Giveaway! Daydreams by JoAnn Durgin!

Welcome to Writing for Christ JoAnn Durgin, it is great to have you here!

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

My son, Matthew, is 16 and diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s brilliant, loving and sweet as can be, but he’s “different.” Thankfully, he doesn’t have emotional issues and others respond to his kind spirit. As parents, my husband and I have instilled in Matthew that he can do anything and be anything with God’s help.  When your child is autistic, you become their greatest advocate and champion. I always say autism doesn’t disable, it enables. He’s enriched our lives and taught us more than he knows. When we picked him up at church camp (after his first week ever away from home) this past summer, we saw what others had written on a poster about our son: “An angel in disguise” and “Lives his faith.” Now, tell me, what mother wouldn’t shed some joyful tears over those words?

I’d also encourage anyone who’s interested to visit my website at www.joanndurgin.com for some photos and fun facts to know and tell about my background and life.

*Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Contemporary Christian romance has my heart, in terms of both reading and writing. While I adore historical romance, I enjoy reading about the challenges of today’s world and how heroines and heroes handle and/or embrace them. I understand readers want an escape. Other genres fulfill that need for many, but I believe modern stories can also provide the same. That’s where creativity, plotlines and characters come into play, and as an author, I embrace the challenge. It’s the journey of a character that makes a novel so fascinating—working through the steps and finding hope, strength and faith-based resolutions to conflict.

*Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Write from your heart and your passion and don’t ever compare yourself to another writer. The Lord has given each author a unique talent and ability. It’s not a competition. I couldn’t begin to write some of the stories my counterparts write in terms of suspense, for one thing. One element I employ in all my stories is humor, but I have writer friends tell me all the time that they can’t begin to write “funny.” Just as we’re a part of the body of Christ, we’re each called to a different and unique purpose for the good of all.

*5 things you love?

Besides the obvious answers of the Lord, my family, writing and reading, here are five things that readily come to mind:

1.       A back or foot rub that lasts more than two minutes.

2.       Wrapping a package so exquisitely that the recipient almost doesn’t want to open it. I splurge on quality, heavyweight paper, artificial flowers, ribbon, embellishments—you name it. It’s all in the presentation, dahling. Gifts for wedding and baby showers are my absolute favorites.

3.    Quiet but rare evenings where I don’t have to do anything other than relax and read to my heart’s content.

4.    The older I’ve gotten, the more I love listening to classical music and orchestral arrangements. I particularly love the violin—it’s hauntingly beautiful and truly stirs my soul. And inspires a lot of storylines and creativity.

5.    Traveling, pretty much anywhere. Overnight is best. A hot tub or pool is even better.

*What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Only because I’m a shameless marketer and don’t really like to single out one author over another, I’m going to say my 2012 Christmas novella, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe. Here’s why: it’s clean, pure and lots of fun for all ages. It’s the story of hero firefighter Captain Jake Marston in tiny Starlight, Iowa, and his blossoming romance with his best friend’s sister, pediatric nurse Julia Sinclair. It’s a good lesson for teens about waiting for “the one” of God’s choosing and about how being a hero can mean many different things. This book also has a “senior” romance happening simultaneously to the primary love story, and I love that aspect. It’s a perfect short read (about 140 pages) for cozying up with on a cold December afternoon or evening.

*Places for readers to learn more about you?

Please visit my website at www.joanndurgin.com or on Facebook, including my new Author JoAnn Durgin page.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thank you, Casey. Always a pleasure. Many blessings to all during this most special season of the year!

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win JoAnn's book (and as an added bonus, JoAnn has also offered a copy of her novella Under the Mistletoe to the winner as well)!

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 December 28th

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 

A little bit more about the novel: 

What the eyes conceal, the heart reveals. It's early December 2002, and Amy Jacobsen is living the dream: a job she loves with a trendy New York City magazine, a Manhattan walk-up inherited from her grandfather, and a busy social life without the unwanted complication of a steady boyfriend. During dinner one evening with her brother, Mitch, she spies Landon Warnick the next table over. He's influential, successful and one of the youngest magazine publishers in the country--not to mention one of New York's most eligible bachelors. After Mitch wrangles a meeting between the two, Landon wastes little time in asking her to dinner. Amy questions her sanity when they share a cozy carriage ride in Central Park and she comes this close to kissing him. It is the joy and wonder of the Christmas season that's put stars in her eyes or the enigmatic, intelligent, challenging and incredibly handsome man?

The following weekend, she travels to Louisiana to be a bridesmaid in a wedding and a reunion with her friends and fellow volunteers in TeamWork Missions. Headed down the aisle in the wedding, Amy's steps falter. Standing at the front is a groomsman who flew into town only an hour before. . . She does a double take. What's Landon Warnick doing in her world, with her friends? Perhaps more important, why does he suddenly have a Texas drawl and a crescent-shaped scar on his forehead? Sharing a romantic dance at the reception, she casts aside her better judgment and kisses him She's lost her mind and her heart might not be far behind, it seems. Let the adventure begin! Is the Lord showing her the "right" man for her heart or is Amy in way over her head? 

