The Great Match-Making Game

Being single sometimes is just plain funny. I’m sure all the single ladies (put your hands up!) will agree with me on this statement—for one reason or another. Our friends have the best intentions (or so they say!) for our love lives, but don’t you sometimes just…wonder? Sometimes we just shake our heads and bite back that smile while pretending to be annoyed, but really are flattered and find the entire event funny. If not a little bit awkward.

 ahem. ;-) Being single often prompts all kinds of comments in emails, Facebook messages, chats with friends that they all know someone who would be perfect for you and if only they could introduce you to him (or her if the other way around)!

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Being single prompts the butt of many jokes, especially when you’re the youngest in a group of 9 other happily married women…

I love my friends in spite of all this, I really do. Even if some of their tactics sometimes make me squirm just a tad under the proverbial microscope.

Like…one time in a visiting church, my friends pushed in the direction of the young man in question and then proceeded to “find” directions on their smartphone while surreptitiously pointing said phone camera our direction and clicking away.

Or…the time my group of girlfriends (same unnamed group as mentioned above… ;-) conspired to leave me all alone with the object in question of the male variety. I cannot be held responsible for the flirtatious things that came out my mouth while forced into that situation. What is a girl to do when backed into the corner in front of a good looking guy?

Sheesh.

They expect so much from me. ;-)

 And I won’t even go into all the comments made in fast and furious email exchanges and the quips made in person about marrying me off. Finding that perfect guy. And when I move, what should be the first thing on my agenda? Well finding Prince Charming of course. And of course this all comes with a healthy dose of advice on what to do, how to walk, what to say, what to wear and how fast I should flutter my eyelashes.

Oh my dear friends! I love them so for the advice and grief they do indeed give me. And yet, they would be the first ones to see the diamond on my left hand and the first ones I would squeal with when that happens. Even if my cross is so heavy in the meantime with their well meant attempts and unending teasing. ;-))

What are some of your best stories on how a friend has set you up? Was it an epic fail or the start of a great love story?

Excellent ~ Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell ~ Review

I don’t think I’ve giggled as much during a historical novel in quite some time. “Love Comes Calling” has an extremely memorable heroine in Ellis, an ADD young lady with the absolute best of intentions, but the biggest struggle in actually following through.

Written in first person, I think I laughed more in the scattered way of Ellis’s thinking more than anything. ADD was portrayed in the best way without being annoying in the presentation. Though there were moments, as a reader, I knew she was forgetting something which makes for a nervous moment during the reading. Ha!

History is well layered into the story blending well with the conflict surrounding prohibition, and don’t all historical fiction readers love a story surrounding the old switchboards and archaic phone system? Maybe it’s just me, but it’s rife with potential comedy and tension—which the novel had in spades.

I loved the love story. It’s sweet and simple, but breaks a cliché with our hero already in love with Ellis and Ellis running in the opposite direction—but you’ll have to read the book to find out why.

A truly enjoyable book, I read it in two days and loved every minute of it. Pure pleasure of historical fun.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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            Dreaming of becoming an actress, Boston socialite Ellis Eaton captures Griff Phillips' attention.

But while filling in for a look-alike friend at the telephone exchange, she overhears a call that threatens Griff's safety. With handsome policeman Jack Flanigan investigating - and her heart in a muddle - will she discover what might be the role of a lifetime?

Giveaway! The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Lori Benton, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

Thanks, it’s my pleasure!

When I was in third grade, my friend Leah announced she’d written a story. It had never occurred to me that a nine-year-old could write her own story. I loved to read, and made up stories and story worlds using my plush toys or animal figurines, but for some reason hadn’t considered trying to write my own story. It sounded like the coolest idea ever, so I gave it a go. Then I did it again. Every few years I’d write a story, or start one, until my early twenties when I finally got serious about trying to make it a career.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

Fiction: A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers. It taught me that Christian fiction could be gritty and real, and it showed me how to write unflinchingly. I’m still trying to master that. The heroine of that book, Hadassah, had a huge impact on me spiritually. For years after I would think, “What would Hadassah do?” in any trying situation. I still think that, sometimes.

