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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

2011 IRCA - Inspirational Reader's Choice Award Winners

Many congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award!
*Long Contemporary*

1) Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale)

2) Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena Miller (Summerside)

3) The Six-Liter Club by Harry Kraus (Howard)

*Short Contemporary*

1) White Roses by Shannon Taylor Vannatter (Barbour ˆ Heartsong Presents)

2) Rodeo Redemption by Teri Wilson (White Rose)

3) Tender Mercies by Mary Manners (White Rose)

*Long Historical*

1) The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House)

2) A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin (Revell)

3) Abbie Ann by Sharlene MacLaren (Whitaker House)

*Short Historical*

1) A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher (Zondervan)

2) Walker’s Wedding by Lori Copeland (Harvest)

3) The Substitute Bride by Janet Dean (Steeple Hill)

*Women’s Fiction*

1) Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson)

2) Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart (FaithWords)

3) The House on Sugar Plum Lane by Judy Duarte (Kensington)

*Romantic Suspense*

1) Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason (Revell)

2) Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze (Waterbrook)

3) Nightshade by Ronie Kendig (Barbour)

*Novella*

1) Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Anita Higman (Summerside)

2) A Bodine Family Christmas by Marta Perry (Steeple Hill)

3) The Snowflake by Jamie Carie (Broadman and Holman)

The Duggar Family - FREE Stuff - Amazon.com Promotion!!


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    A Love That Multiplies: An Up-Close View of How They Make it Work
  1. Purchase A Love That Multiples and/or The Duggars: 20 and Counting Print Books.
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  3. Provide your first name, Amazon Sales Number and your email address and hit Send.
  4. A return email will be sent to you containing all of the discount codes and free offers.
All coupon codes will expire on July 5, 2011 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time.
Mark the dates June 28-30, 2011 and get huge discounts and free stuff!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Apologies for Spotlight Delays

For those of you coming here this week and looking for the guest blog from a featured author, I apologize. I had a corrupted file on my computer after installing the latest service pack, and now most of my commonly-used programs won't open or display properly.

One of those is my mail program where my guest blog content is saved.

I'm working hard to repair this corrupted file, but it might not be until the weekend. Until then, stay tuned. And feel free to view the other spotlights here, or the rest of the web site.

Thank you for your continued support. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Welcome Margaret Daley and Protecting Her Own

This week, we have another Margaret in the spotlight. :) She has sold 75 books so far and keeps on writing!

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. Your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


MARGARET DALEY is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the ACFW Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Golden Quill Contest, FHL’s Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, Holt Medallion and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines, romantic suspense for Abingdon Press and historical romance for Summerside Press. She has sold seventy-five books to date.

Margaret is currently the President for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization of over 2200 members. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.

PROTECTING HER OWN
by Margaret Daley
Published by Steeple Hill/Love Inspired Suspense

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nothing short of her dad's stroke could bring professional bodyguard Cara Madison back to Virginia. But her homecoming turns explosive with a pipe-bomb package addressed to her father. Cara knows two things for sure. First, someone's after either her father or her…or both. And second, this job is too big to handle on her own. Unexpected help comes from agent Connor Fitzgerald. Years ago she'd walked away from him…and love. Now, despite their unresolved feelings, they must join forces—and settle their scarred past—to survive.

Readers, buy your copy of Protecting Her Own (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Falling in Love Without Falling in Bed
By Margaret Daley

The Five Love Languages
from Gary Chapman

When two people are in a relationship, it is important for each one of them to demonstrate in some way the importance of the other in his/her life. The problem often arises in a relationship when these two people don’t speak the same love language. They don’t speak to the other’s deepest emotional need (a need that has been shaped by their childhood). We want to be loved by the other and valued as worth loving by that person. So how you express your love is important in a relationship. You may be saying, “I love you,” to your significant other, but he isn’t hearing it because he doesn’t speak your language.

These are the five love language:

1) Words of Affirmation-Some people need to hear the words from their loved one to believe they are loved. They need verbal compliments and praises.

2) Receiving Gifts-To others the receiving of a gift from their loved one tells them they are loved by that person. The gifts don’t necessarily have to be expensive. The thought behind the gift is what is most important. It tells the person he was thinking about her. In a time of turmoil the gift of your presence can be what is valued the most.

3) Acts of Service-There are some who need love expressed through doing something for them. It could be something like doing the dishes or taking out the trash. It is important the act of service is given freely, not demanded.

4) Quality Time-Another love language is spending quality time with your loved one. I don’t just mean being with him. I mean really talking and listening to him. You must be totally focused on him to the exclusion of everything else. Within this are also quality activities. When doing things together, one should want to do the activity and the other has agreed. You are showing your love by doing the activity together.

