My Happy Birthday Book

First of all--Happy Birthday to Me! (pic is my birthday cake from last year--decorated by my sons...notice "MOM" spelled out in Twizzlers...) I've never been a big birthday celebrator--not much of a party girl--but I thank the Lord for the blessings He has given me this past year, all the wonderful opportunities to connect with readers and friends and family. So, thank you, all of you Crossroads followers and readers for being numbered among my blessings! In light of that, I have an AWESOME book-give-away specially picked for my birthday week drawing.

(Oh, and Roxanne--you are the lucky winner of the romance Return to Love! Contact me and I'll get that to you...)

OK, on to this week's book: My Heart Remembers by the lovely Kim Vogel Sawyer. Now, I have to tell you, I personally gave this book the highest honor possible. No, not a medal or a trophy--better than that! Really. I...loaned my copy of this book...to my mother. Now, that might not mean a lot to you, but mom is a rather picky reader, and woe unto me if I ever recommend a book that she ends up not liking. So, I only go out on a limb and actually give her very special books.

That said, I realized Ididn't have a copy to give away. So, I emailed the generous author and requested a copy to give to the lucky person whose name will be drawn at my Writers Group Meeting next Monday. Well, not only did she send me a copy...it's a hard-cover copy. That is truly a first for this blog. How exciting is that!

Here's the blurb:

Orphaned in a tenement fire, three Irish immigrant children, hoping to be adopted, are sent to Missouri aboard an orphan train. Despite eight-year-old Maelle's desperate attempts to keep her siblings together, each child is taken by a different family. Maelle vows that she will never stop searching for her siblings and that they will be together one day. Sixteen years later, Maelle is still searching. So are her brother and sister. United by blood, divided by time, will they ever be reunited?

And my take:
Ummm....I loved it. 'Nuff said. Seriously, there are moments in this book when you'll be just breathless.

My Heart Remembers is all set to be my birthday gift to one of you. So, tell me, what's a favorite birthday gift that your heart remembers?

Chill Out and Return to Love

Eileen will be cooling off with Colleen Coble's Cry in the Night...but this week's give-away is just as cool. In fact, it's a romantic summer treat from brand-new author Betsy St. Amant.

Return to Love by Betsy St. Amant is a delightful read featuring two of my favorite creations: Penguins, and hunky musicians. Ah--nice. There's also a nice shot of Christmas to give an escape from the summer heat, and a little bit of romance to heat it right back up again.

Here's the blurb:

"I'm Not The Man I Used To Be!"
If only Gracie Broussard could believe that! Years ago, Carter Alexander broke her heart and betrayed her. Now, just when she needs him most, he's back—asking her to believe he's changed. But this time, it's not just Gracie who'll be hurt if he disappears. A penguin keeper, Gracie urgently needs to find a new home for her beloved birds. Carter is the only one who can help. He promises that she can trust him, that he's not the rebel he once was. And that he needs Gracie as much as her birds do.

I had the chance to meet Betsy a few months ago at a writers conference in Shreveport, LA, and what a treat she is! No offense to my fellow authors (myself included), but we are not by-and-large a fresh-faced lot. I mean, take a bunch of Christian novelists to a bar, and not many of us would get carded. (We might get reprimanded by our pastors, but that's a different story...) So how exciting it is to see not only a new author on the scene, but one coming with such a fresh voice, and to see that the values and faith that permeate Christian literature is not just something we'd like to see our young women embrace, but something embraced by young Christian women.

So, I cornered Betsy to ask her a few questions about her book and this journey she's on:

Let’s face it—you are much younger than most of us in this writing business. So, what do you think your youth brings to the field of writing Inspirational romance?

I hope readers will tell me!! haha. Seriously though, I hope to bring a new viewpoint on romance, romance that is young and fresh. I married early, had kids early, (married at 20, first baby at 24) which is so rare for my generation. I hope to draw in a new batch of romance readers by relating to that generation.

You have such a lovely family! How are you balancing writing, hubby and baby?

Thank you! I'm quite fond of them too. The balance is sometimes tricky but I've learned to always be thinking on my WIP so that when it comes times to actually grab a spare 10 minutes and write, I'm ready to go. It takes away from the keyboarding-twiddling-thumbs stage every writer goes through when first sitting down to work. Family will always come first and thankfully my Hubby is super supportive. He's waiting for me to make the big time so he can quit work and "drive my tour bus". Gotta love hubbies with big dreams =)

Two words: Why penguins?