Bear With Me?

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I realized something about myself this year that I didn't put in my 12 Things I Learned About Myself post. 

Order and scheduling are important to me. I like to know what I'm doing when I'm doing it. But I also discovered...I get tired of order and scheduling and want to do something completely different and off the wall.

It's probably why I've taken to chair dancing in the past. ;-)

"Spontaneous" hasn't always been something I've been good at. If it doesn't fit in the schedule I'm sorry, than it's going to have to wait. And I realized I didn't want to be so rigid anymore. 

You might be able to take the girl away from the schedule, but you can't take the schedule out of the girl. 

But I want to be more spontaneous. Figure out the meaning of the word and enjoy the promise it holds for a bit of fun once in a while. Like staying out until midnight dancing. Or joining friends even though it might go late and be past my bedtime. ;-) 

LOL, I'm really not that much of a homebody. (well, yes, I actually am. ;-)

So, then I ask you to give something a try with me...just to see if it would work. My blog is feeling a bit stale (at least to me) and I want to shake things up a bit. I'll still blog three times a week, but I want to change my schedule. Right now it's every Monday, Wednesday Friday.

I'll still have my giveaways, reviews and devotionals...but would you notice too much if I changed the pattern? Maybe even the days I posted? Just for the pure fun of it? I'm hoping to rattle the popular M/W/F posting and do something unique for this blog.

What are your thoughts? Would you still come by to visit with me? :-))

Well Crafted Work of Fiction ~ To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander ~ Review

I have enjoyed all of the author’s previous titles, especially her Colorado historicals, but I have to say, this latest Southern antebellum novel in “To Whisper Her Name” evoked a love for southern fiction I didn’t know I possessed.

            The novel is rich and to be savored. I read the story slowly, not because it didn’t thoroughly capture my attention, but only because it didn’t feel right to blaze through for the sake of simply reading. I fell in love with the characters as they fell in love with each other. Something I think only an excellent author can accomplish over nearly five hundred pages.

          

  There is a tapestry of love and grace and finesse through every single page that brings the characters and reader together, directly into the heart of the story. There was no doubt the place I sat while I reading this story: the veranda of the Belle Meade.

           

Olivia and Ridley are dynamic characters. The Belle Meade a place of rich extravagance. The voice of the novel a gripping delicacy. Description doesn’t rule the novel, which is one thing I appreciated about it…I saw the characters interacting with their surroundings and it worked. Every single word of this novel simply…worked.

           

I’m impressed, grateful and eager for the next novel in this Belle Meade series. A well-crafted work of fiction!

            

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

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More about the novel...

Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a murdered carpetbagger, gratefully accepts an invitation from “Aunt” Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade Plantation and the dearest friend of Olivia’s late mother. Expecting to be the Harding’s housekeeper, Olivia is disillusioned once again when she learns the real reason why Elizabeth’s husband, Confederate General William Giles Harding, agreed to her coming. Caring for an ill Aunt Elizabeth, Olivia is caught off guard by her feelings for Ridley Adam Cooper, a southern-born son who—unbeknownst to her and everyone else—fought for the Union. Determined to learn “the gift” that Belle Meade’s head horse trainer, Bob Green, possesses, Ridley is a man desperate to end the war still raging inside him while harboring secrets that threaten his life. As Ridley seeks to make peace within himself for “betraying” the South he loved, Olivia is determined to never be betrayed again… 

Set within the remarkable history of Nashville’s historic Belle Meade Plantation, comes a story about enslavement and freedom, arrogance and humility, and the power of love to heal even the deepest of wounds.

Giveaway! Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Catherine Richmond, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

I was a member of our church's Jamaican mission team for five trips. What a delightful surprise to use that experience writing about a missionary to the Ponca Indian tribe in the 1870s!

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Romance! Relationships are complicated and fascinating. With all the stresses, temptations, and distractions, it's a wonder anyone survives a date, much less marriage. With God's help, we can!

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Deep point-of-view is like a movie camera inside the character's head.  My goal is to immerse readers so thoroughly in the story, that when an electronic buzz interrupts, they'll say cell phones haven't been invented yet and keep reading.

5 things you love?

My family. Oh, wait - you said things! Chocolate - my dream job is a taster for the Cailler factory in Switzerland. Books - the best blessing of writing is meeting talented authors who keep my To-Be-Read list full. Flannel sheets - year 'round softness. My car - all-wheel drive allows this southern driver to navigate Nebraska winters without white knuckles. And not a thing, but it's really on my mind - dogs. My husband has finally agreed to another dog. Please pray we can find one he'll love!

