Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 85

The Face Me Challenge: Dare to show your Beauty

Today I’m participating in the Face.Me blog tour. If you’re here from other blogs, you’ve probably heard that this is a risky venture. As I’ve prayed about why, God showed me that at least for me make-up is part of my mask.

Me without anything — not even my hair :-)

That stopped me. I mean — I’m low maintenance. If I can’t get up and out the door in less than 30 minutes (shower included!), it’s an odd day. Still there are certain minimal elements I want to have when I leave the house (if I’m at home, I’m lucky to get lipgloss on): foundation (a quick brush of my favorite Mary Kay), some sort of lipstick, a swipe of eye shadow and some mascara. Low key, right?

So why does the thought of posting pictures of what I really look like scare me?

Because now you’re seeing the real me. The one with bags under her eyes from doing toomuch. The one who needs to drink a bit more water and a bit less coffee. The one who’d love to have more me time so I could exercise. The one that gets introduced like Wonder Woman, but still wonders when people will see that I’m just trying to juggle it all exactly like they are. What we’re juggling is just different.

An attorney has a certain image. A college lecturer has another image. An author has yet another one. And I fall somewhere in the venn diagram where they all mix.

Now my hair’s as styled as it gets…Have I mentioned I’m low maintenance most of the time.

I’ve long accepted I don’t fit a stereotype.

I refuse to be shoved into too many boxes.

Maybe being a homeschooled student before it was cool helped with that. But I still struggle with wanting people to like me, really like me.

Maybe you heard the message like I did that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. The corollary is that each time you leave the house, you need to look pulled together. Hence, I hated sweats. I’ve only in the last couple years decided there are some cute workout clothes I will be caught out of the house in because a decision is made about me in the first ten seconds someone meets me.

This is the minimum that I like to wear: Foundation, lipgloss and a bit of eye shadow. Usually, I’ll add mascara and eye liner if I’m going to be out for the day.

Challenges like this remind me to come back to the core. My identity should be firmly grounded in the reality that I am a child of the Most High King. The Ruler of the Universe calls me His. He created me exactly this way — I am fearfully and wonderfully made because He designedme. That’s enough. That’s more than enough, because my value comes from being His.

And God has blessed me with beautiful Godly friends who reflect to me who I really am when the mirror gets cloudy and my visions morphs. It’s in those moments that God whispers to my heart that I am beautiful just because.

Isn’t that the message that every girl longs to hear — no matter her age?

So today, dear friend, remind yourself of the truth. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God created you perfectly…just the way He imagined. And you have immense value because you are His. *Revel in who you are. ** Take great pleasure or delight

There are many more women and men are embracing their God-made beauty. I encourage you to pop over to their blogs today and be encouraged. Follow the #FACEme Tour!!

Nick Kording 

Lindsay Harrel

Joseph Courtemanche

Gabrielle Meyer

Jaime Wright

Carrie Wisehart

Emilie Anne Hendryx

Andrea ‘Dia’ Nell

Sarah Baker

KristyCambron

Rachel Britz

Stacy Monson

Laurie Tomlinson

To celebrate beauty, I’ve added a giveaway of Shadowed by Grace.

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5 tools I use for Social Media Efficiency

One question I am asked periodically is how to make sense of the immense pressure on authors to build a platform. Many people will tell you the best marketing an author can do is to write the next great book. That’s so true.

But we can’t ignore the reality that there is pressure on authors to have a platform. A way to actively engage with readers. Many of us want to do that. But as we balance family, jobs, writing, and life, it can be overwhelming to consider one more time demand. So here are a few tools I use to help maximize my time. I hope these tools help you, too!

1. Buffer.com:

Chances are you’ve heard about Buffer. It’s a great little tool — and can be added to your web browser to make it even more friendly. Basically, it allows you to add content that will post to multiple places. I can post from my phone with the app or from my computer. It has a free and a paid version. So far, I use the free version to schedule 10 posts for twitter and 10 posts for my Facebook profile. Then if life gets busy, I’m covered on social media for 5+ days.

2. Klout.com:

I use Klout (and Buffer to a lesser extent) to see if what I’m tweeting/Facebooking matters to the people I engage with. When I started monitoring my Klout score as a tool it was around 40. Over the next year or so the score climbed to 70+. Then in January I split Facebook into a profile and page. Now the Klout score tied to the page is 67 and the one tied to my profile is 60. That’s great you think, but why do I care? Because the score is a gauge I can use to see if what I’m saying matters to the people who “listen.” Buffer also gives me some really cool analytics, telling me the reach of retweets, etc. I don’t spend enough time on either, but when I do, I usually get cool insights. In fact, it’s a lot like Insights on Facebook Pages.