5) Physical Touch-A touch on his arm as you walk by, holding hands on a couch, or a back rub when he is tense can be to some an expression of love. There are many levels of physical touch and not all have to be intimate to show you love someone.

With your characters determine which love language he/she speak and use that in your story to show love as well as to keep a distance between two people.

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Which love language are you? Why do you say that?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

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

Friday, June 03, 2011

Welcome Julie Carobini and Fade to Blue

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. IF there is a book giveaway, your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


JULIE CAROBINI grew up as Julie Navarro, in a family of truly right-brained individuals. Among them you’ll find writers, artists, and musicians, all willing to talk about the arts at a moment’s notice.

After growing up in Los Angeles, she landed in Ventura County where she made great friends, met Jesus, and fell in love with the dashing Dan Carobini. Despite serious illness and three children delivered by C-section, she managed to hone her lifelong love for writing and sell a few articles. She also edited books for several distinguished authors. Over the years, she's published several hundred articles and stories in magazines and books. As she wrote, she found a common theme cropping up: family, the sea, and God’s timely work in the lives of those around her. She thought it was time to incorporate those into novels. But God shut both doors and windows. So she continued to write and dream and raise her kids with Dan. Eventually she decided to write romantic seaside novels, and that’s where she found her voice.

When she's not writing, marketing, or editing for others, she's driving her kids around town, imagining that her mid-sized SUV is actually a sleek sailing yacht.

FADE TO BLUE
by Julie Carobini
Published by B&H Books

ABOUT THE BOOK

How do you restore a soul? One brush stroke at a time ...

Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer, and won't allow her ex-husband's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, Suz moves with her child across the country to California's central coast, and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the sea.

But even dreams have shocking twists. To her surprise, a serious old flame, Seth, works at the castle and jumbles the new aspirations in Suz's heart. While sorting through their past and a palette of spiritual differences, an even bigger brush with yesterday awaits.

Suz must learn to let God be the true restorer of all that once seemed lost.

Readers, buy your copy of Fade to Blue: An Otter Bay Novel today!

MY REVIEW


I don't often have the opportunity to read contemporary fiction. With the time spent researching for my own historical novels and reading other historical novels to stay up to date on what's selling on the market, contemporary novels usually fall by the wayside. But with Julie's Fade to Blue, I took the time. And I'm glad I did.

Julie has a gift for making characters and settings come alive. Having spent most of my life on the East Coast and within an hour of sandy beaches, this book brought back a lot of memories and made me feel as if I were sitting in a lounge chair in that very same sand I once enjoyed.

This book is yet another perfect summer romance as the story of Seth and Suz unfolds. The five years they spent apart carries a lot of burden for both of them. With a divorce hanging on her belt and a young son to raise, Suz faces her hurdles and the hurts of her past with sometimes aching reality. Seth is there in an attempt to help pick up the pieces, but his presence only reminds her of the pain. And the memories of their mistakes makes them both real to the reader. As the flames of attraction are fanned yet again, the realization of second chances becomes a glimmering possibility.

Julie offers a delightful summer read, full of more than romance to satisfy your yearning for a good story. Perfect to escape into the fun and the sun. Be sure to take this book with  you!


AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Hi Everyone,

Julie Carobini (www.juliecarobini.com) here. My recent release, Fade to Blue, is set in and around the famed Hearst Castle, designed by architect Julia Morgan. Morgan was the first female to graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Civil Engineering, and later, the first woman to receive a certificate in architecture from Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

On a recent tour of the sprawling castle located on California’s central coast, my husband, Dan, and I were shown this lean-to off one outer wall. This was Julia Morgan's office. Can you imagine? Ms. Morgan spent nearly thirty years working on that hill with some of the most expensive pieces of art from all over Europe, creating a lavish castle that hosted A-list celebrity guests ~ and she worked in a tiny, nearly windowless office. Phew, that woman got a lot done!

With the hot breath of another deadline scorching my neck, I myself am looking for a non-distracting place to write. So, I'm wondering ... do you think they rent that thing out?

Seriously, here’s my question for you, dear readers: What do you do to ramp up your productivity? I’m all ears!

* * * * *

Thank you, Julie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: What do you do to ramp up your productivity?

ENTRY RULES Readers, IF there is a book giveaway, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

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

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

2011 Editor & Agent of the Year Finalists!

They have just been announced! The 2011 Agent and Editor of the Year nominations have been reviewed, and the list has been narrowed down to 3 deserving individuals in each group.

