Giveaway and Author Interview: The Doctor's Lady

Welcome back to Writing for Christ Jody Hedlund, I am excited to have you here for a second time. J

What has changed in your writing life since you were last here?

Well, I do have a few more gray hairs and a couple of stubborn wrinkles that aren’t responding to anti-wrinkle lotion. J But other than being another year older, I’m still working hard at writing stories which keep me young at heart!

Do you have favorite authors?

I have so many authors that I love, not just because of their fantastic stories, but because I’ve become friends with them. Once a week, I try to spotlight different writer and author friends over on my Facebook Page.

What do you find the most enjoyable part of writing or connecting with readers?

I absolutely love connecting with readers! I really appreciate when readers send emails, Facebook comments, or even Tweets letting me know they read my book and enjoyed it. I particularly like the handwritten notes I get—many of them written in cursive. Most are from sweet older women who probably don’t have computers or use email.

What do you find the most ideal atmosphere for writing? Do you ever get those surroundings? J

Ideally, I like to hole away in my upstairs office where I can close the door and block out the noise and distractions that come with being the mom of five busy children! However, my office chair only gets to see my hindquarters about once or twice a week. Most of the time, I write smack dab in the middle of my kitchen where I can keep tabs on all the chaos going on around me.

Okay, something fun for those writers out there: In what point of your writing career did you surprise yourself by writing the most words ever in the shortest amount of time?

I’m actually a very slow writer. So I’ve never surprised myself with a huge amount of writing all at once, except of course in my dreams. J But I do surprise myself in that I’ve been able to finish each book in a shorter span of time. The last one took me approximately four and a half months—which had more to do with my diligence in meeting a daily word count than my speed.

Thanks for being here again! It has been a joy and we wish the very best with your novels.

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling book, The Preacher's Bride. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children. Her next book, The Doctor’s Lady releases in September 2011.

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Jody's latest release!


Please leave an email adddress! 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 October 21st

Her Characters Are Real ~ The Mercy by Beverly Lewis ~ Review

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Mercy Bethany House (September 6, 2011) by Beverly Lewis

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."


Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."


A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms." 


ABOUT THE BOOK

Rose Kauffman pines for prodigal Nick Franco, the Bishop's foster son who left the Amish under a cloud of suspicion after his foster brother's death. His rebellion led to the "silencing" of their beloved Bishop. But is Nick really the rebel he appears to be? Rose's lingering feelings for her wayward friend refuse to fade, but she is frustrated that Nick won't return and make things right with the People. Nick avowed his love for Rose--but will he ever be willing to sacrifice modern life for her?


Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, is living in her parents' Dawdi Haus. Her estranged "English" husband, injured and helpless after a car accident, has reluctantly come to live with her and their young daughter during his recovery. Can their marriage recover, as well? Is there any possible middle ground between a woman reclaiming her old-fashioned Amish lifestyle and thoroughly modern man?


If you would like to read the first chapter of The Mercy, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer:




My Review:

There is a reason I and so many other readers love Beverly Lewis: her characters are real. Whenever I open the pages of one of her books, I am whisked away into a story and characters that jump to life before my eyes.

            In the conclusion to The Rose Trilogy, “The Mercy” continues and concludes the lives of Rose and Nick, Hen and Brandon and several other secondary characters. I loved seeing so many of these beloved characters find their happy endings. Hen and Brandon’s story had me especially anxious to see what would come of their marriage. After three books of their struggles, I sighed with happiness at their conclusion.

            Rose’s story was definitely more complicated and as the novel drew to a close I wasn’t sure how it would be wrapped up for a satisfactory ending – without feeling rushed, but the intricacies to her plot were deep and wide. Each moment in the novel is a progression to the ending that was much longed for.

            “The Mercy” and the previous two novels in this series are well-crafted stories, stories that leave me longing for more and the characters that have become friends in the midst of the pages.

