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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Guest Blogger Ava Pennington and One Year Alone with God

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AVA PENNINGTON  is a writer, Bible teacher, and speaker. She is the author of One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God, endorsed by Kay Arthur. She is co-author of Faith Basics for Kids, including Will I See You Today? and the award-winning Do You Love Me More? Ava has also written for numerous magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, and contributed to more than twenty anthologies, including sixteen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Visit her website: www.AvaWrites.com.

ONE YEAR ALONE WITH GOD: 366 Devotions on the Names of God
by Ava Pennington
Published by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the daily devotional One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God, author Ava Pennington examines the biblical names of God through 366 daily readings and helps readers discover what those names mean for their own faith.

Readers will learn how a particular name of God provides insight into his character, how those attributes affect them individually, and how they should relate to others. Pennington examines each of God’s names for three days, applying these three perspectives to our lives.

Each devotion looks at a particular name of God and includes a passage of Scripture, questions for reflection, and a prayer.

One year from now, will you be able to say that you know God better than you did before? Revitalize your devotional life with an intimate journey through the names of God.

The next 366 days will pass quickly—make each one count!

Readers, buy your copy of One Year Alone with God today! Also available at Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Wooed to the Dark Side?

I write non-fiction. All sorts of non-fiction, including devotions, personal stories, Bible studies, humor, editorials, and teaching pieces, to name just a few genres. I’ve published a devotional endorsed by Kay Arthur—One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God and co-authored two picture books—Do You Love Me More? and Will I See You Today?

But I don’t write fiction.

Oh, I’ve tried my hand at it a few times. I wrote a novel seven years ago. Finished it, actually. But I promise you, I will never show it to another person. My dear hubby has instructions to burn it in the event of my demise. Still, it was a terrific (maybe terrifying is more accurate) exercise in learning how much I didn’t know about writing fiction.

I did start writing another novel a few years later. Didn’t get very far before I put it away. I wasn't ready. There was still so much I needed to learn.

A friend suggested I join American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). I hesitated. After all, ACFW is for novelists, and I write non-fiction. Even if I did want to write a novel someday, I wasn’t ready to be wooed to the dark side just yet. I was doing quite well…or so I thought. Besides, how could learning to write better fiction help a non-fiction writer?

How could it not?

Whether the skill set involved voice, POV, plot, structure, dialogue, or character development, my non-fiction writing benefitted as I studied the craft. My articles are tighter. Descriptions are more vibrant. Teaching is clearer. Creative non-fiction short pieces are more animated, demonstrated by publication in more than twenty anthologies.

My fiction abilities are also improving. I wrote a short story published last year in Christian Fiction Online Magazine (have you CFOMed yet?). Of course, the more I learn, the more I learn how much I need to learn.

My first love is non-fiction. Writing One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God wasn’t work, it was (cliché alert!) a labor of love. Spending time with the Lord, searching for the right words to describe His character and His ways, and experiencing the joy of sharing what He has been teaching me about Himself was an experience like none other. I hope you’ll find it a blessing in your own relationship with Him.

Still, that unfinished novel has been calling my name.

I may yet be wooed to the dark side. :)

* * * * *

Thank you, Ava, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: In what way are you stepping outside your comfort zone?

This week, there is no giveaway. But please do interact with our author, Ava, and thank her for taking the time to visit. As much as readers enjoy getting to know authors, we authors love to hear from readers too!

Friday, November 16, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano

BOOK REVIEW
Title: A Change of Fortune
Author: Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House

All right, so it's no secret that I'm a historical fiction author, which means so much of my world is surrounded by reading and writing and researching historical fiction. I've been reading and studying it for so long, it's difficult to "wow" me in terms of quality stories and writing. Most of that is because I simply don't have the time to explore a large number of different authors hoping to find those gems, but it's also because with 2 little ones under foot, I have to split my reading and writing time out of the limited snippets of time I have available. So, when I find a top-notch author worthy of occupying a spot on my rather small bookshelf, I am sure to sing his/her praises.