A substantial amount of congratulations goes out to these noteworthy finalists:


EDITOR OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Andrea Doering – Revell Books
Sarah Long – Bethany House
Charlene Patterson – Bethany House

AGENT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Rachelle Gardner – WordServe Literary
Joyce Hart – Hartline Literary
Mary Sue Seymour – Seymour Agency


Congratulations, ladies! The winners in each category will be announced at the ACFW Award Gala on September 24th, 2011, in St. Louis, Missouri. Until then, you will all have to sit on pins and needles! :)

June 2011 - ECPA Fiction Best-sellers

1 Leaving - Bailey Flanigan Series #1         Karen Kingsbury

 2 The Judgment       Beverly Lewis

 3 The Journey      Wanda Brunstetter

 4 The Priest's Graveyard     Ted Dekker

 5 Unlocked      Karen Kingsbury
   
 6 Redeeming Love     Francine Rivers
        
 7 Her Mother's Hope      Francine Rivers
  
 8 Lineage of Grace       Francine Rivers

 9 Vicious Cycle       Terri Blackstock

 10 The Thorn      Beverly Lewis

 11 The Shack        William P. Young
      
 12 Against the Wind     Brock & Bodie  Thoene
  
 13 Sons of Encouragement      Francine Rivers
  
 14 False Pretenses         Kathy Herman

 15 A Heart for Home          Lauraine Snelling
  
 16 Abigail's New Hope         Mary Ellis
   
 17 Her Daughter's Dream         Francine Rivers
    
 18 Screwtape Letters      C. S. Lewis 


 19 On Hummingbird Wings         Lauraine Snelling

 20 Lightkeeper's Ball          Colleen Coble

June 2011 - New Releases in Christian Fiction

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW FictionFinder website.

A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley -- Romance from Thomas Nelson. Trouble may follow Lucy wherever she goes, but with the help of God and the rugged, reclusive David Wolf, she'll never face adversity alone.

Behind the Badge by Susan Sleeman -- A Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense. Can a rookie sheriff's deputy find a killer before the killer takes the lives of the people she loves?

Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love -- General Fiction from Thomas Nelson. Unless she can let go of her fears and learn to trust again, Ada may lose the heart of a good man.

Broken Wings: A Novel by Carla Stewart -- General Fiction from Faith Words (Hachette). One woman clings to her memories. The other wants to erase hers. A story of an unlikely friendship birthed in providence and bathed in grace.

Forever After (A Hanover Falls Novel) by Deborah Raney -- General Fiction from Howard (Simon & Schuster). A series of arson fires at Hanover Falls rebuilt homeless shelter threatens its residents and casts new suspicions about the original fire.

Home Sweet Home by Kim Watters -- Romance from Love Inspired. Finding a home is all Abby dreamed about, until she discovers the man she falls in love with has a less permanent agenda.

Idaho Brides by Erica Vetsch -- Romance from Barbour. Experience the Wild West through the eyes of the three McConnell brothers who long to overcome their troubled childhood as drunkard’s sons.

Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa by Melanie Dobson -- Romance from Summerside Press. As the rest of the nation is embroiled in the Civil War, the Amana Colonies have remained at peace—until now.

Protecting Her Own by Margaret Daley -- Thriller/Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense. Protecting her own father when an assailant targets him, bodyguard Cara Madison with Connor Fitzgerald, an ex-boyfriend, searches for a would be killer while fighting her feelings toward Connor.

Purple Knot by Raquel Byrnes -- Romance from White Rose. With her faith shaken and her world cast in shadows, can Reyna trust the God she believes abandoned her?

Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond -- Romance from Thomas Nelson. How could a marriage possibly work when the couple has only exchanged a few letters?

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo -- Romance from Waterbrook/Multnomah (Random House). Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away

The Irresistible Earl by Regina Scott -- A Romance from Love Inspired Historical. If Chase Dearborn, the powerful Earl of Allyndale, found Meredee Price's family in Scarborough, surely he'd continue his quest to challenge Meredee's stepbrother to a duel. Meredee is determined to avoid the earl at all costs.

The Story in the Stars, Gateway to Gannah, Book 1 by Yvonne Anderson -- Fantasy from Risen Books. The inhabitants of the planet Gannah are known as bloodthirsty savages who once tried to conquer the galaxy. Now a plague has ravaged the planet and only one survivor remains.

The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser -- General Fiction from Bethany House. The Sweetest Thing is the story of two girls--opposites in every way--fighting for the same thing: survival amidst tumultuous change.

The Wedding Season: The Gentleman Takes a Bride by Louise M. Gouge -- Romance from Love Inspired Historical. Surely Elizabeth Moberly was born to be a nobleman's bride. She can't possibly be attracted to the untitled stranger who interrupts her cousin's wedding.

Under a Desert Sky by DiAnn Mills -- General Fiction from Summerside Press. A race from danger...straight into the arms of love.

