Linda Brooks Davis's Blog, page 7

Michael Furlonger on Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone

Michael Furlonger is the author of God: The Master of Sin And Satan The Beautiful. While the title may seem confusing, it focuses on who God is and why we desperately need Him. He also wrote a step by step book called Assurance of Salvation which offers an in-depth look at his coming to trusting faith.

Michael loves to consider the things of God and yearns to be in His presence. He tries to help and encourage other Christians and authors in their faith walk. He also created a website to help advertise Christian authors and bloggers called www.ChristianWritersBookstore.com.

He is married to his lovely wife, Jennifer. They live in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Michael Furlonger: In His Own Words

My story cannot be started without addressing the car accident at age six. While standing on the side of the country road outside of my house, the driver of a car wasn’t paying attention and hit me. In the hospital, with no hope of survival, the doctors told my parents that they would make me comfortable.

But I suppose the doctors didn’t know that my God is bigger than their science.

When I pulled through the first night, the doctors were surprised. How could this little boy survive the collision with a car driving down a country road? they likely pondered. They put me in a medically induced coma to avoid any movement because an x-ray showed that my neck was broken.

You probably don’t believe it, but my God does the impossible. When the doctors went in to operate on my broken neck, the lead surgeon ran out of the operating room. He ran to my mother and asked, “Do you believe in God? Because your son’s neck is no longer broken.”

Years later I was sharing this story at high school. A student asked, “If your God was going to heal you, why didn’t he just do it on the side of the road?” I didn’t have an answer then, but I do now. Consider, “How would God get any glory for Himself if no one knew?”

Michael Furlonger: No Sunshine Or Rainbows

This is an amazing story. I wish I could tell you that my whole life was in earnestly seeking after God. But it wasn’t: Brain damage, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, school bullies, this isn’t what God wants for me. Did God abandon me? Or, maybe, I abandoned Him with my sins?

Seriously God?! I go to church and play in the band. I’m your miracle child. Don’t you remember?

First John 1:6 tells us that, “If we claim to have fellowship with him, but walk in the darkness (sin), we lie…”

As rich in mercy as God is, He couldn’t tolerate my sinfulness.

The Church Highs and Lows

As mentioned, I grew up in the church. Starting in a very legalistic, Hell fire and brimstone, small town Baptist church for many years.

As I grew in my teens, at a new church, I learned about GRACE. Not grace as it truly is, but a grace that told me that Jesus Christ and God the Father had two different agendas. As though God the Father was all about Hell-Fire and Jesus Christ was all about forgiveness. As though Jesus Christ was in disagreement with the Father and he had to yell, “NO!” to make him change plans. This taught me I could live a life of sin because Jesus’ death on the cross protects me from God of the Old Testament. And I lived by that version of grace. 

I definitely liked this God (tongue in cheek) better. So, I looked at pornography, I disrespected my parents and teachers, and I had sex with my girlfriends.

Then, in my 20s, I attended a new, hyper-Pentecostal church, became “experiential”. The Word of God took a back seat to personal experiences: Speaking in tongues, shaking on the floor, claiming prophetic dreams.

Not to disregard these spiritual gifts, but it’s easy to lie about such things. I’m embarrassed to say, but that’s what I did: I lied. I started “speaking in tongues” and shaking in an earnest desire that I would fit in, find something. Friendship in the church, family, maybe a place to belong.

Michael Furlonger: One Story Ends

As you can see, I attended three kinds of churches, and they all held on to various biblical truths. But how can they all hold to truth, but be so divided?

And where am I? Anxious, depressed, suicidal, going from girlfriend to girlfriend trying to find some… SOMETHING. Trying to find purpose, hope, love, a place to belong.

I realized that I needed to truly know this God I worship. Sure, he created cool stuff, and he freed the slaves from Egypt, and took Israel to the Promised Land, but what about me? I’m not a slave in Egypt and I live in Canada (The Promised Land of the North?), not wandering the desert.

S o where do you start when learning something new? You start at the beginning: Genesis 1:1- In the beginning, God created…

God: The Master Of Sin and Satan The Beautiful by Michael Furlonger

As I go through my learning curve, I start with the Creation Story of Genesis 1. Then I go to Genesis 2 where God put Adam, and created his wife, in the Garden of Eden. And I considered this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God needed to have knowledge of good and evil to create such a tree, didn’t He? Consider Genesis 3:22, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.”

This is where the title of God: The Master of Sin comes in.

Continuing my research, I discovered this serpent that convinced Eve to eat the fruit of this tree. I read about Adam and Eve hiding from God, naked and afraid, after eating this fruit. And I realized that, although it was the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that set things in motion, God banished them from the garden to keep them from the Tree of Life. As Genesis 3:22b-23a reads: “He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden.

This book continues on from Genesis to Revelation 22:2 where we see the Tree of Life once again.

This easy to read, 120 page book, discusses the nature of God, the wickedness of sin, and how Satan makes it so “Beautiful”.

Michael Furlonger’s Links

Website: www.ChristianWritersBookstore.com/Michael-Furlonger (ChristianWritersBookstore is a website created by Michael Furlonger to support Christian authors. Purchases on the website are made through Amazon affiliation to support both Michael and the authors)

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/groups/ChristianWritersBookstore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikefurlonger

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/channel/UCiuJjIj8qzvyhJmFjaXNTzg

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2LudplN    

Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/38DeJeL  

To join Michael in supporting Christian authors, bloggers, and You Tubers: http://bit.ly/3snu23e 

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Michael writes for you.
For Jesus’ sake

 

The post Michael Furlonger on Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Michael Furlonger: Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone

Michael Furlonger is the author of God: The Master of Sin And Satan The Beautiful. While the title may seem confusing, it focuses on who God is and why we desperately need Him. He also wrote a step by step book called Assurance of Salvation which offers an in-depth look at his coming to trusting faith.

