Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 73

Fiction Friday: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Summer is the perfect time for a romance that’s themed around a destination wedding location. Add in a strong history between the hero and heroine, one that should keep them, apart, and you have a recipe for a delightful novel like Crazy Little Thing Called Love. This book is all about the decision to take the safe way or risk it all for love. In Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Beth Vogt takes her characters (and readers) on a journey where the choice must be made. Move forward or stay mired in the results of the past? Choose the safe path or risk everything for a love that takes your breath away? Settle or fly? In the journey, readers will be reminded that God can turn our old mistakes into a beautiful present.

Destination Wedding? Second chance at love? @Cara_putman has #giveaway of @bethvogt new #novel.
Click To Tweet

The story does all of this while wrapped around the story of Vanessa Hollister and Logan Hollister. The same last name threw them together as teens and a young love that was destined to fail. Now engaged again, Vanessa runs into Logan on their beach while planning her destination wedding. This book was a delight to read, and one I strongly recommend for those who love contemporary romances with heart and a bit of vacation to them.

I have an extra copy to giveaway, so be sure to go to the end to enter!

Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Hijacked by Kiddo

I’ve never flown a plane before.

Today my blog has been hijacked by the cutie flying the plane in this photo. She decided I needed a quick vacation from writing a post. Gotta love her! Without further ado, here she is.

Thank you. I am glad you are here to read this. This week we visited family. I thought I’d share some photos with you.

I like family. Even when it means a long drive. And this did. I hope you enjoy the photos!

My big brother and me showing our Husker pride.

My cousins and I love driving the golf cart around the farm. Watch out for crazy drivers!

This was a very hot day. We had fun anyway.

Remember the hot day? This is a fun alley we found in the Haymarket in Lincoln.

I love crashing photos. That’s a dinosaur leg bone. Lots of bones at Morrill Hall at UNL.

This guy was crazy…almost as crazy as my cousins.

With my Grandma and Grandpa at the SAC Museum. They drove a long way to spend the day with us.

We also spent an afternoon with my Great-Grandma playing dominoes and eating Runza. I love her!

 

The Best Yes: Where from Here — 4 Application Steps

 

One challenge of reading a book like The Best Yes is the application. Reading a book is one thing. Doing something with what you’ve learned is hard. Hard work. Hard remembering. Hard applying.

So what can we do? Here are a few suggestions:

4 steps to applying new #principles to your life. #TheBestYes #challenge
Click To Tweet

1) Take a few minutes to review each chapter. What stood out to you from each? Make a quick list that you can refer to in step 2.

2) Choose one of those items to focus on first. Is there one suggestion that you can adopt immediately? Some item you can test and apply? Start there. Take an incremental approach. If we try to adopt every suggestion in one week, we are setting ourselves up for failure and the eventual reality that we will stop before we have a chance to succeed.

3) Give that suggestion 21 days. Experts say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Are you trying to learn to say a quick no rather than drag out the process? Focus on that for three weeks. During those three weeks, really focus on how to say a gracious and kind no. Learn how to quickly end the situation rather than prolong it by saying you’ll think about it when you know the answer should be a no. Then add the next element. Focus on how you’re spending your time. Or pray about what your best Yeses should be. By breaking it down into steps, you’re more likely to succeed and adopt more of the principals.

4) After a month or so, stop and evaluate. How is it going? Are you making progress? If no, ask God if you need to shift your focus. Is there something else you should try first? Allow Him to redirect you.

Are there other ways that you incorporate what you’ve read and make it a part of your life?

Fiction Friday: Curiosity Keeper

Authors like Julie Klassen and Sarah Ladd have made me a fan of regency romances. With The Curiosity Keeper, Sarah is starting a new series — this one focuses on the working class of early 1800s England. I ADORED this novel.The Curiosity Keeper is a Regency novel with hints of a developing romance and a mystery that propels the story forward. I really enjoyed the added mix of mystery that was much stronger than in other books by this author. The heroine finds herself thrust out of her home — through no real fault of her own — and her world turned upside down. But for the kindness of the hero and the need for information his family believes she holds, she’d be on the streets. Instead she gets to attempt to recreate her life outside London. The journey is filled with twists, turns, interesting characters, and a search for the truth. If you love Jane Austen era England and a romance with a mystery, then this is the perfect book for you!

The Curiosity Keeper is a delightful mix of adventure, mystery and romance. Throughout the pages, it seems Camille can never escape her father’s hold. At the same time, Jonathan needs to uncover a relationship with his. Add in a host of interesting secondary characters, a mystery that clips along, and you have the recipe for a Regency novel I couldn’t put down.

I liked it so much I’m giving away a copy, so be sure to scroll to the bottom to enter.

