Michelle L. Levigne's Blog, page 169

Christmas Eve Card

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY: In a Pickle by Karen Robbins

Today's SPOTLIGHT is on fellow ACFW Ohio member Karen Robbins with her funny new novel, IN A PICKLE.

I've been hearing about this book for a few years now, as Karen has struggled to find a publisher brave enough to risk a sensitive topic handled in a humorous manner. Success!

Annie Pickels, a 65-year-old widowed pickle entrepreneur, is in real trouble. One of her city farmers is growing marijuana on his rented plot of land. Annie, thinking it is marjoram, uses it as a secret ingredient in her pickles.
Insisting Tommy is a nice young man, Annie discovers his beloved Mary Jane is not the name of his girlfriend after Annie is arrested for cultivation and sale of marijuana. But Annie knows God always takes care of her. On a cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2, Annie meets the man who might solve her impending legal dilemma, Arnie.
Elma, Annie’s best friend, knows that Arnie is just what Annie needs in her life. But is he?
Annie’s niece thinks Arnie is out to fleece her aunt. Is she right? Or is Arnie the one who can get Annie out of the pickle she’s in?
As a full-time mom, a teacher, a businesswoman, a paralegal student, a travel addict, and diver, Karen Robbins has had a wealth of experiences that contribute to her story ideas and speaking topics. In 1987, she sold her first written piece for publication in Standard, a Sunday School take-home paper. Since then she has published numerous articles and essays in a variety of publications including several regional and national magazines and written columns for a local newspaper and an online women’s magazine. Karen has been a contributing author to many compilation books including the Chicken Soup For The Soul series. She coauthored A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts and A Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts. Her novels include Divide The Child,  In A Pickle, Murder Among The Orchids, and Death Among The Deckchairs
Purchase Links:Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Divide-Child-Karen-Robbins-ebook/dp/B00E3VMKOG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385484748&sr=8-1&keywords=divide+the+child+karen+robbinsAmazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Divide-The-Child-Karen-Robbins/dp/1491053828/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1385484999&sr=8-1&keywords=divide+the+child+karen+robbinsBarnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divide-the-child-karen-robbins/1003543214?ean=9781491053829Smashwords for all eformats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/338782Connect with Karen online:Website: www.karenrobbins.comBlog: Writer’s Wanderings  http://karenrobbins.blogspot.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenRobbinsAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/karenrobbinsTwitter: https://twitter.com/writerwanderingPinterest: http://pinterest.com/wanderingwriter/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/krobbins

OFF THE BOOKSHELF: The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt

The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt is what I was taught to consider a "shared universe" story -- meaning multiple authors contribute to the story line/universe.

Authors: Joan Campbell, Jennifer Fromke, Sheryl Holmes, Deanna Klingel, Fay Lamb, J.A. Marx, Ruth O'Neil, Debbie Roome and Marji Laine. Each author contributed a chapter to the book.

Publisher: Write Integrity Press. www.WriteIntegrity.com or from Amazon -- I read this on Kindle, and am pretty sure it was a free book when I got it.

Grace is our narrator, grieving the loss of her grandmother as Christmas approaches, and still wounded from the betrayal of her twin sister, whom she has not seen since high school. Orphaned as children, she and her twin were raised by their grandmother -- now Grace is totally alone in the world.

That is, until she gets a package prepared by her grandmother before she died. As children, the twins loved going on treasure hunts created by their grandmother. This package has nine envelopes and sends Grace around the world to meet people important to her grandmother and to learn valuable lessons about forgiveness, second chances, and trusting in God.

Honestly, I teared up several times, reading this book. What's interesting is that many e-books open up to the table of contents and don't give you the cover art unless you flip backwards, so I and didn't realize there were nine authors. The various chapters came together so smoothly, the "voice" didn't change for me. Nicely done!

If you want a heart-warming story for Christmas that takes you around the world, this is the one to add to your reading list. Bravo to the authors!