3. Twitter:

Twitter is about efficiency for me, so I use Twitter to feed fresh content multiple places: my Amazon author page, my Goodreads page, my Facebook profile, etc. At one point it fed to my blog, too. I just readded it — what do you think? Should I keep it?

 Then my blog feeds everywhere through a RSS feed through Twitter: Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I still have to pin and Google+ it. Google + is a complete mystery to me. I’m there because I’m supposed to be. Instagram is also a wee bit of a mystery to me, but I’m also keeping it intentionally small so I can have photos of my kids there.

4. Picmonkey: I LOVE picmonkey! This is another site with a free and paid version. So far I’ve been able to do everything I want/need via the free format. You can upload a photo and add filters, frames, words, etc. The image in this post is one I created in a few minutes and then saved to a good size for a blog. These make great pinnable images. And when I remember to add my website, it’s a great way to point people back here. One of the things I’m playing with now is creating images for books I’ve read that contain the book cover and a favorite line. Here’s an example from Lizzy & Jane. The hardest part is selecting a favorite line.

5. Tweetdeck: I also use Tweetdeck, which has the ability to preschedule unlimited tweets…I use it to post promo tweets that I need to schedule in advance. It will also allow you to develop lists so you can see the posts from people you really want to follow. I’m not so great at using that part of the site.

So there are a few tools I use. What do you use? Are any of these new to you?

Author Chat & Giveaway with Brandy Vallance

Today I’m delighted to introduce you to my new friend Brandy Vallance. Her debut novel The Covered Deep released recently, and I read it after my friend Kristy Cambron raved about it. After I read it, I understood why. This book is an adventure novel in the lines of Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone. Bianca, the heroine, is selected by a British lord to participate in an adventure to Israel. The four people he’s selected are on the trip as an experiment. As they race around the globe, Bianca is attracted to a man who captures her heart, but there are so many roadblocks in the way it appears impossible for them to come together.

I loved this book so much that I bought a copy to giveaway. Read to the end to make sure you enter the giveaway. Without further ado, let’s chat with Brandy.

Brandy, you’re book The Covered Deep is a fun mix that felt a bit like an Indiana Jones movie set in the late 1800s. How did you come up with this fun proposition?

Thanks, Cara! Paul Emerson, the hero and historian of the British Museum, does have a little Indiana Jones in him. I loved the movies when they came out and I’m a complete history fanatic. I originally wanted to be an archaeologist or a historian, so my passion just wove its way into the story.

Your heroine literally travels the world. How did you come up with her?

Bianca has a little Anne of Green Gables in her. She’s an incurable romantic with the guilty pleasure of reading Gothic romance novels. She longs to get away from her small town—Portsmouth, Ohio—and find the perfect romantic hero. I lived in Portsmouth for a while and I visited Southern Ohio every summer as a child. Some of my favorite memories come from that area. I wove some of that into Bianca’s backstory.

What did you learn as you were writing this book?

Researching was loads of fun! I corresponded with the British Museum and was able to go to England in 2011. I also poured over tons of Victorian etiquette books so I could have a frame for Bianca. Personally though, the process of writing this book taught me how to persevere. The final manuscript of The Covered Deep was my eleventh draft!

Tell us about the amazing way this book came into existence.

The Covered Deep won the Operation First Novel contest through the Christian Writers Guild. The winner received a contract with Worthy Publishing. It was a total dream come true.

What do you hope readers will take from this story?

True love has to be fought for daily.

What are you working on next?

I’m over the moon excited about my second novel, Within the Veil. It’s set in 1885 Scotland—a sweeping romance between an English Royal Horse Guard and a half-Scots gypsy. I just started my third historical romance, set in an exotic location.

How can readers connect with you?

www.brandyvallance.com

Facebook (both my Author Page and personal page),

Twitter @BrandyVallance, Goodreads, Pinterest &YouTube (Brandy Vallance Inspirational Historical Romance).

Thanks so much for joining us, Brandy. Now be sure to enter the giveaway. Do you have a favorite adventure film?

