Lyn Cote's Blog, page 59
April 13, 2014
Lyn Interviews Book Blogger Nina’s at My House
You can’t miss Nina’s blog–It’s HOT PINK! Nina often leaves comments here so I decided to invite her for an interview. WATCH FOR THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END. Here’s Nina’s interview:
1-Who are your favorite authors?
Oh, my, so many to pick from. Like James Patterson, Janet Tronstad, many of the historical authors of the Love Inspired books from Harlequin, Terry Brooks, Lynn Kurland, Susan Sleeman, Sandra Orchard, Dean Koontz, Rachelle McCalla, Lyn Cote, Michael Connelly, lots of them, I like to read cookbooks, anything. LOL.
2-What kind of book is the one you look for in bookstores and online?
I like mysteries, and the Love Inspired books, also new knitting and crochet stitch books. Also James Patterson and Lynn Kurland, can not seem to find hers too easy, its hard to even get hers at the local library. If I see one I want and its from Harlequin I can just call the reader service to get it mailed to me.
3-What prompted you to start a book blogging site?
I didn’t at first, it was a place for my free knitting, sewing and crochet patterns. Then I added recipes and the book reviews I did on Goodreads and some machine knitting books that I have reviewed. I’ve had the site for about four or five years. Here’s the link to the reviews: booksbylyncote.com.
April 6, 2014
Author Pat Simmons & No Easy Catch
My guest today is author Pat Simmons, a warm acquaintance. I love her books and if you haven’t tried one, you ought to! She’s offering two copies of NO EASY CATCH and her publisher is offering a VERY UNUSUAL prize. So be sure to read it all and leave a comment. Here’s Pat:
If a good man is hard to find,
then a great woman is NO EASY CATCH.
I’m back with my tenth Christian novel, NO EASY CATCH, and as in my past story lines, I like to tackle real issues that face women.
An award-winning TV reporter,
my heroine, Shae Carmen had a humiliating experience after dating a “brother” at her church. Women expect men who are faithful to God to be faithful in all areas of their lives, right? Unfortunately, not in this case. Shae was betrayed and made out to be the “bad one” by members of her congregation.
What could be worse
than to find out that the man who courted Shae was actually estranged from his wife, and on the verge of reconciliation, thus, making Shae the “other woman.”
Does God Care?
There are no doubts that decoys are planted throughout God’s churches, but to fall prey to one of them was too much for Shae. After walking right and playing by God’s rules as far as Christian living, Shae throws her hands up in the air in defeat. She is convinced that God doesn’t have any godly men left in reserves for her.
To purchase, click here. No Easy Catch (Carmen Sisters V1)
My hero, St. Louis baseball outfielder Rahn Maxwell, has his work cut out to convince Shae he is a good guy. He changed after an attempted carjacking incident literally scares him to the altar for repentance of his dirty deeds. Just when Shae lets her guards down, another scandal rocks her world.
Another scandal
This time, the stakes are higher, and she and Rahn aren’t immune to the aftershocks. For a second time, Shae’s heart is on the line, along with her professional credibility. Will she strike out at love again? Or will she hit a home run and give God the glory?
With the success of my previous Jamieson men series, I hope readers will enjoy my new three sisters’ stories: Shae, Shari and Sabrece Carmen.
To kick off the series, my publisher Whitaker House is giving away two Major League Baseball tickets of the winner’s choice. No purchase is necessary, just visit my website at booksbylyncote.com.
March 30, 2014
March 23, 2014
Fun! FREE! A Cozy Mystery Serial Online!
Today I’m interviewing my friend and critique partner, Cozy Mystery author Eunice Loecher (pronounced Low-sher). She has written a successful series, titled The Arbor Vale Mysteries. She and I meet at our local library most Friday’s after lunch to read aloud our latest chapters to each other for comments and suggestions.
If you take a good look at the picture above, you’ll find Eunice in the middle. And I think this photo captures her joie de vie! AFTER THE INTERVIEW, I’M GOING TO SHARE HOW TO FIND THE booksbylyncote.com.