This is the case with debut author Jen Turano. Not only do I have the privilege of sharing the wonderful state of Colorado with Jen, but I've even shared a meal with her--the first of which I hope is only the beginning.

For those unaware, there is a "sneak peak" at Hamilton in Jen's A Gentleman of Her Dreams novella, but that glimpse didn't even begin to peel back the layers of his amazing personality. And Eliza? Just how much trouble can a woman robbed of her fortune get into? If you want to know, you'll have to read this book. And trust me when I say you will not be disappointed. Eliza and her antics will keep you turning pages until the last, but a word of warning. Be sure you aren't drinking or eating while you're reading, or you might soil the book (or shower the eBook screen). You also might want to avoid reading if your spouse is sleeping next to you, lest your guffaws stir him/her awake.

I saw another review liken Jen to author Mary Connealy writing regency, and that is an excellent comparison. Humor isn't easy to write in historical novels, and even less so in the Regency/Colonial era. Jen pulls it off with hilarious success. I tip my hat to Jen Turano on this smashing debut!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

CFBA Presents Jen Turano and A Change of Fortune

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Change of Fortune
Bethany House Publishers (November 1, 2012)
by
Jen Turano

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jen grew up in the small town of St. Clairsville, Ohio, where she spent an idyllic childhood riding her purple spider bike, ice-skating on a little pond and reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon books in her tree house. High School was, surprisingly enough, fabulous as Jen spent time with her girlfriends. She headed off to college with no idea of what she wanted to be when she grew up, but settled on pursuing a career in fashion because she thought it sounded glamorous. Her parents thought she’d lost her mind, but they resigned themselves to her choice and after earning a BA degree in Clothing and Textiles, Jen set off to take the fashion world by storm, only to discover retail was certainly not the glamorous career she’d imagined it would be. She moved to Buffalo, New York to take a job in the buying office of a large department store, learning all there was to know about cookware, which again, was hardly glamorous, especially to a girl who did not have a knack for cooking. She met her future husband, Al, a few months after taking this job and eight months later, they were married. After moving into management at another department store and working that for a few years, the company went out of business and Jen decided she’d had enough. One year later her son was born and Jen hung up her heels for good and concentrated on being a mom.

She began dabbling in writing when her son, then in elementary school, said he liked her made up stories as much as those in his books. It was then that she fired up the computer and never looked back.

Jen loves to write humorous stories with quirky characters and a dash of intrigue and finds historical romances especially appealing, seeing as how she’s been reading them since she was a teenager. Her mother gave her a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss, The Flame and the Flower, and Jen was hooked on the genre. When not reading romance, she loves to read mysteries, young adult and her favorite series of all time, Harry Potter.

Besides writing, Jen enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiance, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Change of Fortune, go HERE.

MY REVIEW

All right, so it's no secret that I'm a historical fiction author, which means so much of my world is surrounded by reading and writing and researching historical fiction. I've been reading and studying it for so long, it's difficult to "wow" me in terms of quality stories and writing. Most of that is because I simply don't have the time to explore a large number of different authors hoping to find those gems, but it's also because with 2 little ones under foot, I have to split my reading and writing time out of the limited snippets of time I have available. So, when I find a top-notch author worthy of occupying a spot on  my rather small bookshelf, I am sure to sing his/her praises.

This is the case with debut author Jen Turano. Not only do I have the privilege of sharing the wonderful state of Colorado with Jen, but I've even shared a meal with her--the first of which I hope is only the beginning.

For those unaware, there is a "sneak peak" at Hamilton in Jen's A Gentleman of Her Dreams novella, but that glimpse didn't even begin to peel back the layers of his amazing personality. And Eliza? Just how much trouble can a woman robbed of her fortune get into? If you want to know, you'll have to read this book. And trust me when I say you will not be disappointed. Eliza and her antics will keep you turning pages until the last, but a word of warning. Be sure you aren't drinking or eating while you're reading, or you might spoil the book (or eBook screen). You also might want to avoid reading if your spouse is sleeping next to you, lest your guffaws stir him/her awake.