Michael loves to consider the things of God and yearns to be in His presence. He tries to help and encourage other Christians and authors in their faith walk. He also created a website to help advertise Christian authors and bloggers called www.ChristianWritersBookstore.com.

He is married to his lovely wife, Jennifer. They live in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Michael Furlonger: In His Own Words

My story cannot be started without addressing the car accident at age six. While standing on the side of the country road outside of my house, the driver of a car wasn’t paying attention and hit me. In the hospital, with no hope of survival, the doctors told my parents that they would make me comfortable.

But I suppose the doctors didn’t know that my God is bigger than their science.

When I pulled through the first night, the doctors were surprised. How could this little boy survive the collision with a car driving down a country road? they likely pondered. They put me in a medically induced coma to avoid any movement because an x-ray showed that my neck was broken.

You probably don’t believe it, but my God does the impossible. When the doctors went in to operate on my broken neck, the lead surgeon ran out of the operating room. He ran to my mother and asked, “Do you believe in God? Because your son’s neck is no longer broken.”

Years later I was sharing this story at high school. A student asked, “If your God was going to heal you, why didn’t he just do it on the side of the road?” I didn’t have an answer then, but I do now. Consider, “How would God get any glory for Himself if no one knew?”

Michael Furlonger: No Sunshine Or Rainbows

This is an amazing story. I wish I could tell you that my whole life was in earnestly seeking after God. But it wasn’t: Brain damage, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, school bullies, this isn’t what God wants for me. Did God abandon me? Or, maybe, I abandoned Him with my sins?

Seriously God?! I go to church and play in the band. I’m your miracle child. Don’t you remember?

First John 1:6 tells us that, “If we claim to have fellowship with him, but walk in the darkness (sin), we lie…”

As rich in mercy as God is, He couldn’t tolerate my sinfulness.

The Church Highs and Lows

As mentioned, I grew up in the church. Starting in a very legalistic, Hell fire and brimstone, small town Baptist church for many years.

As I grew in my teens, at a new church, I learned about GRACE. Not grace as it truly is, but a grace that told me that Jesus Christ and God the Father had two different agendas. As though God the Father was all about Hell-Fire and Jesus Christ was all about forgiveness. As though Jesus Christ was in disagreement with the Father and he had to yell, “NO!” to make him change plans. This taught me I could live a life of sin because Jesus’ death on the cross protects me from God of the Old Testament. And I lived by that version of grace. 

I definitely liked this God (tongue in cheek) better. So, I looked at pornography, I disrespected my parents and teachers, and I had sex with my girlfriends.

Then, in my 20s, I attended a new, hyper-Pentecostal church, became “experiential”. The Word of God took a back seat to personal experiences: Speaking in tongues, shaking on the floor, claiming prophetic dreams.

Not to disregard these spiritual gifts, but it’s easy to lie about such things. I’m embarrassed to say, but that’s what I did: I lied. I started “speaking in tongues” and shaking in an earnest desire that I would fit in, find something. Friendship in the church, family, maybe a place to belong.

Michael Furlonger: One Story Ends

As you can see, I attended three kinds of churches, and they all held on to various biblical truths. But how can they all hold to truth, but be so divided?

And where am I? Anxious, depressed, suicidal, going from girlfriend to girlfriend trying to find some… SOMETHING. Trying to find purpose, hope, love, a place to belong.

I realized that I needed to truly know this God I worship. Sure, he created cool stuff, and he freed the slaves from Egypt, and took Israel to the Promised Land, but what about me? I’m not a slave in Egypt and I live in Canada (The Promised Land of the North?), not wandering the desert.

S o where do you start when learning something new? You start at the beginning: Genesis 1:1- In the beginning, God created…

God: The Master Of Sin and Satan The Beautiful by Michael Furlonger

As I go through my learning curve, I start with the Creation Story of Genesis 1. Then I go to Genesis 2 where God put Adam, and created his wife, in the Garden of Eden. And I considered this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God needed to have knowledge of good and evil to create such a tree, didn’t He? Consider Genesis 3:22, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.”

This is where the title of God: The Master of Sin comes in.

Continuing my research, I discovered this serpent that convinced Eve to eat the fruit of this tree. I read about Adam and Eve hiding from God, naked and afraid, after eating this fruit. And I realized that, although it was the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge that set things in motion, God banished them from the garden to keep them from the Tree of Life. As Genesis 3:22b-23a reads: “He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden.

This book continues on from Genesis to Revelation 22:2 where we see the Tree of Life once again.

This easy to read, 120 page book, discusses the nature of God, the wickedness of sin, and how Satan makes it so “Beautiful”.

Michael Furlonger’s Links

Website: www.ChristianWritersBookstore.com/Michael-Furlonger (ChristianWritersBookstore is a website created by Michael Furlonger to support Christian authors. Purchases on the website are made through Amazon affiliation to support both Michael and the authors)

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/groups/ChristianWritersBookstore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikefurlonger

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/channel/UCiuJjIj8qzvyhJmFjaXNTzg

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2LudplN    

Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/38DeJeL  

To join Michael in supporting Christian authors, bloggers, and You Tubers: http://bit.ly/3snu23e 

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Michael writes for you.
For Jesus’ sake

 

The post Michael Furlonger: Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Malinda Fugate on Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!

Malinda Fugate grew up in children’s ministry. After two decades of dedicated volunteer service, she now serves full-time as the Children’s Education Director at a church in Southern California. Malinda studied communications and theatre at Azusa Pacific University, then worked behind the scenes at the Los Angeles Salem radio stations, including The Fish and KKLA.