March 16, 2014
Best-Selling Author Donna Fasano–When Life Deals a Blow to the Heart
I met secular romance author Donna Fasano in a new group of authors I am working with, Sweet Romance Reads authors (See icon to your left). So though Donna doesn’t write inspirational, her romances are sweet with light sensuality. She shares today When Life Deals a Blow to Your Heart. Here’s Donna:
“A “sister” friend of mine suffered a massive heart attack
just two short weeks ago. I spoke to her one day and she was her normal, vivacious self. The next day, she was near death. As the week wore on, her medical state worsened. She was so close to dying, in fact, that her husband and children made her funeral arrangements. I felt lost and afraid. In an effort to take some control, I did a little research and learned that 1 in 4 women die of heart disease, and that an estimated 38,000 women under age 50 have heart attacks each year in the U.S. But heart trouble can easily be confused with other ailments, like indigestion.
And that’s exactly what happened to my friend.
She thought she was suffering with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). But she was wrong, and we were devastated. But this amazing woman came back. She fought, continues to fight, and she’s still with us. She has a difficult road ahead of her, and her life has changed drastically. But she hasn’t lost her wry perspective or her sense of humor. This strong woman is a fighter. I can only hope I am able to meet life’s blows with the same fierceness, grace, and determination that she has shown. I am honored to know her.
To purchase, click here. Mountain Laurel
Life also deals a blow to the protagonist of Mountain Laurel.
Laurel Morgan’s sister is traveling down a bad path. Standing by and doing nothing isn’t something Laurel can do, so she acts. Who knew one little kidnapping would lead to a chain of farcical events? Facing difficulty, head-on, is what strong women do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t sometimes find themselves tangled up in crazy messes.
A Heartfelt Request
Oh, and my friend who suffered the heart attack requests that every woman over 50 ask her doctor about taking a stress test. The life you save could be your own.”–Donna
Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. Learn more about her on her blog at booksbylyncote.com.
March 11, 2014
British Mystery Author Veronica Heley & What about Strength in Prayer?
My guest today is British Mystery author Veronica Heley. She’s been my guest before and I always benefit from her insights. She’s offering a PDF copy of her latest mystery, FALSE DIAMONDS to a commenter. Here’s Veronica.
“Strong Women . . .
Prayer Warriors
There’s plenty of references in the Bible to people praying hard and long. Not just Jesus, but other people, too. There are barren women praying for a child, sick women praying for health, mothers praying for their son’s futures.
I know someone
who’s been part of a prayer group at my church for thirty years or so. She remembers each past prayer warrior with respect and love. They were all strong Christians, bearing burdens with a smile and, when their time came to pass on, they faced death without fear.
One by one they died,
and then there was only one woman to carry on the job of praying for others. Requests for prayer still came in, but no one joined her as she went to church each week and sat there with the list in her hand, praying for each one by name. She persevered. It was a lonely business, and too often she wondered if her prayers had any effect. Was God listening? Did the people she prayed for receive God’s guidance and peace? She realised she could never answer that question. All that mattered was that she went on doing it.
Alone no more
Eventually two more women joined her. And what prayer warriors they turned out to be! And another . . . and now and again other people come, usually with a specific request. They creep in to church on a Thursday morning, bowed down with the sorrows they’ve encountered as they go about their day. They grieve for the world, or for some problem facing this person and that. They try to start the session with praise but sometimes it seems impossible to praise when there is so much amiss around them. But they pray. And when they stand to join hands and say the grace, they find themselves reinvigorated, and even, laughing with joy.
The first fruit of this prayer group is joy.
My two heroines–Ellie Quick & Bea Abbot–sometimes try to argue with God
before realising you can’t do that. Sometimes it seems to them that God is not listening . .. . until a turn of events, or a phrase that He put in their heads shows that He most certainly is! They try to set aside times for bible reading in their busy lives, and sometimes they do manage it, but when they’re trying to help other people they’re more likely to send off an arrow prayer . . . ‘Help, Lord, please?’ than to get down on their knees.
And at their age – they’re both in their sixties – getting down on their knees is not really an option. Or getting up again, if they have managed to get down. They believe God understands”–Veronica
Find her at
March 9, 2014
March 4, 2014
Do You Remember La Belle Christiane?
If you do, that means
you’ve been reading this blog for a while. Back in 2011, I posted La Belle Christiane, the novel, the first one I ever wrote on this blog as I revised it. The tab above booksbylyncote.com.
March 2, 2014
Love Inspired Author Leann Harris & What is Courage?