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY: Angel to the Rescue by Petie McCarty

 Today's Spotlight is focused on another Desert Breeze Publishing author, Petie McCarty, and her novel,  Angel to the Rescue:
Child psychologist Rachel Kelly isn't quite sure how to handle the situation with her newest client -- a six-year-old boy who says he can talk to angels, and one is coming to help Rachel. She already has her hands full of trouble this Christmas season, and things quickly take a turn for the worse when a stalker crashes Rachel's Christmas party and takes her young clients hostage.
Police negotiator, Lt. Jake Dillon, walked away from his fiancée Rachel when she suddenly balked at having kids. His kids. Yet when the hostage crisis erupts, Rachel calls Jake first. Now he has a choice to make -- stand back and wait for the cavalry to save Rachel, or step in and try to save her himself. Time is running out, and Jake may be their only chance for rescue.

Unless Rachel's little angel-spying client is telling the truth…

Petie earned a zoology degree from the University of Central Florida and enjoys a career as an aquatic biologist at "The Most Magical Place on Earth." She brings a unique environmental viewpoint to her stories and hopes to teach a love for the environment along the way. Petie is a member of Romance Writers of America and lives in Orange County, Florida with her horticulturist husband, a spoiled-rotten English Springer spaniel, and a noisy Nanday conure.

Petie's web site:  www.petiemccarty.com
Petie's Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty

OFF THE BOOKSHELF: A Darcy Christmas -- Jane Austen Tribute Anthology

A DARCY CHRISTMAS is an anthology of novellas in tribute to Jane Austen and probably her most famous couple -- Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. I know I got this from B&N, but I honestly can't remember if this was a Free Book Friday book, or the featured book they offer first when you touch the "shop" button on your Nook. All I know is, I had to have it.

One word (can you really limit yourself to ONE word to describe this collection?): CHARMING.

Amanda Grange, Sharon Lathan and Carolyn Eberhart did a lovely job, going on after the last page of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE to speculate on "What if?" -- and setting all their stories at Christmas.

What if Mr. Darcy didn't ask Lizzy to marry him a second time? What if their first child was born at Christmas? What would the Christmases be like through the years, as they grew older and their children grew up and started falling in love?

Starting with a tribute to Dickens with "Mr.  Darcy's Christmas Carol" -- yeah, exactly! -- and then traveling through the years ... you'll smile every time you open your book and settle down for another little glimpse into the Darcy family's Christmas traditions and adventures.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY: A Family Tradition by Delores Goodrick Beggs

Today's SPOTLIGHT is on fellow Desert Breeze Publishing author Delores Goodrick Beggs and the 4th book in her Place in the Heart series: A FAMILY TRADITION.


“Mark my words, Katherine,” her dead mother’s dire warning echoed in her thoughts when nurse Katherine Ligny knelt in the racetrack dust beside the fallen man. “Never marry a man who is into risky. He’ll get himself killed, and leave you all alone, like your father did us.”
She loves Erik Roush. She doesn’t want to give him up, and yet she's watched him get injured twice racing Gray Devil, the silver stallion who'd been hurt in a fire started by vandals. Dare she take the chance?
Risky. Dare she follow her heart over her mind? Torn, Katherine watched a grimace of pain twist the fallen jockey's unconscious features. She bit her lip and leaned closer to smooth gentle fingers over the brow of the man she loves.
Place in the Heart Book Four: A Family Tradition by Delores Goodrick Beggs, coming December 2013 from Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc., Amazon.com, and other major e-book venues.


Delores Goodrick Beggs grew up on Pony Ring Ranch in rural Wyandotte County Kansas, with a special affinity for her father's horses and ponies, which were so tolerant of her severe hearing loss. She wrote her books in the evenings after her day job before closed captions were available for television. For the past ten years she has served as President and Genealogist for the Goodrich Family Association.

You can find her on the web at: www.goodrickbeggs.wordpress.com

Christmas Blog Hop with Tamera Kraft!