The Curiosity Keeper (Thomas Nelson, July 2015)

“It is not just a ruby, as you say. It is large as a quail’s egg, still untouched and unpolished. And it is rumored to either bless or curse whoever possesses it.”

Camille Iverness can take care of herself. She’s done so since the day her mother abandoned the family and left Camille to run their shabby curiosity shop. But when a violent betrayal leaves her injured with no place to hide, Camille must allow a mysterious stranger to come to her aid.

Jonathan Gilchrist never wanted to inherit Kettering Hall. As a second son, he was content to work as the village apothecary. But when his brother’s death made him heir just as his father’s foolish decisions put the estate at risk, only the sale of a priceless possession—a ruby called the Bevoy—can save the family from ruin. But the gem has disappeared. And all trails lead to Iverness Curiosity Shop—and the beautiful shop girl who may be the answer to his many questions.

Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, these two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, they will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Packing Light with God

We moved Saturday. The chaos is OVERWHELMING. Utterly, completely, creativity-killing overwhelming. Because we only moved a mile, this has been the long move. Literally, we’ve been moving things off and on for months. But Saturday, with the help of AMAZING friends, we moved the furniture. It’s kind of mind-boggling how much stuff 6 people have. 

I thought we’d done a great job of purging and donating while we were packing. Then Saturday night arrived. The reality of getting everything to fit into the new spaces.

Need a move in your life? A move from sin to grace? Join @cara_putman in the journey.
Click To Tweet

I almost started hyperventilating. Has anyone else ever had a moment like that?

The moment where all your preparations fall woefully short of the reality of life.

My mantra to everyone has been, we aren’t done purging. Everything you take out of a box or put on a hanger, make sure you need and want it. Otherwise, it’s leaving.

 

As I thought about that, I wondered: Is this what my heart looks like when God looks at me?

I think I’ve done the hard work of clearing out the things and sins that don’t please Him. But in reality, does He look inside my heart and wonder when I’m going to let go of that sin that entangles me? Does He wonder when I’m going to find my worth and satisfaction in Him alone?

So today, as I’m unpacking boxes, I’m asking myself what do I need to unpack in my life. More of His love, patience, self-control? How about a dash of peace and a swig of kindness?

I’m also asking what items need to be shoved in a box for recycling or simply thrown away. Maybe some self-pity and woe is me? How about tossing the entitlement attitude that believes life should be simple and handed to me?

What would you like to add to your life? And what do you think needs to take a hike?

 

 

3 Kinds of People Pleasing Reponses

This week in the Best Yes we had a great conversation about people pleasing. Is anyone out there a people pleaser? Please don’t leave me hanging in my struggling-to-recover-from-people-pleasing reality.

Do you live in a people-pleasing reality? Join @cara_putman as she talks about the cycle.
Click To Tweet

People Pleasing is wired into some of us. I know as an oldest, I have always looked at authority figures and spent time and effort figuring out how to match my production, actions, living to their needs and expectations. It makes me a generally great employee, but when I take that to every yes or no decision, it can make me (and the people around me) miserable.So what do we do with this?

In The Best Yes, Lysa points out three important aspects to people pleasing:

1) I can’t please everyone. I feel like I own this. I get this one. I can’t please everyone, so I need to focus on those that matter: my husband, my God, etc.

2) Like the graphic above, there are some people I simply won’t be able to please no matter what I do. I had one boss like this. From her I learned how not to manage, because I literally could do nothing to make her happy. Drove my people-pleasing heart crazy. But it’s an important lesson to grasp.

3) What are my expectations when I say yes? Am I saying yes to get something from another person? Have I attached strings, or am I acting from a heart of kindness and love? Ouch, ouch, ouch. We do this all the time. I do this all the time. The unspoken expectations that get the other person and me in trouble. My friends and I spent a lot of time talking about how this can hurt a marriage.

You can watch a short video of Lysa talking about these three elements here.

So what do you do about people pleasing? Is there a way to remove that from the yes or no equation? I’d love to read your thoughts on this important question.

Fiction Friday: Picture Perfect Love

Some days a girl just wants a quick story that can be read in a sitting or two, yet tells a full romance. Picture Perfect Love is a novella that tells a story of hope and reconciliation after love is lost over a misunderstanding. Jenna has worked hard to rebuild her life, and Ashton is no longer part of it. Until he walks back into her photography studio. She must choose whether to forgive past hurts or hold them close. It’s a quick read, so not as rich as a full length novel, yet I think you will fall in love with these characters. And you’ll learn a bit about forgiveness along the way. A fun, light read that is perfect for summer days.

