CFBA presents GONE TO GREEN by Judy Christie - WIN THE BOOK!

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingGone To Green(Abingdon Press - August 2009)byJudy Christie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Christie is a writer and consultant who lives in Northwest Louisiana. Gone to Green is her debut novel and launches this month as part of the new line of inspirational fiction from Abingdon Press. It is the first of a series set in Green, Louisiana. Judy is the author of the Hurry Less, Worry Less nonfiction series (also Abingdon Press) and loves to help busy people slow down and enjoy each day more. Her next book, Hurry Less Worry Less at Work, comes out in September. Judy likes to poke around flea markets, write in her journal and sit in the porch swing with a cup of coffee.


THE INTERVIEW

JA: You've written several non-fiction books, but this is your first novel. How do you feel being one of the debut authors for Abingdon Press's new fiction line?
JC: Thrilled. Scared. Hopeful. Thankful. I have enjoyed working with the wonderful Abingdon team on several nonfiction projects, and it’s a real blessing to be part of the fiction launch. Plus, the new Abingdon fiction writers are such a fun group. We have a great time!

JA: Gone to Green is about a big-city newspaper editor who moves to a small town to take over the local twice-weekly paper. How much of your own journalistic background came into play as you were writing the book?
JC: I was a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years and can tell you about the ink stains on the floor, the mold in the newsroom refrigerator and how to write a headline or a news story. That certainly came into play when I wrote Gone to Green. But I also called upon my many years as a Southerner and my love of small-town people. What surprised me as a new novelist was how the characters took on a life of their own and shaped the story in unexpected ways.

JA: Lois Barker finds life in Green to be nothing like she expected. What's your favorite thing about Lois?
JC: What I love most about Lois is that she is a strong, uncertain woman who is trying to find the right path for her life – and she needs a course correction here and there to become the woman she was created to be.

JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading Gone to Green?
JC: I hope readers are encouraged to see life as an interesting adventure and to take a leap of faith or two along the way. I know different readers receive unique messages from novels, depending on where they are in life, so I look forward to hearing what they get from this story.

JA: What's next for you in the writing arena?
JC: I’m happily and nervously working on Goodness Gracious Green and Green Through and Through, the next two novels in the Green series (2010 and 2011), and getting ready to start on Hurry Less, Worry Less for Moms (Spring 2011). I’m also looking forward to the release of Hurry Less, Worry Less at Work next month (September 2009) and Hurry Less, Worry Less for Families (Spring 2010). Whew! I need a nap!

JA: As the author of the Hurry Less, Worry Less books, what's one tip you can share with readers today to help them get more enjoyment out of life?
JC: Make a quick list (no over-thinking!) of what gives you energy and what drains your energy. Then do more of the first and less of the second. Remember: When you say “no” to one thing, you are saying “yes” to something else. (I can talk about this all day, but I believe we’re supposed to enjoy each day and have fun in life. If you’re not doing that, consider what needs to change.)

JA: The current theme of my blog is The Year of Dreams. If you could realize one life-long dream right now, what would it be?
JC: Love that theme and believe in dreaming big! The release of Gone to Green is a dream come true. I’d sure like to see Gone to Green and the rest of the series on the NYT and USA TODAY bestseller lists!

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
JC: Visit me at http://www.judychristie.com/ and sign up for my free e-newsletter. Visit me on Facebook (I love FB friends) or email at judy@judychristie.com.

Come on down to Green!


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Gone to Green, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 7th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Singing in the Dollar Tree

There are some things that I only buy at the Dollar Tree, like cotton rounds, mouth wash, and window cleaner. So I recently popped into my local store to stock up. The sound of Aha singing their '80s hit "Take on Me" bled weakly from the store's sound system. But off to my left, squatting on the floor and stocking a rack with packs of gum, was a young man. He was singing along, thoroughly enjoying himself.

As I walked by, he looked up, smiled, and said, "Good morning!" He'd already had me smiling at his personal concert of one, but now, I felt the smile.

I did my shopping and went to the check out. What do you know... the singer was now at the register, as polite and happy as ever. I told him how much I enjoyed his singing, and that I wished I would have been close enough to see if he hit the high note. He laughed and said thanks. Then he told me that he enjoyed his job.

Since I was the only one in line, we chatted a bit. I found out that he'd recently moved to Vegas from Detroit. He'd had a good job there in a sheet metal plant. But like so many others he lost his job when the plant closed and he couldn't find a new position. So now, this young man (probably in his late twenties) was living with his grandparents and working at the Dollar Tree. And so happy about it that he was singing.