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Meditations: A Spacious Place

As I was looking through my blog, I rediscovered this post. I love how God will use my writing to challenge me. I originally wrote this at the very end of October 2012. A few things have changed in my life since then. I’ve written a couple more books. I’ve been earning another degree. I’ve made the decision about my law practice and God continues to evolve it. Through it all, the truth in this verse resonates. I hope you take a moment to read and reflect on how God delights to rescue you and bring you to a spacious place.

———

Monday meditations. It’s been awhile since I’ve had one of these. The last few days I’ve been thinking about Psalm 18:19:

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me. 

Often I think we feel trapped by life. By our circumstances. By the space between our dreams and our reality. By the sin we can’t let go of. By the way we long to act and the way we really do. By the way we want to love like Christ, and the reality of loving in the depth of our humaness.

Can anybody relate?

Sometimes our dreams become the source of our captivity. Right now I’m under two very tight deadlines. Yes, I could have said no. But I didn’t. I want to write both books. Still they loom large over my life right now. I’m pretty convinced that isn’t what God intended. I’m also in the midst of a choice regarding where and how I practice law. So this verse speaks loudly to me.

It reinforces that God is for me. Why else would He delight in rescuing me?

Not only does He delight in rescuing me, but He takes me to a place that is spacious. Let that word roll around your thoughts. He’s not boxed in by my perceptions, my talents, my reality. He sees through the things that trap me to a place of freedom and room to move. He sees what could be and then moves me to a place where that’s possible.

He’s brought me out of the quandary of wondering where He is. He’s delivered me from the mire of sin.  He’s moved me to a place where my biggest dreams are too small to match His vision.

How has God moved you to a spacious place? And to a spacious place you couldn’t begin to imagine before He moved you?

The Daughter of Highland Hall

If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you should read Carrie Turansky’s books. The Daughter of Highland Hall is the second of her books in the Edwardian Brides series, but stands on its own. At its essence it is a story of a young woman who is pressed by expectations so high there is no way she can meet them.

Katherine Ramsey has been raised to expect that her life will be fulfilled if she has a season that ends with a marriage proposal from a landed and titled man. Jonathan Foster is studying to be a doctor and determined to help the list of these. Their goals are completely different, but as they spend time together and Katherine’s season begins to fall apart she wonders who she really is and what she should truly want for her future.

This is a story of a young woman learning how to stand on her own despite others expectations. Katherine, like so many, must learn her own heart and what she dreams for the future. The road is far from straight, but in the process she comes to know who she truly is. The story is well-written and compelling. A great read for early 20th Century historical romance fans.

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What if the title, the estate, the life of security and splendor… what if it isn’t enough?

Strong-willed and beautiful, debutante Katherine Ramsey feels ready to take the London social season by storm, and she must. Her family estate, Highland Hall, has been passed to older male cousin Sir William Ramsey, and her only means of securing her future is to make a strong debut and find a proper husband. With her all-knowing and meddling aunt as a guide, Katherine is certain to attract suitors at the lavish gatherings, sparkling with Great Britain’s elite.

When a shocking family scandal sidelines Katherine, forcing her out of the social spotlight, she keeps a low profile, volunteering with the poor in London’s East End. Here Katherine feels free from her predictable future, and even more so as a friendship with medical student Jonathan Foster deepens and her faith in God grows. But when Katherine is courted anew by a man of wealth and position, dreams of the life she always thought she wanted surface again. Torn between tradition and the stirrings in her heart for a different path, she must decide whom she can trust and love—and if she will choose a life serving others over one where she is served.

Learn more, read an excerpt, and purchase a copy at Carrie’s website.

 

Notes to My 14-Year-Old

In my life, I have received many gifts. Five I treasure are my husband and our four children. Recently our oldest turned 14. It’s a magical time. A time of self discovery. A time of owning our faith. A time of anticipation.

Believe it or not, I well remember those days. They are days of transition. Days of confusion. Days of wondering. So with her gift, our oldest received a card. A card that I pray was affirming and vision casting.

If I could sit down with other young women, here’s what I would tell you over a Diet Coke or Dr Pepper.

1. You are beautiful. Ignore what the world tells you. Hopefully, you’ve seen the YouTube videos which show just how Photoshopped images in print ads are. None of us look like they do…not even the models. But God created you with beauty. He planted that in your heart and in your soul. Regardless of the outside package, you are beautiful. And I bet if I could see you, I would see His beauty reflected in you. You have worth because you are created in His image. You have beauty because you are created in His image. And you have value because He created you.