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

"Hello Hollywood"... I am SO there! ~ by Janice Thompson ~ Review

I love a good escape into a fun story. Sometimes in life we just need a really good escape and “Hello Hollywood”…I am SO there!

                The second novel in the “Backstage Pass” series is a complete package winner. I felt a bit like I was living on a “Dick Van Dyke” set and it was so fun. There was a bit of writer’s humor which I couldn’t help chuckling at, and Janice Thompson writes situational comedy so well.

                I first got to know Athena in the first novel, “Stars Collide” and I was so thrilled to read her story.  Her big Greek family is a hoot and the sparks between her and Stephen…ooo boy. The romance is sweet, but on fire!

                But what I loved most about this book is not only the great escape, fun setting and lovable characters, it was a sweet story from beginning to end. Just enough tension to keep the story moving and me as the reader invested, and more than enough humor to keep the story entertaining. There is something fun and addictive about getting into the head of an ever so slightly sarcastic heroine.

                “Backstage Pass” is one of new favorites by Thompson, bested only by her “Weddings by Bella” series. She combines great situational humor, setting and faith and I know I’m always in for a delightful read. It might not always be realistic, but that is what makes it fun! You’ll laugh and love, hopefully as much as I did.

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

                **Available September 2011 from Revell, a division of Baker Publishers**

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More about the book...

Athena Pappas is the head writer on one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. But when Vegas comedian Stephen Cosse is brought in to beef up the show's suddenly sagging ratings, she starts to worry about her job. Sparks fly as the competition--and attraction--between the two writers heats up. Athena has never had a problem scripting the romances of her characters. So why is her own love life so hard to script?

With humor and a Hollywood-insider viewpoint, Hello, Hollywood! delivers lots of laughs as the characters discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to them.

Giveaway and Author Interview: Christmas Belles of Georgia

Welcome to Writing for Christ Rose McCauley, it is great to have you here!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Casey.

Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

I love to read and collect Christmas books, so I am very happy my first fiction published is a heart-warming Christmas story—Christmas Belles of Georgia!

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I like to read many genres, but find myself most drawn to contemporary women’s fiction because it can include other genres like romance and mystery. And I can always get a spiritual uplift from Christian WF when I see how God solves the problems of the characters. I also love books set in small towns like the Mitford series. In fact, my tagline is “Stories from small towns with huge hearts.” That is true of the small town of Monticello Georgia where this book is set.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing? Something I learned from the Bible study Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby—pray and discern what God is doing and join him in those purposes instead of asking Him to bless what you want to do! So whether I am working on a writing project or something around the house or neighborhood, I need to follow that wisdom. That’s something I am still learning. Probably will be til the day I die!

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

Although I do have selections in several non-fiction books, it has been my dream for over a decade to be published in fiction, so I am enjoying watching my dream come true. And I got my first email from a reader just last week who told how a devotional I wrote in one of the non-fiction books blessed and encouraged her. I hope and pray that my fiction stories will do the same.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

My revamped website, thanks to Gayle DeSalles, is www.rosemccauley.com where you can click to order the book, and my blog is www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com where I have book reviews and posts from other authors, too, and a monthly book drawing. I hope you will visit my sites and click to become a follower of my blog.

Thank you for being with us today! Thank you and all your readers for taking the time to let me visit with you.

Readers here is your chance to enter to win Rose's novel!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

~And an EXTRA one:

Become a follower of Rose's blog here (to do this, click on the word FOLLOW at the very top of the blog page next to the white search box. :-))

 

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 October 14th.

Gotta Love A Little Kick ~ Weddings and Wasabi by Camy Tang ~ Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!


You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Camy Tang

and the book:

Weddings and Wasabi

WinePress Publishing (June 7, 2011)

***Special thanks to Camy Tang for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Camy Tang grew up in Hawaii and now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and rambunctious mutt, Snickers. She graduated from Stanford University and was a biologist researcher for 9 years, but now she writes full-time. She is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of the Sunday worship teams. On her blog, she ponders knitting, spinning wool, dogs, running, the Never Ending Diet, and other frivolous things. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ to read short stories and subscribe to her quarterly newsletter.


Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

After finally graduating with a culinary degree, Jennifer Lim is pressured by her family to work for her control-freak aunty’s restaurant. But after a family blowout, Jenn is determined to no longer be a doormat and instead starts her own catering company. Her search for a wine merchant brings John into her life—a tall, dark, handsome biker, in form-fitting black leather, and Hispanic to boot. It would be wonderfully wild to snag a man like that!


Shy engineer Edward tentatively tries out his birthday present from his winery-owner uncle—a Harley Davidson complete with the trimmings. Jennifer seems attracted to the rough, aggressive image, but it isn’t his real self. Is she latching onto him just to spite her horrified family? And if this spark between them is real, will showing her the true guy underneath put it out?


And what’s with the goat in the backyard?


Product Details:


List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 124 pages
Publisher: WinePress Publishing (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414120591
ISBN-13: 978-1414120591


AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The goat in the backyard had just eaten tonight’s dinner.


Jennifer Lim stood on her mother’s minuscule back porch and glared at the small brown and white creature polishing off her basil. She would have run shouting at it to leave off her herb garden, except it had already decimated the oregano, mint, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, and her precious basil, which had been slated for tonight’s pesto.


Besides, if it bit her, she was peeved enough to bite back.


“Mom!” She stomped back into the house. Thank goodness the pots of her special Malaysian basil were sectioned off in the large garden on the side of the house, protected by a wooden-framed wire gate. Jenn was growing it so that she could make her cousin Trish’s favorite chicken dish for her wedding, which Jenn was catering for her. But everything in her backyard garden was gone. The animal was welcome to the only thing left, the ragged juniper bushes. Were juniper bushes poison? If so, the animal was welcome to them.


“Mom!” Her voice had reached banshee range. “There is a goat—”


“You don’t need to yell.” Mom entered the kitchen, her lipstick bright red from a fresh application and her leather handbag over her arm, obviously ready to leave the house on some errand.


“Since when do we own a goat?”


“Since your cousin Larry brought him over.” She fished through her leather purse. “His name is Pookie.”


Jenn choked on her demand for an explanation, momentarily distracted. “He has a name?”


“He’s a living being. Of course he has a name.” Her mother fluttered eyelashes overloaded with mascara.


“Don’t give me that. You used to love to gross me out with stories of Great-Uncle Hao Chin eating goats back in China.”


Mom sniffed and found the refrigerator fascinating. “That’s your father’s side.”


Jenn swayed as the floor tilted. You are now entering … the Twilight Zone. Her parent had evoked that feeling quite often in the past few weeks. “Where did Larry get a goat and why do we have it now?”


“They were desperate.”


Actually, Jenn could have answered her own question. That goat was in their backyard right now because everyone knew that her mom couldn’t say no to a termite who knocked on the door and asked if it could spend the night.


And outside of physically dropping the goat off at someone’s house—and she didn’t have an animal trailer, so that was out of the question—Jenn wouldn’t be able to get anyone else in the family to agree to take the animal, now that it was here. That meant leaving a goat in a niece’s backyard because no one else wanted to go through the hassle of doing anything about it.


Mom said, “You wouldn’t have me turn away family, would you?”


“Uncle Percy knows, too?”


“No, not Percy.”


“Aunty Glenda?” No way. Even if Larry were thirty-one instead of twenty-one, Aunty would still dictate to her son the color underwear he wore that day—how much more his choice of pet?


“No.” Mom blinked as rapidly as she could with mascara making her short, stiff lashes stick together, almost gluing her eyes shut.


The tiger in Jenn’s ribcage growled. “Mother.” Her fist smacked onto her hip.


“Oh, all right.” Mom rolled her eyes as if she were still a teenager. “It belongs to Larry’s dormmate’s older brother, but really, he’s the nicest young man.” Burgundy lips pulled into what wanted to be a smile, but instead looked hideously desperate.