I thought about that fellow a lot. He could have been a real sourpuss. He could have been rude and surly, taking his problems out on the world, making life hell for everybody around him. But instead, he chose to sing in the middle of the Dollar Tree. And because of that, not only did he feel good, but he made me feel good, as well.

I'm heading to church now, where there's sure to be singing. I know I'll sing in the car. And even if I don't sing at Target, or the grocery, or wherever I might be, I can still smile and have a singing spirit.

What about you? Where can you sing today?

Just for Fun: An Instructional Video from Thomas Nelson

The creative folk at Thomas Nelson have put together a light-hearted video titled "Some Assembly Required" which gives step-by-step instructions on how to put together a book display. As a former book store employee, I've put together more than one of these in my day. I'd say this video is pretty much right on the money. Enjoy!

Maureen Lang on Dreams - WIN HER BOOK!

The Longevity
of Dreams
by
Maureen Lang

How do you separate a dream from a whim? For me, the answer is found in longevity.

When I was a little girl, I dreamed about being all sorts of things. A veterinarian, a rancher, a teacher, a librarian. I’d think about it all the time, at least for the period of time I was interested in each vocation. I’d read books about the topic, talk to people about it, think about.

But eventually the desire to learn more would fade; I would end up, instead, thinking of story ideas that included veterinarians, ranchers, teachers or librarians. I found myself living out interesting vocations in a vicarious sense, through the “lives” of my characters.

I was quite young when I noticed the trend, but like many sensible people I reined in my loftiest visions of literary success. I wrote my stories, shared them with close friends, but never really thought I would depend on such a dream for a living. It was something I sensed I’d always be interested in, but I’d done enough investigating to have learned most writers didn’t earn enough solely from writing to support themselves.

But even if I didn’t dream of making millions from writing, I did still dream about sharing my stories with the widest possible audience—which meant seriously pursuing publication, no matter what kind of money it earned (or didn’t!).

So I nurtured my dream of publication by action, because clearly this dream was not going away. I just learned to keep my expectations reasonable. I joined a critique group, entered national contests for feedback, received encouragement from a network around me and continued learning by reading. But while I did all that I went about my life the way most of the other girls in my neighborhood did. I got married right out of high school, which was common back then. I would’ve loved going to college, but that wasn’t the path either my family or my environment encouraged. I was too much a pleaser to forge my own pathway separate from what was expected.

When I was in my early twenties I received a contract in the mail—a New York publisher wanted to publish one of my historical romances. That was my first taste of having my dream come true.

But could it still be called a whim, after all that? When my personal life went through some challenges, a divorce, single-parenthood, returning to the business world, I was forced to give up writing. As I’d suspected, despite three books published in the secular romance genre, writing didn’t pay enough to live on. And between working, being with my daughter and starting a new personal life, I just didn’t have the energy to write any more.

I didn’t write for fifteen years. My dreams of a steady career in the publishing world withered for lack of nourishment and attention.

However, deep inside, at the core, the dream never really died, even though from the look of things it certainly seemed that way. But I still read, I still had story ideas pop up every now and then. And eventually when my life settled down again, my writing dreams perked up as alive as ever.

I wrote whenever I could, as if a dam had burst and all those pent up words and images and characters had to flow. I’d remarried and had the security of being home, and from that place of safety found the time to pick up my dream again. It took about three years, but with persistence coupled with the re-entry into critique groups, networking at conferences, and stubborn refusal to let rejection get the best of me, I went on to my first contract in the Inspirational market.

My lesson? God hard-wired me to write, it’s been proven time and again by the simple fact that I’ve always returned to writing. As many writers say, I can’t not write. Being able to write for others is a dream come true, not a whim that passed away unnoticed from my life. I can safely say I’d be writing whether I keep publishing or not. My writing dream is too much a part of my real life to let that happen now!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maureen Lang is the author of several novels, including Christy finalist Pieces of Silver and the popular novel, The Oak Leaves. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. Learn more about Maureen at her website, http://www.maureenlang.com/.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Look to the East (Tyndale House Publishers)

At the dawn of the First World War, the small French village of Briecourt is isolated from all the battles but their own—among families that have been feuding for centuries. But when the German army sweeps in to occupy the town, families on both sides must work together to hide stragglers caught behind enemy lines. Even as Julitte Toussaint falls in love with one of the men in hiding, she knows if he’s found it could bring danger to her entire village.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Look to the East, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 3rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

CFBA presents SURRENDER THE WIND by Rita Gerlach - WIN THE BOOK!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingSurrender The Wind(Abingdon Press - August 2009)byRita Gerlach


THE BIO

Rita Gerlach lives with her husband and two sons in a historical town nestled along the Catoctin Mountains, amid Civil War battlefields and Revolutionary War outposts in central Maryland. She has published three historical novels, and is editor of Stepping Stones Magazine, an online website focused on marketing, and the promotion of writers. Her fourth book, Surrender the Wind, an inspirational historical romance set in Virginia and England, is due to be released from Abingdon Press in August 2009.