My guest today is author Leann Harris. I am always astounded at how my guest authors and readers share their true lives, not just fluff. Here’s Leann:
An Unwelcome Journey
This last May, I started a journey I never thought I take. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The sickness seemed to come out of the blue. One day I was okay, and the next in the hospital to remove a brain tumor, followed up by lots of chemo. I’ve held onto a verse of scripture Psalm 118:17- I will not die but live and proclaim what The Lord has done.
Knowing I’m in God’s hands, and He’ll walk through this valley with me gives me the strength to make this journey.
Is that courage?
I don’t know. Each day, all I can do is walk with my Savior and listen to His encouragement. That encouragement has come in the form of friends coming around me to support me with prayers and lots of meals brought to the house.
My latest PET scan shows no lymphoma and I’ve finished all the chemo treatment and now am finishing radiation treatment. The end is in sight and all I can do is thank the Lord for his mercy and support.
A Ranch to Call Home
My heroine in my March 2014 LI book, A Ranch to Call Home, Captain Brenda Kaye, after surviving a suicide bomber in Iraqi, has her Army career ended, and goes home to face the ghosts of her past. Her parents were killed in a car accident coming home from New Year’s Eve church service and “Kaye” witnessed it from the car behind. She joined the Army the day after she graduated from high school to escape her grief. It takes courage for her to face her past, but Caleb Jensen, a friend of her brother’s, who is at the ranch, helps her face her past, while he wrestles with his own tragedies.
I understand Kaye’s feelings and it was so odd to read the line edits and see what I wrote before my lymphoma was discovered. God plans these things and I can only stand in amazement.
After seeing our military men and women dealing with things that happened to them, I think courage is simply facing the situation we’re given and dealing with it to the best of our ability. But that ability is magnified when we give it to Yahweh Tsuri—The Lord My Rock.”–Leann
Thanks, Leann, for that candid account of your latest challenge. The Lord is our strength and an everpresent help in trouble. QUESTION: Have you had to show courage or has someone you know shown courage and faith?–Lyn
February 25, 2014
Author Janis Susan May & The Land of Heart’s Delight
My guest today is Regency Author Janis Susan May who also writes mysteries as Janis Patterson. I was amazed by the interesting and very strong women in Janis’s family. And that she’s writing down their stories to share with others. Here’s Janis:
Risky, yes, but…
When I quit my secure if not-very-exciting job to write full time, those close to me asked if I had (a) lost my mind or (b) gone totally mad. I answered that it was risky, yes, but without risk one can never reach their full potential. Then I gave examples from my own family.
My mother, a farm girl
just hitting adulthood in the depths of the Great Depression, worked most of her 20s on the farm simply because in spite of her college degrees she could not get a job. In 1940 she was offered the post of County Home Demonstration Agent in Brooks County – then a wasteland of sand and cactus in the South Texas King Ranch country. She took it, moving by herself into an area as alien to her gentle, green farming country home as the Moon.
With a 45 in hand
WWII came along and for the duration she carried a .45 (with which she was a dead shot) as it was feared the Nazis would invade across the Mexican border, which was only a few miles away. After marrying my father she settled into the accepted role of wife and mother that was the 1950s ideal, but beneath her proper exterior there was always the core of steel that moved alone into a sparse and alien land and was prepared to fight the Nazis face to face.
I chronicled this part of her life in THE LAND OF HEART’S DELIGHT, a memoir on which I put under her name (Aletha Barrett May) as author, as a tribute to her.
To purchase, click here. The Land of Heart’s Delight
My Scottish Great-Grandmother
On the other side of the family, my father’s Scottish grandmother showed even more courage. Married in the middle of the 19th century to a man of her family’s choice when she loved another, she dutifully followed her new husband to America as a bond servant. She never saw any of her own family again. When their indenture was over, she followed him to the wild wastes of Texas, bearing him six children over the years.
When he died young and suddenly, she refused an offer to return to Scotland. “Papa wanted his children raised here,” she said and that was that. She farmed the land he had left her and raised her children to become hard workers and good citizens in spite of the facts that they often didn’t have shoes or occasionally enough to eat. Somehow every child went to college, too, most working to pay their own way. Indomitable to the end, she died in her 90s after falling ill on a train crossing the state to go visit a grandchild.
I’m writing her story in a book called A CROWN OF LIFE, which hopefully will see publication next year.
After following these two courageous women and several more whose exploits I have yet to write, quitting a safe office job to write seems a puny triumph indeed. Still, I hope that I have done my small part to uphold the family tradition of strength of mind.”–Janis
Her websites are : booksbylyncote.com.
