Delia Latham's Blog, page 32

LIFE TO THE FULLEST: It's About the Quality. . .

Here's a really good post from Robin Bayne, with great advice for writers:



LIFE TO THE FULLEST: It's About the Quality. . .: “Be still, and know that I am God. . ." Psalm 46:10 Imagine. . . You are working feverishly on a novel, and in the mail comes an ...

Scotland, Food, Romance, God--Four Greats, One Novel. Five Days in Skye.

Didn't manage that Scotland get-away this summer? No worries. You can travel there now, through the pages of Laureano's latest novel, Five Days in Skye.

A recent COTT clash participant, this "delicious" romance is a whirlwind trip you won't want to miss!







Five Days in Skye 

by Carla Laureano



 



About Five Days in Skye





Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance

to snag a high-profile client or she'll have to kiss her dreams of promotion

good-bye. When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on

the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible.

Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be,

and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried.

For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of

his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful,

intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his

mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far

different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever

change their outlook on life and love.








About the Author

Carla Laureano has held many job titles--professional

marketer, small business consultant, and martial arts instructor--but writer is

by far her favorite. She currently lives in Denver with her patient husband and

two rambunctious sons, who know only that Mom's work involves lots of coffee

and talking to imaginary people.

Carla spends her free time hanging out on her blog and

social media. Connect with her here:

Web | Facebook

| Twitter | Google+

| Pinterest | YouTube



What People Are Saying



“Five Days in Skye is at turns sweet and scathing,

lush and intimate... This story has guts and heart as well as the depth and

heat necessary to satisfy any romance reader's palate.” – Serena Chase, USA Today




 “What a delicious discovery! Carla Laureano’s Five Days in Skye swept me away to the Scottish

Isles and into the wounded hearts of the impeccably cool Andrea Sullivan and

the charismatic charmer Jamie MacDonald. This is a romance to savour from

beginning to end. The funny and feisty first interaction between this pair

sucks you in and as the story and characters develop you will have no desire to

leave as they wrestle with doubts, prejudice, preconceptions, and sparkling

attraction. What I loved most was the substance to this story – this is no

marshmallow romance – but a love story that is intriguing and real… In

a world replete with romantic clichés, Carla’s writing is so very

refreshing!” – Rel Mollet, Relz Reviewz

“The storytelling, characters, and

setting all served to drag me so deeply into the world of Skye that for days

after finishing the book I felt a huge, gaping hole… If you love exotic places,

larger-than-life leading men, and romances that warm you to your very core, Five Days in Skye is the perfect getaway

for a hot summer afternoon. Prepare yourself to read late into the evening and

night as putting down the novel will be next to impossible.” – Elizabeth

Olmedo, Radiant Lit

“From the sceneries, to the refined cuisine, every detail of

the land is sketched with precision and care, embarking readers on an

unforgettable journey that will leave them breathless for more. Laureano not

only seems to have a knack for breathing life into a place few of us truly

know, but also for breathing life into characters that will take you by the

hand and run away with you.”—Amazon reader review

“The setting was inviting and gorgeous. The characters,

especially the hero, felt real and had fully-rounded back stories. Of course,

there was a lot of chemistry and fun, but I was drawn in by the deeper themes

of making peace with the past and trusting God with the future as well.”

–Amazon reader review



“While I was reveling in luscious details and having a grand

time, Laureano managed to remind me that life is about more than working hard

to earn good things. Taking a moment to breathe, to lift your head and

appreciate creation, to let go of mistakes you've made and allow people to love

you--all these gems are embedded in the pages of Five Days in Skye. You'll come

away from this novel refreshed and craving good food, good times and the

company of loved ones.” –Amazon reader review

Worship Veils: Shut in with God

My Worship Veil





I remember, from very early childhood, my uncle/pastor loving an old song titled, "Shut in with God." Because Uncle Dearl loved it, I learned to love it as well - and to love what it meant. If you've never heard the song, treat yourself and listen to it. You'll find a video at the end of this post.



Think about it. Really think about what it means to be shut in with God. Just you and Him. Looking on His face, feeling His touch, simply being in His presence without any distractions.



