struggles that I remember having as a teen.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Vanilla with marbled fudge. She's sweet and predictable like vanilla, but there's that saucy thread that runs through her.

4. Are there any themes in Truth or Dare that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

Even when poor decisions are made, there is forgiveness and redemption. Consequences might require work and pain, but that's part of life. Relationships are important, and it's just as necessary to offer forgiveness as it is to receive it.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I struggled with the confrontational scenes between Lindsay and her parents. I think it's because I remember what I put my parents through. Conversely, my favorite scenes to write were the good times they had as a family.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Along with Truth or Dare, we released All That Glitters. It's the story of identical twin girls, Drew and Dani Daniels. Entering high school, Drew abandons her straight and simple roots and becomes a bit of a wild child, leaving her sister in the dust. Her new-found popularity forces her to deal with boyfriend issues and she becomes tempted with alcohol, drug, sneaking around and lying.

Books three and four, Magna and Making Waves, Will be out in April 2010.

* * * * *

Thank you, Nicole, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win YOUR CHOICE of a FREE autographed copy of either Truth or Dare or All That Glitters.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Monday, August 03, 2009

August New Releases in Christian Fiction!

1. All That Glitters, Scenarios for Girls, book 2, by Nicole O’Dell from Barbour Publishing. The reader will decide if Drew Daniels does the right thing when sudden popularity causes her to forget about things that were once important to her.

2. Forgiven, Sisters of the Heart Series, Book 3, by Shelley Shepard Gray from Avon Inspire, a division of Harper Collins Publishing. Tragedy strikes when a brother and sister find themselves facing two difficult situations.

3. Surrender the Wind, by Rita Gerlach from Abingdon Press. When a patriot of the American Revolution inherits his grandfather's estate in England, he inherits more than a crumbling manor house.

4. Sweet Waters, Otter Bay Series Book 1, by Julie Carobini from B&H Publishing Group. Sweet Waters is the story of a newly-jilted woman who talks her sisters into moving back to their hometown only to discover family secrets that threaten the fairy tale image she'd always had.

5. The Blue Enchantress, the Charles Towne Belles Series book 2, by MaryLu Tyndall from Barbour. An adventure-seeking woman and a security-minded captain are shipwrecked together.

6. The Last Woman Standing, by Tia McCollors from Moody. A man, his woman, and his ex-wife search for love again.

7. Truth or Dare, Senarios for Girls Book 1, by Nicole O’Dell from Barbour. Peer pressure threatens to drive Lindsay Martin to doing something she doesn't want to do; the reader will decide.

8. Under the Tulip Poplar, by Diane Ashley and Aaron McCarver from Heartsong Presents. When Rebekah Taylor and Asher Landon struggle to find their ways to the other, will they allow God to direct bring their separate dreams together as one?

9. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Book #1 in the VA VA VA BOOM series, by Allison Bottke from David C. Cook. When life is a dance and Disco is a state of mind, it’s Mamma Mia goes Vegas!

HAPPY READING!