Maggie Brendan's Blog, page 4

Come See Me!

I'm very excited to meet you this Wednesday at the Romance Writers of America Conference being held in Atlanta. I hope you can make it, I would love to meet you and sign your copy of Twice Promised! Here are the details:



Wednesday, July 17, 2013
5:30 - 7:30 pm"Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing
RWA Conference
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Please stop by and say hello!

WINNERS OF TWICE PROMISED

Three winners have been drawn for a autographed copy of Twice Promised. Drum roll....Bonnie, Nancy and Vickie. I'll notify you by email for your physical address.

What a joy it was to read everyone's post and while I couldn't answer each one, I read them all and want to thank you for your heartfelt response about your mothers. I say we celebrate them every day, don't you think?

The last book in the series will debut in the fall with Perfectly Matched. I'm very excited about this title and if you're an dog or animal lover it's sure to please with a little laughter as Anna tries to handle being a new bride and protect abandoned animals. I'll be holding another giveaway in the fall, so stay tuned. In the meantime the book can be pre-ordered.

Pre-order your copy here:

Perfectly Matched
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Matched-Novel-Willow-Brides/dp/0800734645/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1367345668&sr=8-3&keywords=Perfectly+Matched
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfectly-matched-maggie-brendan/1114767823?ean=9780800734640
CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/perfectly-matched-blue-willow-brides/9780800734640/pd/734641?item_code=WW&netp_id=1133137&event=ESRCG&view=details I'm working on my new series Virtues and Vices of the Old West currently and enjoying the research. Thank you for participating! I wish I could give all of you a copy. I hope your Mother's Day was special. MAGGIE  

MOTHER'S DAY AND LEAVING A LEGACY

Every year when I would shop for a Mother’s Day card, I would cry right there in the store and try to hide my tears. Now that it’s been 15 years since Mama departed for Heaven, the void in my heart still lingers. I still get teary-eyed when I pass by and glimpse Mother’s Day cards. The red bird, Cardinal, next to her picture was her favorite bird.I was the youngest in a family of eight and, of course, Mama and Daddy called me ‘Baby’. Even my oldest brother Sam did too. There’s so many memories I have of my mother but the legacy she left me to carry forward into my life was her strong faith in God. Now don’t go thinking this was forced on me or controlling my decision to follow Christ. It was not! She instructed us by Bible principles or we might have all ended up delinquents because of an absent father. Always struggling to make ends meet, she often quoted the scripture, “Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin…” Matthew 6:28.Although she had very little education, the daughter of a farmer, she was savvy in many ways. One of them was intuition and common sense. But she was also full of wisdom and wit. I have no doubt that if she’d been able to finish school and go to college, she would have excelled. Maybe written a book. She was usually cheerful and hardly ever complained about her health. But Mother’s Day brings to mind something else—my mama’s hands. Hands that were never idle, always finding work to do.Hands that formed the best tastin’ biscuits, lemon pie, and fried chicken for Sunday dinner that you ever tasted. Her red beans and rice, cornbread were unsurpassed, made by those loving hands. Not to mention her teacakes that everyone loved.Hands with a faint smell of garlic and onions when she would brush my hair.Hands that tied on a clean apron, whipped up a delicious meal at the drop of a hat when family dropped by.Hands that took a hot meal to a sick neighbor at the mere mention of illness. Hands that ironed the perfect starched shirt-which by the way-hardly anyone ever does, but I like to when time permits.Hands with long, pretty tapered nails that I filed and painted as she became too old to see well.Hands that washed clothes with a ringer washer and hung them out on the clothes line to dry.Hands that carefully counted every penny for household expenses.Hands that wore pretty white gloves at Easter.Hands folded in prayer, that I glimpsed unbeknownst to her.I can only hope that I’m leaving my children a legacy that they will be proud of. What about you? Have you considered your own legacy? Whether you’re a mother or not, your legacy matters. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ll give away 3 copies of Twice Promised when you leave me a comment on this blog post. Tell me why you’d like to win the book for your mother or if your mom has passed on, for yourself or friend. I’ll draw a winner a week from this Sunday.HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! MAGGIE BRENDAN

PERFECTLY MATCHED

I'm so excited to share with you my new book cover for Perfectly Matched-book 3 in The Blue Willow Brides series. The model looks exactly how I envisioned Anna, the youngest of the three sisters, would look like. As usual, Revell creates beautiful covers and I'm glad to be able to share my ideas for what the cover should look like.
  
