Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 196
May 28, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – HONEST AND FOR TRUE
BOOK REVIEW – HONEST AND FOR TRUE by JANE LEBAK
Honest And For True
Spunky and quirky. Both the main character and the writing. Honest and for True is a lighthearted and fun telling of a not-so-fun story. One this reviewer knows all too well….
As an auto mechanic, Lee is a disappointment to her very feminine and very pink mother. At twenty-nine years of age, she is fast approaching being unmarriable – according to her mother - the absolute and ultimate failure as a woman. But Lee has a problem. She is ashamed to tell anyone her career choice.
Lee’s imaginary childhood friend turns out to not be so imaginary. Rather, he is her guardian angel, Bucky, whom she converses with and has the ability to see. He is her constant companion.
Can Bucky help Lee unravel the snarl when her lies catch up with her? Can Lee learn who she is without hiding behind the mechanic’s mask? Will a flooding toilet save the day?
Ms. Lebak implements her comedic style in this tale that kept me turning pages. I enjoyed riding along with Lee through her antics and calamities. And I especially enjoyed her conversations with Bucky.
Note: There is one occurrence of foul language.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Jane Lebak talks to angels, cats, and her kids. Only the angels listen to her, but the kids talk back. She lives in the Swamp, writing books and knitting socks, with the occasional foray into violin-playing. You’ll also find her blogging at QueryTracker.net, a resource for writers seeking agents and small publishers. Philangelus Press is the multimedia empire of Jane Lebak, Incorporated. Multimedia because I have an audiobook. And it’s not just any kind of multimedia empire: it’s an international multimedia empire because I’ve sold books in Canada and the UK, and I’ve gotten fan mail from both the Philippines and New Zealand (Hi, Nanette and Chantelle!)
I started Philangelus Press once I realized I could do just about all the things a major publisher can do, only I can do them to my own personal control-freak specifications. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m having a blast. Plus, I get to talk to my readers every so often, and that’s really amazing.
#janelebak, #honestandfortrue, #guardianangels, #automechanic, #romance
Honest And For True
Spunky and quirky. Both the main character and the writing. Honest and for True is a lighthearted and fun telling of a not-so-fun story. One this reviewer knows all too well….
As an auto mechanic, Lee is a disappointment to her very feminine and very pink mother. At twenty-nine years of age, she is fast approaching being unmarriable – according to her mother - the absolute and ultimate failure as a woman. But Lee has a problem. She is ashamed to tell anyone her career choice.
Lee’s imaginary childhood friend turns out to not be so imaginary. Rather, he is her guardian angel, Bucky, whom she converses with and has the ability to see. He is her constant companion.
Can Bucky help Lee unravel the snarl when her lies catch up with her? Can Lee learn who she is without hiding behind the mechanic’s mask? Will a flooding toilet save the day?
Ms. Lebak implements her comedic style in this tale that kept me turning pages. I enjoyed riding along with Lee through her antics and calamities. And I especially enjoyed her conversations with Bucky.
Note: There is one occurrence of foul language.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Jane Lebak talks to angels, cats, and her kids. Only the angels listen to her, but the kids talk back. She lives in the Swamp, writing books and knitting socks, with the occasional foray into violin-playing. You’ll also find her blogging at QueryTracker.net, a resource for writers seeking agents and small publishers. Philangelus Press is the multimedia empire of Jane Lebak, Incorporated. Multimedia because I have an audiobook. And it’s not just any kind of multimedia empire: it’s an international multimedia empire because I’ve sold books in Canada and the UK, and I’ve gotten fan mail from both the Philippines and New Zealand (Hi, Nanette and Chantelle!)
I started Philangelus Press once I realized I could do just about all the things a major publisher can do, only I can do them to my own personal control-freak specifications. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m having a blast. Plus, I get to talk to my readers every so often, and that’s really amazing.
#janelebak, #honestandfortrue, #guardianangels, #automechanic, #romance
May 21, 2015
Author Interview – REBECCA WATERS
Back in the day, somewhere along about a year ago, one of the first blog posts I read was written by this lovely lady. A trillion blog posts later I can’t remember what the post was about, but Rebecca Waters’ name has stayed with me. Please give a big welcome to REBECCA WATERS.
rem: Welcome Rebecca! Tell us three things about yourself.
REBECCA: Hmm…I am a mother to three girls, a mother-in-law to their three husbands, and a grandmother to seven incredible grandchildren.
rem: Those are some pretty special roles ya got there. Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?
REBECCA: The Bible.
rem: Can’t think of a better book to read! What is your most treasured possession?
REBECCA: I don’t know. I tried to think “What would I grab if I had a fire in the house?” They say that’s a sure fire way to identify what you treasure most, but all I could think of was “A bathrobe!”
rem: Sometimes the bathrobe wins! Hee hee What is your favorite quotation?
REBECCA: It actually comes from the Bible: Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. Not for others. Do it for God.” (I sort of paraphrased that.)
rem: I think living our lives – doing unto Him – kind of is paraphrasing. What do you most value in a friend?
REBECCA: Being there. I have wonderful friends. During this difficult time of my life, I have so valued the fact they showed up. They didn’t know what to say. Who would? But they held me and continue to do so.
rem: Being there is underrated. So many times people think they need “magic” words when sometimes there just are no words. What quality do you most admire in a woman?
REBECCA: I would have to say confidence. I appreciate caring people and people who love others, but I admire confidence.
rem: Confidence can carry many other attributes. What do you do as a hobby?
REBECCA: I like to golf, scrapbook, swim, and travel. And read.
rem: I’m with ya on all except golf. Dogs or Cats? Which do you prefer?
REBECCA: Dogs. Paws down, Dogs.
rem: Not with ya so much with the dogs though. I let it slide, though. LOL
Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?
REBECCA: Easy. Tom Waters. Tom and I met when I was 16, started dating when I was 17 and married when I was 18. Tom died last October, just seven weeks shy of our 43rd anniversary. I adored that man. Still do.
rem: Rebecca, I’m so sorry for your loss. I cannot even imagine.
Tell us a little about your writing journey.
REBECCA: Until 2012, I wrote for my own pleasure or published professional articles of research in the field of education. When I decided to retire, I turned my pen to fiction. I drafted a plan and followed it. I pitched my novel at a conference and received a contract two months later.
rem: I’ve read Breathing on Her Own and loved it! What is your Writing Routine?
REBECCA: My routine has changed in the last six months. I used to write in the evening while Tom watched television. Now I find myself getting more done in the mornings. Turning on the computer and not being distracted by social media are my biggest obstacles.
rem: I think social media is everyone’s greatest distraction, regardless of what we are trying to do. What are your Top Writing Tips?
REBECCA: 1. Write every day. 2. Embrace editing. Edit your own work and have your work edited by others. 3. Study the craft of writing and publishing. 4. Attend…no, Engage in Writing Conferences.
rem: Good points indeed. What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
REBECCA: Writing satisfies my creative desires.
rem: What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
REBECCA: Marketing your own book. Every author is now expected to engage in multiple aspects of the marketing process. It’s fun, but time consuming.
rem: My new thought on marketing is that there are people who chose marketing as a career. For the rest of us it is a necessary evil! LOL
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
REBECCA: Create a plan that includes your goals as well as a roadmap to achieve them.
rem: Something akin to write the vision… What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
REBECCA: I hope Breathing on Her Own will cause readers to re-examine their own faith walk.
rem: It certainly speaks to that. Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?
REBECCA: From real life…though I did not pattern Laney in Breathing on Her Own after any of my daughters. Okay, the good parts of Laney, maybe.
rem: If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be and why?
REBECCA: Heidi. I loved the whole idea of living on the mountain with Grandfather. A simple life.
rem: I loved Heidi! Haven’t thought about that lovely story in eons! Tell us a little about your latest book? What is your current project?
REBECCA: My current work in progress is best described as Mary Higgins Clark meets the Waltons in Amish country for a little romance! Yeah, it sounds crazy….but fun to write.
rem: Sounds like lots of fun! Can’t wait to read it.
Recently, you travelled to India. Tell us about that experience.
REBECCA: Shortly after Tom died, my youngest daughter told me about a trip to India her church was organizing. The objective was to help with young women who had been rescued from forced prostitution. Some had been kidnapped, coerced, or sold into this form of slavery as children. In fact the average age of girls when they entered the brothels was twelve-years-old, with some of them being only nine. Kendall wanted to go. She asked if I would go with her. It was November. The trip was scheduled for April. It sounded far away. I vaguely remember saying, "Okay." So this past April, almost six months after losing my husband, I traveled to India with a group of hard-working, dedicated people bent on serving others.