Her writing includes The Other Three Sixteens, Bible Time for Active Kids, commercial copywriting, various faith-based stage and screen plays, as well as co-producing A Single Girl’s Guide To, a lifestyle blog and web series. Her lifelong study of God’s Word continues to reveal more about the Lord every day. She lives by the beach with her pup, Yoshi.

I‘m eager to hear from Malinda. How about you?

Malinda Fugate in her own words.

It all began in children’s ministry.

Memorizing John 3:16 is almost a rite of passage for a kid in church. And for good reason- the words in that single verse speak deep truths about God’s love and salvation. Once the words were committed to memory, a lifetime of learning what they meant helped them sink deep into my mind and my heart. I graduated from children’s ministry and grew through the ranks of each age group… until, as an adult, I found myself as the children’s ministry director of a local church. Life had brought me full circle, now teaching a new generation the beautiful words from the third chapter and sixteenth verse of John.

But a funny thing happened as I turned the pages of the Bible during my own study.

Every time I encountered a 3:16 in other chapters, the words would jump off the page. I know this was simply due to the familiarity of the John scripture, but the similar chapter and verse assignment caused me to pay a little bit of extra attention. My curiosity led me to seek out and examine all of the other 3:16s! Then the Lord inspired another question: If everything in God’s Word points back to His love (because God IS love), then could there be a common thread in these 3:16 verses?

And so my quest began, and the more I read, the more delighted I was by the treasures in scripture. It seemed too good to keep to myself, and so the book, “The Other Three Sixteens,” was born. While keeping each verse within its context, God revealed attributes of His character, which overflowed with His love. Then, the realization of what it means to be loved by God transformed my perspective. Understanding the details about how He cares for us enriches our relationship with Him. Meanwhile, when we learn to love the way Christ loves, our entire lives are changed. A journey sparked by curiosity became a milestone on my journey of faith. And my prayer is that the Lord will bring others along on this rewarding, remarkable, and refreshing adventure as well.

 The Other 3:16s by Malinda Fugate 

“For God so loved the world . . . “

Many of us could finish that sentence in our sleep. John 3:16 is a beautiful Scripture that neatly and simply sums up the message of the Gospel. But what do all the other 3:16s in the Bible have to tell us?

The words of the Bible weave a tapestry of love, particularly the love that our Heavenly Father has for His children. But a love so deep and so wide cannot be contained in one memorized phrase. It takes multiple authors of sixty-six individual books to begin to explore the mystery of God’s care for us.

The Other Three Sixteens by Malinda Fugate examines each third chapter and sixteenth verse in the Bible and invites a fresh, new perspective to help readers uncover surprises or remind them of forgotten truths of a faith that has become routine.

Through Genesis to Revelation, we can soak in its depth, wonder at its intricacies, and be moved at how much the Lord truly does lavish upon us. Together, we discover God’s love under the weight of Eve’s sin in the garden. It’s there in front of Moses, burning in a bush that is somehow not consumed. God’s love sits in the dark with Job, rebuilds a wall with Nehemiah, and encourages a young pastor named Timothy.

T ogether we will find a deeper understanding of the way our Heavenly Father cares for each of us today.

Malinda Fugate Links

Website: www.malindafugate.com

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Other-Three-Sixteens-Malinda-Fugate/dp/1935507141

Christianbook.com:  https://www.christianbook.com/the-other-three-sixteens/9781935507147/pd/507140?event=ESRCG

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-other-three-sixteens-malinda-fugate/1136921910?ean=9781935507147

Social Media:

www.twitter.com/malthestar

www.facebook.com/malthewriter

www.instagram.com/malthewriter

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Malinda writes for you.

~ For Jesus’ sake ~

The post Malinda Fugate on Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Unexpected Perspective: Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!

With a minor tweak of Mirriam-Webster‘s definition, “serendipitous” can be defined as “coming from the phenomenon of finding unexpected joy.” And “perspective” as ” true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion.”

This being the season for looking forward to a new year, I return to an account of one of my most memorable instances of “unexpected joy” and my new perspective that resulted. You can bet I count this blessing not twice but thrice as I look forward to another year devoted to Jesus and writing for him. 

Miss Universe and Me

Miss Colombia, Miss Philippines, and I have next to nothing in common—not hair color, body shape, facial features, age, heredity, ethnicity, residence, or life experiences—except one, in an eensy-weensy way.

Those two goddesses and I, a 74-yr-old grandmother, have shared a “this can’t be happening” moment. Theirs occurred at the Miss Universe pageant in December 2015 when Steve Harvey announced Miss Colombia was the new Miss Universe. And then had to admit he’d made a mistake. The crown went to Miss Philippines, not Miss Colombia. Whooops. 

The Miss Universe Mistake, an moment of unexpected joy for one, not so much for another. Whoops.

Watching that unwatchable, yet can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it moment transported me back to January 2016 when I received word my Operation First Novel entry—THE CALLING OF ELLA MCFARLAND—had won first place. I experienced unexpected joy … and a few more emotions.U

My first words? “That’s impossible.” (When I learned my entry had made the list of 11 finalists a few months earlier, I had told my husband it was a good thing the list didn’t end at 10 or I wouldn’t have made it.)

I expected something akin to the words poor Miss Colombia heard: “I’m so sorry but there’s been a mistake.” Any minute the Whoops call would come. Surely. But the clock ticked away what remained of the evening and the phone sat silent while I worked my way through believing the unbelievable.

Unexpected Trauma

The unexpected joy experience was traumatic—in a good way—but traumatic, all the same. I’ve read that when a person experiences trauma, the needle in the brain’s “trauma center” goes “KERBAM!” all the way to “Full” and beyond. That’s true.

Unexpected Joy=A cup that overflows

My tank—or cup if that suits better—ran over completely. (Tweet That!)