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Rosslyn Elliot's Lovelier than Daylight is one you'll want your book club, youth group, and Sunday school class to read. It's set in the 1870s, but resonates with today's issues about how to be salt and light to the world.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I love to hear from readers! Find me at www.CatherineRichmond.com  www.facebook.com/catherinerichmondfans  Twitter:  @WriterCatherine.

Thank you for being with us today!

Thank you for having me, Casey! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Cathy's book!

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

For an additional entry, please rate my review. I'd appreciate the help! :-)

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 December 21st

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 

12 Things I've Learned About Myself in 2012

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One: I much more patient than I originally gave myself credit for. I'm actually more patient than the people  who know what I'm waiting for. ;-)

Two: I DO have the courage to hit send.  

Three: Sometimes the hardest things in life are the things that grow us the most.

Four: I have a very low threshold for pain. So...don't...hurt...me...

Five: On that same note: don't hurt someone I love. You'll probably end up hurting too. In all Christian love, of course. ;-)

Six: I love to give and share and find that fun little something I can give to someone, just because today is today.

Seven: I thought I could only do friendship through a computer, that I couldn't find the balance in real life...but I can. And I love it.

Eight: I learned to text. No jokes.

Nine: I've learned to adapt. Move forward. Figure things out. Do it anyway. Pull up my big-girls boots and say I'm playin' in this puddle whether you like it or not. ;-) 

Ten: I've learned I wear my emotions on my sleeve for the entire world to see...and sometimes I just want to hide me and my emotions under a blanket.

Eleven: I can't flirt and that is really, really okay with me.

Twelve: I don't always fit into people's neat and tidy boxes. I'm not the perfect figure for everyone's perfect idea. And I had to learn to accept that...or become a miserable people pleasure. It wasn't easy--still isn't. But each day I discover more if me. And that makes the pain worth it.

She Never Expected to Love Him...A Home in Drayton Valley by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ Review

Marriage of convenience stories can hold some of the best conflict in this reader’s opinion and this latest historical in “A Home in Drayton Valley” certainly has much conflict and reader likeability going for it.

            

I honestly wasn’t sure about Joss for the first half of the novel. It’s obvious from the start he’s going to be our hero, but a hero that drinks and carouses and is a general no-good? Hmm. But in faith, I kept reading. Believe it or not, the character that is his own worst villain becomes a down-right likable character.

            

Several times in this novel are not easy journeys for characters or reader alike. Emotions run deep. Tarsie is so determined to win this man back to Christ, a final request from her dying best friend. She never expected to fall in love with him after she married him.

            

There is a great moment in the book where Joss has deceived Tarsie and comes to feel great remorse for this action. The dialogue and moments of character growth made the entire book. I loved it.

           

Great secondary characters and setting, the only thing I waited to have resolved was Joss’s gambling debts he left behind in Chicago, I expected those to haunt him, but was also a bit glad they didn’t. (wink).

            

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

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More about the novel....

A Compelling Pioneer Story From Bestselling Author Kim Vogel Sawyer — Fed up with the poor quality of life in 1880 New York, Tarsie Raines encourages her friends Joss and Mary Brubacher to move with their two children to Drayton Valley, Kansas, a booming town hailed in the guidebook as the land of opportunity. She offers to help with expenses and to care for Mary and the children as they travel west by wagon train. But when tragedy strikes on the trip across the prairie, Tarsie is thrown into an arrangement with Joss that leaves both of them questioning God and their dreams for the future. As their funds dwindle and nothing goes as planned, will Tarsie and Joss give up and go their separate ways, or will God use their time in Drayton Valley to turn their hearts toward him?

Giveaway! That Summer by Jo Huddleston!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Jo Huddleston, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Casey, thanks for having me on your blog to talk with you and your readers.

How about this –In high school I played varsity basketball.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I find that I read many historical romance novels. My novel, That Summer, is an inspirational Southern historical. I do love to read mysteries/suspense but so far have never tried to write one, probably because I couldn’t.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Pray about every step you take on your writing journey. Strengthen that fruit of the Spirit—patience—for you will need it. Writing for publication is many times a waiting time. Be patient and never give up if you believe God has given you the talent to write for his glory.

If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, read all you can about the craft of writing. Find a writers’ conference near enough to be affordable for you to attend. Soak in all you can in the workshops and from the speakers, editors, and publishers—even at meal times. Be prepared for rejection. They won’t be rejecting you but what you wrote. Margaret Mitchell received over twenty-five rejections for Gone With the Wind! They told her nobody wanted to read about the Civil War.

5 things you love?

Jesus, my family, my country, puppy dogs, and Whopper candy.

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot! It’s a great book and it’s a hard back book.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

My website/blog: http://www.johuddleston.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jo.huddleston.hope

Thank you for being with us today!

It’s been my pleasure to spend time with you and your readers. Thank you for having me.

Okay readers, here's your chance to win Jo's latest 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

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 December 14th.

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