I must say the experience was both eye-opening and healing. Healing for the girls? I hope so. Healing for me? Certainly. There is great healing in serving others. But it was also eye-opening. I learned that human trafficking is a world-wide evil. It is as prevalent in the US as it is in India. I've put out a call to everyone I know to build awareness and work toward answers. I think as writers, we can use the pen to create this awareness.
The following is lifted from Rebecca’s website:
A few months ago, my Bible reading took me to Jeremiah 18. In the first few verses of the chapter, Jeremiah is told to go to the potter’s house where God will give him a message. Jeremiah goes. He watches the potter craft a pot out of the soft clay. The clay becomes “marred” and the potter reshapes it into a new vessel. Complete. Useful.
At first glance, my only thought was that God has a plan for the rest of my life. It made sense to me. I was one person—Tom’s wife. Now I am Tom’s widow. I am in the process of redefining myself. I wasn’t “marred” per se –more like “broken.” I read the verses and experienced the assurance that God will form me into something new. Complete. Useful.
Then I went to India.
God has a plan for the women I met. He has led them to a safe place. He has restored their soul, their hope, their joy and laughter. He will shape them into new vessels. With His love and protection they will be made whole. They will live a life of purpose.
NOTE: Human trafficking is a worldwide evil. The rape and exploitation of young women is prevalent everywhere. Yes, even here in the United States. God has not abandoned these women. His heart is broken for them. But He has a plan. We need to work in accordance with His will. We need to help stop human trafficking and reach out to women who have been sexually abused. Consider these statistics:
• Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. (United Nations)
• Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States. (U.S. Department of Justice)
• The average age of entry into prostitution for a child victim in the United States is 13-14 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice)
• A pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls. (U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
• The average victim may be forced to have sex 20 or more times a day. (Polaris Project)
• Fewer than 100 beds are available in the United States for underage victims. (Health and Human Services)
• Department Of Justice has identified the top twenty human trafficking jurisdictions in the country:” Houston • El Paso • Los Angeles • Atlanta • Chicago • Charlotte • Miami • Las Vegas • New York • Long Island • New Orleans • Washington, D.C. • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Richmond • San Diego• San Francisco • St Louis • Seattle • Tampa (Department of Justice)
• One in three teens on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. (National Runaway Hotline)
(List Compiled by The Covering House)
About the Author
Rebecca Waters - (reh-BEH-kuh wa-ters)
Noun
Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter
Verb
Writer, Teacher, Believer
Synonyms
Mom, Grandma, His Child
Rebecca Waters draws on her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother as well as her vast experience as an educator and researcher for her writing.
Rebecca sees writing as both a gift and a ministry. Although she has published in professional journals in the field of education, Rebecca now turns her pen to the world of fiction.
She has published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Power of Positive; Chicken Soup for the Soul, Readers' Choice; The Lookout Magazine (paid registration required); and Home Health Aide Digest. Rebecca is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Breathing on Her Own is her debut novel. Buy your print copy here or your Kindle edition here.
Read Rebecca's blog on being an author at RebeccaAWaters.blogspot.com.
#rebeccawaters, #authorinterview, #breathingonherown, #humantrafficking
rem: Welcome Rebecca! Tell us three things about yourself.
REBECCA: Hmm…I am a mother to three girls, a mother-in-law to their three husbands, and a grandmother to seven incredible grandchildren.
rem: Those are some pretty special roles ya got there. Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?
REBECCA: The Bible.
rem: Can’t think of a better book to read! What is your most treasured possession?
REBECCA: I don’t know. I tried to think “What would I grab if I had a fire in the house?” They say that’s a sure fire way to identify what you treasure most, but all I could think of was “A bathrobe!”
rem: Sometimes the bathrobe wins! Hee hee What is your favorite quotation?
REBECCA: It actually comes from the Bible: Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. Not for others. Do it for God.” (I sort of paraphrased that.)
rem: I think living our lives – doing unto Him – kind of is paraphrasing. What do you most value in a friend?
REBECCA: Being there. I have wonderful friends. During this difficult time of my life, I have so valued the fact they showed up. They didn’t know what to say. Who would? But they held me and continue to do so.
rem: Being there is underrated. So many times people think they need “magic” words when sometimes there just are no words. What quality do you most admire in a woman?
REBECCA: I would have to say confidence. I appreciate caring people and people who love others, but I admire confidence.
rem: Confidence can carry many other attributes. What do you do as a hobby?
REBECCA: I like to golf, scrapbook, swim, and travel. And read.
rem: I’m with ya on all except golf. Dogs or Cats? Which do you prefer?
REBECCA: Dogs. Paws down, Dogs.
rem: Not with ya so much with the dogs though. I let it slide, though. LOL
Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?
REBECCA: Easy. Tom Waters. Tom and I met when I was 16, started dating when I was 17 and married when I was 18. Tom died last October, just seven weeks shy of our 43rd anniversary. I adored that man. Still do.
rem: Rebecca, I’m so sorry for your loss. I cannot even imagine.
Tell us a little about your writing journey.
REBECCA: Until 2012, I wrote for my own pleasure or published professional articles of research in the field of education. When I decided to retire, I turned my pen to fiction. I drafted a plan and followed it. I pitched my novel at a conference and received a contract two months later.
rem: I’ve read Breathing on Her Own and loved it! What is your Writing Routine?
REBECCA: My routine has changed in the last six months. I used to write in the evening while Tom watched television. Now I find myself getting more done in the mornings. Turning on the computer and not being distracted by social media are my biggest obstacles.
rem: I think social media is everyone’s greatest distraction, regardless of what we are trying to do. What are your Top Writing Tips?
REBECCA: 1. Write every day. 2. Embrace editing. Edit your own work and have your work edited by others. 3. Study the craft of writing and publishing. 4. Attend…no, Engage in Writing Conferences.
rem: Good points indeed. What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
REBECCA: Writing satisfies my creative desires.
rem: What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
REBECCA: Marketing your own book. Every author is now expected to engage in multiple aspects of the marketing process. It’s fun, but time consuming.
rem: My new thought on marketing is that there are people who chose marketing as a career. For the rest of us it is a necessary evil! LOL
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
REBECCA: Create a plan that includes your goals as well as a roadmap to achieve them.
rem: Something akin to write the vision… What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
REBECCA: I hope Breathing on Her Own will cause readers to re-examine their own faith walk.
rem: It certainly speaks to that. Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?
REBECCA: From real life…though I did not pattern Laney in Breathing on Her Own after any of my daughters. Okay, the good parts of Laney, maybe.
rem: If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be and why?
REBECCA: Heidi. I loved the whole idea of living on the mountain with Grandfather. A simple life.
rem: I loved Heidi! Haven’t thought about that lovely story in eons! Tell us a little about your latest book? What is your current project?
REBECCA: My current work in progress is best described as Mary Higgins Clark meets the Waltons in Amish country for a little romance! Yeah, it sounds crazy….but fun to write.
rem: Sounds like lots of fun! Can’t wait to read it.
Recently, you travelled to India. Tell us about that experience.
REBECCA: Shortly after Tom died, my youngest daughter told me about a trip to India her church was organizing. The objective was to help with young women who had been rescued from forced prostitution. Some had been kidnapped, coerced, or sold into this form of slavery as children. In fact the average age of girls when they entered the brothels was twelve-years-old, with some of them being only nine. Kendall wanted to go. She asked if I would go with her. It was November. The trip was scheduled for April. It sounded far away. I vaguely remember saying, "Okay." So this past April, almost six months after losing my husband, I traveled to India with a group of hard-working, dedicated people bent on serving others.
I must say the experience was both eye-opening and healing. Healing for the girls? I hope so. Healing for me? Certainly. There is great healing in serving others. But it was also eye-opening. I learned that human trafficking is a world-wide evil. It is as prevalent in the US as it is in India. I've put out a call to everyone I know to build awareness and work toward answers. I think as writers, we can use the pen to create this awareness.
The following is lifted from Rebecca’s website:
A few months ago, my Bible reading took me to Jeremiah 18. In the first few verses of the chapter, Jeremiah is told to go to the potter’s house where God will give him a message. Jeremiah goes. He watches the potter craft a pot out of the soft clay. The clay becomes “marred” and the potter reshapes it into a new vessel. Complete. Useful.
At first glance, my only thought was that God has a plan for the rest of my life. It made sense to me. I was one person—Tom’s wife. Now I am Tom’s widow. I am in the process of redefining myself. I wasn’t “marred” per se –more like “broken.” I read the verses and experienced the assurance that God will form me into something new. Complete. Useful.