Here's a brief description:

Anna Olsen knows it's time to leave her sister's increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters' examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife. Almost immediately it's painfully apparent that Anna and Edward are very different. Anna is a free spirit who would rather be painting and enjoying the company of friends than cleaning house. Edward is a consummate perfectionist who, on their wedding day, hands Anna a list of chores that need to be done around the house daily.

Can this mismatched couple see past their differences to a harmonious future? Or will their disparate passions create obstacles neither is willing to surmount?

Maggie Brendan closes her Blue Willow Brides series with a heartwarming tale of true love despite misunderstanding, showing readers that God's timing is always perfect. Show more Show less
It's available for  preorder on CBD, Amazon, B&N or your nearest Christian Book store.

I enjoyed writing Anna's story and all her escapes and I hope you will too. Closer to the release, I'll be having a giveaway.

I'm currently working on The Arrangement, my 1st novel in my new series, Virtues and Vices of the Old West.

I hope you'll sign up for my newsletter or follow my blog. Spring is just around the corner. Yay! Now back to writing. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

MAGGIE

WINNER FOR TWICE PROMISED

I'm happy to announce that we've drawn a winner in honor of my birthday yesterday--Drumroll please. An the winner is ~~MISTY! I'll be contacting you to get your mailing address. I hope your enjoy Twice Promised and will tell your friends about my books.

Thanks to all of you who signed up for my blog or newsletter. I've only sent one out so far but hope to get working on a new one soon.

I appreciate you for taking time to talk about your resolutions and pray that you will be committed to carrying them out. That's the hardest part!

I have the new cover for Perfectly Matched and will share that when it's becomes official from my publisher.

Wishing you all well on all your endeavors in the New Year!

MAGGIE

FOCUS FOR 2013 AND BOOK GIVEAWAY

I thought it was high time that I checked in with my readers as the New Year gets underway. Now that the decorations are packed up and stored, and our toasts for those newly decided resolutions and commitments made, it’s time to actually begin putting them into motion. How many times have you made a resolution in January, but after a month or so, didn’t follow through? I’d hate to count them up personally. Many times for most of us, it’s the same thing—especially as we age—exercise more, eat less, take a vacation, finish a project or start a new one, etc. Isn’t it funny how we all have such good intentions but they’re so easily derailed? I raise my hand, I’m guilty as charged! You can’t start a new chapter in your life if you are re-reading the last one. So take heart and focus on what lies ahead because life is brief, and we should encourage each other to make the most of the time we have—forgetting the time we wasted.Since my latest book, Twice Promised, was released in October, I’ve signed a new contract with my publisher for a new three book series. So I’ll have ‘new’ focus this year that must be kept, or I’ll sorely disappoint my editor and my readers. The series is Virtues and Vices of the Old West and I’ve already started book one and began my research. Each book is a standalone and not connected to the other two books. Only in their theme—virtues and vices. More on that topic in future posts.Book three in The Blue Willow Brides, Perfectly Matched, is already with the publisher and will release this October. To kick off the New Year, I’m happy to give away a signed copy of Twice Promised if you will post me a comment, sign up for my newsletter, then tell me what your New Year’s resolution is, or whether or not you never make one! Don’t forget to leave your email with your comment. I’ll draw a winner on my birthday, the 22nd. For your email addy, but the @ and dot in paraenthesis instead of your actual address to keep the web crawlers away :)I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking to the future and what it holds. This flower is a Shooting Star Hydrangea that brightens my gloomy winter day and lifts my spirits. As I reflect back on 2012 with it challenges but happy times to recall too, I want to leave you what I’ve decided would be my scripture focus this year. It’s from The Promise Translation-Philippians 3:13: “My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has one.”I can’t wait to hear what your New Year’s Resolutions are!Happy Trails,MAGGIE