Visit her website at http://ritagerlach.com/


THE INTERVIEW

JA: Congratulations on being part of the Abingdon Press fiction launch. How does it feel to be striking out on such a grand adventure?
RG: Honestly, there have been times when I wanted someone to pinch me and wake me up. Being part of Abingdon’s fiction launch has been exciting and even though I’ve published three previous books through a pod publisher, I feel this is my first ‘real’ break. I feel so honored to have had Surrender the Wind chosen to be one of the books in the launch.

JA: Surrender the Wind is set during the American Revolution. What drew you to this period in history?
RG: The novel begins with a prologue on the day of the battle of Yorktown, then later moves to the post-war era. I think I’ve always had a romantic soul for days long ago. It is not the fashions, the modes, the historical dates and famous names that have intrigued me. What draws me to eras like the Georgian or Federal periods is how differently people lived, how the majority had strong faith, that men believed that their word was their bond, and that love and family were of greater significance than today.

JA: What would you say is the main theme of your book?
RG: It is two-fold. Inside the cover, readers will find this verse from Ecclesiastes 2:18-19. "I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless."

It is pretty much self-explanatory that we are on this earth a short time, and when the curtain is closing, everything we’ve labored for we must leave behind to others. In the story, Seth has inherited his grandfather’s estate in faraway England. His grandfather, Benjamin Braxton, changes his will at the last moment, and ponders the significance of all his labor and hopes that Seth will wisely use this inheritance for the good of his family.

The second part of the theme is reflected in the title. I chose this title carefully. I wanted it to really wrap up in three words what my main characters lived through and learned from their adversity. Wind represents their struggles, trials, and hardships, a force that battered them mercilessly. When we experience grief, pain, and rejection, surrendering all to Him who is able to help us through it, is the only way of finding peace and healing.


JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading Surrender the Wind?
RG: That when everything is said and done, in the end it all turns out all right. Love is the cohesive bond that helps us to face adversity. The message of Surrender the Wind is wrapped up in fidelity and forgiveness, and the surrendering to our Creator those winds that shove and batter us. I also hope they simply feel satisfied, and that they love this story so much they will keep the book on their bookshelf for many years.

JA: What's next for you in the writing arena?
RG: I have a file with several book ideas. Forgive me for not giving away the storylines. I am currently writing another novel entitled Beside Two Rivers and have a goal of being finished by October. Once my proposal is written I’ll submit it for publication.

JA: Tell us a bit about your online magazine, Stepping Stones.
RG: Stepping Stones started out as an e-newsletter for writers with lots of information, ideas, links, and so forth, pertaining to marketing. It then developed into a website/blog format and is now for both writers and readers. I’m doing more features on book releases, which interest readers.

JA: The current theme of my blog is The Year of Dreams. If you could realize one life-long dream right now, what would it be?
RG: Ah, to be as thin as I was when I was 21. But that may never happen, so I have to move on to other dreams. I’ve always had the desire to go to England and Scotland. My dream vacation there, with my hubby of course, would be to rent a car and travel the rural areas, stay at bed and breakfasts, visit castles and manor house, and take a month or an entire summer to do it.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
RG: The best way is to visit my website at http://ritagerlach.com/

Thanks for this interview, Jennifer. It was a pleasure and an honor.


ABOUT THE BOOK

A patriot of the American Revolution struggles with his loyalty to his country when he inherits his grandfather's estate in faraway England. Upon his arrival in Devonshire, he meets and falls in love with Juleah, the daughter of an eccentric landed gentleman. Amid the joys of new love, Seth and Juleah face tragedy and trial. A nephew is believed dead. A woman is found murdered in the woods. And most heartbreaking of all, Seth is told Juleah has perished in a fire. What is the truth behind these tragedies? One man holds the answer --- one that despises his American enemy for gaining the two things he wanted most --- Ten Width Manor and the woman he desired.

If you would like to read the Prologue of Surrender The Wind, go HERE

Watch the trailer:




WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Surrender the Wind, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 31st. (NOTE: I can only take entries on this one for those who live in the United States. Thanks for your understanding!) Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

An Interview with author Joyce Magnin - WIN HER BOOK!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joyce Magnin is the author of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. She is a mom and a grammie, and enjoys video games, needle arts, cream soda and football, but not elevators. And she is the caretaker of a neurotic parakeet who thinks she's a chicken.