Nonfiction: Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. This little devotional was a significant factor in my maintaining peace and the awareness of God’s sovereignty through one of the most challenging years of my life. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

“Lori, honey, learn to tighten your writing now, rather than waiting nearly twenty years to get the hang of self-editing.”

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Homemade

Email or snailmail? Email, though getting a letter is so rare that it’s a treat

Online shopping or Black Friday deals? Online shopping. I’m that atypical female who doesn’t like to shop in stores

Books or movies? I could live without movies, not books!

Note-taker or memorization? Note-taker. The older I get the more porous grows the memory.

               

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

My favorite book has not been published yet. It was my first 18^th century set novel, the one I began in 2004 as my brain was healing from the lingering effects of chemo fog. It’s set in North Carolina, on a piedmont plantation, in 1793. The hero is a prodigal. The heroine is a slave. I hope one day it will be published.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

My website: http://loribenton.blogspot.com/

My Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriBenton#

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lorilbenton/

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks for having me, Casey. Always a pleasure to chat with you about writing!

Readers, enter to win Lori's book here!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower

~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on May 9th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

When a DREAM Comes True

My one word for 2014 is DREAM. It thumps in my heartbeat and pounds in my head. What am I dreaming and am I dreaming in the direction God wants for me?

Sometimes we have a dream that is more like a desire. A desire that might not be in God’s plan for us. So we mine the depths of that desire, pray over it, commit it to our Heavenly Father and trust that if it’s the right thing, He’ll bring it back around.

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That happened to me early this winter. And I got to reach out and touch the dream I’ve always wanted: to work in the publishing industry. I love people. And books. And being friendly and encouraging. To spend my days wrapped around these things makes life incredibly pleasurable. And I’m so thankful!

When you trust you are where God wants you to be and He continues to make the path so incredibly smooth and worry free, you know you’re exactly where you should be. I never would have thought this would be a possibility for me. I mean…me? Working for a literary agent? Really? Naw. That’ll never happen. I won’t live near so grand a life.

But I also never thought I would be a first-name basis with some of my very favorite authors. In fact, it’s more than just first names, it’s friendships. Friendships I never would have dreamed could happen.

Sometimes we lose hope because our dream is taking too long to reach us. But that’s only because we have it on our own timetable and not God’s. Sure, I dreamed about having this job. Moving to a new place and doing new things, but I never actually thought it would happen. I mean, why me?

The better question: why not me? Why not you?

Desires when birthed in Christ and given back to Him, can move mountains of insecurities and uncertainty. Desires that walk hand in hand with our dreams can often seem out of reach, but with God ANYTHING is possible.

I’m writing this post in absolute awe of all He has done for me in the last couple weeks. He’s made every crooked path I could even start to worry about straight in front for me. He has made this dream very clear to me: it was the right one to invest in.

And I’m sitting here, just…amazed. I don’t know how to say thank you. So instead, I’ll not worry. I’ll not fuss about details, because He’s already proven He’s got this. So I’m trusting and walking in faith with a smile on my face. Knowing it won’t all be easy, but I’ll be where He wants me.

I’ll continue to prove myself faithful. And eager to see what He does with the rest of my dreams in 2014.

Amazing. Absolutely Amazing ~ For Such a Time by Kate Breslin ~ Review

Possibly my best discovery yet this year in a debut historical novel, “For Such a Time” is a moving work of fiction.

There is a romantic tension in this book that is so tightly woven throughout the story that I held my breath and only the pounding of my heart reminded me I was alive and reading. Stella is a captivating character coming into her own—a Jew living under the roof of a Nazi and he has no clue about her heritage.