2. You are creative and amazing. Don’t believe me? Just look at your space…maybe that’s a bedroom or a hideout. Maybe you prefer planting and maintaining flowerbeds or love to get the art supplies out and create with Modge Podge, paper scraps, and memorabilia. Or maybe you watch YouTube tutorials on nail art by the hour and create your own takes on the style on your or a friend’s nails. Maybe you feel journals with poetry or blogs with prose. However you do it, you are creative. And that unique creative bent is amazing. Even if you can’t see it, others do. How do I know you have it? Because you are created in the image of the most creative Creator of all. The variety you enjoy in life came from His imagination through His words into existence. That’s pretty awe-inspiring.

3. God has a plan & a purpose for your life…one that is tailor made for you. This one is a bit harder to believe. I know. I was there in my teens and there are still days I wonder what the big picture is that God is crafting in my life. Somedays it just feels like a mess. Take heart, my friend. God has a plan for you. It is beautiful, but there will be spots of pain, time of doubt, seasons of wilderness. Those are the times you get to chose whether to be desperate for God’s presence and voice or to turn aside. Cling to Him. Trust that His plan is perfect for you, because He is perfect. Trust that He sees your whole life at one time. He sees things we won’t even grasp and comprehend until heaven.

And His plan is tailor made for you. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of plan. It’s a plant that will speak life to you. To your callings. Your talents. Your giftings. He will take the tangled threads of your life and weave it into something beautiful if you let Him.

4. Enjoy the journey…and don’t forget to celebrate. Right now, all you want to do is be an adult. Believe me the time will come when you long for the relatively carefree days of being a teenager. You only get to have this stage in life once. You’ll be a full fledged adult for the rest of your life. Don’t rush through the journey. Enjoy each step (as much as you can).

What is happening in this stage or season? What experiences are you having now? What is God doing in your life? Stop to remember. And stop to celebrate. Here in America we are so quick to rush from one event, accomplishment, to-do item to the next without pausing to celebrate the milestones and accomplishments. Celebrate another semester completed. A skill attained. A service performed.

Through it all — the highs and lows, the good and bad — cling to Jesus. He is the friend who will stick closer than a brother. He’ll celebrate with you, He’ll cry with you, and He’ll offer advice. Time spent with Him is never time wasted.

Your Mom (and everyone else’s big sister),

Cara

On My Nightstand

I’ll be the first to tell you I have eclectic taste. That means I read pretty widely, across genres. Sure I have my go to genres, but I don’t exclusively read in one or another. Today my nightstand is loaded with several different books that I’ve started, but with classes as demanding as they are right now, I don’t have the freedom to sit down and inhale these books in one sitting. Oh how, I wish I could. In the comments, I’d love to hear what you’re currently reading.

Lizzy and Jane

Katherine Reay recently won two Carol Awards for her first novel Dear Mr. Knightley, a truly rare occurrence. I also got to know her at ACFW, so I was very intrigued when her new novel found its way to my mailbox. Let’s just say after the first chapter I was hooked and wishing for a weekend where I could curl up in the hammock and savor the story in one afternoon. Instead, I’ll be reading it chapter at a time, but I am hooked about this story of sisters, fears, and coming home. Lizzy & Jane is going to be a keeper. I can just feel it!

The Story Keeper

Lisa Wingate is an award-winning author who writes. I mean the lady can write well. Her characters and stories are always unique. I loved The Prayer Box, and I’m really enjoying The Story Keeper. The layers are rich adding a great depth to the story. Her characters are broken by their past, yet moving into the future with a steadiness and courage they don’t recognize in themselves. This book is definitely a keeper! If only I could find the time to finish it!

 

Jungle Fire

Jungle Fire intrigued me when it won a Carol Award at ACFW last month, so I marched over to the bookstore and grabbed it. It’s very different from Lizzy & Jane because this is a story of international intrigue set in Guatemala.  It’s a story of buried pain and secrets. Of renegade soldiers gone wrong. And a missionary who just wants to get home. The only problem is that the only way she can escape is to trust a man who blames her for the death of his sister.  is a talented author, perfect for those who like romantic suspense with a little something more.

Heart Failure

Dr. Richard Mabry and I served on the ACFW board together, so I’ve loved watching his books take off. As a doctor, he writes medical suspense…and y’all know I love a good suspense novel. I’ve only started this one, but it’s got a fun twist on someone you thought you knew is not who you thought them to be. Say that sentence fast three times. If you haven’t tried his books before, then this would be a good one to start with. There will be some romance in it…or not…that remains to be seen. Let’s just say the set up is all there.

I’d love to know: what are you reading right now?