THE INTERVIEW

JA: So how does it feel to have your debut novel also be part of Abingdon’s new fiction line?

JM: I'm honored and thrilled to be included in such a cast of talented writers.


JA: The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is about what happens in the town of Bright’s Pond when Agnes seems to receive miraculous answers to her petitions. What sparked this story in your mind?

JM: That is one question I've been dreading because I really can’t answer it. I can't pinpoint the moment when I thought, I'm going to write about a woman who apparently performs miracles. I hope that doesn't sound like a cop out but she evolved over several weeks.


JA: You also explore the relationship between Agnes and her sister Griselda, who narrates the story. What is your favorite characteristic about each of these ladies?

JM: Griselda wants everyone, especially her sister to be happy. Self-sacrifice is Griselda's word. Agnes is a skosh more difficult, maybe because I knew all along why she was praying but if I had to choose one characteristic I'd say loyalty.


JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow?

JM: Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone the Glory. And maybe a craving for pie.


JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?

JM: I'm working on my next novel for Abingdon—Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise. It involves a sacrifice also. But different. What's fun is that some of the people you meet in Bright's Pond will show up in Charlotte.


JA: On your website, you say you’ve had the writing bug since third grade. Was there a special person in your life who encouraged your passion to write?

JM: My third grade teacher, Mrs. Nichol. She was the one who told me I had a gift, yep, even at nine years old. And there have been other cheerleaders along the way, teachers, friends, Marlene Bagnull was hugely responsible for helping me along the way, my friend Pammy, Nancy Rue, Lisa Samson... oh boy many others. Maybe my father. Sometimes I think I got my storytelling ability from him.


JA: The current theme of my blog is The Year of Dreams. If you could realize one life-long dream right now, what would it be?

JM: You mean besides the book? I always wanted to live in Scotland and write stories in a little cottage near the water. That would be cool.


JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?

JM: Folks can visit me on my website, joycemagnin.homestead.com, my blog, joycemagnin.blogspot.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is the story of an unusual woman, Agnes Sparrow. No longer able or willing to leave her home, where she is cared for by her long-suffering sister Griselda, Agnes has committed her life to the one thing she can do—besides eat. Agnes Sparrow prays and when Agnes prays things happen, including major miracles of the cancer, ulcer-healing variety along with various minor miracles not the least of which is the recovery of lost objects and a prize-winning pumpkin.

The rural residents of Bright’s Pond are so enamored with Agnes they plan to have a sign erected on the interstate that reads, “Welcome to Bright’s Pond, Home of Agnes Sparrow.” This is something Agnes doesn’t want and sends Griselda to fight city hall. Griselda’s petitions are shot down and the sign plans press forward until a stranger comes to town looking for his miracle from Agnes. The truth of Agnes’s odd motivation comes out when the town reels after the murder of a beloved community member. How could Agnes allow such evil in their midst? Didn’t she know? Well, the prayers of Agnes Sparrow have more to do with Agnes than God. Agnes has been praying to atone for a sin committed when she was a child. After some tense days, the townsfolk, Griselda, and Agnes decide they all need to find their way back to the true source of the miracles--God.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 25th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

CFBA Presents MONTANA ROSE by Mary Connealy

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingMontana Rose(Barbour Publishing, Inc - July 1, 2009)by
Mary Connealy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary'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 thinks 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 wanted 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 keeps all this wit to herself, much to the relief of all who know her, and then writes 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 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


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

JEN'S THOUGHTS

I always get excited when a new Mary Connealy book comes out. And the first book in a new series is particularly exciting, because I know I'm going to meet characters I'll get to enjoy for awhile. As series starters go, Montana Rose is a fabulous start.

In Cassie Griffin, Connealy has created a woman who's been mistreated for so long, she doesn't even know it's happening. Forced to marry at fifteen, she believed her husband Griff, being much older and wiser, must know how things were supposed to work. It's not until she's eighteen and pregnant, after Griff dies and she must quickly marry Red Dawson, that Cassie realizes how oppressive her life had been.

Writing about an abused wife is tricky. Writing about an abused wife and still keeping the light hearted, comedic tone she's known for is even trickier. But Connealy handles it masterfully. There are laughs aplenty in this book, but there's also a ton of heartfelt emotion. The honest love that grows between Red and Cassie as they work together to build a home and a family can't help but touch readers.