I couldn’t wrap my head around such unexpected joy. I wept. And wept some more. Around 11:00 p.m. my husband asked if I was going to be OK. (He was eyeing bed but wanted to be awake and alert if I had a stroke.)

Sure, I was OK. But I couldn’t stop pacing. Shaking my head. And weeping.

I slipped on my wool coat and sat on the porch. The air was cold. The sky clear. The stars in their places. Moon, too. The earth hadn’t shifted on its axis.

Deep breaths. And prayers of thanksgiving. God was seeing to it that my dream would become reality. Jerry Jenkins was His tool.

Johnny Cash’s “Why Me, Lord?” came to mind, reminding me my journey began in late 2006 when I stumbled across an essay contest online. Adam McManus, talk radio host on KSLR AM in San Antonio, together with one of his sponsors, Jerry B. Jenkins, was offering the Christian Writers Guild Conference to the winner.

It wouldn’t hurt to enter. I could write an essay about why I should attend the conference and not tell a soul. I’d been dreaming secretly about writing illustrated children’s books. And then there was that other event when unexpected joy left me reeling.

Unexpected Joy
Unexpected Joy: The day I learned I would be a first-time grandmother in triplicate form, I reacted in much the same way as when I learned I’d won Operation First Novel.

Our daughter had carried (with great agony) and then delivered (at 28 weeks) a beautiful set of triplets (1 girl and 2 boys) in 2005. She had rejected the fertility doctor’s insistence that she abort one of the babies early on and had spent the better part of 21 weeks in the hospital experiencing every complication in the annals of “at-risk pregnancy.”

I wore my knees out in prayer. (Tweet That!) Daily when I arrived in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and heard “They’re doing OK” I whispered a prayer: “Thank you, Lord, for honoring Lynn Lee’s trust in Your care.” A year later, another boy came along. Four babies in diapers—not your everyday baby experience—requires extra applications of prayer.

Fast forward—past joining several writers’ organizations, critique submissions, conferences, workshops, contests, mentors, tossing aside one idea after another, starting and stopping, reevaluating and going at it again, and even throwing in the towel for 6 months. I’d had it!

Unexpected Calling

Later, on a morning in April 2014, I woke with a story on my mind. It wouldn’t let me go. I sat at my computer, opened a document, typed CHAPTER 1 … and began to weep.

Yep. Prayer changes things. Unexpected Joy.

“I can’t do it, Lord. You’ll have to stand beside me.” 

The Kleenex box grew lighter and lighter—the way it does when a quick yank throws it up over your head. 

At times I thought I felt Jesus beside me, whispering words every now and then, his finger pointing to a pathway, urging me to get my heart in tune—in rhythm—with His, the most precious moments in my writing life so far.

I did my best to edit the manuscript, but on the last day before the deadline, I clicked “Submit” knowing it needed work. The consolation: The feedback would be invaluable.

Did I expect the feedback I received on the following January 16? Absolutely not. Was I stunned and traumatized and unbelieving at first? Duh!

Unexpected Perspective

For whatever reason, the Lord chose this blessing for me. The story isn’t perfect, but neither am I. By the Lord’s gracious hand, I was granted ideas and words and the freedom to put them together as I chose. My ancestors’ experiences are tucked into the story, and readers see my heart and soul laid bare. Mainly, I hope they see Jesus.

Writers, if I can do this, YOU can. Don’t give up!

And, readers, when you open your next novel, pray for the writer. She might be gasping for breath. He might be groaning.

Thank you, Lord.

I haven’t stopped giving thanks … Ephesians 1:16 NIV
Links

Website: www.lindabrooksdavis.com 

Email: linda@lindabrooksdavis.com

Twitter: @LBrooksDavis 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LindaBrooksDavis/

YouTube Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1VZcAi5

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1RCKMgf

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SEJUEI

(I shared this account on the The Seriously Write blog on May 13, 2016 and on Let’s Chat on June 8, 2016.) 

~ ~ ~

Lord, please bless readers of The Calling of Ella McFarland in ways only you can.

~ For Jesus’ sake

The post Unexpected Perspective: Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Christmas Mishaps & Me

Christmas mishaps and my newest release, A Christmas Tale for Little Women

I love family stories and Christmas, so I count Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel, Little Women, among my favorites. All three come together in my newest historical fiction release, A Christmas Tale for Little Women, the novella prequel to The Awakening of Miss Adelaide.

Ever have a Christmas turn out to be a colossal flop? Or do you remember one in particular that was almost magical?

One year in the early 1980s, our military family happily expected my brother’s family for Christmas. I felt somewhat like Adelaide in A Christmas Tale for Little Women. Had I remembered everything? Had I done enough? To be sure, I’d gone the extra mile to make the day extraordinary and expected nothing to spoil the joy.

I had gathered my recipes long in advance and purchased all the ingredients. Marked the calendar for baking goodies ahead of time and freezing, preparing certain dishes the day before Christmas, and noting which had to wait until Christmas morning. As a school teacher, I worked until three days before Christmas, and when the final bell rang at close of school day, I dived into errands and chores (the house must be spotless, after all) and baking and gift wrapping. I checked off my list—twice—and slept enough to get by. But by Christmas Eve when I greeted my loved ones at the front door, I was exhausted and felt as if I were moving in slow motion.

My Christmas script went something like this:

Christmas Eve:

You made it! Come in and give me a hug.

Just look at you! My, how you’ve grown!

Luggage? Down the hall, first room on the right.

The kids? In the den.

Coats? Here in the hall closet.

Christmas gifts? Put them under the tree. The dog won’t bother them. (I hope)

Hungry? Here. Have a sandwich.

No! (play-slap a hand) You may not sample the pie. Not until tomorrow.

Amber, stop barking. Someone, put her up please?

Help in the kitchen? Heavens, no. Ya’ll go on and enjoy yourselves in the den. Or maybe outside?