My Favorite Christmas ThingsBy Tamera Lynn Kraft
I thought it might be fun to share my favorite things about Christmas. My favorite movie: It’s a Wonderful LifeMy favorite Christmas novel/story: The Christmas Carol by Charles DickensMy favorite contemporary Christmas carol: Breathe of HeavenMy favorite old Christmas hymn: Hark the Herald Angels SingMy favorite fun Christmas song: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.My favorite Christmas tree: artificial green spruce with colored lightsMy favorite Christmas dinner: roast beef, mashed potatoes, noodles, gravy, corn, dinner rolls, and chocolate birthday cake for desert.
Okay, what are your favorites? Leave a comment with the answers for a chance to win a digital copy of A Christmas Promise . Also visit Word Sharpeners for a chance to win more prizes and to read Michelle’s post at this link: www.tameralynnkraft.com
A Christmas PromiseA Moravian Holiday Story, Circa 1773
      During colonial times, John and Anna settle in an Ohio village to become Moravian missionaries to the Lenape. When John is called away to help at another settlement two days before Christmas, he promises he’ll be back by Christmas Day.       When he doesn’t show up, Anna works hard to not fear the worst while she provides her children with a traditional Moravian Christmas.       Through it all, she discovers a Christmas promise that will give her the peace she craves.Available at these online stores:AMAZONhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GM59GN4/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
PELICAN BOOK GROUPhttp://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_47&products_id=512
CHRISTIANBOOKhttp://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=48711EB&item_code=WW&netp_id=1206746&event=ESRCG&view=details
Excerpt:      Anna Brunner kneaded dough while she tried not to notice it was almost dusk. Her husband still wasn't home. She wiped her hands on her apron and glanced out the six-pane window. The last glint of sunlight blazed the horizon gleaming on the dirt path. No trace of him.      After scooping some sugar, she worked it into the dough and strove to reflect on the Christmas Eve Lovefeast and all the work she had ahead. She’d been honored with the mission of making the sweet buns and would be one of the Dieners serving the meal at their newly built church.      It did no good to fret about what was going on at the meeting down the road. She’d find out soon enough. She released her anxiety on the dough as she squeezed her fingers through and pounded it into shape.      After living in this village for over a year, celebrating the yuletide with all the fanfare it deserved would make up for everything.      Almost.      The children giggled as they finished a game of jackstraws. Belinda, eight years old, failed to remove a straw without touching the others, and Lisel, the round faced six-year-old, smirked as she shouted out in triumph. Three-year-old Katrina’s brown curls bounced as she clapped for Lisel. She hadn't managed to win any rounds, but Belinda insisted they let her play until a winner had been declared.      “Let’s get the tree ready,” Belinda said.      The girls threw the wheat straws in a basket and dashed to the wooden pyramid frame their father had built. Large boughs were stacked in the corner of the room. Earlier today, before John was beckoned, he’d cut them from the pine trees that lined God’s Acre, the village cemetery.      Moravians didn't cut down trees and drag them into houses the way some did. By using the frame built from wood, and boughs cut from limbs, they still managed to build a nice Christmas tree.      Once all the limbs were in place, the girls would decorate it with pieces of paper with Scripture verses written on them, and pure white beeswax candles with red ribbons tied around them to represent Jesus, the light of the world, who shed his blood on the cross.      Maybe this year will be better.      Anna’s thoughts drifted to when her husband announced his decision to move to the Ohio wilderness. She had been livid. Many Lenni Lenape were forced to move west, but that didn't mean the missionaries from the Moravian Church needed to follow those Delaware Indians, at least, not the missionaries with families. There were still plenty of natives in Pennsylvania.      John had gazed at her with his steel blue eyes. “Anna, we learned to speak Lenape and taught it to our children for this reason, to share the Gospel with the natives.”      “We’re already doing that. Think of the danger.” She delivered a daunting glower of her own, meant to dissuade him. “We have children to consider.”      For days, she’d tried to change his mind by pointing out they didn't need to leave their family and friends in Bethlehem to serve God. He promised her they’d be safe, that the girls would be protected, but she told him he should stop making promises he couldn't keep.      “We have our duty as missionaries to the natives.” His voice was calm as if his statement settled the matter.      “I won’t go.” The declaration had shocked her as much as it did her husband.      Anna glanced out the window. Dark clouds had blown in obscuring the rising full moon.      John should have been home eating his supper by now.
About Tamera Lynn Kraft:      Tamera has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio.      Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.      You can contact Tamera online at these sites.Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft Revival Fire For Kids Blog: http://revivalfire4kids.com