Jenn tried to count to ten but only got to two. “I know Larry’s a nice young man. If an abundance of immaturity counts as ‘nice’ points.”


“Jenn, really, you’re so intolerant. Just because you’re smart and went to Stanford for grad school …”


The name of her school—and the one dominant memory it brought up—made her neck jerk in a spasm. It had only been for two years, but that was enough. Desperately lonely after spending her undergrad years living with her cousins, Jenn had only formed a few friendships among the other grad students, none of them close. There was only one she’d never forget, although she vowed she would every morning when she got up and saw the scar in the mirror.


“Why. Do we have. A goat.”


“It’s only for a few days—”


“We don’t know a thing about how to take care of—”


“They’re easy—”


“Besides which, this is Cupertino. I’m sure there are city laws—”


“It’ll be gone before anyone notices—”


“Oh, ho, you’re right about that.” Jenn strode toward the phone on the wall. “I’m calling the Humane Society. They’ll take it.” Although they wouldn’t provide a trailer to transport it. How was she going to take the goat anywhere, much less to an animal shelter?


Mom plopped onto a stool and sighed. “That boy was so cute. His name was Brad.”


There went her neck spasming again. But Brad was a common name. She grabbed the phone.


“Such a nice Chinese boy. Related to the Yip family—you know, the ones in Mountain View?”


The phone slipped from her hand and bungee-jumped toward the floor, saved only by the curly cord. She bent to snatch it up, but dizziness shrouded her vision and she had to take a few breaths before straightening up.


“Oh, and he went to Stanford. You two have something in common.” Mom beamed.


No. He wouldn’t.


Yes, he would.


“Brad Yip?”


Mom’s eyes lighted up. “Do you know him?”


Sure, she knew him. Knew the next time he came for his goat she’d ram her chef’s knife, Michael Meyers style, right between his eyes.

My Review:

In the title alone, you know you are in for one kick of a story. I love the dry humor of a Tang story. It’s witty and funny, while not being *too* over the top. Throw in a little farm humor (i.e. the goat living in the yard and eating all the herbs) and I couldn’t help smiling more than once (and groaning in sympathy for the characters)

            I’ve only read one other book in this series, and while this book is the self-published novella conclusion for Jenn, I think I would have gotten a little more out of it if I had read more of the family’s story. There were a few times I was a bit lost, but I think this is probably the conclusion, fans of this series have been looking for.

            For a shorter story, there is great conflict in the story. From the goat in the backyard to the diabolical aunt, the poor girl certainly had her share of heartache and trouble. Not every end is neatly tied up, but I actually liked that, I have hope though as a reader that Jenn is going to be just fine. (smile)

            A cute, enjoyable story with great spiritual undertones, it shows a bit of the chaos that must run in the Lim family.  Sure to entertain many as it did me.

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the author through FIRST for providing a copy for me to review.             

ACFW Journey (complete with pictures!!)

It's crazy what can happen when you trust your life in God's hands. Two years ago I had a dream to attend the national ACFW conference.

But God's timing wasn't my timing and He kept telling me to "wait". Not. Easy.

But I can now say, 2 years down the road with my first ACFW conference behind me, God's timing was perfect and in the waiting and growing in Him I have been exceedingly blessed.

In the people I have met. In the experiences I had. Even in the moments of God-ordained meetings and appointments. I've laughed and loved, grown and challenged.

I have too many photos to show in entirety in one post, I will probably break them into two or three. Just tell me if you get tired of them. ;-)

My dad and I leaving early Monday morning. It would take two and a half days to reach St. Louis, Missouri. That is how commited my family is.

I got to meet 9 of the lovely 15 Seekers of Seekerville. Let's just say these ladies are larger than life in person

Back L-R: Debby, Sandra, Mary, Myra, Audra, Janet

Front L-R: Julie, Me, Cara, Ruthy

The sweet and uber funny/talented dynamo, Mary Connealy. Woo-hoo, where's the celebrity magazine to sell this baby to?