Whew! (at bedtime) Got everything done. (I smile and close my drooping eyes)

My script the next morning:

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Time for breakfast! (and the beginning of my Christmas Tale, I would discover)

No, don’t go into the living room, son. Not yet.

Yes, you may take your plate to the den.

No, I didn’t forget your brother’s sneakers.

Hey! (play-slap a hand) You may not sample the pie! Not until dinner.

Dishes done. Let’s visit in the living room. Take any seat. I’ll be slipping into the kitchen to check on things … Don’t mind me … Gotta get the turkey on.

In kitchen: (Opening refrigerator) Every single inch of space taken. Move this out of the way. Move that on top of something else? Where’s the turkey? (Stomach flip-flops)

Open the freezer: There it sits. 25 pounds of buttery goodness … frozen solid as stone. (Stomach sinks)

(Scream) No! I didn’t! 

Didn’t what?

I did.

Did what?

Forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer.

Whoops.

8 mouths fall open. 8 foreheads crease. And 8 hungry stomachs rumble as 7 pairs of eyes stare at me.

“Tell me it isn’t so. I couldn’t’ve.” I poke a finger against a turkey’s breast, frozen solid.

Yep. I did. 

How can I salvage this horrible day? Stores are closed. No restaurant within fifty miles is open in rural Alabama. (And no microwave in those days, friends.)

“How about the Officer’s Club, everyone? I hear they have a delicious Christmas buffet. Last one to the car’s a stuffed turkey!”

And so it went those 40 years ago. As it turned out, our son wore his mini-Army uniform to the Officer’s Club, and the general noticed. The next day his aide brought our son some flight wings he was willing to share with “such a fine young man”—all of 6 years old. Plus, my family who had driven hundreds of miles to share Christmas with us experienced something they never would again—Christmas with a military flare.

What would we do without holiday mishap stories? Or those Yuletides brightened by unexpected surprise? Which brings me to Adelaide Fitzgerald.

Broadview is attired for Christmas. Garland encircles the front pillars, and wreaths grace the doors. Candles glow in the windows, and bangles sparkle on the tree.

Rather than perform in a European opera or entertain dignitaries in her ballroom, Adelaide Fitzgerald is hosting two young girls—Camellia and Dahlia Evans–at Broadview, her estate on the banks of Rock Creek. These youngsters declined a Colorado Christmas to spend the holiday with their Auntie Addie. She must present these little women a Christmas like no other. Has she thought of everything?”

              

What would top off this Christmas in an extraordinary way?

Adelaide’s answer lies just the other side of Rock Creek. But what will it take to recognize it as the Christmas topper she seeks?

It’s Christmas 1912, and Addie’s about to discover the Yuletide topper of a lifetime.

A Christmas Tale for Little Women: https://amzn.to/30rNHm2 (1912 novella) is a prequel to  The Awakening of Miss Adelaide : https://amzn.to/33ldpe8 (1918 novel). 
Giveaway

I‘d love to give someone both Christmas Tale and Awakening Adelaide in ebook format. Just join the chat below, and your name’s in the hat. I’d love to hear from you.

~ ~ ~

Lord, please bless each word writers of faith pen for You.

Bless the readers in ways only You know they need.

~ For Jesus’ sake

The post Christmas Mishaps & Me appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Kayleen Reusser on Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!
Kayleen Reusser — Speaker, Author

Kayleen Reusser first published her writing 30 years. Her articles include five stories in Chicken Soup, Decision Magazine, Today’s Christian Woman and 16 books for middle grade readers. Kayleen has interviewed veterans of World War II who endured starvation, abuse, isolation, physical illness, brutal work conditions in inclement weather and other life-threatening conditions as prisoners of war. She’s offering her new book, Captured! Stories of American WWII Prisoners of War, as a giveaway to someone who joins our chat below.

Take it away, Kayleen!

A Word from Kayleen

Hello! My name is Kayleen Reusser. I am the proud wife and mother of Air Force airmen.

I have always loved to read and worked in two libraries – a Christian college and middle school.

By interviewing veterans and writing their stories, I hope to show my support for the military and preserve our nation’s military heritage.

My goal in telling what our veterans did for us 75+ years ago is to increase our country’s level of patriotism.

About a decade ago I interviewed a World War II veteran for a local newspaper. Carl Mankey served as a Marine in the Pacific. He talked about the islands of Tarawa, Tinian and Peleliu. He was injured twice and had two Purple Hearts. Hearing his story made me feel like I was sitting in front of a living piece of history. I wrote the story, never dreaming how that experience would change my life.

That, combined with my love of hearing stories, caused me to seek other World War II veterans to interview. I have since interviewed 260 World War II veterans, including 20 women, from around the United States. More than 100 of their stories are published in eight books, including three I released in Fall 2020.

With all of this interest in World War II, my husband John & I completed a 10-day World War II tour of Europe. It was a group tour that traveled to France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Since then, I have presented our experiences into a talk that I give to libraries, church and civic groups. I add comments made to me by veterans who served in places like Omaha Beach, Paris, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, Dachau, Nuremberg, and more. I always end a blog post, speech, book, Facebook post with a heartfelt thanks to our veterans for their service. We would not be here today without their commitments to serving our country. God bless them and their families.

While all of my books are special for their content of veteran stories that are part of our American military heritage, the recent publication of Prisoner of War stories has been a breakthrough.

I had avoided writing in-depth Prisoner of War stories because I thought it would be too depressing. But in 2020, it seemed like we were all feeling like POWs due to the Covid-19 virus —we can’t go places, we’re in lockdown, there is uncertainty about the future and we seem to be walking through the ‘valley of the shadow of death.’