Cyber Monday at Untreed Reads ....... and Uncial Press!

Celebrate Cyber Monday with TIMED SALES at Untreed Reads. 





Check out these titles, the special deals, and WHEN they apply for Uncial Press titles -- including a lot of MINE! Better yet, follow the Uncial Press link to the web site and check out the titles beforehand, to decide which titles you want to buy!


All times are Pacific Standard Time.
www.untreedreads.com
All Uncial Press titles 50% off (all 978160174...ISBNs)12 am-4 am: All our titles in the EARLYBIRD coupon special (extra 10% off)4 am - 10 am Additional 10% off Selected romances (list A)10 am - 12 pm: These Uncial Press fantasy titles for $1 each (list B)12 pm - 2 pm: Help Yourself to a free copy of A Strange Little Band (9781601740793)2 pm - 4 pm: Additional 10% off selected mystery & suspense titles (list C)4 pm - 6 pm: Western & Thriller titles $1 each (list D)6 pm - midnight: Any Holiday-themed title (includes Halloween) for $1 (list E)
LIST ANever Too Late  --  9781601740212Praying Woman  --  9781601740489A Long Way From Eden  --  9781601740571Play it Again Sam  --  9781601740571Safe Harbor  --  9781601740595Freedom Isn't Free  --  9781601740632The Truth About Fairy Tales  --  9781601740694Solomon's Decision  --  9781601740700Emilina's Conquest  --  9781601740717The Groom Wore Leather  --  9781601740755Presidential Liaison  --  9781601740847Broken Vision  --  9781601741196Patently in Love  --  9781601741318Love in the Age of Dinosaurs  --  9781601741387Haunt My Heart  --  9781601741431
LIST BZygradon  --  9781601740076Eyes of a Child  --  9781601740182Charmed, I'm Sure  --  9781601740397Braenlicach  --  9781601740519Three Drops of Blood  --  9781601740526The Plausible Prince  --  9781601740670Fractious  --  9781601740977Arnon  --  9781601740991The Lost Witch  --  9781601741028Divine's Emporium  --  9781601741035Day and Knight  --  9781601741165
LIST CTainted Tea for Two  --  9781601740007Final Argument  --  9781601740083A Shadow in the Night  --  9781601740250Can She Bake a Cherry Pie  --  9781601740267Served Cold  --  9781601740274Dead in the Water  --  9781601740298Dead Air  --  9781601740359The Wakefield Disturbance  --  9781601740496An Unconventional Murder  --  9781601740649A Woman to Blame  --  9781601740724DEADbolt  --  9781601740823A Man of His Word  --  9781601740960That Doggy in the Window  --  9781601741011Skylark  --  9781601741288Giving Up the Ghost  --  9781601741349Jennifer's Dream  --  9781601741578
LIST DThe Queen of Cherry Vale  --  9781601740090The Duchess of Ophir Creek  --  9781601740113Noble Savage  --  9781601740120Knight in a Black Hat  --  9781601740137The Imperial Engineer  --  9781601740151The Bitterroot Trail  --  9781601740328Return to Four Corners  --  9781601740885Chamber Music  --  9781601740984Shifter  --  9781601741172Killpoint  --  9781601741332
LIST EHave Christmas Card, Will Travel  --  9781601740052Comet Wine  --  9781601740366Jingle Bell Jinx  --  9781601741042Have Yourself a Faerie Little Christmas  --  9781601741059A Season of Miracles  --  9781601741066The Problem With Pumpkins  --  9781601741233Keeper of Secrets  --  9781601741257Lord of Misrule  --  9781601741264Bootleggers  --  9781601741493The Ghost of Christmas Never  --  9781601741509
REMEMBER: Untreed Reads, Monday, December 2 -- www.untreedreads.com