Montana Rose gets five stars from me and is on my list of highly recommended books. I suggest you get in on the beginning of this very awesome new series. Enjoy!

Al & Suzanne Yankovic - Grammar Police

Here's a quick just-for-fun Friday video. It's self explanatory. Enjoy!





BTW, if you want to follow Al and Suzanne on Twitter, here you go:

http://twitter.com/alyankovic

http://twitter.com/suzanneyankovic

THE PASTOR'S WIFE - Now Available for Pre-Order!

I hope you're not getting sick of hearing me talk about my new book. But... I just have to let you know that it's available for pre-order now through Cokesbury. Even better, it's discounted to a mere $8.39, which is 40 percent off. What a bargain! The release date is February 2010, so if you order it now, you can have it in time for Valentine's Day. How romantic.

And in case this is the first time you've stumbled across my blog and have never heard of The Pastor's Wife, let me share a little about it...

He loves me...
He love me not...

Maura Sullivan never intended to set foot in Granger, Ohio, again. But when circumstances force her to return, she must face all the disappointments she tried so hard to leave behind: a husband who ignored her, a congregation she couldn’t please, and a God who took away everything she ever loved.

Nick Shepherd thought he had put the past behind him, until the day his estranged wife walked back into town. Intending only to help Maura through her crisis of faith, Nick finds his feelings for her never died. Now, he must admit the mistakes he made, how he hurt his wife, and find a way to give and receive forgiveness.

As God works in both of their lives, Nick and Maura start to believe they can repair their broken relationship and reunite as man and wife. But Maura has one more secret to tell Nick before they can move forward. It’s what ultimately drove her to leave him three years earlier, and the one thing that can destroy the fragile trust they’ve built.

The Importance of Daydreams by M.L. Tyndall - WIN HER BOOK!

It's my pleasure to welcome today's guest poster, author M.L. Tyndall, back to the blog!

Daydreams
by
M.L. Tyndall

When I was a kid, I spent much of my time daydreaming. You see, I didn’t have a very stable home life and I wasn’t popular in school. I was the nerdy, homely girl with the pimples who was too shy to strike up a conversation with anyone I didn’t know. Consequently, I often drifted away in my mind to a make-believe world where I was the princess who everybody loved and adored, rescued by a handsome prince who would then spend his life loving and caring for me. I always had an ongoing adventure playing out in my head, one that got often interrupted when I had to do some mundane task such as answer a question, take a test, or do a chore. For me, my imaginary world was more real than the world I lived in, a world that couldn’t possibly be the real world at all because it was so sad and hard and painful. As I look back on those years, I realize two things. One that God had given me an outlet, an escape from the pain of my childhood that kept me going when I probably would have given up, and two, in His providential wisdom, He was calling me to be a storyteller.

God gives us great dreams. Within each of us He implants a dream unique only to us. It is why He created us, our purpose. And when we find that purpose, we find fulfillment. Like Cinderella’s glass slipper, it is a perfect fit, unique only to us, and one that leads us into a world we only dreamed of before. So I encourage you, don’t ignore your daydreams, and don’t ignore those silent tugs upon your heart. Ask God to reveal to you their meaning and to show you the path to see them fulfilled.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M.L. 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/


ABOUT THE BOOK - The Blue Enchantress

Betrayed by the man she longed to marry, Hope Westcott is about to be auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder on an island in the Caribbean. After enduring a difficult childhood in an unloving home, Hope’s search for love and self-worth have led her down a very dangerous path. All she ever wanted was to find true love and open an orphanage where she could raise children with all the love she never experienced as a child. But how can a woman with a sordid past ever hope to run an orphanage, let alone attract the love of an honorable man?

Determined to overcome the shame of his mother’s past, Nathaniel Mason worked for many years to build his own fleet of merchant ships in an effort to finally acquire the respect of Charles Towne society. Ignoring the call of God on his life to become a preacher, he forges ahead with his plans for success at a distant port in the Caribbean, when he sees a young lady he knows from Charles Towne being sold as a slave. In an effort to save Hope, he is forced to sell one of his two ships, only to discover that her predicament was caused by her own bad behavior. Angry and determined to rid himself of her as soon as possible, Nathaniel embarks on a journey that will change the course of his life.

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 find true love and acceptance?


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of The Blue Enchantress , just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 17th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Vinnie's Diner... the Book Trailer

I'm sure by now you've seen book trailers popping up all over the place. They're the hottest new way for an author to market her work. For me, the blending of words, images and music is a no brainer... the perfect way to get across the feeling of a book in two minutes or less. So I naturally set out to make one for my next book, The Pastor's Wife, which releases in February 2010 from Abingdon Press. (You can scroll down to the bottom of the page to look at it, or see it on YouTube.)