I had interviewed some POWs and knew these were a unique group of World War II stories. The journal of a young Army soldier who had been captured by the Japanese in early 1942 was different. He had quit school and lied about his age to go in at 15. His vivid descriptions of hunger, lack of sanitation and medical care and his attempts to keep up his spirits were riveting.

He ran through the jungle shortly after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941 and fought the enemy until his eventual capture. Seeing the devastating sight of the American flag falling into the hands of the enemy devastated him.

He survived the Bataan Death March, dysentery, beriberi and other illnesses. Used as a slave laborer for three years, he was liberated at the end of the war at 19 years of age—still too young to vote. His daughter had shared the journal with me, saying her dad put it together years later while dealing with nightmares about the war. Like the other Prisoner of War stories, his needed to be told.

I hope that Captured! Stories of American WWII Prisoners of War will inspire people to appreciate the freedoms we have and not allow them to slip away.

Captured! Stories of American WWII Prisoners of War: Book 1 

“No one can imagine what it is like to be interned in a prison camp for three years, to be beaten and tortured, worked to the point of exhaustion daily and to live in filth and disease. I was one of the few who marched into one of those hellholes and marched out, a survivor.”

These grim words from a Bataan Death March: American soldier tell the true story of what prisoners of war – many of them teens – experienced from 1941-1945.

Other stories in this volume include a radio operator of a B-17 on a prison ship with 1,800 ill men who fell ill himself. Will his sickness prevent him from experiencing liberation?

A sailor who escapes from his Japanese captors, only to be betrayed back into their hands. Can he summon the fortitude to carry on through months of ill health, back-breaking work, and lack of food?

A ball turret gunner who dared to escape, not once but four times from his German captors. Can he get a message to American forces before his prison is bombed?

These stories will inspire patriotism and love of country as none other.

Other Kayleen Reusser Titles

Find my books on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2JBjEPV. I’m on Goodreads also: http://bit.ly/2oFCRJB. I appreciate reviews at these sites!

(Click photos below to link to Amazon)

 




 

Media links

21Country: Stories of local POWs detailed in new book by Bluffton author Interview with Daniel Beals aired on November 12, 2020, on wpta21.com:  https://bit.ly/36AIoDa

Article on Prisoner of War book in Fort Wayne Business Weekly Magazine: https://bit.ly/35yiC3m

Interview about Prisoner of War book with Pat Miller on WOWO Radio https://bit.ly/32Q7zR4

Social media

KayleenReusser.com 

Facebook: Kayleen Reusser

Twitter: Kjreusser

Instagram: kjreusser

Pinterest: Kayleen Reusser

Contact: KayleenReusser@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Kayleen writes for You.

The post Kayleen Reusser on Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

A Rock Creek Christmas Novella Collection: 3 Novellas in 1

 Greetings, friends.
Merry Christmas With a Christmas Novella Collection!

I’m thrilled to tell you about my book, A ROCK CREEK CHRISTMAS NOVELLA COLLECTION, a compilation of my 1908-1912 Christmas novellas about the main women in the WOMEN OF ROCK CREEK series—Ella, Lily, and Adelaide. All 3 novellas are wrapped in 1 volume just for you. 

A Rock Creek Christmas Novella Collection
In the first of three in this Christmas novella collection,  A Christmas to Remember  (sequel to The Calling of Ella McFarland), readers revisit Ella and Andrew Evans in their cottage on Rock Creek. Ella Evans created a list, but how in the world will she complete it? It’s Christmas 1908, and Ella’s life is about to be transformed. Again.

In A Christmas Measure of Love, the second Christmas novella in the collection, readers join Lily and her mother Ruby in the old shack where their sweat and tears once mingled. Pain, shame, and desperation molded their mother-daughter love. What will they discover this unexpected Yuletide? It’s Christmas 1910, and a surprise is on its way.

In A Christmas Tale for Little Women, readers join Adelaide and two young houseguests for Christmas 1912. Rather like the characters in Little Women, these three contemplate something other than what to hang on the boughs or place under the tree. What transforms this into an extraordinary Yuletide? Adelaide is about to discover a Christmas tale fit for generations of little women.

I loved watching these characters pop up in Christmas attire! All three women plunge into Christmas preparations and traditions with no idea the surprises that await them. What fun to unwrap these characters’ discoveries myself! I hope reading this collection will do the same for you. 

On with the scavenger hunt: A Rock Creek Christmas Novella Collection!

Go to my Christmas novella collection on Amazon at this link. Find the answer to this question: What is the name of Miss Adelaide’s grand estate on Rock Creek?  When you have the answer, fill out this form and head on to the next blog. $350, $250, and $150 Amazon gift cards await you.

Thank you so much for visiting! The next author on the tour is CAMY TANG.

Remember that the round-robin will end on December 13th at 11:59 PM EST!

The post A Rock Creek Christmas Novella Collection: 3 Novellas in 1 appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Lynne Tagawa on Let’s Chat!

 

 
Welcome, Everyone

Lynne Tagawa honors us with a chat today. Lynne is married with four grown sons and four marvelous grandbabies. A biology teacher by trade, she discovered a love of history later in life. She wrote a Texas history curriculum in narrative form, Sam Houston’s Republic, and three novels, A Twisted Strand, The Shenandoah Road, and The Heart of Courage. Lynne lives with her husband in South Texas.

A Word From Lynne Tagawa

W hen I pick up historical fiction, I want to be plopped down into another world. What would it be like … Can you fill in the blank? What is your favorite time period or location?

So when I began my own series, I asked the same sort of questions. What would it be like to live in the time of the Great Awakening? That was the springboard question for the first book of the Russells trilogy. The Shenandoah Road is set during the 1740s.

For my next installment, The Heart of Courage, I fast-forwarded ten years, to the time of the French and Indian War. What would it be like to be there? And not only from the point of view of my characters in the Shenandoah Valley—what about the Shawnee, who raided, captured, and killed during this period? Why did they do what they did?