Then I went to India.
God has a plan for the women I met. He has led them to a safe place. He has restored their soul, their hope, their joy and laughter. He will shape them into new vessels. With His love and protection they will be made whole. They will live a life of purpose.
NOTE: Human trafficking is a worldwide evil. The rape and exploitation of young women is prevalent everywhere. Yes, even here in the United States. God has not abandoned these women. His heart is broken for them. But He has a plan. We need to work in accordance with His will. We need to help stop human trafficking and reach out to women who have been sexually abused. Consider these statistics:
• Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. (United Nations)
• Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States. (U.S. Department of Justice)
• The average age of entry into prostitution for a child victim in the United States is 13-14 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice)
• A pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls. (U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
• The average victim may be forced to have sex 20 or more times a day. (Polaris Project)
• Fewer than 100 beds are available in the United States for underage victims. (Health and Human Services)
• Department Of Justice has identified the top twenty human trafficking jurisdictions in the country:” Houston • El Paso • Los Angeles • Atlanta • Chicago • Charlotte • Miami • Las Vegas • New York • Long Island • New Orleans • Washington, D.C. • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Richmond • San Diego• San Francisco • St Louis • Seattle • Tampa (Department of Justice)
• One in three teens on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. (National Runaway Hotline)
(List Compiled by The Covering House)
About the Author
Rebecca Waters - (reh-BEH-kuh wa-ters)
Noun
Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter
Verb
Writer, Teacher, Believer
Synonyms
Mom, Grandma, His Child
Rebecca Waters draws on her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother as well as her vast experience as an educator and researcher for her writing.
Rebecca sees writing as both a gift and a ministry. Although she has published in professional journals in the field of education, Rebecca now turns her pen to the world of fiction.
She has published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Power of Positive; Chicken Soup for the Soul, Readers' Choice; The Lookout Magazine (paid registration required); and Home Health Aide Digest. Rebecca is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
Breathing on Her Own is her debut novel. Buy your print copy here or your Kindle edition here.
Read Rebecca's blog on being an author at RebeccaAWaters.blogspot.com.
#rebeccawaters, #authorinterview, #breathingonherown, #humantrafficking
May 19, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – UNCHARTED INHERITANCE
BOOK REVIEW – UNCHARTED INHERITANCE by KEELY BROOKE KEITH
Uncharted Inheritance
The Land has its traditions. The way things have been for seven generations, for the good and safety of its people. None have questioned before, none have resisted. None have defied.
Bethany Colburn, the youngest of her clan, turns eighteen but is not ready for courtship – per tradition; she is not ready to settle down. After all, she has two examples to follow: her sister Lydia became the first female doctor and had no intention of marrying either, and brother Levi built his own home and chose his own career rather than take up their father’s stead.
Evil threatens the town of Good Springs in a different way this time: by corrupting established values. The arrival of a stranger in their midst only serves to whet Bethany’s appetite for adventure, for different. For daring. The fact that he brings an unknown disease to The Land and the two of them are quarantined together established a bond between them.
But Bethany doesn’t fully grasp the safety of their traditions, nor does she realize the foreign values of the newcomer. A man thrust from a troubling and turbulent 21st century world to a land steeped in morals and godly values. A man who delights in the company of a young – and naïve – young woman.
Will Bethany grasp the danger of this man who disregards the traditions and values of The Land? Or does she fall prey to his dishonorable and base intentions? Can she escape the web of conflict and confusion to embrace her inheritance - and the man who loves her.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Keely Brooke Keith does not disappoint with the third in this series. A compelling read, with every bit as much intrigue and mystery as the first two books in the series. Will The Land be discovered after all these years? Or does it remain safe from outside influence? Does Bethany give in to her longing for adventure? Or does she respond in kind to Everett Foster’s declaration of love?
#keelybrookekeith, #unchartedinheritance, #theunchartedseries, #thelanduncharted, #unchartedredemption
Uncharted Inheritance
The Land has its traditions. The way things have been for seven generations, for the good and safety of its people. None have questioned before, none have resisted. None have defied.
Bethany Colburn, the youngest of her clan, turns eighteen but is not ready for courtship – per tradition; she is not ready to settle down. After all, she has two examples to follow: her sister Lydia became the first female doctor and had no intention of marrying either, and brother Levi built his own home and chose his own career rather than take up their father’s stead.
Evil threatens the town of Good Springs in a different way this time: by corrupting established values. The arrival of a stranger in their midst only serves to whet Bethany’s appetite for adventure, for different. For daring. The fact that he brings an unknown disease to The Land and the two of them are quarantined together established a bond between them.
But Bethany doesn’t fully grasp the safety of their traditions, nor does she realize the foreign values of the newcomer. A man thrust from a troubling and turbulent 21st century world to a land steeped in morals and godly values. A man who delights in the company of a young – and naïve – young woman.
Will Bethany grasp the danger of this man who disregards the traditions and values of The Land? Or does she fall prey to his dishonorable and base intentions? Can she escape the web of conflict and confusion to embrace her inheritance - and the man who loves her.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Keely Brooke Keith does not disappoint with the third in this series. A compelling read, with every bit as much intrigue and mystery as the first two books in the series. Will The Land be discovered after all these years? Or does it remain safe from outside influence? Does Bethany give in to her longing for adventure? Or does she respond in kind to Everett Foster’s declaration of love?
#keelybrookekeith, #unchartedinheritance, #theunchartedseries, #thelanduncharted, #unchartedredemption
May 15, 2015
Guest Post – PEPPER BASHAM
Please give a big welcome to PEPPER BASHAM to my blog.
Sinking Ships and Matching Stories
Most of the time when you pick up a novel you know the characters are going to experience struggles, trials, maybe even tragedy, to get to the happily-ever-after ending. In some stories, you go in knowing the tragedy before you open the book or turn on the movie, especially if the story is based in fact.
Seventeen years ago when the movie Titanic came out, every person who attended the movie theater to see the movie knew they were going to watch people board a ship that was going to sink. The less well-known movie, Britannic, gave the same foreboding beginning. So it shouldn't be a surprise when you pick up a book that features characters boarding the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915, you are about to embark on a journey fraught with tragedy.
When I begin writing this novel over 10 years ago, I had no idea I was going to involve a sinking ship. All I knew is that I had a heroine, Ashleigh, with a heartbreaking and tragic secret and I wanted an external ‘symbol’ to show her internal devastation.
It isn’t often, thank goodness, that tragedies match so well together in the same way for the same story. I'm pretty sure that in books 2 and 3 of the Penned in Time series, I won't have any sinking ships or massive tragedies such as the Lusitania, but the heart rending pain my main character experienced as a child and continues to experience into adulthood required a setting in which the reader could visibly compare tragedies.
I don't know about you, but I’d never heard of the Lusitania before I started research for The Thorn Bearer. I'd studied history a little bit up to that point, but kept mostly to the "big events" like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II, with a brief mention of the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and, of course, the Titanic.
It wasn't until I visited our yard sale, or what they would call in England a rummage sale, where I found a $.25 book called the Lusitania, that I found the missing link to my novel.
I don’t always make such an intense pairing as Ashleigh and the Lusitania, but somehow it worked for this story.
What about you? Have you ever ‘discovered’ the perfect fit to you story in an unexpected place? Do you try to make external situations mirror what is happening to your characters at the heart?
Author Bio:
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction whenever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids with special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015.
You can connect with Pepper at:
www.pepperdbasham.com,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper... or
https://twitter.com/pepperbasham
From the decks of the ill-fated Lusitania to the smoke-filled trenches of France, Ashleigh must choose between the forgiveness of her past, life in the present, and a Savior who can rescue her from them all.
When her fiancé leaves her eight months before their wedding, the unexpected blow ignites a battalion of insecurities stemming from her father’s intimate betrayal. Her worst fears are confirmed – who could ever love a soiled woman?
In an attempt to escape the shame and disappointment of her past, Ashleigh boards the ill-fated Lusitania to cross the war-torn waters of Europe. Much to her dismay, she isn’t traveling alone.
Sam Miller is always making up for his best friend’s mistakes. Determined to help Ashleigh, he offers his compassion and protection as she ventures across a perilous sea. With the faint hope of renewing his lost love for Ashleigh’s sister, Sam never expects to find the woman of his dreams in his best friend’s former fiancé and his own childhood companion.
As they travel across the Atlantic, neither is prepared for the life-altering and heart-breaking journey of their friendship.
When the truth of Ashleigh’s past explodes in the middle of war and Sam rejects her, Ashleigh must decide if God is enough – or if the double weight of her betrayal and past will crush her life forever.
