Lynne Gentry's Blog, page 4

Taking Street Team Applications

It’s here. The final installment of my epic Carthage Chronicles series. My publishing house (Simon & Schuster) and I are looking for a few rabid fans to help us spread the word.

There are a lot of readers out there who really don’t like to start a series until they can binge read the WHOLE thing. Well, with the release of VALLEY OF DECISION (September 22, 2015) they can.

Contact me if you’d like to apply to be a member of THE CARTHAGE CHRONICLES Street Team.

What are the advantages of being a Carthage Chronicles Street Team member?

1. You get the last book before anyone else. You will know how the series wraps up.

2. You get the last book (VALLEY OF DECISION) for FREE. That’s right. FREE.

3. You get to be the first to put up reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

4. You get to tell all your friends on ALL of your social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Pinterest to name a few.

5. You get to be included in a secret loop I run on FACEBOOK and you’ll hear of any promotional prize opportunities before anyone else.

Sound like fun? You bet. It’s always a party when you join my team. Just respond in the comments below and then we’ll private message for further details.

Can’t wait for you to read what RT Book Reviews is calling a 4.5 Star TOP PICK heartbreaking close.

 

RT Book Lovers Convention 2015

Everything is bigger in Texas and this year’s wild and wonderful RT Booklovers Convention is no exception! The fun starts May 13-17.

I’ve never been to this convention before but I can hardly wait.

I’ve spent hours putting together a Roman Holiday Gift basket. You have to be at the convention to win. So if you’re there be sure and drop your name in the box and let me hear from you. I’d love to meet you.

There will be more than 200 fun and informative workshops and so many unique social events my feet will be killing me. A mechanical bull along with pulled pork, beef brisket sandwiches and ribs at the Wednesday night Taste of Texas BARBEQUE is sure to set the tone for a fun lone star book lover event!

On Thursday, readers can join in on a fun interactive game with 20 inspirational authors like Tamera Alexander, Francine Rivers, and Coleen Coble and ME.

And you don’t want to miss the giant Book Fair/Signing on Saturday with over 600 of your favorite authors (including me).

Where is all of this fun happening?

Hyatt Regency Dallas, 300 Reunion Blvd Dallas, TX 75207

It’s not too late to buy a one day pass and join the fun. I’d love to see you there.

Come in Hot

Ever just jumped in and really bungled something? Well, sometimes it’s better come in hot and crash than to let fear keep you from trying at all.

 

Dr. Lisbeth Hastings “comes in hot” in RETURN TO EXILE. Things get broken. But in the end, she doesn’t regret casting aside her fears and courageously taking a leap.

Tell me about a time you “came in hot” and had the TIME OF YOUR LIFE.

The Icky-ness that is the Church

Varina Denman

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting this fabulous writer. I soon discovered that Varina Denman is a quiet river. A deep well. A calming presence in a storm. I can’t wait for you to meet her and jump into the depth of her writing.

 

Have you ever gone to worship on a Sunday morning, only to have someone snub you? Have you ever overheard a snarky conversation about you? Have you ever carried a huge burden, expecting your Christian brothers and sisters to support you…and they didn’t?

If you’ve been part of a congregation for more than two weeks, you’ve probably noticed some negative behavior that isn’t typically associated with Christians. Things that might surprise, embarrass, or anger you.

Like gossip. Or rudeness. Or pride. Or the big kahuna: judging others.

I hate that.

It absolutely breaks my heart to see Christians hurting Christians, but good grief, I can hardly point the finger. There have been times I’m just as guilty as the worst of them. Er, I mean…the worst of us. Because we all do it. Granted, some of us seem to have a greater knack for causing damage, but God’s measuring stick is the same. We’re all human.

The church deservedly gets a lot of flack over this, but it’s not only in the church. It’s universal. It’s people. Consider any group anywhere and you’ll realize they have to work on getting along. Believing in God doesn’t somehow make us superhuman. We still have the same sinful nature and the same struggles.

Then again, have you ever had a fellow Christian really come through for you? Have you ever been blessed by a friend in a way so great, you never imagined it possible? Have you ever been surrounded, supported, and loved when you walked through the doors of the church?

I love that.

It does my heart good to see Christians helping Christians, and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling deep down. But I’ve got to point out… a lot of nonChristians do the same good deeds. So why aren’t we better? Higher? Superior? Shouldn’t we be? I don’t think so.