I had great fun recreating Braddock’s defeat, colonial Williamsburg, and even a Shawnee village. And I discovered an event that—although neglected by history books—may explain exactly why the Shawnee did what they did.

I also enjoyed introducing my readers to some of our nation’s heroes, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, all of whom were quite young at this time.

And I dropped in a totally fictional element. It could have been this way—and we know it did happen, on a small scale, later. But no spoilers!

The Russells series is (largely) set in the Shenandoah Valley, and I’ve been asked if I’ve been there. The answer is no. I have had to rely on sources as diverse as primary source documents and satellite images. I love the feature on Google Maps where you can drop the yellow avatar to street level and look around. I’ve walked the streets of colonial Williamsburg that way.

The Heart of Courage  by Lynne Tagawa

No one would understand. But he had to obey his conscience.

It’s 1753, and troubling news comes to Russell’s Ridge . . .

Susanna Russell longs to escape her valley home. When war breaks out, she gets her wish to study in fabulous Williamsburg. But she realizes she’s lost something important along the way. Something—and someone.

James Paxton is studying for the ministry. But when violence threatens the valley, his path becomes clouded. What is God’s will for his life? The answer is alarming—and impossible.

Red Hawk spies white surveyors near his home, a harbinger of trouble to come. Shawnee chiefs go to Philadelphia to treat for peace, but the unthinkable happens, and Red Hawk loses all he once held dear. Then he has a strange dream. What can it mean?

War, romance, and gospel truth unite in this remarkable sequel to The Shenandoah Road by Lynne Tagawa.

Excerpt from The Heart of Courage 

“Oh, George, it’s you.” Susanna slumped in relief. “You startled me.” She eyed the fish, still flapping wildly on the bank.

“Here, young’un, lemme help you.” The huge man bent and scooped up the fish like a mere bluegill in the great paw of one hand. He grabbed a rock, struck the fish’s head, and the bass lay still. George squatted, withdrew a knife, and in moments the fish was gutted.

She smiled her thanks. “Where’s your mule?” George Morgan came through the valley at least once a year, exchanging skins and salt for goods he could trade with the Indians. George himself was an Indian, or maybe part Indian. He was dark, but very tall, spoke like a white person, and wore a shapeless hat over his black hair. In her mind, he wasn’t really an Indian.

George turned. Behind him a half-naked Indian stood silently, watching her.

Susanna froze.

Lynne’s Giveaway: The Heart of Courage!

Print or ebook, your choice

The print version is available at multiple booksellers and on Amazon.

For Kindle, go here:

For author updates and discounts, sign up for the author’s newsletter here: www.lynnetagawa.com

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Lynne writes for You. ~ For Jesus’ sake

The post Lynne Tagawa on Let’s Chat! appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Lori Bates Wright: Let’s Chat

 

 
Welcome, everyone!

Lori Bates Wright joins our circle this week. Lori writes Christian historical romance with a touch of mystery and intrigue. 

Gather ’round as we welcome this wonderful author. 

A Word from Lori Bates Wright

Hi, y’all. I’m Lori Bates Wright, and it’s a pleasure to be with you today. Thanks so much for having me, Linda. I’m excited for this opportunity to share with your readers as we take a look at Thanksgiving 2020.

Lori Bates Wright

First, let me tell you a little about myself. For me, writing historical novels was a natural progression. Some of my favorite childhood memories centered around my grandmother’s dining table where stories of times past were shared each time the family gathered. It was during one of these family get togethers that I found out my distant ancestors were seated at both sides of that first Thanksgiving table in 1621. My grandmother’s people were Native Americans. Her three time great-grandfather was Chief of the Chickasaw. My grandfather’s distant great-grandfather was William Bradford. The concessions of goodwill that day forged a tradition of Thanksgiving in this country to became a national holiday in 1863.   

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
That brings us back to 2020.

Thankful in the midst of an earth-shaking crisis? How do we count our blessings in the face of a pandemic? What if (gasp) all the toilet paper mysteriously disappears again?

So many questions. As we navigate these unchartered and turbulent times, we lose sight of normalcy. Nothing feels normal anymore. In fact, the world tells us this chaos is our “new normal.”

I don’t know about you, but that makes me cringe.

Jadon, my youngest grandson

So much of what we consider normal is cloaked in our daily routines and traditions. Traditions that run deep in the heart of who we are. There were no Easter egg hunts this year. Fourth of July was all but cancelled. Many of us celebrated birthdays from afar with parades of cars honking birthday greetings. No Harvest Festivals. Our cherished traditions have been turned upside down and inside out. Must we forego our much anticipated turkey dinner? No family. No church socials. Who knows what Christmas will look like. Do you feel panic rising at the very thought?

Lori Bates Wright: There’s no doubt this has been a year of unspeakable hardships.

Many around the world have lost income, friends, and loved ones. While our country is reeling, and our lives are completely disrupted, we pause … and it’s here, in this unsociable quiet, that I recalibrate.

I’m reminded that the Spirit that makes traditions so special is still with us. Remembering God’s goodness and thanking Him for all He has done boosts my faith. I become more resilient. Soon, I find my perspective has shifted. A turkey with all the trimmings is a blessing, but the real focus of Thanksgiving 2020 for me and my family will be one of simple gratitude. God’s hand of protection and provision has been monumental. Thinking of the many ways He has so graciously sustained us throughout this crazy year humbles me. I have a feeling Christmas will be much less fussy as well. The true reason for the season will again become the focal point, as Emmanuel, God With Us, takes on a whole new meaning.

Lori Bates Wright: “Check out my latest book, SACRED HONOR, the finale of THE SABERTON LEGACY series.”

Follow the Saberton family through the devastation of the Civil War, as they prove that love really does conquer all.  