#pepperbasham, #guestbloghost, #thethornbearer, #sinkingships, #Lusitania, #WorldWarI
Sinking Ships and Matching Stories
Most of the time when you pick up a novel you know the characters are going to experience struggles, trials, maybe even tragedy, to get to the happily-ever-after ending. In some stories, you go in knowing the tragedy before you open the book or turn on the movie, especially if the story is based in fact.
Seventeen years ago when the movie Titanic came out, every person who attended the movie theater to see the movie knew they were going to watch people board a ship that was going to sink. The less well-known movie, Britannic, gave the same foreboding beginning. So it shouldn't be a surprise when you pick up a book that features characters boarding the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915, you are about to embark on a journey fraught with tragedy.
When I begin writing this novel over 10 years ago, I had no idea I was going to involve a sinking ship. All I knew is that I had a heroine, Ashleigh, with a heartbreaking and tragic secret and I wanted an external ‘symbol’ to show her internal devastation.
It isn’t often, thank goodness, that tragedies match so well together in the same way for the same story. I'm pretty sure that in books 2 and 3 of the Penned in Time series, I won't have any sinking ships or massive tragedies such as the Lusitania, but the heart rending pain my main character experienced as a child and continues to experience into adulthood required a setting in which the reader could visibly compare tragedies.
I don't know about you, but I’d never heard of the Lusitania before I started research for The Thorn Bearer. I'd studied history a little bit up to that point, but kept mostly to the "big events" like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II, with a brief mention of the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and, of course, the Titanic.
It wasn't until I visited our yard sale, or what they would call in England a rummage sale, where I found a $.25 book called the Lusitania, that I found the missing link to my novel.
I don’t always make such an intense pairing as Ashleigh and the Lusitania, but somehow it worked for this story.
What about you? Have you ever ‘discovered’ the perfect fit to you story in an unexpected place? Do you try to make external situations mirror what is happening to your characters at the heart?
Author Bio:
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction whenever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids with special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015.
You can connect with Pepper at:
www.pepperdbasham.com,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper... or
https://twitter.com/pepperbasham
From the decks of the ill-fated Lusitania to the smoke-filled trenches of France, Ashleigh must choose between the forgiveness of her past, life in the present, and a Savior who can rescue her from them all.
When her fiancé leaves her eight months before their wedding, the unexpected blow ignites a battalion of insecurities stemming from her father’s intimate betrayal. Her worst fears are confirmed – who could ever love a soiled woman?
In an attempt to escape the shame and disappointment of her past, Ashleigh boards the ill-fated Lusitania to cross the war-torn waters of Europe. Much to her dismay, she isn’t traveling alone.
Sam Miller is always making up for his best friend’s mistakes. Determined to help Ashleigh, he offers his compassion and protection as she ventures across a perilous sea. With the faint hope of renewing his lost love for Ashleigh’s sister, Sam never expects to find the woman of his dreams in his best friend’s former fiancé and his own childhood companion.
As they travel across the Atlantic, neither is prepared for the life-altering and heart-breaking journey of their friendship.
When the truth of Ashleigh’s past explodes in the middle of war and Sam rejects her, Ashleigh must decide if God is enough – or if the double weight of her betrayal and past will crush her life forever.
#pepperbasham, #guestbloghost, #thethornbearer, #sinkingships, #Lusitania, #WorldWarI
May 12, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST
BOOK REVIEW – THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST by MELANIE DICKERSON
The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest
When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries. [taken from the blurb on the back of the book]
She was an orphan taken in by neighbors and treated as a servant until her uncle returned and took her in. Now a noble woman, Odette Rutgers teaches orphan children to read. And she feeds them.
But the deer she feeds them are deer she has poached from the Margrave’s forest.
He was an orphan living on the street until the forester and his wife took him in. Now, Jorgen Hartman has filled the role of forester, is caring for his widowed mother. And searching for the poacher he is sure is killing the Margrave’s deer. And who murdered the man who raised him.
Then comes Midsummer festival, and the dance that changes everything. Would their connection be strong enough to overcome all that stands between them?
In an era of nobility and commoners, Odette and Jorgen are already mismatched. And yet so perfectly paired. And in the depth of Thornbeck Forest, they are rivals. Her secret puts her at odds with the one man who has captured her heart. His task puts at risk the very life of the woman he loves.
Ms. Dickerson pulled me into this story from the first words. I was in the depths of the forest, I felt the anticipation – and the fear. She weaves the heart of her characters right into the fabric of the story, making them alive and believable. The struggle Odette felt to follow her heart, or make a choice that would serve the greater good. The ache of Jorgen’s heart knowing he loved her, and yet could never be her match. I felt the longing whenever they were together, and the angst that they could never be.
Unexpected twists in The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest keep the pace moving, keep the reader reading through to the final page. Intrigue, mystery, who is betraying whom? And the Margrave himself, is he the man who murdered his brother? Or was he a victim in the same tragedy? What sentence does he bring to the lovely huntress who has depleted the king’s forest of deer?
I am completely enthralled with Ms. Dickerson’s writing, so much so that for days after I finished reading The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, my mind still went back to the pages of this story. I look forward to reading all of her tales. Let the reading begin!
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Melanie Dickerson is the author of Medieval fairy tale retellings, including The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter, both Christy Award finalists, winner of The National Reader's Choice Award for 2010's Best First Book, and winner of the 2012 Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor's degree in special education from The University of Alabama. She has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama. Visit her on the web at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com.
#melaniedickerson, #thehuntressofthornbeckforest, #medievalfairytale, #orphans, #intrigue, #betrayal
The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest
When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries. [taken from the blurb on the back of the book]
She was an orphan taken in by neighbors and treated as a servant until her uncle returned and took her in. Now a noble woman, Odette Rutgers teaches orphan children to read. And she feeds them.
But the deer she feeds them are deer she has poached from the Margrave’s forest.
He was an orphan living on the street until the forester and his wife took him in. Now, Jorgen Hartman has filled the role of forester, is caring for his widowed mother. And searching for the poacher he is sure is killing the Margrave’s deer. And who murdered the man who raised him.
Then comes Midsummer festival, and the dance that changes everything. Would their connection be strong enough to overcome all that stands between them?
In an era of nobility and commoners, Odette and Jorgen are already mismatched. And yet so perfectly paired. And in the depth of Thornbeck Forest, they are rivals. Her secret puts her at odds with the one man who has captured her heart. His task puts at risk the very life of the woman he loves.
Ms. Dickerson pulled me into this story from the first words. I was in the depths of the forest, I felt the anticipation – and the fear. She weaves the heart of her characters right into the fabric of the story, making them alive and believable. The struggle Odette felt to follow her heart, or make a choice that would serve the greater good. The ache of Jorgen’s heart knowing he loved her, and yet could never be her match. I felt the longing whenever they were together, and the angst that they could never be.
Unexpected twists in The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest keep the pace moving, keep the reader reading through to the final page. Intrigue, mystery, who is betraying whom? And the Margrave himself, is he the man who murdered his brother? Or was he a victim in the same tragedy? What sentence does he bring to the lovely huntress who has depleted the king’s forest of deer?
I am completely enthralled with Ms. Dickerson’s writing, so much so that for days after I finished reading The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, my mind still went back to the pages of this story. I look forward to reading all of her tales. Let the reading begin!
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Melanie Dickerson is the author of Medieval fairy tale retellings, including The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter, both Christy Award finalists, winner of The National Reader's Choice Award for 2010's Best First Book, and winner of the 2012 Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor's degree in special education from The University of Alabama. She has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama. Visit her on the web at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com.
#melaniedickerson, #thehuntressofthornbeckforest, #medievalfairytale, #orphans, #intrigue, #betrayal
April 28, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – THE THORN BEARER
BOOK REVIEW – THE THORN BEARER by PEPPER D. BASHAM
How does the heart respond when betrayed by God? Ashleigh Dougall has been betrayed not once, but twice, by the God she was taught to revere. Or has she?
A heinous childhood secret haunts her, tormenting, holding her from the promise of love and happiness. The one chance she thought she had, suddenly gone, and without explanation. Has God betrayed her? Or has He made a way for a future of hope for her.
Ashleigh returns home to England to escape the heartache of her broken engagement. How could she know the events that will unfold; sailing on the ill-fated Lusitania is but the first of life-altering events she will face in the coming weeks and months.
Will Ashleigh come to accept the Father’s love? Will she bare her secrets to the man she comes to love – and who loves her? Will he accept her, knowing her soiled past?