Making trailers is fun. So much so that I decided to make one for a book I've written that is complete, but not contracted. In other words, this book isn't available in bookstores yet, but I hope it will be one day.

Without further ado, I present for your viewing pleasure, Vinnie's Diner.

Share Your Knowledge and Get Paid for It

I know that title kind of sounds like an informercial. In a way, I guess that's what this post is. But I was pretty jazzed to find out about an online source for my writing that actually pays money. And since the only reason I know about it is because of the other writers I know who shared the information, I thought I'd return the favor.

Examiner.com is sort of like an online newspaper. People write about subjects in their areas of expertise and are grouped based on their geographic location. For example, I am both the Las Vegas Writing Examiner and the Las Vegas Pop Culture Examiner.

Do you know everything there is to know about the great outdoors? Are you an expert in your professional field? Are you the one all your friends call if they miss an episode of LOST? Do you want to share your political observations with the world? Examiner may be a good venue for you.

You're probably wondering the big question: how much do I get paid? It's not going to sound like much... a little less than a penny per click. But it adds up. I made about $40 the first month, and I expect to more than double that this month. The key is finding ways to let people know your articles are out there.

If it sounds interesting, there's an application process which you can check out here. If you decide to apply, I'd appreciate it if you'd use me as a referral. And yes, I do get a referral bonus. At the bottom of the application is a box to Find Your Examiner. Click there and find me either by my name or Examiner title. Here's a video about the process.

If you've got any questions, drop me a line. Happy job hunting!

The Value of Face-to-Face Networking in a Twitter World

Don’t get me wrong. I love tweeting to my peeps and keeping up with Facebook buddies. I’ve made a lot of connections in the virtual world. My friend list includes newbie authors, published authors, editors, agents, and a bunch of old school friends I’d completely lost track of. I’ve connected with more people via social networking than I ever could have the old fashioned way, including a multi-published ABA author who I consider one of my writing inspirations. Obviously, I’m a fan of the online water cooler.

But sometimes, a writer has to stick her head out of the cave, venture squinting and hunch-backed into the sunlight, and interact with flesh and blood folk. And there’s no better place to do this than a writer’s conference.

I joined ACFW back in April 2007. I signed up for the email loop and began electronically meeting other authors. It was like a whole new world opened up to me. Even though I’d been writing for half my life, I was clueless to the concept of writers supporting each other. Really? There are groups that do that? What an amazing thing.

In September of 2009 I attended the ACFW conference in Dallas, TX. Not only was it my first ACFW conference, it was my first writer’s conference ever. I was more than a little nervous. But from the minute I set foot on Texas pavement, the world I thought couldn’t get any better, did. Standing in the queue for the Super Shuttle, I met other writers going to the conference. In the hotel, the lobby was swarming with excited, chatty writers. I’d fallen into writer-heaven.


Now, everything wasn’t peaches-and-cream-perfect at the conference. I had a very traumatic meeting with an editor. It was my first time pitching a story. It was a story I had written specifically for this house. And I found out my story was totally wrong for them. My spirits were crushed as I walked out of the room. Not because the editor had been mean to me (she hadn’t) but because I felt like a failure. But after I left that meeting, God put not one but three different people directly in my path. Three people who encouraged me, hugged me, empathized with me, and helped me see that my writing career had not just ended. You can’t get that kind of support on Twitter.

That evening, I reported for duty at the bookstore and was paired up at the checkout table with Lisa Richardson. We instantly clicked. When our shift ended, we headed out to dinner. We forged a friendship that night. (The above picture is of Lisa and I at the 2007 banquet.) Now, we critique each other’s work, support each other, share in highs and lows… we even share the same birthday, although I’m just a tad bit older than she is. While Lisa and I might have eventually met via the email loop, or Twitter, or Facebook, I doubt that we’d have developed the same kind of relationship. Only a face-to-face encounter can do that.

So definitely come to the conference to network with agents and editors. It’s one of your best chances to do so. But also come to grow friendships. Your life will be all the richer for it.

If you're in Denver this year, I'd love to meet you in person. Or, you can visit me online here:
My website
Twitter
Facebook

REVIEW: How Do I Love Thee? by Nancy Moser

In How Do I Love Thee, author Nancy Moser gives us a glimpse into the life of Elizabeth Barrett. The title refers, of course, to her famous poem. Including lines like “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,” I’ve always thought of Barrett as a passionate woman who lived a big life. Seems I didn't get that quite right.