I saw another review liken Jen to author Mary Connealy writing regency, and that is an excellent comparison. Humor isn't easy to write in historical novels, and even less so in the Regency/Colonial era. Jen pulls it off with hilarious success. I tip my hat to Jen Turano on this smashing debut!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Return to God - Post-Election Musings


(Cross-posted already on Facebook)

So...it's been almost a week since the sad report of our president receiving a 2nd term and given the opportunity to continue his downward spiral plan for America. As I've said before, I wasn't happy about either candidate, but at least Romney had the experience and the passion to start the process of setting American right financially and desired to pass laws that would help us on a moral level.

I can't count the people with whom I've spoken who said they voted for Obama solely because they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a non-Christian. What?!? So, instead, they voted for a man who "claims" Christianity, yet who is proud to say the Muslim prayers touch his soul and are the most beautiful thing on earth? Nevermind the reports that he's actually a foreign national and not an American citizen. But that's a whole other issue.

It saddened me last week when a man with morals, principles, and character lost to a man who supports gay marriage, abortion (even up to the point of birth), and a welfare mentality. But it saddens me more when people (and even bonafide Christians!) voted for Obama because is "said" he's a Christian, yet there isn't a single shred of evidence in his life that shows this.

Call me crazy, but I've always believed the proof is in the pudding, or the fruit will showcase the type of tree. Sorry, but Obama is NOT a Christian. I'll even go so far as to say he's a Muslim in secret with the desire to eliminate the one true God from America. He has an agenda to discredit America while doing everything he can to bring as many American citizens under government control/dependency as he can, thereby shifting us into a socialist instead of a capitalist country.

Our freedoms are being stripped away one by one, and far too many are sitting back, letting it happen.

Now, more than ever, those of us who truly ARE Christians (in our lives, our faith, and our beliefs, not just our words) need to bathe our country in prayer. We can't simply sit idly by and allow evil to take control. We've sat back long enough and allowed immoral behavior to become commonplace in our families, our children, and our neighbors. Families are falling apart, marriage is being redefined, babies are being murdered, the sacred sexual relationship--designed for husbands and wives--is being celebrated as a "try-it-before-you-buy-it" buffet smorgasbord, and immorality is favored over taking a moral stance.

It's OUR turn to take a stand for what's right and not let the "politically correct" sway us or cause us to sacrifice our values simply because our culture has decided to embrace the "well it's ok for them even if it's not ok for me" mentality. Right and wrong has been pushed aside for fifty shades of gray when it comes to morality. If we truly love our country and the one true God who blessed it from the start, we need to stop being doormats and start pushing back. If we don't stand up for something, we'll fall for anything, and that's sadly where this once-blessed nation has gone.

2 Chronicles 7:14 should be our daily guide. "...and if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land..."

We sure could use some divine healing!

Thursday, November 01, 2012

November 2012 New Releases in Christian Fiction

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

A Wild Goose Chase Christmas by Jennifer AlLee — An heirloom quilt, secret messages, a hyper dog, and a possible treasure make for an unforgettable Christmas. (Contemporary Romance from Abingdon Press).

Freefall by Jodie Bailey — A soldier teams up with a retired commando, an undercover agent, and her ex-husband to uncover a drug smuggler, and while one man wins her love, another tries to destroy her. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Christmas Stalking by Margaret Daley — Bodyguard Ellie St. James has one objective : protect her client without letting her know, but there’s an expected complication–Colt Winfield. They must trust each other to guard Colt’s grandmother, but someone wants to stop them. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

The Greenfield Legacy by Amanda Deed , Paula Vince, Meredith Resce and Rose Dee — How can one decision cause so much pain? Can it also bring hope? Four women. One story. (Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Even Before Publishing (Wombat).