Julie. Lessman. Two words, 'nuff said. Well, not really. Julie and I got several chances to chat over the weekend and I miss her already!!

What a moment from God! I walked out of the ACFW bookstore, reminded I needed to watch for Laura Frantz...and there she stood! Seriously...this moment was a gift from God, like the lovely woman herself.

Keli Gwyn and Candace Calvert! Both were such an encouragement to me that weekend. Both inspire me and I'm eager for BOTH of their books soon to be released. :D

 I met our lovely Renee Ann Smith of Doorkeeper! I would know the woman anywhere and when I saw and met her in person it was fantastic! A true keeper, she is! :)

 But the biggest highlight of the weekend was this picture. 6 of the 10 Alley Cats were able to make it to the conference and I treasure their friendship, now deeper because of our face-to-face meeting. God is SO good and we saw His amazing hand in these women's lives all weekend long.

 One of the people I was most anxious to meet was the lovely Beth Vogt. My heart fills to overflowing when I think of Beth. Her hugs warmed my soul and I'll be craving them--I just know it! A prayer warrior, she stopped and prayed with me twice. I know those prayers kept me calm during my agent appointment!

 There is such a spirit of God through the entire conference. I ran into Kim Vogel Sawyer in the appointment waiting area. Once she found out why I was there, she pulled me aside to pray for me. Not a single moment have I taken for granted, each one is a treasure I hope to pull out again and again like a faithful friend. There was not a single person I met that did not totally live up to their glorious expectation. Kim is just one of them. I am blessed!

 Pinch me now! I attended Tamera Alexander and Deborah Raney's workshop and learned much, but it was the warmth of the ladies themselves that blessed me. I told Deb I am *this* close from idolizing them (not that I can since it's not biblical) and few people make me star-struck.

I was star struck! ;-) I treasured those few minutes chatting with them both.

The Frasier Finalists and our inspiration, Susan May Warren. There were 6 finalists but we never could seem to track them all down for a photo. These ladies inspire me!

I've got more if you're interested! The story isn't over yet. ;-)

So Completely Relatable ~ There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones ~ Review

I love Jenny B. Jones. I love how she tackles tough issues with her usual snark and personality infused onto the page and within her characters. I couldn’t help sharing a tidbit with my family when I read something especially funny.

            I don’t normally read YA fiction, but it had Jenny’s name attached to it, can you blame me for not resisting?? Yeah, you know you wouldn’t either. But the thing is – in no way would I have known if I hadn’t been told that this was a YA novel. I loved Finley in this story. I felt for her heartache and wanted to help push her through her pain.  She has such struggles that are so relevant with today’s teen girls and I know it will touch their lives and encourage them to live for Christ. I think there is a little bit of Finley in every girl (myself included) making her incredibly relatable.

            I loved the variety to the plot, from the dynamics with the old woman to the hot boyfriend and how each thread comes together to form a beautiful motif of a story.

            It’s written with humor and witty, witty dialogue (I wanna write dialogue like that – seriously!), characters you just want to cheer for and a story I’ll remember for a long time. I would recommend this book  without hesitation.

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

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More about the novel...

In a small cottage house in rural Ireland, Finley discovers she can no longer outrun the past.

When Finley travels to Ireland as a foreign exchange student, she hopes to create a new identity and get some answers from the God who took her brother away and seems to have left her high and dry.
But from the moment she boards the plane and sits by Beckett Rush, teen star of the hottest vampire flicks, nothing goes according to Finley's plan.

When she gets too close to Beckett, a classmate goes on a mission to make sure Finley packs her bags, departs Ireland-and leaves Beckett alone.

Finley feels the pressure all around. As things start to fall apart, she begins to rely on a not-so-healthy method of taking control of her life.

Finley tries to balance it all-disasters on the set of Beckett's new movie, the demands of school, and her growing romance with one actor who is not what he seems. Yet Finley is also not who she portrays to Beckett and her friends.

For the first time in her life, Finley must get honest with herself to get right with God.