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY: By Fire and Stars & Chorillan

Today's SPOTLIGHT is focused on the third and fourth books -- recent releases -- in my Chorillan Cycle: BY FIRE AND STARS, and CHORILLAN, printed by Oaktara Publishers. Available in print and e-book formats.

What are they about?

The Chorillan Cycle takes place in my Commonwealth Universe series of science fiction books, in what is termed the "present era." In the first two books, AZULI EYES and SCOUTS' PRIDE, we visit the colony world of Chorillan, meet Scout Captain Ian Fieran and his team, Miranda Riallon, a teacher, and learn about the mystery of Phase that drives children into the wilderness with sensory overload. Then, years later, Miranda dies of the same wasting illness that killed her father, and Ian returns to the Scout Corps, taking their daughter, Kay'li, with him to protect her from Phase. Kay'li grows up among the Scouts, learning to be a hero and to fight for what is right.

In BY FIRE AND STARS, we return to Chorillan, where Lucas Aidan, Kay'li's best friend, goes through
Phase. His parents try to hide the truth and keep him hidden until Phase has passed, because of the prejudice and fear directed at Wildlings, the victims of Phase. A terrible accident separates Lucas from his family and he flees to the wilderness in fear and pain. He stays out there through two winters, longer than any child has survived -- or so the authorities think -- and learns about Chorillan from the Azuli. When he is finally captured and forced to return to civilization, he has a mission and a duty, given to him by the Azuli, other Wildlings, and Fi'in. Will he succeed?

In CHORILLAN, Kay'li returns to Chorillan leading a secret Scout team to investigate the truth about what causes Phase, who is generating the unreasonable fear and hatred of Wildlings and why, and bring justice to the colony. She and Lucas team up for the adventure of a lifetime, just as they had dreamed and vowed to each other as children -- but this adventure could cost them their lives.

Off the Bookshelf: THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY by A.W. Tozer

My discussion group on Wednesday night at church is reading this book. We're meeting until the middle of December -- I just finished reading this. Always a smart idea to have actually read the chapters you're going to discuss in class that night before you get there.

This is definitely one of those books that should be read and re-read on a regular basis. Even though it's fairly small -- only 94 pages in my iBooks application -- there's a lot to think about, a lot to learn.

Knowledge of the Holy = understanding all the many facets of the character of God, and what they mean. Even more important, how those different aspects of God relate to those of us who claim to be His followers, and what that means in our lives. The closer we come to a better understanding of the God we claim we serve (yes, I keep saying "claim" because how many of us actually live up to what we say we are, what we say we do, what we say we believe? I mean, really?) the deeper the implications and the more imperative it is to live what we believe.

This book presents and defends the premise that what the modern Church thinks it knows about God ... ain't necessarily so. Even though this was written a number of decades ago, the truths it presents and the fallacies that the Church and so-called Christians and the disbelieving world in general supports about God are still applicable. We are just as guilty now as the people of Tozer's day were of painting a picture of God that diminishes His power and holiness, changing Him from the God to whom we owe everything, and who we should adore and love and fear, to essentially a big cuddly, slightly fuddled grandfather who just wants everyone to get along and lets us do our own will instead of His.

I'm going to make it a goal to try to read this book at least twice a year. Enough time for me to be able to look back and see if the last reading made any difference. Maybe something will strike me as new, or what has happened to me in the last six months will have an impact.

I highly recommend you get this book, and others by Tozer, and get reading. They'll make a difference. The man is easy to read, which means you'll spend more time thinking about what he said rather than trying to untangle HOW he said it, and that translates into having an impact sooner.