The book opens with a housebound Barrett. In her thirties, she is already published and known for her poetry. But she is bedridden by a mysterious chronic illness that saps the energy from her. An overbearing father, whom she loves dearly, only complicates the issue. And so she has resigned herself to live life from the inside of a house.

When she strikes up an acquaintance with Robert Browning, something comes alive in her spirit. She begins to wonder if God has more for her, and if she has the strength to defy her father and find out what that is.

Moser is a master at breathing life into historical figures. She is also meticulous in her research, including a “Fact or Fiction” section in the back of each book. What you end up with is a novel that is just about as factually accurate as any biography, but much more entertaining.

How Do I Love Thee moves at a slow, languid pace, like much of Elizabeth's life. The language and details will make you feel like you have taken a step back into time and are watching the characters live out their lives. This is one to read in long, uninterrupted chunks. It’s the kind of book to enjoy on a quiet summer evening, your feet kicked up on the porch rail and a glass of sweet tea at your side.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The common thread in Nancy Moser’s novels is that everyone has a unique purpose—the trick is to find out what it is. Her genres include contemporary stories (The Good Nearby, Time Lottery, Sister Circle, John 3: 16) and historical novels that allow real women-of-history to share their life stories: Just Jane (Jane Austen), Mozart’s Sister (Nannerl Mozart), Washington's Lady (Martha Washington) and, How Do I Love Thee?(Elizabeth Barrett Browning.) You can find out more about Nancy and her books at her website.

Interview with Kay Marshall Strom - WIN HER BOOK!

A big welcome to today's guest, author Kay Marshall Strom!


THE BIO

Kay Marshall Strom is the author of thirty-four published books. Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, prize-winning screenplays, and the NIV Devotional Bibles. More and more her writing is taking her to the far corners of the world. Kay is a sought-after speaker both in this country and globally.


THE INTERVIEW


JA: You are the first of the authors from the Abingdon Press fiction launch to visit my blog. Welcome! How did you find out about AP’s new line, and what made you want to be part of it?

KMS: Wow, what an honor to be the first! Thanks so much. My first acquaintance with the line came by way of a three-book contract offer via my agent, and I loved the company from the start. Here’s why. I had written the proposal for this trilogy a couple years earlier, and my usual publishers all said the same thing: “We love the book, but we can’t publish it because it will make people feel guilty.” Guilty? Slavery is a profound part of our past. If we can’t face it, we have a huge problem.


JA: Your latest book, The Call of Zulina, takes place in 1787 in West Africa and is the story of Grace, a young woman who is made to face the brutality and ugliness of the family business – the capture and trade of slaves. What drew you to this story?

KMS: While I was in West Africa working on another project, I toured an old slave fortress and was struck dumb by a set of baby-sized manacles bolted to the wall. At the same time, I was researching Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, a book about the author of Amazing Grace, who was a slaver turned preacher and abolitionist. For awhile he was held captive by an Englishman and his African wife who ran a slave business. I couldn’t help but wonder, “If they had a daughter, would she be English or African? Where would her loyalties lie?” That’s where the story was born. The imagined daughter became Grace. The characters of Lingongo and Joseph Winslow, her parents, are modeled after that real-life couple.


JA: Grace has to face a lot of unpleasant truths about her family and herself. What do you most admire about her?

KMS: Her strength to go on despite the horrors that came her way. It’s the quality that has consistently impressed me about so many women I met in various parts of Africa… perhaps most of all in Sudan.


JA: What do you hope people take away when they finish reading The Call of Zulina?

KMS: The danger that comes from rationalizing away the evils we don’t want to face. Slavery is a glaring example. More than two hundred years after Grace’s time, our world is still paying the price of that horrible period of history. And what people don’t realize is that slavery isn’t over. Four times as many people are enslaved in the world today than in the 18th century! It’s time for 21st century abolitionists to stand up and be counted.


JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?

KMS: Well, since this is the first book of a trilogy… Also, it is just one of four books I have coming out this year—the other three are non-fiction, but on similar subjects. After I catch my breath and become reacquainted with my husband, I have another fiction trilogy planned, this one set in India. Also, I have been approached about going back to Sudan and writing about the displaced people who, after twenty-five years, are finally going home again.


JA: When you’re not writing, what’s the most fun thing you can think of doing?

KMS: This sounds silly, perhaps, but we have a spa hot tub on our patio, and my husband and I try to carve out at least half an hour each day to enjoy it. I love to luxuriate there and talk… or read… or doze. It is the most relaxing point of my day. My other great “not writing” joys are traveling and reading.