FALL GREETINGS & GIVEWAY

Fall has tiptoed into Georgia quietly with pleasant humidity levels once again and slowly changing colors. I'm working on edits for the last and final book in The Blue Willow Brides series, Timeless Perfection. I must confess that I have a penchant for candy corn--a staple of autumn candy that's can usually be found at this time of year. It's a must have for me and I reward myself with a handful after a few hours of work each day.   When I emptied the bags in this pumpkin cookie jar, it's hard to walk past and not take a few kernels. I like to believe we shouldn't deprive ourself from a treat now and then. What's your favorite autumn candy?  I wanted to let you know I have an interview up on my friend Lena Dooley's blog this week. If you go leave me a comment, I'm giving away a copy of my latest book, Twice Promised. A week from Saturday, she'll select the lucky winner. Here's the link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2012/09/twice-promised-maggie-brendan-one-free.html . I'll be book signing in October 20th for LifeWay's Fiction Event day in Kennesaw, GA and at LifeWay in Gulfport, MS-my hometown-November 17th. If you're anywhere near there, I'll love to connect with you. I enjoy talking with my readers, so I hope to see you. Now back to my edits...and perhaps a handful of candy corn! :) Have a beautiful autumn!  MAGGIE     

THE SASSY SISTERHOOD BOOK CLUB

Today I enjoyed being the guest of the Sassy Sisterhood Book Club in Marietta, GA. What a lively sassy group of gals they are and just as much fun as we delved into the discussion questions from my book, Deeply Devoted! I believe a couple of the ladies are missing from this photo.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of taco salad with every delectable topping you can imagine and a scrumptious dessert of apple crisp (one of my all time favorites) with a scoop of ice cream. I particularly liked the southwestern plates Jane used.

I've known Jane Neal, the host of the luncheon, for a long time and I was very honored that they chose my book as a selection. But the best part of all besides the fellowship, was knowing that they really enjoyed my book and can't wait for Greta and Anna's story. They won't have to wait long for Greta's since it will release at the end of September. :-)

Thanks ladies for an enjoyable afternoon! Your encouraging comments fuel my desire to write the best stories possible for all my readers. We drew a name from the ones who signed up for my newsletter. The winner for a copy of Twice Promised is JANE HILL! I'll be sending you the book when the book is released. Thank you all for signing up for my fall newsletter.

TWICE PROMISED RELEASES AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER:
 
What people are saying.
“ I would highly recommend Deeply Devoted to anyone wanting a good Christian romantic story to read. ” Cindy W. | 18 reviewers made a similar statement
“ I love the story and Maggie makes all her characters come to life with her excellent writing. ” Lynn Underwood | 21 reviewers made a similar statement
“ The characters were very easy to like and had me thinking twice about certain issues in history. FROM ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEW- 4 stars  
Two mail-order brides, one groom and a few misunderstandings collide in the second blue Willow Brides book.  Brendan's characters are witty, charming and fun to be around, and she brings her trademark writing style to the Wild West.

Then Book summary:

In 1888 Black Hawk, CO, Greta Olson is determined to be happy as a mail-order bride to Jess Gifford.  Then she learns that another woman, Cora Johnson, has answered the same ad.  She is certain Jess didn't place the ad.  Jess knows that his brother, Zach, placed the ad and he's furious.  Zach and Jess will have to decide which woman each wants to marry-- but surprises await them when the women have their own opinions.  Patsy Glans


A brief note-RT reviewer got the city wrong. The story takes place in Central City, CO.

Don't forget-you can follow me on Twitter @MaggieBrendan and on Facebook at my author page. I'll be book signing for LifeWay's Fall Fiction Event Day on October 16th from 1-3 p.m. at their Kennesaw Store near Town Center Mall. Hope to see you there.