 

Don’t miss Melissa McClone’s story of second chances in love and forgiveness in Picture Perfect Love. After Ashton’s world is turned upside down, he realizes he must ask Jenna’s forgiveness—but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?

###

When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.

Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren’t always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God’s plan and His perfect timing.

Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture of put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton’s heart still hasn’t recovered.

It was me. His younger sister’s three words turn Ashton’s world upside down. He must ask Jenna’s forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

{MORE ABOUT PICTURE PERFECT LOVE}

{MORE ABOUT MELISSA MCCLONE}

Melissa McClone has published more than thirty novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group. She has also been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house.

Find out more about Melissa at http://www.melissamcclone.com.

Patience: Extending Grace to Myself

Yesterday, I posted — late — at the Grove. It’s a real post. One that I hope encourages you. So today I’m going to point you there. You can start reading here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on patience, too!

I live life at a frenetic pace.

It’s not something I’m necessarily proud of. But it’s where I live. When you have four active kids, it follows that Mom’s taxi is in constant use. Add in teaching new classes, writing books, the occasional legal project, plus moving, life can overwhelm pretty quickly.

Patience:is it the art of learning to let go of the what ifs & trust God? #faith #trust
Click To Tweet

…In moments when I’m focused on all that’s around me, all that I’d like to say yes to, it’s so easy to lose patience with myself. With my kids. With the life I’m living right now. I can know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be — I really believe it is. But I still have times when I wonder, “What if?”…

You can read the rest here.

When the Awkward Disappointments Hold Us Back

Our group is almost done reading the Best Yes, and we had an interesting discussion last night. One in which I was pretty vulnerable.

If you know me, you know I tend to do that. But as we were discussing the chapter on the Awkward Disappointment of Saying No, I really resonated with Lysa’s example of being at an award’s show where she simply didn’t fit. It would have been so much more comfortable to turn around and go home. It’s where she belonged after all. Not at this elegant event where she was a disappointment to the red carpet crowd.

Do other’s disappointments hold you back? #TheBestYes says power through. @cara_putman
Click To Tweet

Because I was a first generation homeschooler, I know well the feeling of just not fitting. I didn’t have a place in a world that didn’t get homeschooling — at all! In fact, I knew most people didn’t understand why my parents choose the schooling structure they did. And those who thought they did were usually very wrong.

Then in college I never quite fit because I was two years younger than my peers. I just soldiered on and didn’t let it bother me. In that people — mostly — forgot, but not completely. And I want to be really clear that I wouldn’t change a thing. I am who I am because I was homeschooled and because I started college early.

Yet at certain times that awkward excluded feeling rears its head. The feeling that I’ll never quite fit anywhere. Even when my heart knows it’s a lie. And when my head can spin out a series of reasons to ignore the feeling. If you’ve seen Inside Out, it’s one of those important foundational experiences that has impacted me.

This week I was reminded again that I often feel a bit like the outsider. I was at a legal conference. In fact I’d applied for and been accepted to the advanced track. In large part because of that when I introduced myself to the group, I framed myself as the nontraditional attorney. Instead of practicing full-time — which is what I assumed the expectation would be — I don’t. I’m the homeschooling mom of four who teaches graduate classes at a Big Ten university, writes novels, and practices a bit of law. Awkward? Afraid of disappointing people’s expectations? Subconsciously feeling out of place? I don’t know.

It was the way I framed me.

If I’d stayed in that place, I would have missed the dozens of opportunities I had to interact with people, draw them out, learn their stories, and hopefully encourage them. I would have missed the opportunity to demonstrate what this nontraditional attorney can do. And I would have missed vivid encounters with God.

So I return today far from rested — I worked way too hard for that and I have a book to turn in on Wednesday. But because I stepped out of my comfort zone to be fully in a legal community, I experienced some amazing Best Yes moments.

How have you embraced the Best Yes?

 

Fiction Friday: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor is a multi-generational delight that had a bit of a slow start, but by the time I reached the end, I did not want to leave these characters. The story is a beautiful portrayal of brokenness, misunderstanding, redemption, and love that endures. Libby is a character misunderstood and yet beautiful in her own unique way. She sees deeply and not on the surface, something that many can’t understand. Maggie is hounded by past choices and the way others judge her. Walter is trying to be honorable, but oh so broken in so many ways. Then there’s the modern story of a woman heading home after the death of her father to ready the family home for sale. Along the way she discovers a story, the family she never really understood and a future that gives joy where the past is filled with shadows and regrets. A beautiful novel that is perfect for those who love characters you come to care about and never want to leave.

Here’s more about this story:

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor (Howard, June 2015)

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents’ cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can’t be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver’s death.

Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family’s cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She’s mourning her father’s passing but can’t let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family’s belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family’s history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.