Jane Austen Flair: Giveaway A Lady at Willowgrove Hall

Sarah Ladd is a delightful author of British Regency romances. A Lady at Willowgrove Hall is her latest book — and a great addition to your library. When you open the cover, you’ll travel back to 1819 Darbury, England, and two people each carrying a dark secret…ones they can’t expose. But unless they do, they can’t find love. Sarah has the amazing ability to put me right in the middle of the time period. I feel like I’m there, experiencing the world as it was in the early nineteenth century. And even though the time is different, the struggles the characters battle are not that different from what we fight today…a secret that could harm others if it comes to light. A youthful mistake that could mar our future. If you love historicals, England, or Jane Austen, you have to try this book. If you love all three, then you will adore this story.

I’m giving away a copy of this book, so be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter.

{MORE ABOUT  A LADY AT WILLOWGROVE HALL }

Her secret cloaks her in isolation and loneliness.

His secret traps him in a life that is not his own.

Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could strip away everything she holds dear. But soon after accepting the position of lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she’s desperately hidden for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own – one that has haunted him from birth and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breath a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he’ll never be free to find his own way in the world. He’ll never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and build a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long suffered?

Learn more at Sarah’s site.

{MORE ABOUT SARAH LADD}

Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. “The Heiress of Winterwood” was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance and a finalist in the Debut Author category of the 2014 Carol Awards. The second book in the series, “The Headmistress of Rosemere” (2013), was on the ECPA best-seller list for several months. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

Find out more about Sarah at http://www.sarahladd.com.

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Thoughts on Bravery

 

At different times different themes seem to appear in my life. Right now I am surrounded by people who are called to be braver than they ever imagined.

The dictionary defines brave as: ready to face or endure danger or pain; showing courage.

None of the people I’m thinking of think of themselves as brave. In fact they would probably tell you they are in a place of uncertainty, pain, or fear. Yet they are walking the paths with a courage that humbles and challenges me. Maybe it’s the mom who’s walking through experimental cancer treatment with her oldest–a treatment that requires a long separation from her family and is filled with its own uncertainty. Yet her posts are filled with the belief and certainty that God is bigger than cancer and any other problems they could face. And in the reading and praying, I am challenged.

Then there’s someone close to me who is going through huge personal challenges on two fronts. She’s under attack in a real way on both. Yet, she’s making the hard choices. Choosing to do something. Feeling her way along on a wing and a prayer. Such courage in the face of uncertainty. The unknown. Fear. Challenges.

Or there’s my brave six year old…I’m typing this from a room where we’ll spend the night so she can have an unnecessary test. It’s not painful, just weird. Yet she’s approached it with such stoic grace. Don’t you love it when your children are the ones who challenge you?

What are you facing right now? Is it hard? Something where you are being called to be brave? To step out onto the raging waters and follow God in a way that is oh so scary? Is He asking you to really believe and trust Him? Is He asking you to take a hold of His promises and apply them to your life in a new way? If so, may I just encourage you with a few truths.

God never changes. Malachi 3:6
He never lies. Numbers 23:19 and Hebrews 6:18
He will never leave us or forsake us. Never. Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5
When you walk through the fire, He will be with you. Isaiah 43:2
There is no place you can run from Him. Psalm 139:7-12

I wish I could share a cup of coffee or tea with you, hear your story, and pray with you. But know that these truths are sure, and He will give you the courage you need to make it through whatever trial exists in your life right now. He is faithful. Cling to that. Take courage. And be brave.

SCAVENGER HUNT STOP #5

Welcome to the Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt. You have arrived at Stop #5. The hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014. You may have arrived here before the start which could mean all of the sites aren’t ready quite yet. Once the official start has begun, you should go to Stop #1 and then work your way through the sites, gathering clues and entering bonus giveaways, until you reach the final stop which will also be on the site of Robin Lee Hatcher.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all weekend to finish it, so take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors prepared for you. You will collect a CLUE IN RED at each stop. Write them down as you go. At the end of the hunt, you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form. (The answer will make sense, even if you aren’t familiar with the quote.)

The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors.

IN CASE YOU FIND A BROKEN LINK…

Robin Lee Hatcher has prepared a “cheat sheet” with direct links to each author’s post in case a site goes down or a link gets broken. We hope there will be no such issues, but just in case, please make note of the URL for the Participating Authors & Stops page so you can check back and be able to complete the hunt.

Today, I’m delighted to host my friend Lyn Cote.