Until next time,

MAGGIE

INTERVIEW w/Nora St.Laurent of THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK

TBCN INTERVIEW w/Nora St.Laurent

I'm please to have Nora St.Laurent visit my blog today. Nora's very dear to me and has been gracious enough to attend almost every book signing I've done. She's  a wonderful and enthusiastic Christian woman with a heart for book clubs. Here she is to tell you all about The Book Club Network!

Nora Stlaurent’s Bio: Nora is the CEO of The Book Club Network Incorporated. Nora and her husband run The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org She runs two book clubs near Atlanta, Ga., Former ACFW On-Line Book Club. Nora currently writes a Book Club column for the Christian Fiction OnLine Magazine and is a Book Club Talk Columnist for Novel Rocket. You can read author interviews on her Finding Hope Through Fiction blog, located at http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com, and reviews around the web at The Christian Pulse Mag, Title Trakk, Novel Reviews, and Suspense Zone.

What inspired you start TBCN? The Book Club Network was born out of a desire to share Christian Fiction authors with other book clubs, share book club ideas with other leaders and to encourage the authors who are writing such amazing books. The economy has been really tough for a few years and people are not parting with money like they used to. Through TBCN they can take their time and find the right book or win it. We have give away opportunities each month. ALL of our contests are from the 19th – 21st of the month.

I run two face to face book clubs one at the Christian Book Store I work at and the other at the church I attend. It’s a position I never imagined I’d be in since I didn’t read for pleasure much before I started working in a Christian book store 11 years ago.

But since I love talking with people and the main thing to talk about in a book store is books I started reading Christian Fiction (publishers sent ARC copies to our store and I started checking them out) The first book that rocked my world and got me hooked in Christian Fiction was a book by Linda Nichols called Not a Sparrow Falls her next book did me in and I couldn’t stop talking about it, At the Scent of Water was her next book that prompted me to contact the author and let her know how much her book touched my spirit.

After reading these two books and telling customers about these reads I had a reason to read. These books spoke to me because I wasn’t expecting it. It reminded me of the stories in the bible. Jesus is the greatest story teller and He knew a story could change a life or prick our spirit and move us in a direction we never thought we’d be in.

I tell you all that to say I’m dyslexic and I have not been a fan of reading. Movies were more my thing. I could watch a movie of a book and have a lot more fun. Reading Christian Fiction changed my life in more ways than one. I wanted to tell everyone about the greatest book I read, and I’d do that at the book store. It was possible to talk about the new book I read and loved for about a month or more but when At the Scent of Water and Not a Sparrow Falls were not on the shelf anymore, I had to find some other books to talk about at work. I’m not a very fast reader so; discovering the next new book was a challenge. Would I get the book read before it disappeared from the shelf? How long do books live on a book shelf? The shelf life of a book was a mystery to me and still is.

I was whining to my husband Fred about my problem. How can I get the word out about great books for a very long period of time??? Being a man who likes to face challenges head we began to talk about how we could do this and the fact that I can’t read books fast enough to keep up with it’s shelf life at the store.

I also told him as a book club leader I wanted to promote great books and share them with other groups. Not everyone has the advantage of working at a book store and see what new books hit the shelves each week. Another struggle I had was if I had an author speaking at my book club I wanted to share them with other book clubs in the area. How could I do that? Where are book clubs meeting?

Our answer to many of these questions and more was the birth of The Book Club Network - TBCN. Connecting authors to book clubs and readers to their books; it’s also a network of book clubs as they post what they’ve read and how the meeting turned out.

It’s a place to find where a book club is located. We have a member map where you can find a book club near you. Message them and see if they are accepting new members. I envision it to be similar to be similar to the Weight Watchers program (don’t laugh Grin) you can go to a meeting anywhere in the country right? All you have to do is look on line and get connected. This is my hope for the future of TBCN.


Have there been any surprises for you @TBCN? What benefits have you seen by bringing readers and authors together?I’ve been encouraged and fascinated by our growth. I can see there were other people out there like me wanting to connect with other book club members.

I’ll tell you what has surprised me is the author/reader interaction each month. This is something I didn’t foresee as I’ve watch the authors are having a blast interacting with the readers and visa/versa. The beauty of this discussion is it’s there forever for all to read no matter when you join TBCN.