JA: The current theme of my blog is The Year of Dreams. If you could realize once life-long dream right now, what would it be?

KMS: Traveling around the world. I have done a good bit of traveling, but want to do more.


JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?

KMS: Check out my website at http://www.kaystrom.com/. Also, I am just putting together a website dedicated to the Grace In Africa series at http://www.graceinafrica.com/. Come visit there, too!


ABOUT THE BOOK - The Call of Zulina

Set in 1787 in West Africa, The Call of Zulina opens as the scorching harmattan winds blow. Desperate to avoid marriage to an odious suitor, Grace escapes the family compound only to be caught up in a slave revolt at the fortress of Zulina. Soon, she begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business. Held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace is finally jerked into reality and comes to sympathize with the plight of the captives. She admires their strength and courage and is genuinely moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom.

The Call of Zulina is available in fine bookstores everywhere and online from Cokesbury, Amazon, Christian Book Distributors, and others.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of The Call of Zulina , just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 11th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Abingdon Press launches fiction line... TODAY!

I'm bursting with pride to be among those celebrating the birth of a new Christian fiction line.

Abingdon Press, an imprint of The United Methodist Publishing House, has been in operation since 1789. Now beginning its ninth decade, it has a commitment to providing the best, most effective religious publications available. Which is obvious in this bold new venture. When other publishing houses are talking about scaling back, Abingdon has chosen to expand and enter the world of fiction.

I'm particularly excited about this because Abingdon is the publisher of my next book. The Pastor's Wife comes out in February 2010, but is available for pre-order through Cokesbury at a 40% discount. If you'd like a preview, scroll down to the bottom of this page and take a gander at the book trailer.

But now, it's time to toot the horns of four other very talented writers. Check out these titles, available now online and in fine book selling establishments near you!


Gone to Green by Judy Christie

In Gone to Green, Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.

While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.



Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach

Surrender the Wind is the story of Seth Braxton, a patriot of the American Revolution, who unexpectedly inherits his loyalist grandfather’s estate in England. Seth is torn between the land he fought for and the prospect of reuniting with his sister Caroline, who was a motherless child taken to England at the onset of the war.

With no intention of staying permanently, Seth arrives to find his sister grieving over the death of her young son. In the midst of such tragedy, Seth meets Juleah, the daughter of an eccentric landed gentleman. Her independent spirit and gentle soul steal Seth’s heart. After a brief courtship, they marry and she takes her place as the lady of Ten Width Manor, enraging the man who once sought her hand and schemed to make Ten Width his own.

From the Virginia wilderness to the dark halls of an isolated English estate, Seth and his beloved Juleah inherit more than an ancestral home. They uncover a sinister plot that leads to murder, abduction, and betrayal--an ominous threat to their new life, love, and faith.


The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is the story of an unusual woman, Agnes Sparrow. No longer able or willing to leave her home, where she is cared for by her long-suffering sister Griselda, Agnes has committed her life to the one thing she can do—besides eat. Agnes Sparrow prays and when Agnes prays things happen, including major miracles of the cancer, ulcer-healing variety along with various minor miracles not the least of which is the recovery of lost objects and a prize-winning pumpkin.

The rural residents of Bright’s Pond are so enamored with Agnes they plan to have a sign erected on the interstate that reads, “Welcome to Bright’s Pond, Home of Agnes Sparrow.” This is something Agnes doesn’t want and sends Griselda to fight city hall. Griselda’s petitions are shot down and the sign plans press forward until a stranger comes to town looking for his miracle from Agnes. The truth of Agnes’s odd motivation comes out when the town reels after the murder of a beloved community member. How could Agnes allow such evil in their midst? Didn’t she know? Well, the prayers of Agnes Sparrow have more to do with Agnes than God. Agnes has been praying to atone for a sin committed when she was a child. After some tense days, the townsfolk, Griselda, and Agnes decide they all need to find their way back to the true source of the miracles—God.



The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom

Set in 1787 in West Africa, The Call of Zulina opens as the scorching harmattan winds blow. Desperate to avoid marriage to an odious suitor, Grace escapes the family compound only to be caught up in a slave revolt at the fortress of Zulina. Soon, she begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business. Held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace is finally jerked into reality and comes to sympathize with the plight of the captives. She admires their strength and courage and is genuinely moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom.

The Grace in Africa series is a sweeping three-part historical saga of slavery and freedom that takes the reader from an island off the west coast of Africa to Southern plantations and finally on to Canada. All her life, Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, has been sheltered from the truth about the family business--the capture and trade of slaves.