When Ashleigh and Sam boarded the ship, I felt I was along with them. Ms. Basham has created characters with depth, whose lives are vivid and genuine. Ashleigh’s struggles run deep, and are not easily resolved. Conflict swirls on different levels: the war, within the family, at hospital, and in the village, and on both sides of the Atlantic. Ms. Basham deftly resolves each conflict, with real human emotion, and with real human triumph.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Pepper D. Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She writes a variety of genres, but enjoys sprinkling her native culture of Appalachia in them all. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats to wear, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of Seymour Literary Agency. The Thorn Bearer is Pepper’s debut novel and the first book in the Penned in Time series. Her second novel, a contemporary
romance entitled A Twist of Faith, comes out in June 2015. You can learn more about her at www.pepperdbasham.com.
#pepperbasham, #thethornbearer, #lusitania, #worldwarI, #betrayal, #lemonlifesavers
How does the heart respond when betrayed by God? Ashleigh Dougall has been betrayed not once, but twice, by the God she was taught to revere. Or has she?
A heinous childhood secret haunts her, tormenting, holding her from the promise of love and happiness. The one chance she thought she had, suddenly gone, and without explanation. Has God betrayed her? Or has He made a way for a future of hope for her.
Ashleigh returns home to England to escape the heartache of her broken engagement. How could she know the events that will unfold; sailing on the ill-fated Lusitania is but the first of life-altering events she will face in the coming weeks and months.
Will Ashleigh come to accept the Father’s love? Will she bare her secrets to the man she comes to love – and who loves her? Will he accept her, knowing her soiled past?
When Ashleigh and Sam boarded the ship, I felt I was along with them. Ms. Basham has created characters with depth, whose lives are vivid and genuine. Ashleigh’s struggles run deep, and are not easily resolved. Conflict swirls on different levels: the war, within the family, at hospital, and in the village, and on both sides of the Atlantic. Ms. Basham deftly resolves each conflict, with real human emotion, and with real human triumph.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Pepper D. Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She writes a variety of genres, but enjoys sprinkling her native culture of Appalachia in them all. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats to wear, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of Seymour Literary Agency. The Thorn Bearer is Pepper’s debut novel and the first book in the Penned in Time series. Her second novel, a contemporary
romance entitled A Twist of Faith, comes out in June 2015. You can learn more about her at www.pepperdbasham.com.
#pepperbasham, #thethornbearer, #lusitania, #worldwarI, #betrayal, #lemonlifesavers
April 27, 2015
BOOK RELEASE – BLOOD MOON ANTHOLOGY
BOOK RELEASE – BLOOD MOON ANTHOLOGY compiled by MARY BLOWERS
The unspeakable has happened. Well, more the unthinkable, or unimaginable – I, yours truly, have written a short story. Did you hear me? A SHORT story!!! ME!!! Definitely not my strong suit. At least I didn’t think it was.
KEY in the MAILBOX: SARAFINA’S LIGHT will become the first in my upcoming KEY Series. SARAFINA’S LIGHT was written, however, specifically for inclusion in Ms. Blowers’ latest anthology, BLOOD MOON, just released and available on Amazon. Included are pieces by Mary Blowers, and eleven other contributors, including yours truly.
Author Mary Blowers has just published an anthology of short stories from writers from around the world on 25 April 2015. BLOOD MOON is an anthology having to do with transformations of all kinds. The title is tied to the Jewish belief that blood moons recurring in groups of four have a spiritual significance and are an omen portending great change.
Available on Smashwords.com and Amazon.com, with iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and several other online e-book retailers to follow soon, it is currently available in e-book formats and will be released in paperback from Createspace.com within two weeks. More information will be forthcoming on Blowers' blog, http://maryblowers.com.
http://maryblowers.com/ Blog
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi... Smashwords page
https://twitter.com/MaryBlowers Twitter connection
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-blo... LinkedIn Profile
https://www.facebook.com/MaryBlowers.... Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Mary Blowers, editor, is a freelance writer and independently published Christian author specializing in self-published anthologies. Contributing authors are Mary Blowers, Robin E. Mason, R. H. Ali, Tiago Mota, Dash McCallen, Jacklon Michelle Wright, Timothy Trimble, Wendy Janes, Peter Bouchier, Erik van Mechelen, Stewart Bint, and Vanessa Wright.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#maryblowers, #BloodMoonAnthology, #robinemason, #sarafinaslight, #keyinthemailbox
The unspeakable has happened. Well, more the unthinkable, or unimaginable – I, yours truly, have written a short story. Did you hear me? A SHORT story!!! ME!!! Definitely not my strong suit. At least I didn’t think it was.
KEY in the MAILBOX: SARAFINA’S LIGHT will become the first in my upcoming KEY Series. SARAFINA’S LIGHT was written, however, specifically for inclusion in Ms. Blowers’ latest anthology, BLOOD MOON, just released and available on Amazon. Included are pieces by Mary Blowers, and eleven other contributors, including yours truly.
Author Mary Blowers has just published an anthology of short stories from writers from around the world on 25 April 2015. BLOOD MOON is an anthology having to do with transformations of all kinds. The title is tied to the Jewish belief that blood moons recurring in groups of four have a spiritual significance and are an omen portending great change.
Available on Smashwords.com and Amazon.com, with iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and several other online e-book retailers to follow soon, it is currently available in e-book formats and will be released in paperback from Createspace.com within two weeks. More information will be forthcoming on Blowers' blog, http://maryblowers.com.
http://maryblowers.com/ Blog
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi... Smashwords page
https://twitter.com/MaryBlowers Twitter connection
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-blo... LinkedIn Profile
https://www.facebook.com/MaryBlowers.... Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Mary Blowers, editor, is a freelance writer and independently published Christian author specializing in self-published anthologies. Contributing authors are Mary Blowers, Robin E. Mason, R. H. Ali, Tiago Mota, Dash McCallen, Jacklon Michelle Wright, Timothy Trimble, Wendy Janes, Peter Bouchier, Erik van Mechelen, Stewart Bint, and Vanessa Wright.
http://robinsnest212.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robin-...
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-E.-Mason/...
https://twitter.com/amythyst212
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.pinterest.com/amythyst212/
#maryblowers, #BloodMoonAnthology, #robinemason, #sarafinaslight, #keyinthemailbox
April 24, 2015
Guest Post – BROOK LYNN
Guest Post – BROOK LYNN
I’d like to give a big welcome to BROOK LYNN to my blog.
“How to Make the Right Decision”
Over the last few months I’ve had to make some life altering decisions. I was overcome with having to put our senior dog to sleep and handling the effects of my son deploying to Korea. I was offered a new career opportunity; a lovely planned weekend getaway went bad; and recently we determined to welcome an eight week old Lab puppy into our home. (That just names a few things).
I’m not too prideful to admit I have a problem making decisions and worrying about their outcome. I can be indecisive, weary or cautious because I want to do what’s right and what God wants for me and my family. I can also be selfish because I want to suite my own schedule, needs and feelings. I’m easily frustrated and unsettled when I can’t decide what to do. Indecisiveness creates confusion and clouds my ability to feel God’s peace and direction, even during times of prayer. When the right decision isn’t clear, I feel tortured attempting a logical thought process because I’m more of a “feeler”. Therefore, weighing the pros and cons doesn’t create a clear answer to my dilemma; it adds more stress to my mind with additional possibilities of consequences to wrong choices.
What I’m learning through the decision making process is I can prepare myself to do what’s right; BEFORE I come to dilemmas. I can “pre-decide” to choose wisely. I can create a mindset that no matter what, I’m going to stay in prayer, not worry, do my best to remain calm and trust God as I strive daily to be more “Christ-like”.
Unexpected circumstances in life simply occur. Life is creatively designed by God Himself and I can’t be so naive to believe everything I plan will go my way. I need to submit and surrender to God, drawing close to Him. I pray for God’s peace to encompass and embrace me while trusting Him to give clear direction. I choose to trust that God will work everything out for His good because I believe His word. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
When making a decision; prayer is essential. God knows my heart, motives and intentions. I can ask God to make things right, even if I choose wrong. He can do anything! Prayer also proves that listening "For" God's voice is just as important as listening "To" God's voice. He speaks to me in unexpected ways deep into my spirit. Prayer also helps defeat the enemy and his plans to thwart me; as he knows just what to throw at me to produce confusion and indecisiveness. Therefore, after I make a decision I’m learning to stand firm in it, pray and trust God. Then I “Give all my worries and cares to God, for he cares about me.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Patiently waiting on God is a mindset and an attitude of the heart. It entails trusting in God's timing; and understanding that He wants the BEST for me. I'm joyful and gracious that my God is always watching out for me. When I surrender all to Him, He has His way in my life and that works much better than doing it alone or my own way. We never see things as God does and that's because we measure and perceive with our own human understanding; yet God knows the ULTIMATE truth of every reality.