The authors have done a great job coming up with questions for reader to answer that give them a peek into their book – create interest and then the discussion helps book club leaders connect with the author. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the amount of authors that want to be featured @The Book Club Network. It’s been a great thing.

The interaction with the authors is almost like having a book club meeting on line. It’s a huge benefit for both the authors who’ve wanted to ask clubs questions and readers who want to get to know authors. The authors are catching on. Our sponsors have loved the interaction as well. Members have told me that they love the author interaction from the 19th-21st as much as having a chance to win all these books. It’s hard to know if a book will be a fit for your group so these interaction times are helpful for that and so much more. Another thing I love about TBCN members is the fact they are not afraid to share what they think in a good way. I’ve learned so much and laughed out loud in some discussion where the questions lead to sharing funny moments.

My hope is that book club leaders and/or members participate in the discussions and make that book connection with the author and their book. I want TBCN to be a tool for them in picking out their books. Maybe invite the author to speak to their book club on the phone. It’s my hope. The discussion will be there forever. No worries about a books shelf live here @TBCN. So, everyone has time to get to know each other!! It’s a beautiful thing!

How can readers join in the anniversary celebrations?It’s easy to sign up to be a member of TBCN. We ask a few questions for you to answer and for other information that helps us keep spammers and other information seekers out of the network. It’s also FREE. You have opportunities to win lots of books. For our BIRTHDAY BASH we are giving away 10 books a day and announcing winners once a week. You’ll have all week to enter the daily featured contests.

Do you have any other comments for my readers? If you are avid reader this is the place for you to learn about the latest in Christian Fiction and interact with the author each month. Are you a book club leader? Well this is the place for you to find your next book club pick. We’d also love for you to set up your Book club page at our site for others to see. It’s a place to share your latest featured book. Post pictures of your club and the field trips you’ve taken. The authors you’ve met and the book fun you’ve had. Learn from other book clubs that have already set up their pages.

Want to start a book club but felt it was too overwhelming? You can learn from other experienced book club leaders, and you can start right away making your book club list!

Do you like to win books? This is the place for you. You’ll have a chance to get to know the authors and their books and read genre’s you normally wouldn’t. We’ve been giving away about 100 books a month and for our birthday bash it’s going to be 10 books every day; starting August first. Winners are picked weekly and announced each weekly.

THANK YOU! You’ve been a grand host to have me here and let me talk about The Book Club Network and our Birthday Bash!! I hope to see you there @TBCN www.bookfun.org You are a Blessing!! Nora :o) The Book Club Network CEO

Nora, I've enjoyed hearing about your journey to form TBCN. I'm blessed to know you and so happy that you created TBCN for readers and authors like me. :)I hope my readers will check it out and sign up. What a fun place, too! See you at my next book signing this fall. :)

MAGGIE

Winner of Mother's Day Giveaway

We have a winner for a free copy of my book, Deeply Devoted! Wendy was selected! Yay! I want to thank you all for taking a moment to post me a comment. I loved hearing about your moms. I hope your Mother's Day was special as we reflected on what our moms meant to us now that we're adults--some with our own children.

I'm working hard on my deadline for the 3rd book in The Blue Willow Brides. My title is Timeless Perfection. Of course, the publisher may have other ideas. Lol! Twice Promised will be out this fall, which I just finished galleys then page proofs for. So I've not had a lot of time to blog with my different deadlines. After I turn in book 3, I'm hoping for a break and a little bit of free time.

I appreciate all of my readers and the great feedback that you send me. It keeps me working hard to write the next best story....

School's out and summer has arrived, and I hope to spend  a little more time with my family. I planted a small herb garden and flowers which allows me time to enjoy our beautiful outdoors. I may post a picture of the herb patch once it's established. The flowers are a different story. We have a rabbit problem and they love to eat the tender flower buds. :( We did spray offensive smelling stuff, so I'll have to see how that goes. 

Have a wonderful week, and get out and enjoy God's beautiful handiwork everywhere that he left for us so that no one is without excuse.

Maggie