If we love God, we’ll do our best to live righteous lives, but that doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily be better than everybody else. Not better than nonBelievers and not better than that guy who sits on the back pew and doesn’t sing.

Being a believer means we love God. It means we have a reason to do good deeds. It means we have our sins washed away when we mess things up. It means we’re surrounded by a group of faulty humans, just like ourselves, trying hard to be better, and learning to forgive each other in the process.

Because the church is an icky, sticky, beautiful mess.

Varina Denman writes stories about the unique struggles women face. She has five children, teaches creative writing and literature, volunteers in her local homeschool cooperative, and boasts sixteen years as a home educator. She resides with her family in North Texas. Her first novel, Jaded, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis Award.

Book Blurb:

As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation. Now, thirteen years later, Ruthie’s heart begins to stir when an attractive single preacher arrives. But their relationship is bitterly opposed, and a string of secrets are unearthed that threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside down.

Jaded is the rare novel that is a love story between both a woman and a man … and God and His church. Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness, and restoration, this book will resonate with every woman who’s experienced a loss of heart … and a thirst for hope.

You can find Varina here:

Blog: varinadenman.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/varinadenman

Facebook: facebook.com/varina.denman

Twitter: @varinadenman

Pinterest: pinterest.com/varinadenman

 

For a chance to win a FREE copy of JADED tell me one of the kindest things you’ve ever seen happen at church. I’ll pick a winner FRIDAY, March 13.

A Morning Chat

Every morning, as writing partners, Kellie Coates Gilbert and I talk for about a half hour on the phone. Today, we thought we’d invite our readers to “listen in” on our chat. Welcome!

Kellie: Morning, Lynne!  How many years have we been talking every morning? Four? I don’t know about you, but grabbing a cup of coffee and dialing your number is the highlight of my day!

Lynne:  Ditto, friend. It’s always so good to start the day talking to a real person because it seems the rest of my day is spent having conversations with the imaginary people in my head. Besides, if you didn’t call me, how would I ever know the latest industry scoop? So, what is new in publishing?

Kellie:  I saw this morning that bookstore sales were up considerably from last year. That is good news for authors AND readers. We want those brick and mortar retailers to remain open. I don’t know about you, but even though ordering online is convenient, I love to enter a real bookstore. I still love to browse the aisles and run my fingers across the spines of all those books. Now that I’m a published author, I know the many hours of work those books represent. What is your favorite aisle to hang out in?

Lynne: I love the smell of a bookstore. It’s as if all of those words wrap me up and take me to another world. I’m hopeful paper books never go away. I know this, we don’t hang out in the same aisle, girlfriend. I love adventure, time travel, and anything closely resembling Hunger Games. Don’t make that face at me, Kellie Gilbert. I can get as lost as any woman in a good women’s fiction story. Relationships matter to me. But I think it’s through talking with you that I’ve really come to understand the impact of these relationships upon us. I’m like really, who digs into the lie the character believes better than you? Tell me again about Juliette and the lie she believes. It is fascinating.

Kellie: I get what you’re saying, Lynne. I love going on a great adventure via the pages of a great book, and you craft some of the most surprising adventures! When I read your Carthage Chronicles series, I feel like I’ve been dropped into third century Rome right along with Lisbeth. Not afraid to tell you and our readers, I would NOT have liked to have lived back then. Yes, the togas were pretty, but that was a dog-eat-dog world. And we take our medical care for granted. My heart broke as I experienced with your characters the devastation of a measles outbreak.

As far as relationships in fiction, yes I definitely lean toward the complexities of how people react in life-changing circumstances. How highly emotional those events can be. What is most surprising is how inauthentic characters can be when they have personal agendas. Thankfully, my characters often come face-to-face with how ineffective their efforts really are, and they change. My stories always end with a beacon of light shining brightly. Juliette is no different in WHERE RIVERS PART. She finds she must link arms with the one man who has hurt her most to expose a far reaching corporate conspiracy that threatens to take down not only her career, but the well-being of the entire San Antonio area.

I’m always impressed with the level of research you do to create your story worlds. Tell our readers more about that process and all you discovered about ancient Rome.