Do you find it hard to feel "shut in with God"? Too much busy-ness going on around you...so much to do and not enough time to do it in?



Perhaps you've heard the story of Susanna Wesley (mother of John and Charles Wesley). Even if your faith or denomination differs from hers, she was an inspiration. The woman bore nineteen children, and ten of them lived past the age of 2. That's a BIG family with LITTLE privacy time for Mommy! The children knew to be quiet when they saw their mother throw her apron over her head, because it meant she was praying. It's how she shut out the world and shut herself in with God. (If you're interested, you'll find a wonderful blog about Susannah here.)


Well, I rarely wear an apron, but I have a beautiful worship veil that I got from a dear sister in Christ, Christy Borelli. It is the apron over my head. The veil is lovely, but aside from that, it is deeply meaningful. Ask Christy about her one-of-a-kind worship veils...she can be contacted through website, www.themastersjewels.com. She can provide far deeper, biblically based meanings for each part of the veil. She makes and sells them, each one designed specifically for the person who'll receive it. In her words, "Each veil is unique, just like the individual it was created for."



Here's a brief explanation of the veil's construction, according to Christy: It is patterned after a Tallit. (If you're not familiar with the term, I encourage you to Google it...) Under the [visible] ribbon is a red ribbon, representing the blood of Jesus, to keep your mind covered in the Blood. The tassels represent the 4-corner anointing and the beads are representative of the bells the priests wore on their robes. God is after our hearts and wants us to tent ourselves in with Him. He is after the intimacy.


Mine helps me feel separated from the world when I pray, and creates the much-needed sense of being shut in with God. I can't think of a better place to be in all the world!



I'm certainly not a professional photographer (Christy, I apologize...), but I wanted to share my beautiful worship veil. I treasure it...and its ability to bring me into a sense of greater intimacy with the Lover of my soul.


 






 

Deep, royal blue on one side, gold on

the other.



 










Notice the beads (fringe) on the edge of the

garment, and the tassel on the corner. (There's

tassel on all four corners.) The top photo

shows the tassel best.


 

 

 

 





 

Mine arrived beautifully packaged in its

own organza bag, and included a lovely card

(not pictured) explaining the veil's

 meaning and purpose.

 

 

 

And here's that video I promised:




        
 

Grace's Pictures by Cindy Thomson

Welcome! Today we are taking a look at recent Clash Contender, Grace's Pictures by Cindy Thomson. First, take a look at that gorgeous cover! Love it! Now "turn the book over" to read the back cover blurb:





About the book
Grace's Pictures

Grace McCaffery hopes that the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise that the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader. A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her. Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness.





***




A review from the Library Journal 
Irish immigrant Grace McCaffery came to New York City for a better life. She takes a job as a nanny to make enough money to bring her mother over from Ireland. When her employers are slow to pay her, she decides to take her new Brownie camera and earn some extra income by selling her photos. A trip to the park puts Grace in danger when she photographs some local gangsters, raising the attention of policeman Owen McNulty. But Grace, who was taken by police to the workhouse when she was a child, has a distrust of men in uniform. Still, she never expects to find one so kind—or attractive. VERDICT Thomson (Brigid of Ireland) has penned a delightful story of overcoming obstacles. Lynn N. Austin fans will savor this historical series debut.




Another in-depth and very positive review can be found here.


Gotta see more? You can purchase Grace's Pictures on Amazon and read a preview right now!


***


About the author


Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of
history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing,
including her Ellis Island series with Tyndale House. Cindy is also the
author of Brigid of Irelandand Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biographyThree Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story,
which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research’s
Larry Ritter Book Award. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a
regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor
for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member
of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society.
Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio.
Get to know Cindy at her  blog , on  Facebook , on  Twitter , or on  Pinterest .



Click here for a great interview with Cindy on Tyndale's website. 




Be sure to visit COTT for next month's clash!

LIFE TO THE FULLEST: KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT

LIFE TO THE FULLEST: KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT: Jo Huddleston "Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it."  -Mae West "The original bombsh...