The story strongly mirrors that of the Biblical story of Esther and I loved that about it. Set in a Nazi concentration camp, it’s heartbreaking to read what happens to the Jews and Stella’s striving to protect as many as she can, from the position she is in as a Nazi’s secretary.

It was the romance that grabbed me by the heartbeat and wouldn’t let go. I wouldn’t have expected the book to have such strong tension rife throughout the entire book, but it made for some pulsating moments. The book became near impossible to put down, and don’t plan on distractions during the last hundred pages of the book. I’ll warn you now: it’s impossible.

I would definitely highly recommend this title. A fabulous work of fiction with strong writing and even more captivating characters. I am incredibly impressed.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

            

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More about the novel...

In 1944, blonde and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved

from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz. Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy. Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?

Giveaway! Visible Threat by Janice Cantore!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Janice Cantore, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

I’ve always loved to read. Growing up books were my favorite thing, I loved to escape into a good novel. Horse books were my favorite growing up, but somewhere along the line I developed a love for mystery/suspense.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

For fiction, there are a couple of titles, a novel by Randy Alcorn called Deadline, and a novel by Francine Rivers called A Voice in the Wind. They spoke to me, the Christian message was so clear and the story drew me in and kept me there. They made me want to write Christian fiction.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

I’d want to learn better writing habits and how to discipline myself when it gets really tough to put words on the page.

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Homemade

Email or snailmail? Toss up

Online shopping or Black Friday deals? On line, I love Amazon

Books or movies? No contest, books

Note-taker or memorization? Note taker

               

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

The book I’m working on now is my favorite. It’s Romantic suspense, working title, Nothing Remains Hidden, I love the characters and the premise and I’m hoping it’s my best one yet.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

https://www.facebook.com/JaniceCantore

http://www.janicecantore.com/

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, enter to win Janice's book here!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower

~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on May 2nd

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Please Don't Ruin My Man

 It breaks my heart to see what the flippant female can do to the male heart. I see it more and more in the young men surrounding my home town and the sons of my friends. I see it more and more just walking down the street and all the young men that won’t look me in the eye.

Girls, do you not realize what you hold in your hands when a man surrenders his heart to you? It’s not an easy gift and doesn’t come without a great deal of trust. So why do you throw it back at his feet?

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I watch good guys go to the city, college, or maybe staying in the same town they have always grown up in. I watch them lose their heart to the girl they think they will marry and spend the rest of their life with. I watch them invest so much in wooing this girl. Spending time getting to know her and discover what she enjoys and what she loves. And yet, she’ll turn her back on him and leave him eating her dust.

Please read between the lines: I’m not saying to stay with someone who isn’t the one God has for you. I’m not saying you should treat a man as if he were fragile glass. Treat him like a man. A man who wants to find someone to spend the rest of his life with.

Treat his heart the way you want him to treat yours.

Why do the ladies of our society think they can lead a man on and simply walk away as though he doesn’t care?

It’s these girls, I want to show up on their doorstep and give them a piece of my mind. Because I watch these young men turn their back on the hurt this relationship caused and start to see every girl through the same blurred glasses.

It reflects poorly on me. On my friends in the same situation of wanting to find a good man…only to realize many of the good men have been ruined by a hurtful female. Why do you destroy my chances of a life with the man I could love simply because you were selfish?

There is a line to walk here. A line between getting to know someone to see if you could spend the rest of your life with them and leading them on. You’re not just talking with “some guy”. You’re talking, spending time with, getting to know someone’s husband…maybe yours.

We’ve forced our men into a corner. What pleasure does our world take in that? In making them feel inferior and worthless? Why do we beat our men down? Why do we let our girls tramp her stiletto heels across his back and leave?

Girls. I’m speaking to you right now. Don’t treat a man as though you could live without him. God made a man and woman to be together for a reason and it isn’t all procreation. So please don’t be selfish and slam a door in my face simply because you “wanted to have a good time”.

 Please don’t ruin my man.