Lynne: Don’t underestimate the comfort of a silk stola or the pleasure of having someone wash your feet. But you’re right, there’s plenty about the third century that I would never want to experience personally. No phone. No Facebook. No Keurig. But readers don’t have to go to the third century for a nail-biting experience. I’ve seen you throw your characters into some pretty tough spots in the contemporary world. Untangling a corporate conspiracy before it tanks your career is almost as scary as facing an angry bull in the arena. Like you, I spend hours researching. I love it when I stumble across something that lifts the hair on the back of my neck. Of course, anything that delicious has to go into the story. That’s the beauty of reading fiction. You can experience all sorts of things from the comfort and safety of your favorite reading chair. To me, it’s always inspiring to see broken characters discover the path to healing.

Hey, let’s watch your video one more time, okay?

Kellie:  Sure!  I never tire of watching the great book video my publisher put together.

Now, show our readers yours! I love it.

Lynne:  Here’s the book trailer for my CARTHAGE CHRONICLES series.

Lynne: So readers, do you wonder how two very different writers became such good friends? That’s a story for another day.

Kellie:  Well, I hate to be the one to cut the discussion short, but my deadline is looming and I have a daily word count to meet. Thank you everyone, for joining us this morning. Be sure to check out our books, and I hope you’ll visit our blogs often. We truly treasure you . . . our readers!

Lynne:  Dear readers, feel free to eavesdrop on us on a regular basis. Back to piles of books I’m digging through for my next project. Catch you later, Kellie.

Inspired by real places

I’ve had readers ask me where in the world I come up with some of my ideas. Research, research, research.

For example, in RETURN TO EXILE, there’s a scene where Maggie and Barek are running from the soldiers and they duck inside the Tophet. What was the Tophet?

Well, archaeologists aren’t sure. Historians have argued about it for years. Some believed this mound was a place of religious sacrifice. Some believe thousands of babies were slaughtered here to appease pagan gods. Others believe the Tophet was the sacred burial site of children lost to a massive epidemic.

This is one of those times I’d like to be able to slip back in time and investigate the mystery for myself.

A facebook friend who visited the site has graciously granted me the use of his pictures.

Aren’t they fascinating? What do you think happened in this place?

Tophet stela or gravestones

 

Want to know the future?

This week I wish God would give me a little peek into the future.

Here’s my dilemma:

Our grandson is celebrating his first birthday… eight hours away.

Our daughter is due to deliver our second grandchild. She lives twenty minutes away.

Do we drive to the birthday party and risk missing out on the birth of our second grandchild?

Or do we stay home in hopes of having a baby born this weekend and miss out on our grandson’s celebration?

If God would only give me a hint, then I wouldn’t have to worry.

Or would I?

While knowing when something good is coming, how would I feel if I knew all the tragic things headed my way? You see, that’s the danger of knowing the future. Knowing the good means you also know the bad.

I thank God that he has spared me knowing the rough patches I’m sure to face. But that means I’m operating in the dark here.

Or am I?

This story, RETURN TO EXILE, really forced me to exam my fear of the future and cast it aside.

What would you do this weekend if you were me?

 

 

 

Toga Party Fun

READERS:

Our FACEBOOK toga party was sooooooo FUN!!!!! Thanks to all of you for playing the Roman trivia games and sending those fabulous toga pics. Most of all I can’t thank you enough for your enthusiastic response to the entire Carthage Chronicles series. Word of mouth is still a book’s best friend. Thanks for spreading the word. Here’s some fun party pics for your enjoyment.

 

 

 

Pre-Party Prep

My launch team. Couldn’t have done it without them.

 

Reader Toga Submission

Reader Toga Submission

Reader Toga Submissions

Reader Toga Submissions

Reader Toga Submissions

Reader Toga Submissions

Reader Toga submissions

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

Dear Readers:

You’ve waited several months but now it’s finally here. RETURN TO EXILE has received a 4.5 Star review from RT Book Reviews and a 5-Star Near Perfect review from Christian Manifesto. I hope you’ll BUY your copy today.

After Christmas Sale

Everyone loves a sale. Spread the word, dear readers, HEALER OF CARTHAGE is on SALE for $1.99 for only a few days. Get one for your new Kindle and gift one to a friend.

 

And if you haven’t signed up for the Facebook ROMAN HOLIDAY SPA party, Jan. 8, 7-8 pm CST, CLICK HERE.