VOTE for DawnSinger by Janalyn Voigt

DAWNSINGER by Janalyn Voigt is a finalist in the Walmart "Get on the Shelf Contest." You can help a deserving author with a deserving book get on the shelves in Walmart stores across the nation. Just use this link to vote: 



https://getontheshelf.walmart.com/product/13f2/Dawnsinger



Thanks, friends!

The Winner of the June New Releases Clash is...

 

The winner of our latest Clash is:




A Melody For James

 



 

by

Hallee Bridgeman







Congratulations, Hallee!




Special thanks to her competitors for their participation:




Carla Laureano

Michelle Griep

Cindy Thomson

Miralee Ferrell





About A Melody For James: 




Solitary strangers meet during a stormy stopover. Hours later, their hearts hum a harmonious duet.

Melody
Mason has the hottest female voice in the country music scene. But the
cheers of throngs of adoring fans mean little in the absence of the
handsome stranger who rescued her years before. Widower James Montgomery
has never forgotten her. He prays God can bring her back.

Incredible
events finally bring them face to face again. Together at last, they
realize the bond between them has miraculously risen to a crescendo,
melodiously marrying them like strong symphonic chords. Uncannily, they
learn they share more in common than they could have ever imagined. They
know God reunited them for a purpose.

Sinister forces threaten
to destroy their new found happiness. The couple must work in close
concert, placing all their faith in God as they solve the deadly mystery
that ties their lives inexplicably together.

Fire, loss, and
bloodshed cannot shake their faith in God to see them through as they
face a percussive climax that leaves hearts and lives forever changed.





PURCHASE:

AMAZON

B & N







About the author:


Hallee Bridgeman lives with her husband and their three children in small town Kentucky. When she's not writing Christian romance novels, she blogs about all things cooking and homemaking at Hallee the Homemaker (http://www.halleethehomemaker.com).



Hallee started writing when her oldest child and only daughter was a baby, but a busy professional career and being the wife of a deployed soldier had her shelve her books for another time. Two more children, a cross country move, and God's perfect timing brought the books off of the shelf to be dusted off and presented to you now.



Join Hallee's Street Team -- Hallee's Allies -- find all of the information here: http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/i-want-you-to-join-hallees-allies/



Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit. She prays her books are a blessing to you and would love to hear back from you. You can reach Hallee at hallee@bridgemanfamily.com