Her heart is shattered. Her home is left in shambles. And she is forced to give up the only man capable of putting the pieces back together.

Aurora Haverwood has loved Zachery Saberton for as long as she can remember. News that Zach is missing and presumed dead as the American Civil War draws to a close dashes her dreams. Refusing to believe he will never return to her, she sets out to find the truth.

Captain Zach Saberton, notorious blockade runner for the Confederate Navy, has outfoxed the Yankee War Department once too often.

In order to save his neck, Zach agrees to go undercover in London to help the Union recover a million dollars’ worth of gold bullion missing from the failed Confederate Treasury.

When Aurora discovers Zach Saberton is alive and well in England, attending one social affair after another, she decides to pay a visit to her uncle, the Earl of Kendal, in hopes of finding some answers. The journey from her devastated homeland to elegant London society plunges her into a web of danger.

Zach, desperately trying to avoid another civil rebellion, soon comes to realize that it’s Aurora who holds the key to their survival.

But in accepting her help, he risks losing her forever.

Links

True Nobility, Book One

Field of Redemption, Book Two

Sacred Honor, Book Three

Let’s keep in touch

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Finally, to thank you for joining the conversation today, I’m giving away a free copy of SACRED HONOR, your choice of format! Linda will pick a random winner from those who leave a comment.

Happy Thanksgiving! I pray blessings upon each and every one of you this holiday season.

~ ~ ~

Lord, please bless each word Lori writes for you. And bless her readers as only you know how.

~ For Jesus’ sake

 

 

The post Lori Bates Wright: Let’s Chat appeared first on Linda Brooks Davis.

Ashley Clark: Let’s Chat

Welcome, everyone!

Ashley Clark is our honored author guest this week. Ashley writes romantic women’s fiction set in the South. Her debut novel The Dress Shop on King Street releases December 1st from Bethany House as part one of The Heirloom Secrets Series.

With a master’s degree in creative writing, Ashley Clark teaches literature and writing courses at the University of West Florida. Ashley has been an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers for over a decade. She lives with her husband, son, and two rescued Cocker Spaniels off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

When she’s not writing, she’s rescuing stray animals, dreaming of Charleston, and drinking all the English breakfast tea she can get her hands on.

Ashley Clark in her own Words

Linda, thank you so much for having me here at Let’s Chat! I’m so excited to talk about my journey toward publication and why this particular story is so dear to my heart.

Around a decade ago, I sat at the computer where I am now typing this blog, and I began to create my first novel. I sensed God’s gentle nudge into a new season of my calling. I was teaching college students about writing and assumed the steps toward publication would be straightforward. When that novel was rejected (repeatedly—haha!), I took the rejection in stride. I was determined to pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep going.

I did that for a very long time.

Then somewhere along the way, the criticism began to wear on my resolve. I began to wonder—had I heard from God correctly all those years ago? If I had, why was this proving to be so hard? The tipping point came about seven years later. A novel I was just sure was going to be my breakout debut met rejection… and I met the final blow of doubt. I asked the Lord what I was doing wrong. Did I need to make changes to the way I was pursuing my dream. I didn’t think I could handle the sting of working for years on a book only to have it go nowhere… not again.

Then God answered. This was my story. And it was at that point I realized that the desperate longing of our hearts to see our callings fulfilled can only be satisfied in one way: by finding our hope, our confidence, and our reward in Him.

I wrote The Dress Shop on King Street with a different mindset than I’d had in the past. This story was created with God rather than for Him. Truly, as I told so many people while writing it, I would have dove head-first into this story even if I knew another round of rejections waited for me at the other end.

At its heart, The Dress Shop on King Street is about the space in our lives between calling and fulfillment.

It’s not a self-help map that provides the one secret you’ve been missing and allows your dreams to be instantly realized. Instead, it’s a journey—one I went on alongside Millie and Harper. I hope you’ll go on this journey with me as well. It’s a reminder that Emmanuel, God with us, really is with us always. And that we can receive far greater joy in the in-betweens when walking with Him than we can in a million merits without Him. He defines us when we fail, and He defines us when we rise.

Though two generations apart, Millie and Harper share the dream of owning a dress store, and for different reasons, believe life has taken them out of the running. Through their courage to follow their dreams one more time,  long-held family secrets come to light. Healing happens, and the space in between the torn seams of their lives is mended by the one who holds their dreams. I believe God wants to mend all of us as well.

One more note before I go. Remember that novel, the one that was rejected? It’s called Paint and Nectar and will be book two in The Heirloom Secrets Series. You have to love how God turns things around.

Thank you so much for having me today! I hope all of you are encouraged by my story to follow the callings God has placed on your own lives, and to look for the ways He is sustaining you at the seams, even in the chaos this past year has brought.

The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark

Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it crashes down, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her to sew. As Harper rethinks her future, long-hidden secrets about Millie’s past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton—daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman—boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who would lead her to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek. And a chance at the dress shop they’ve both dreamed of. When all appears lost they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

“Clark makes a moving debut . . . . While faith elements are subtle, Millie often turns to God for fortitude when facing the difficult circumstances of her past and the obstacles to finally getting her dreams off the ground. Those who enjoy inspirational time-slip stories will want to check this out.” –Publishers Weekly

“Clark opens her new Heirloom Secrets series against the backdrop of discrimination against interracial families and follows a family history anchored to an embroidered satchel and its contents. Alternating between 1946 and the present . . . . this tale traces the consequences of personal decisions through the textile arts, with Millie standing as a bridge between the two eras.“—Booklist

Ashely Clark Links

Baker Book House

IndieBound.org

Bookshop.com

Barnes and Noble

Christianbook.com

~ ~ ~

Dear Lord, please bless each word Ashley writes for You.

~ For Jesus’ sake

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