Dear God, open the eyes of my heart and let my Spirit know truth that my soul will act upon. Speak life into me and guide me in all I do. May every decision I make glorify you. Amen
Author Bio:
Brooke Lynn is a writer and a speaker who passionately lives — reaching others with God’s word and love. She is a survivor of abuse, sharing her past pain and recovery to encourage others with hope. Brooke resides in the Washington D.C. area, has been married for nineteen years, has two children and loves dogs.
“Raised by Strangers” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com
I personally invite you to read my true life story, “Raised by Strangers.” When I was just five years old, I was kidnapped and forced to live a life burdened with cruel and bizarre physical and emotional abuse. My will to survive, inspired by an invisible hope, helped me fight the demons and stay alive as I endured haunting experiences.
This book chronicles my true life story full of forbidden secrets driven by darkness and deception. When I was five years old, I was kidnapped, given away, and ultimately raised by strangers who tortured me. Through this gripping story, I share ways I have learned to overcome my horrendous past and rise above the ugliness of humanity with faith and forgiveness. This book is raw with reality and will help you find courage and strength for healing, how to face your fears, forgive offenses, and live a life of freedom.
Please visit my website at: www.BrookeLynnBooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrookeLynnAu...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrookeLynnBooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/BrookLynnWri...
#brooklynn, #guestbloghost, #raisedbystrangers
I’d like to give a big welcome to BROOK LYNN to my blog.
“How to Make the Right Decision”
Over the last few months I’ve had to make some life altering decisions. I was overcome with having to put our senior dog to sleep and handling the effects of my son deploying to Korea. I was offered a new career opportunity; a lovely planned weekend getaway went bad; and recently we determined to welcome an eight week old Lab puppy into our home. (That just names a few things).
I’m not too prideful to admit I have a problem making decisions and worrying about their outcome. I can be indecisive, weary or cautious because I want to do what’s right and what God wants for me and my family. I can also be selfish because I want to suite my own schedule, needs and feelings. I’m easily frustrated and unsettled when I can’t decide what to do. Indecisiveness creates confusion and clouds my ability to feel God’s peace and direction, even during times of prayer. When the right decision isn’t clear, I feel tortured attempting a logical thought process because I’m more of a “feeler”. Therefore, weighing the pros and cons doesn’t create a clear answer to my dilemma; it adds more stress to my mind with additional possibilities of consequences to wrong choices.
What I’m learning through the decision making process is I can prepare myself to do what’s right; BEFORE I come to dilemmas. I can “pre-decide” to choose wisely. I can create a mindset that no matter what, I’m going to stay in prayer, not worry, do my best to remain calm and trust God as I strive daily to be more “Christ-like”.
Unexpected circumstances in life simply occur. Life is creatively designed by God Himself and I can’t be so naive to believe everything I plan will go my way. I need to submit and surrender to God, drawing close to Him. I pray for God’s peace to encompass and embrace me while trusting Him to give clear direction. I choose to trust that God will work everything out for His good because I believe His word. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
When making a decision; prayer is essential. God knows my heart, motives and intentions. I can ask God to make things right, even if I choose wrong. He can do anything! Prayer also proves that listening "For" God's voice is just as important as listening "To" God's voice. He speaks to me in unexpected ways deep into my spirit. Prayer also helps defeat the enemy and his plans to thwart me; as he knows just what to throw at me to produce confusion and indecisiveness. Therefore, after I make a decision I’m learning to stand firm in it, pray and trust God. Then I “Give all my worries and cares to God, for he cares about me.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Patiently waiting on God is a mindset and an attitude of the heart. It entails trusting in God's timing; and understanding that He wants the BEST for me. I'm joyful and gracious that my God is always watching out for me. When I surrender all to Him, He has His way in my life and that works much better than doing it alone or my own way. We never see things as God does and that's because we measure and perceive with our own human understanding; yet God knows the ULTIMATE truth of every reality.
Dear God, open the eyes of my heart and let my Spirit know truth that my soul will act upon. Speak life into me and guide me in all I do. May every decision I make glorify you. Amen
Author Bio:
Brooke Lynn is a writer and a speaker who passionately lives — reaching others with God’s word and love. She is a survivor of abuse, sharing her past pain and recovery to encourage others with hope. Brooke resides in the Washington D.C. area, has been married for nineteen years, has two children and loves dogs.
“Raised by Strangers” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com
I personally invite you to read my true life story, “Raised by Strangers.” When I was just five years old, I was kidnapped and forced to live a life burdened with cruel and bizarre physical and emotional abuse. My will to survive, inspired by an invisible hope, helped me fight the demons and stay alive as I endured haunting experiences.
This book chronicles my true life story full of forbidden secrets driven by darkness and deception. When I was five years old, I was kidnapped, given away, and ultimately raised by strangers who tortured me. Through this gripping story, I share ways I have learned to overcome my horrendous past and rise above the ugliness of humanity with faith and forgiveness. This book is raw with reality and will help you find courage and strength for healing, how to face your fears, forgive offenses, and live a life of freedom.
Please visit my website at: www.BrookeLynnBooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrookeLynnAu...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrookeLynnBooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/BrookLynnWri...
#brooklynn, #guestbloghost, #raisedbystrangers
April 16, 2015
BOOK REVIEW – THE WOOD’S EDGE
BOOK REVIEW – THE WOOD’S EDGE by LORI BENTON
The Wood's Edge: A Novel
Major Reginald Aubrey holds an horrific secret, an act he committed in a moment of grief and despair. An act intended to save his wife from knowing the same grief.
A tormented woman, Heledd Aubrey never knows of her husband’s action, pouring her love and affection on the child that is not her own.
Anna, the orphaned child saved by Aubrey, bright and happy, even as Heledd holds nothing but disdain for her. She and the stolen child, William, are close, as siblings and as friends.
GoodVoice, the Oneida mother who knows the dead babe she buries is not her own. And Stone Thrower, her husband, intent on taking his vengeance.
Two Hawks, the son who knows of his stolen brother – and William, utterly unaware.
From the first beat of this book, I could hear the Indian war cries, I could smell the sulphur of muskets. The desperation. The fear. The grief.
“The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.” [taken from the blurb on the back of the book]
Ms. Benton has woven a tale that deftly intertwines the lives of the Oneida family and the family of an American British officer, the native culture of the Oneidas and the British colonists. Each character is real and vibrant, their words and actions and emotions palpable and true. I felt the weight of the Major’s guilt and grief, the angst of his wife’s inner torment. I was a girl in the woods with Anna, as a child, and as she grew. And I was Oneida with Good Voice as she sought to reconcile her loss and her husband’s temper.
As a skillfully woven tapestry, Ms. Benton pulled the seeming frayed threads of this story together in a powerful and profound ending, leaving this reviewer breathless – and in tears.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Her latest release, a Historical Fiction novel, THE WOOD’S EDGE, can be purchased at online retailers.
Lori’s website: http://loribenton.blogspot.com/
The first two chapters of The Wood's Edge: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/wp-con...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Woods-Edge-Nove...
CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/1-the-wo...
Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and The Wood's Edge.
#loribenton, #thewoodsedge, #OneidaIndians, #redcoat, #fortwilliamhenry, #pathfindersseries, #burningsky, #pursuitoftamsenlittlejohn
The Wood's Edge: A Novel
Major Reginald Aubrey holds an horrific secret, an act he committed in a moment of grief and despair. An act intended to save his wife from knowing the same grief.
A tormented woman, Heledd Aubrey never knows of her husband’s action, pouring her love and affection on the child that is not her own.
Anna, the orphaned child saved by Aubrey, bright and happy, even as Heledd holds nothing but disdain for her. She and the stolen child, William, are close, as siblings and as friends.
GoodVoice, the Oneida mother who knows the dead babe she buries is not her own. And Stone Thrower, her husband, intent on taking his vengeance.
Two Hawks, the son who knows of his stolen brother – and William, utterly unaware.
From the first beat of this book, I could hear the Indian war cries, I could smell the sulphur of muskets. The desperation. The fear. The grief.
“The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.” [taken from the blurb on the back of the book]
Ms. Benton has woven a tale that deftly intertwines the lives of the Oneida family and the family of an American British officer, the native culture of the Oneidas and the British colonists. Each character is real and vibrant, their words and actions and emotions palpable and true. I felt the weight of the Major’s guilt and grief, the angst of his wife’s inner torment. I was a girl in the woods with Anna, as a child, and as she grew. And I was Oneida with Good Voice as she sought to reconcile her loss and her husband’s temper.