What people are saying:


~~~~

This book has affected me on so many levels. I am so moved by it that I don't know where to begin this review. Me, who is usually never stuck for words! To say I'm stunned is an understatement. Friends, brothers and sisters, I never say I'm stunned by a book. Never. But I'm saying it now.



This is as taut a thriller as ever I've read. It's hard hitting and doesn't flinch from the bad stuff. Like any contemporary thriller, it's full of surprises. Explosions, bombs, bullets, missed connections, it's all there. What's not there is explicit sexual description and what is definitely not there is profanity. What a refreshing change! Hallee Bridgeman has gone and proved that you don't have to write dirty to get people's attention. That a book can thrum with sexual tension without a bed in sight. That actual evil and hatred can manifest itself on the printed page without a single swear word. And I truly believe, as a person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead, that this can only be accomplished by the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Hallelluia!



I praise and thank God for the gift of Hallee Bridgeman to readers, for her awesome talent and generosity of spirit in sharing this wonderful story. The Spirit of God is definitely present here and the Word of God and it's vibrant power is continuously present.



The plot, James and Melody's story, how they meet at a juncture of their lives and fall in love, to be reunited again several years later, is compulsive and will please readers of romance. The intrigue regarding the enemies who surround them will please the readers of thrillers. How this couple walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, fearing no evil will please spirit filled Christian believers. It is so true - if you live in the Word of God and the Word in you, no weapon formed against you shall prosper and ever tongue which rises against you shall be condemned.



Heavenly Father, I pray this wonderful novel will be read far and wide and help increase the faith of believers everywhere and bring faith to people who don't know the Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen!



~From Contemporary Romance Reviews (http://rbh-contemporary.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-melody-for-james-by-hallee-bridgeman.html)

 Click here to see the author discuss the book herself!! http://youtu.be/np3EQK3VFh4




Thank you all so much. This has been a tremendous clash! Join us again for our July New Releases, coming soon! :)

Get your name in one of my novels!

I NEED YOUR HELP...and I'm offering something in return.

I have a nameless, abandoned baby boy in an upcoming novel. (This book is still in the planning stages, so it'll be a while before it's actually in print - just a heads up. Publishing can be a slow process. ) My heroine finds the infant, but since she has no idea what his name is, she and the hero fall into the habit of calling him "the little guy" - which soon turns into Little Guy. I like the way that works...on the surface. Problem is, Guy just doesn't seem plausible as a name for a baby in today's world. So...yep, I need a name for my "little guy."

If I use your suggestion, I will use YOUR FIRST NAME for a secondary character in that same novel, AND I will dedicate the novel to you. Sound like fun?

Here are the rules:

1. "LIKE" MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE . (If you've already liked it, that's OK, you've already taken care of Step 1.) Do let me know in your e-mail (Step 3) that you've "liked" my page, whether you do it now or had already done so.)

2. SHARE THIS POST on your Facebook timeline and tag me (@DeliaLatham) so I'll know you took Step #2. (Use the SHARE link at the top of this page or copy and paste this link: http://delialatham.blogspot.com/2013/08/want-novel-dedicated-to-youand.html.



If you'd rather TWEET about it, that's fine (you can do both, if you'd like!). Just tag me on your tweet

(@DeliaLatham). Here's a ready-made TWEET you can use:


Help name an abandoned baby...and get your name in a novel! More info: http://tinyurl.com/mhd9amb  @DeliaLatham #HeartsHaven4



 3. SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS for a name for the little guy to: DLathamWrites@yahoo.com . Please put "LITTLE GUY" in the subject field so I won't overlook your entry.

That's it. I'll take suggestions through August 31st, and if I receive a suggestion that blows me away, I'LL ANNOUNCE IT ON MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE, sometime during the first week of September - along with the winner's name. If I receive duplicate suggestions for the winning name, the winner will be first person who suggested that name.

Have fun naming the little guy - and be sure to spread the word!



(Note: All three of the steps above must be completed to be eligible for the drawing.)    

Want a novel dedicated to you...and a character with your first name?

I NEED YOUR HELP...and I'm offering something in return.

I have a nameless, abandoned baby boy in an upcoming novel. (This book is still in the planning stages, so it'll be a while before it's actually in print - just a heads up. Publishing can be a slow process. ) My heroine finds the infant, but since she has no idea what his name is, she and the hero fall into the habit of calling him "the little guy" - which soon turns into Little Guy. I like the way that works...on the surface. Problem is, Guy just doesn't seem plausible as a name for a baby in today's world. So...yep, I need a name for my "little guy."

If I use your suggestion, I will use YOUR FIRST NAME for a secondary character in that same novel, AND I will dedicate the novel to you. Sound like fun?

Here are the rules:

1. "LIKE" MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE . (If you've already liked it, that's OK, you've already taken care of Step 1. )

2. SHARE THIS POST on your Facebook timeline and tag me (@DeliaLatham) so I'll know you took Step #2 (and/or TWEET about it and tag me on Twitter - @DeliaLatham).

3. SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS for a name for the little guy to: DLathamWrites AT yahoo DOT com. Please put "LITTLE GUY" in the subject field so I won't overlook your entry.

That's it. I'll take suggestions through August 31st, and if I receive a suggestion that blows me away, I'LL ANNOUNCE IT ON MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE, sometime during the first week of September - along with the winner's name. If I receive duplicate suggestions for the winning name, the winner will be first person who suggested that name.

Have fun naming the little guy - and be sure to spread the word!

LIFE TO THE FULLEST: AHH CONTENTMENT!

LIFE TO THE FULLEST: AHH CONTENTMENT!: By Carol Howell Here I sit waiting on my Honda Fit to get its oil changed and rear tail light replaced.  The waiting room is c...