Treacherous Skies by Elizabeth Goddard — A test pilot turned Learjet recovery man retrieves a jet only to find the kidnapped daughter of a Colombian drug lord concealed inside. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher — It’s the turn of the twentieth century and drifter Hugh Brennan is a man well acquainted with betrayal. Hugh finds himself drawn to the attractive widow, Julia, yet when he looks into her eyes, he recognizes the same hurt that haunts him. Julia Grace has little reason to trust men, but she’s going to have to trust someone if she’s to keep her ranch from the clutches of her dead husband’s half-brother. Is it possible God had a hand in bringing Hugh to her door? (Historical Romance from Zondervan).

Christmas Countdown by Vicki Hinze — FBI profiler, Maggie Mason and friend, Dr. Ian Crane, set out to catch a serial killer who’s trapped them in a deadly game of cat and mouse. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired).

Legacy of Love by Christine Johnson — An unemployed housekeeper searches for a lost fortune in the home of the mysterious man who first of all evicted her from her childhood home and then gives her a job. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).

Judge by RJ Larson — Biblical Fantasy Adventure: Kien Lantec struggles to fulfill his Creator’s commands, and to save his love, Ela of Parne, from a deadly vision. (High Fantasy/Spec Fiction from Bethany House (Baker).

Parrish the Thought: A Christine Sterling Mystery by Catherine Leggitt — The Golden Years have never been so dangerous! Unlovable people plague Christine Sterling’s world. Most difficult of all is Amanda Colter, a surly Goth teenager accused of murdering prominent Nevada City matron, Bessie Parrish. (Cozy Mystery from Ellechor Publishing House ).

Love Will Find a Way by Pamela S. Meyers — Someone doesn’t want Lovin’ Spoonfuls from April Love Catering to open and will go to any measure to stop it — including murder. (Cozy Mystery from OakTara Publishers).

Prophetess by Keven Newsome — One act of violence is not enough to fulfill Xaphan’s plans. One near escape does not justify Winter’s growing gift. There is more. She can feel it. The warnings swell within her. He’s searching for someone. A person of promise…a person of prophecy. And Winter must find her first. (Supernatural Suspense from Splashdown Books).

The Return of Miss Blueberry by Rachael Phillips — Callie Creighton ditches her Chicago lifestyle to be her hometown best friend’s bridesmaid during Plymouth’s Blueberry Festival. A decade after Callie fell off the Miss Blueberry float, will she fall for the gifted bad boy of her high school class who now claims he has turned to Christ? (Contemporary Romance from Heartsong Presents.

Soul’s Gate by James L. Rubart — What if you could send your spirit into other people’s souls to fight for their freedom? (Supernatural Suspense from Thomas Nelson).

Snowflake Sweethearts by Carrie Turansky — Bringing her daughter to the one place she feels safe, single mother Annie Romano returns to Fairhaven, Washington. Though hoping to start a new life as a personal chef, Annie accepts a different job. Alex Jameson, the handsome man she secretly loved as a teenager, needs a live-in caregiver for his ailing grandmother. A big-city workaholic in town temporarily, Alex doesn’t seem to realize how much he needs family, faith or love. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired).

A Bride Sews With Love in Needles, CA by Erica Vetsch — As Harvey Girl Meghan Thorson waits on doughboys at the El Garces Hotel in Needles, California, she meets Caleb McBride, a local horse breeder whom the townsfolk have branded a coward and profiteer. Will threads of love unite this couple, or will pride keep them forever apart? (Historical Romance from Barbour).

Guest Blogger Dave Bond and Sweet Music

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVID BOND  is blind. He lost his eyesight due to diabetic complications in 1988, less than two years after getting married. He was previously involved in different areas of the construction industry, from manual labor, to project management. One of his jobs involved drafting, in the days before CAD. He graduated from Reading Area Community College with an AS in Technical Illustration, and later, after losing his sight, graduated from Lancaster Bible College with a BS in Bible and a minor in Biblical Counseling. He was the Program Director for a ministry to victims of crime for five years until 2000.

David has been involved in writing since the early 2000’s. He was first published in an anthology, but began learning the craft of fiction following that. Authors like Gilbert Morris, and Richard Paul Evans, and a wide variety of authors have helped shape his style over the years.