Welcome Margaret Brownley and A Vision of Lucy

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. Your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


MARGARET BROWNLEY: Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

So that’s what Margaret did. She now has more than 25 novels and novellas to her credit and has been published in 15 languages. The first book in her Rocky Creek series A Lady Like Sarah was a 2010 Women of Faith selection, and Romance Writers of American RITA finalist. Her next book A Vision of Lucy released in June.

Happily married to her real life hero, Margaret and her husband live in Southern California, and have three grown children.

A VISION OF LUCY
by Margaret Brownley
Published by Thomas Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOK

More Love and Laughter in the Old West

From Bestselling Author Margaret Brownley

Trouble may follow Lucy wherever she goes, but with the help of God and the rugged, reclusive David Wolf, she'll never face adversity alone.

Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. If she can earn money making photographs, then maybe her father will see that what she does is worthy, more than just a distraction. And her deepest hope is that he'll see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, a painter. But trouble follows Lucy on every photo shoot: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf, a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of town, she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of her life: Lucy meets someone who sees her as no one else has-as the compassionate, creative young woman that God made in His image. And Lucy helps David uncover a secret that forces him to change his perspective on an event that left him deeply-scarred.

God's arms are around this unlikely couple as they discover the truth about long-held assumptions and the importance of forgiveness.

Readers, buy your copy of A Vision of Lucy (A Rocky Creek Romance) today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Sage Advice for Photographers from A VISION OF LUCY
  • When photographing stampeding cattle, charging bulls or blazing shoot-outs, use a fast shutter speed.
  • Brides, take pity on your photographer. Matthew S. Brady and his helpers were able to record the entire War Between the States with little more than 1100 photographs. Half that number should satisfy most brides.
  • Doctors, do not look at the camera like it’s a patient needing help through death’s door. Such a pose will speak ill of you, and it won’t do much for your practice, either.
  • A man imagines himself more handsome than his photograph; a woman believes herself more homely.
  • While posing for a photograph spinsters should avoid looking desperate or deprived. A serene smile will show that your circumstances are by choice and not for lack of beauty or character.
SAY CABBAGE

In 1850, Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife. After reading about her I just had to write about a lady photographer. Of course, the heroine of A Vision of Lucy doesn’t deliver babies but she still finds plenty of ways to get into trouble.

I loved writing about old time photography and have nothing but awe for the brave souls who first took camera in hand. Not only did they contend with unwieldy equipment but also dangerous chemicals and exploding labs.

Women had an advantage over male photographers who were often confounded by female dress. This explains why one photographer advertised in 1861 for an assistant, “Who Understands the Hairdressing Business.” Women also had a few tricks up their leg of mutton sleeves—or rather their skirts. Elizabeth Withington invented a “dark thick dress skirt” to use as a developing tent when she traveled.

Those cheerless faces in early photographs were partly due to vices that held heads still for long periods of time. Photographers used all sorts of devices to hold a client’s interest. One even had a trained monkey. Another photographer had a canary that sang on command. Mechanical birds were a favorite gimmick and “Watch the birdie” became a familiar refrain in studios across the country.

Magazines and newspaper ran ample advice for posing. An 1877 edition of The Chicago Inter-Ocean advised women with large mouths to say the word “Flip,” although one photographer preferred the word “Prunes.” If a small mouth was the problem the word “Cabbage” would make it appear larger.

Not everyone was enamored with cameras. One dog owner put up a sign warning “photographers and other tramps to stay away” after his dog had an unfortunate run-in with a tripod.

Did photography have a bearing on the suffragette movement? Indeed, it did, but it appeared to be more of a detriment than a help. The photographs of militant suffragettes or women dressed in bloomers did more harm than good.

If you think America was tough on suffragettes, think again. The women’s rights movement was considered the biggest threat to the British Empire. According to the National Archives the votes-for-women movement became the first "terrorist" organization subjected to secret surveillance photography in the world.

Photography has come a long way since those early daguerreotype days. One can only imagine what the brave souls of yesteryear would think of today’s “aim and click” cameras. Nowadays you can’t even drive down the street without having your picture taken. But as Lucy would say, Never leave the house unless you’re ready for your close up.

~ ~ ~

Before I ride off into the sunset I want to tell you that I’m looking for a reader’s dog to feature in one of my upcoming books. The dog will belong to Lucy’s brother Caleb. I liked him so much I decided to give him his very own book. So if you think your dog has what it takes to be a furry sidekick for a doctor in the Old West Go to my website for details: www.margaretbrownley.com

* * * * *

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Having your photograph taken in the 19th and early 20th centuries was serious business. A person might have only one photograph taken in a lifetime. How has the ease of taking pictures today changed your view of picture taking? Do you think we place more or less value on photographs today? Was there ever a time that you felt a camera was intrusive?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

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