Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 306

Drawn from the Heart by Lisa Bogart – and Giveaway!

Adult coloring books are all the rage – and for a good reason. In our hectic, high-tech times, there’s something comforting and calming in doing something creative. And for those of us who are artistically challenged (yes, me), coloring gives us an outlet.

My talented writer friend Lisa Bogart also happens to be an artist, so I was delighted when Drawn from the Heart was published. Lisa’s fanciful art entices you to pick up colored pencil or ink pen and start playing! But Drawn from the Heart is so much more than a coloring book. A devotion is paired with each coloring page, so the art becomes more than mere relaxation – it becomes a time to meditate on God’s Word and principles. Lisa’s writing encourages you to find the holy in the creative. After all, we’re created in the image of our Creator God – to create!

I purchased two copies of this book – one for myself and one for my artistic daughter, Anna Cameron. This past week I’ve been enjoying time each day in the childlike delight of coloring. Anna has also been enjoying the book, and she agreed to share one of her creations. I’ve always loved her artistic eye – although we’re not sure where it came from on the family tree!

GIVEAWAY!!

Lisa has kindly offered to give away a copy of Drawn from the Heart! If you’d like to be entered in the drawing, please leave a comment below about your favorite creative outlet – or lack thereof Drawing ends Thursday, April 14, 2016 at midnight Pacific Time. I’ll announce the winner here on Friday, April 15. US only please.

Today in World War II History—April 11, 1941

Australian troops in a foxhole near Tobruk, Libya, 1941 (Imperial War Museum)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 11, 1941: First military action by US warship in WWII—destroyer USS Niblack drops depth charges on supposed U-boat (false contact). German forces under Rommel surround Australian forces in Tobruk, Libya—siege will last until November 1941. US forms Office of Price Administration to plan wage & price controls. Movie premiere of Road to Zanzibar, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby & Dorothy Lamour.

Today in World War II History—April 10, 1941

Adolf Hitler meets Ante Pavelić at the Berghof, 9 June 1941 (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 10, 1941: Germans take Zagreb, capital of Croatia, Yugoslavia. Germans establish puppet state in Croatia under Ante Pavelic, whose Ustase government will persecute and massacre Jews, Serbs, and Gypsies.

Today in World War II History—April 9, 1941

Battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) during her shakedown cruise, May 1941 (US Navy photo)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 9, 1941: Germans take Salonika, Greece. US signs agreement with Danish ambassador making Greenland a US protectorate, allowing US to build facilities. Battleship USS North Carolina commissioned, New York Navy Yard NY, first US battleship since 1923. PGA establishes Golf Hall of Fame.

Today in World War II History—April 8, 1941

Poster calling Italians to avenge the defeat in East Africa, 1941. (public domain)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 8, 1941: British take port of Massawa, Eritrea, securing Eritrea and driving Italians from last of Red Sea ports, opening sea to Allied ships.

Name a Character! Support a Historic Theater!

How would you like the chance to name a character in my next novel?

I’m teaming with the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch, California – pictured on the cover of my novel Blue Skies Tomorrow – for a fundraiser for the theater! We’re raffling off FIVE characters’ names in the first book in my upcoming Brothers of Liberation series (working title), to be published in 2018.

Each chance is $10.

You can either “win” the opportunity to use your own name, the name of a loved one (perhaps to honor a relative who served in WWII), or to create a name for a character. I will need to retain some artistic control, which I would negotiate with the winners. For example, if the name is super-modern and wouldn’t fit in the 1940s or if the name is too similar to another character’s name and would cause reader confusion, we could discuss a solution.

In addition, each of the five winners will receive a signed copy of the book when it’s published in 2018!

All proceeds from the raffle will go to El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation’s facility management projects.

Raffle tickets can be purchased now ($10 each) through April 30, 2016, so don’t wait! You can buy your raffle tickets on the El Campanil Theatre raffle page.

Brothers of Liberation Series (working title)

One fateful night drove three brothers apart.   

One fateful day thrusts them together…D-Day.

As D-Day approaches, three estranged brothers battle the Nazis on the sea, in the air, and on the ground. Will the women they love and the dangers they face lead them to redemption . . . or destruction?

Book One

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France, determined to redeem himself with the brothers he has betrayed. Dorothy Fairfax serves as a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, striving for the love of her bereaved father and of the man she’s always adored, Lawrence Eaton. When Wyatt uses his accounting skills to track down missing funds from her father’s company, he hopes Dorothy will return his growing love. But will family secrets, misplaced affections—and the seas off Normandy—separate them forever?

Today in World War II History—April 7, 1941

British officers Philip Neame, Richard O’Connor, Richard Parry, and John Coombe in captivity, 6 Apr 1941 (British government photo)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 7, 1941: Germans take Derna, Libya, and capture British generals Richard O’Connor and Philip Neame. At Piraeus, Greece British ammunition ship Clan Fraser explodes due to damage from Luftwaffe raid on April 6, sinking 95 other ships and boats.

Book Beat – The Tiger’s Cage by Linda J. White

In 1995, FBI Special Agent Tom Donovan has drug kingpin Angel Ramos in his crosshairs. But Tom’s total dedication to his job leaves his wife, Cathy, feeling isolated. Their 18-year-old son, Kenny, is finishing his senior year in high school, determined to compete in the state wrestling championships.

When Ramos’s gang kidnaps Kenny, the Donovan family is thrust into crisis. Tom battles his personal demons as he races to save his only child, while Cathy retreats, furious with Tom for putting his family in danger. Meanwhile, Kenny is in the tiger’s cage, grasping for strength from his faith in God.

What a nail-biter! The Tiger’s Cage is a thrilling suspense story, enriched with an engrossing drama of a family in crisis. You’ll root for the hard-nosed FBI agent who learns to be weak and for the young hostage who finds strength he never knew he had. As always, Linda J. White has written an excellent FBI tale—with depth. Not to be missed!

*Warning: The violence in this novel may bother the more squeamish reader, and it does feature violence against an 18-year-old boy.

Today in World War II History—April 6, 1941

German 15 cm sFH 37(t) howitzer shelling Metaxas Line fortifications, Greece, early Apr 1941 (German Federal Archives: Bild 101I-163-0319-07A)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 6, 1941: Germans invade Yugoslavia and Greece. Luftwaffe bombing destroys Belgrade, Yugoslavia, killing 17,000. British and South African troops take Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Today in World War II History—April 5, 1941

Infantryman in herringbone twill fatigues, kneeling in front of M3 Half-track, holds and sights an M1 Garand rifle. Fort Knox, Kentucky, June 1942. (Library of Congress)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 5, 1941: Anti-German Yugoslavian government signs treaty of friendship with USSR. US Army authorizes herringbone twill fatigue uniforms (HBTs). In San Francisco, Castro and Fillmore cable cars are replaced by buses.