David’s Christian faith is an important component in his writing. His stories involve characters who struggle with real-life issues, and who ultimately realize the God of the Bible is able to help them.

His stories are not meant to preach, but to model. Christians, or people unsure about Christianity, will find entertainment, emotional conflict, and resolution in his books. But always, Biblical principles and Godly character are demonstrated in the lives of his characters.

David lives near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, along with his wife and teenage son. They have a beagle who loves peanut butter, and can chew up any toy on the planet!

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE: BOOK 2 (SWEET MUSIC)
by David Bond
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing

ABOUT THE BOOK

Keith Weaver (Jessie’s brother from The Attaché), now a construction contractor, is hired by Allison Albright’s parents to remodel their house. Keith faces difficult financial and personal issues, with choices in front of him with no easy solution. Allison is engaged to a wealthy land developer. After postponing their wedding, setting a new date isn’t high on her fiancé’s priority list. Then, a diabetes diagnosis rocks Allison’s world, but so does Keith Weaver.

Readers, buy your copy of Sweet Music today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

The Life Of A Fiction Writer—Lonely, Arduous, and Rewarding!

First, the rewarding part: For new authors like me, which is a nicer way of saying, an unknown author, or an author nobody has heard of, the rewards aren’t much to brag about. I call the infrequent royalty checks, “pizza money.” The last check actually was enough to buy a pizza and a bag of chips! The real rewards for me are the satisfaction of knowing I’ve plotted out a story, created characters and a story line, and been able to type, “The End” at a given point in time!

Of course, I do hope to attain to a higher financial plateau some day. I have a plan, based on what some other new authors have done, which will hopefully translate to more exposure. Which, is the key for new authors. No matter how good our writing is, how well developed our stories are, without exposure in markets like Amazon, very few people are going to buy our books.

Okay, now onto the arduous part of the life of a fiction writer. The above embodies some of the struggles we face, but you can also add the ever-dreaded writers’ block phenomenon. Along with finding that in chapter 14, you failed to incorporate a vital element into the story, forcing you to rewrite scenes, and even previous chapters. Perhaps one of the worst things is losing chunks of work. I had just finished chapter 22 in an early novel I was working on, and accidently deleted chapters 21, and 22. Some authors have learned to bounce back from this, but this was early in my writing journey. The loss of this text was so devastating, it took me away from writing for over a year.

The film, “Finding Forrester,” featuring Sean Connery as an eccentric, reclusive writer, isn’t too far off the mark for some writers, including me. Although, I know many of my fellow writers like to take their laptops to a Starbucks WIFI capable shop and spend an hour or two writing, I could no more do this than walk a tight wire across Niagara Falls! A perfect writing day for me is when my wife is at work, and our son is in school. I don’t even listen to music, despite my love of music. Quiet, isolation is the formula I need to be able to concentrate. Since I don’t work from a detailed outline or plotting diagram, but mostly from the seat-of-the-pants, I often sit in my chair and think for long periods of time. My wife has stopped asking me when she sees me doing this, knowing I am thinking through a scene or plotting the next scene or chapter.

I’m pretty sure most writers of fiction land on a certain “formula” they’ve discovered works for them. And just as we have preferences in our writing environment, we also have differences in our goals and our motivations. One fellow writer has been writing a novel for years, and may still have years before the manuscript is finished. I am coming down the home stretch as I work on book 5, of 6 contracted books. I’ve had to keep to a tight schedule to complete a novel roughly every 4-5 months. Because I am disabled and unable to work in a regular job, I have the time to keep to this schedule. Which, is another aspect of my particular writing experience, and one I may perhaps expound on in some future post.

* * * * *

Thank you, Dave, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: We authors sometimes get hung up crafting main characters, heroes and heroines, who are all but perfect. How do you as readers feel about characters who are not perfect, not always beautiful or handsome, not always slender or well muscled? Maybe even disabled?

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 eBook copy of the book featured 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 anyone worldwide.