As a skillfully woven tapestry, Ms. Benton pulled the seeming frayed threads of this story together in a powerful and profound ending, leaving this reviewer breathless – and in tears.
I was given a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Her latest release, a Historical Fiction novel, THE WOOD’S EDGE, can be purchased at online retailers.
Lori’s website: http://loribenton.blogspot.com/
The first two chapters of The Wood's Edge: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/wp-con...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Woods-Edge-Nove...
CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/1-the-wo...
Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and The Wood's Edge.
#loribenton, #thewoodsedge, #OneidaIndians, #redcoat, #fortwilliamhenry, #pathfindersseries, #burningsky, #pursuitoftamsenlittlejohn
April 9, 2015
Author Interview – MELISSA TAGG
I’d like to give a big welcome to MELISSA TAGG to my blog.
rem: Hullo MELISSA, Thank you for joining us today.
You have just released a new book! How exciting for you! Tell us about the book, and where can we find it?
MELISSA: My book that just released is called From the Start and it’s the first full-length book in my new Walker Family series. (Although there’s a free e-novella people can check out to get a taste of my made-up town and made-up Walker family. It’s called Three Little Words.) From the Start is about a jaded writer of romantic, Hallmark-esque movies and an ex-NFL quarterback who has lost his career and the woman he thought he was going to marry all in the same day. Ahhh, I love these people.
From the Start
Melissa Tagg
Author • Blogger • Speaker
Connect: Website • Facebook • Twitter • G+ • Instagram
rem: Congratulations on your release! I’ve got my copy of Three Little Words, and look forward to meeting the Walker Family! [ps – my first Melissa Tagg reading experience was One December Night, and I was instantly a fan of her work!]
Melissa, tell us three things about yourself.
MELISSA:
1. I love classic movies—which probably doesn’t surprise most people who’ve had at least some interaction with me. But my love goes beyond just watching them. I have a ridiculous number of books about Golden Era Hollywood actors and actresses. Seriously, it’s kind of ridiculous.
2. I’ve never mowed a lawn. Shocker!
3. I have a strange love for washing dishes. I find it peaceful.
rem: Kindred spirits, I too, have a strange love for washing dishes – and for mowing the lawn!
You mention finding our purpose and identity in Christ – and that you love talking about that. So, tell us.
MELISSA: I think it’s one of the easiest things in the world to slip into finding our worth and value in what we do, defining ourselves by a whole list of standards we were never meant to. My greatest value, my purpose and my identity stem from the coolest reality: That I was created by a loving God who is bigger and more amazing than anything I can imagine. That theme has wound its way into all my books, I think, and it’s something I continue to think about and even wrestle with in my personal life.
rem: I am discovering that identity in Him is everything – it defines our purpose and position in the Kingdom.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
MELISSA: In From the Start, both Kate and Colton have a very clear picture in their heads of what their lives should look like. And every decision they make in the first half of the book is an effort to make those pictures a reality. But they both learn, slooowly and at times not so smoothly, that God might be weaving together a completely different picture. That he uses change and circumstance, reshapes broken dreams and heals wounds—that he’s been there, at work, from the start. There’s great peace and confidence in that truth…and, too, excitement. Because when the future or our dream feels blurry to us, it’s pretty great to realize God sees the whole thing in crisp, clear color.
rem: Isn’t that so true, though? Don’t we all have our own “clear picture” of what we think it should look like? And, oh! when that peace and confidence break through, there’s no greater excitement!
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written and why?
MELISSA: Oh, that’s so hard! Every book is special and means something different to me, actually. And my favorite probably changes depending on what mood I’m in. But right at the moment, just coming off finishing my fourth book, it feels like my favorite…for now. I got to delve into some of my favorite things as I wrote it—small-town reporting, chasing a story, and hint of mystery connected to Charles Lindbergh! I had crazy amounts of fun writing that story!
rem: I guess that’s an unfair question – I couldn’t choose a single a favorite book at all, so many variables – mood not the least of these! LOL
Do you have a favourite quotation?
MELISSA: You know what? I am the worst at inspirational quotes! They never really stick with me and honestly, with social media, we’re constantly seeing quotes in graphic form EVERYWHERE…which I think makes it harder for any one quote to inspire me. BUT what I do remember are quotes from movies! And there’s quote in one of my very favorite movies—The Philadelphia Story—that I adore. Actually, there are a bazillion quotes in that movie that I love. But this is my fave:
“The time to make up your mind about people is never.”
I just love it. It’s a reminder to never put someone in a box, decide he or she can’t change. It’s a reminder to never give up.
rem: I like that a lot, and it’s so true. There’s so much we just don’t know about a person.
What do you most value in a friend?
MELISSA: Well, I love friends who will put up with my quirks. LOL! But one of the things I value most in a friend—and this might be because SO many of my best friends are long-distance—is the ability to get together after months of not seeing each other and feel like no time has passed at all.
rem: Here! Here! I too, have many friends long distance but time and space don’t change the value – of someone who will “put up with my quirks!” LOL
Dogs or Cats? Which do you prefer?
MELISSA: Dogs! Honestly, cats kind of creep me out. Haha!
rem: But, they’re so loveable and sweet!!! [I’m a cat person, I have five!!]
What is your Writing Routine?
MELISSA: Ummm…this is a hard one because depending on the day and season and my schedule and whether I’m under a tight deadline, it varies. But when I sit down to write, I do almost always have either pop or coffee (or both) and water…baby carrots or grapes…comfy pants. And I usually spend the first 10-15 minutes thinking out the scene in my head: my character, the storyworld, the character’s goal in the scene, the obstacles, emotional layering, symbolism/metaphor, how it relates to the main story problem and how it’s going to lead into the next scene.
rem: What are your Top Writing Tips?
MELISSA:
1. Join a writing community—and not just a community of writers, but a community of people committed to learning and growing in the craft of writing. For me, that’s been My Book Therapy (hands-down the best thing I ever did for my writing!) and ACFW.
2. WRITE—don’t just talk about writing.
3. Blog—I know a lot of people say blogging is dead or they don’t want to take time away from their stories. But truly, nothing helped me find and develop my voice more than blogging. I know it’s not for everyone, though. For those who don’t like it, maybe try journaling…might have the same effect!
4. Embrace rewrites—whoever said writing is rewriting totally nailed it. There’s something exciting and adventurous about writing that draft. But for me, the real magic happens during revisions. It’s when you get to take something messy and turn it into something brilliant!
rem: Messy into brilliant – love it!
Tell us a little about your writing journey.
MELISSA: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until 2009 that I really got serious about not just writing a novel, but learning the craft and pursuing publication. I mentioned above that the best thing I’ve ever done for my writing is join My Book Therapy…and it’s true. Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck are masters at the craft of storytelling. I can’t recommend their teaching highly enough. I attended several MBT retreats that year and then went to my first major writing conference in 2010. I won a contest that year, too, which was pretty fun.
I spent the next couple years working on my book and growing in the craft and then in 2012, that’s sorta when the doors starting flying open. An editor from Bethany House connected with me online, I signed with my agent (the amazingly awesome Amanda Luedeke of MacGregor Literary), my first book went to the pub board at Bethany and by the end of summer 2012, I had my first contract. It was a total whirlwind and there is exactly zero doubt in my mind it was the result of God opening the right doors at the right time!
rem: I sure am enjoying the journey, and the learning – of course, I now have to check out My Book Therapy!!
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
MELISSA: I loooove telling stories. I really do. I love how characters form in my head and by the end of the drafting process, feel so incredibly real to me. I’ve now written two full novels and a novella set in Maple Valley, Iowa, and I can’t tell you how REAL it all feels. I actually went into a bit of withdrawal when I turned my most recent book in!
But I also love the other side of it all…when the book is out there in the world, getting to hear from readers. That’s just an amazing and impacting thing…much more impacting than I realized it would be! There are so many times I’ve teared up reading emails from readers. I hope readers never underestimate the power they have to encourage their favorite authors!
rem: What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
MELISSA: For me, it’s balancing writing with the rest of my life. I have a full-time day job and my family and friends are pretty spread out at this point. So just keeping it all together feels like a LOT sometimes!
rem: Now that From the Start, is released into the big wide world, what is your current project?
MELISSA: My current project is the second in the Walker Family series—Like Never Before. It’s the story of Logan Walker, a former reporter-turned-speechwriter, and Amelia Bentley, the editor of the small Maple Valley newspaper. I had soooo much fun drafting this book. I just turned it in to my editor last month and I’ve already received my rewrite notes. So I’m excited to dig back in and pretty-up this story.
rem: Melissa, congratulations again on your release, and thank you so much for being here today!
2015 Releases: From the Start • Three Little Words
#melissatagg, #authorinterview, #NEWRELEASE, #FromtheStart, #ThreeLittleWords, #LikeNeverBefore
rem: Hullo MELISSA, Thank you for joining us today.
You have just released a new book! How exciting for you! Tell us about the book, and where can we find it?
MELISSA: My book that just released is called From the Start and it’s the first full-length book in my new Walker Family series. (Although there’s a free e-novella people can check out to get a taste of my made-up town and made-up Walker family. It’s called Three Little Words.) From the Start is about a jaded writer of romantic, Hallmark-esque movies and an ex-NFL quarterback who has lost his career and the woman he thought he was going to marry all in the same day. Ahhh, I love these people.
From the Start
Melissa Tagg
Author • Blogger • Speaker
Connect: Website • Facebook • Twitter • G+ • Instagram
rem: Congratulations on your release! I’ve got my copy of Three Little Words, and look forward to meeting the Walker Family! [ps – my first Melissa Tagg reading experience was One December Night, and I was instantly a fan of her work!]
Melissa, tell us three things about yourself.
MELISSA:
1. I love classic movies—which probably doesn’t surprise most people who’ve had at least some interaction with me. But my love goes beyond just watching them. I have a ridiculous number of books about Golden Era Hollywood actors and actresses. Seriously, it’s kind of ridiculous.
2. I’ve never mowed a lawn. Shocker!
3. I have a strange love for washing dishes. I find it peaceful.
rem: Kindred spirits, I too, have a strange love for washing dishes – and for mowing the lawn!
You mention finding our purpose and identity in Christ – and that you love talking about that. So, tell us.
MELISSA: I think it’s one of the easiest things in the world to slip into finding our worth and value in what we do, defining ourselves by a whole list of standards we were never meant to. My greatest value, my purpose and my identity stem from the coolest reality: That I was created by a loving God who is bigger and more amazing than anything I can imagine. That theme has wound its way into all my books, I think, and it’s something I continue to think about and even wrestle with in my personal life.
rem: I am discovering that identity in Him is everything – it defines our purpose and position in the Kingdom.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
MELISSA: In From the Start, both Kate and Colton have a very clear picture in their heads of what their lives should look like. And every decision they make in the first half of the book is an effort to make those pictures a reality. But they both learn, slooowly and at times not so smoothly, that God might be weaving together a completely different picture. That he uses change and circumstance, reshapes broken dreams and heals wounds—that he’s been there, at work, from the start. There’s great peace and confidence in that truth…and, too, excitement. Because when the future or our dream feels blurry to us, it’s pretty great to realize God sees the whole thing in crisp, clear color.
rem: Isn’t that so true, though? Don’t we all have our own “clear picture” of what we think it should look like? And, oh! when that peace and confidence break through, there’s no greater excitement!
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written and why?
MELISSA: Oh, that’s so hard! Every book is special and means something different to me, actually. And my favorite probably changes depending on what mood I’m in. But right at the moment, just coming off finishing my fourth book, it feels like my favorite…for now. I got to delve into some of my favorite things as I wrote it—small-town reporting, chasing a story, and hint of mystery connected to Charles Lindbergh! I had crazy amounts of fun writing that story!
rem: I guess that’s an unfair question – I couldn’t choose a single a favorite book at all, so many variables – mood not the least of these! LOL
Do you have a favourite quotation?
MELISSA: You know what? I am the worst at inspirational quotes! They never really stick with me and honestly, with social media, we’re constantly seeing quotes in graphic form EVERYWHERE…which I think makes it harder for any one quote to inspire me. BUT what I do remember are quotes from movies! And there’s quote in one of my very favorite movies—The Philadelphia Story—that I adore. Actually, there are a bazillion quotes in that movie that I love. But this is my fave:
“The time to make up your mind about people is never.”
I just love it. It’s a reminder to never put someone in a box, decide he or she can’t change. It’s a reminder to never give up.
rem: I like that a lot, and it’s so true. There’s so much we just don’t know about a person.
What do you most value in a friend?
MELISSA: Well, I love friends who will put up with my quirks. LOL! But one of the things I value most in a friend—and this might be because SO many of my best friends are long-distance—is the ability to get together after months of not seeing each other and feel like no time has passed at all.
rem: Here! Here! I too, have many friends long distance but time and space don’t change the value – of someone who will “put up with my quirks!” LOL
Dogs or Cats? Which do you prefer?
MELISSA: Dogs! Honestly, cats kind of creep me out. Haha!
rem: But, they’re so loveable and sweet!!! [I’m a cat person, I have five!!]
What is your Writing Routine?
MELISSA: Ummm…this is a hard one because depending on the day and season and my schedule and whether I’m under a tight deadline, it varies. But when I sit down to write, I do almost always have either pop or coffee (or both) and water…baby carrots or grapes…comfy pants. And I usually spend the first 10-15 minutes thinking out the scene in my head: my character, the storyworld, the character’s goal in the scene, the obstacles, emotional layering, symbolism/metaphor, how it relates to the main story problem and how it’s going to lead into the next scene.
rem: What are your Top Writing Tips?
MELISSA:
1. Join a writing community—and not just a community of writers, but a community of people committed to learning and growing in the craft of writing. For me, that’s been My Book Therapy (hands-down the best thing I ever did for my writing!) and ACFW.
2. WRITE—don’t just talk about writing.
3. Blog—I know a lot of people say blogging is dead or they don’t want to take time away from their stories. But truly, nothing helped me find and develop my voice more than blogging. I know it’s not for everyone, though. For those who don’t like it, maybe try journaling…might have the same effect!
4. Embrace rewrites—whoever said writing is rewriting totally nailed it. There’s something exciting and adventurous about writing that draft. But for me, the real magic happens during revisions. It’s when you get to take something messy and turn it into something brilliant!
rem: Messy into brilliant – love it!
Tell us a little about your writing journey.
MELISSA: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until 2009 that I really got serious about not just writing a novel, but learning the craft and pursuing publication. I mentioned above that the best thing I’ve ever done for my writing is join My Book Therapy…and it’s true. Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck are masters at the craft of storytelling. I can’t recommend their teaching highly enough. I attended several MBT retreats that year and then went to my first major writing conference in 2010. I won a contest that year, too, which was pretty fun.
I spent the next couple years working on my book and growing in the craft and then in 2012, that’s sorta when the doors starting flying open. An editor from Bethany House connected with me online, I signed with my agent (the amazingly awesome Amanda Luedeke of MacGregor Literary), my first book went to the pub board at Bethany and by the end of summer 2012, I had my first contract. It was a total whirlwind and there is exactly zero doubt in my mind it was the result of God opening the right doors at the right time!
rem: I sure am enjoying the journey, and the learning – of course, I now have to check out My Book Therapy!!
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
MELISSA: I loooove telling stories. I really do. I love how characters form in my head and by the end of the drafting process, feel so incredibly real to me. I’ve now written two full novels and a novella set in Maple Valley, Iowa, and I can’t tell you how REAL it all feels. I actually went into a bit of withdrawal when I turned my most recent book in!
But I also love the other side of it all…when the book is out there in the world, getting to hear from readers. That’s just an amazing and impacting thing…much more impacting than I realized it would be! There are so many times I’ve teared up reading emails from readers. I hope readers never underestimate the power they have to encourage their favorite authors!
rem: What is the hardest aspect of being a writer?
MELISSA: For me, it’s balancing writing with the rest of my life. I have a full-time day job and my family and friends are pretty spread out at this point. So just keeping it all together feels like a LOT sometimes!
rem: Now that From the Start, is released into the big wide world, what is your current project?
MELISSA: My current project is the second in the Walker Family series—Like Never Before. It’s the story of Logan Walker, a former reporter-turned-speechwriter, and Amelia Bentley, the editor of the small Maple Valley newspaper. I had soooo much fun drafting this book. I just turned it in to my editor last month and I’ve already received my rewrite notes. So I’m excited to dig back in and pretty-up this story.
rem: Melissa, congratulations again on your release, and thank you so much for being here today!
2015 Releases: From the Start • Three Little Words
#melissatagg, #authorinterview, #NEWRELEASE, #FromtheStart, #ThreeLittleWords, #LikeNeverBefore
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The people I meet, the worlds I get lost in and long to return to. And the authors who create these worlds and the people who inhabit them.
- Robin E. Mason's profile
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