Two more words: Why not? =P I collected penguins growing up, they're just a fun animal and have always been my favorite! I have no idea what started that trend but it lingers regardless! So it seemed only natural that Gracie, the heroine in RETURN TO LOVE, would work at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans as the penguin keeper. The fun part was researching for this story. I spoke frequently with the current penguin keeper in New Orleans, Tom Dyer, and he gave me lots of useful info, and even let me use the current residing penguin's names in my story. =)

So, in doing your research for this book, did you spend more time hanging out with penguins, or musicians?

I wish I could have hung out with my birds, but did my research on the phone. Obviously the penguins weren't very involved. =) I did speak with an old family friend and singer/songwriter, Dallas Caine Weeks, who lent me the lyrics to one of his songs to use in the story. Its such a beautiful song, I'm working on marketing with him to sell CD singles with the story at book signings. He deserves the shout out!

Tell us a little about what’s coming out next from you. Is there going to be a follow-up to this book?

Yes, there is a sequel titled A VALENTINE'S WISH releasing February 2010. It is the story of Gracie's best friend Lori, who goes to work in an upscale chocolate boutique in the French Quarter, and begins receiving gifts from a secret admirer. Is the secret admirer the handsome Italian chef, her youth pastor best friend, or her ex-fiance back for a second chance? Find out in February! =)

So, not to penguin you to death, but like I said, they are one of my favorite creations--like something God gave us just for fun. What species to you see out there that makes you marvel at God's imagination? Leave a comment and be entered to win a signed copy of Return to Love.

Take a Winter Break with This Week's Give-Away...

Whew! I'm a few days late posting for the give-away this week, since I've been out of town on a stay-ish-cation in my hometown of Las Cruces, NM. Great visit--lots of fun--but sketchy internet access at my parents' house. I'll have more observations from the road in the coming days. But, with no further ado...the winner of Speak Through the Wind is Edna! Congrats!

This week's book is like a literal breath of fresh air--for me, anyway, and for anyone else living through one heatwave of a summer. It's Cry in the Night by Colleen Coble. Here's the blurb:

A mysterious crying in the night leads search-and-rescue worker Bree Matthews and her dog Samson to an abandoned baby in the woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Bree takes the baby girl in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother-presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier.
While teams scour the wintery forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the woman. Where is she and why did she leave the child behind? And how does that connect to Bree's first husband's mysterious death yars ago in the Upper Peninsula? Everything Bree thought she knew about her life is turned upside down with the sound of a Cry in the Night.


And, my take:
This was my first Colleen Coble novel--I don't naturally gravitate to suspense, save for a few writers who I know won't disappoint me. Well, Miss Colleen is soon to be added to that list, because this was a great read. Twists and turns, yes, but also a great story in a lovely seting of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Coble's writing is so crisp, I felt like I was crunching around in the snow with Bree and Samson. Great details made this a chilling read--in more than one way. One of those where you'll be up late into the summer night, or escaping the heat during those long summer afternoons.

So, Cry in the Night gave me a few hours respite from the oppressive summer heat. What's your escape plan when the temp's too hot to handle?

So Loving this Book...

Congrats to Elizabeth--winner of Riven.

This week's give-away takes us in a whole different direction. It'll make you turn back the clock as quickly as you turn back the pages--back to high school, in fact. But, Bella Kirkwood in Jenny B. Jones' So Not Happening is soooooo not what I was in high school: she's everything I wanted to be.

Here's the blurb:

New York's social darling Isabella Kirkwood just woke up in a nightmare: Oklahoma. Problem is, it's right where God wants her.
Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard, and Daddy's MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to trade her mother in for a newer model.
When Bella's mom falls in love with a man she met on the Internet--a factory worker with two bratty sons--Bella has to pack up and move in with her new family in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm no less!
Forced to trade her uber-trendy NYC lifestyle for her down-home charm, Bella feels like a pair of Rock & Republic jeans in a sea of Wranglers.
At least some of the people in her new high school are pretty cool. Especially the hunky football player who invites her to lunch. And maybe even the annoying--but kinda hot--editor of the school newspaper.
But before long, Bella smells something rotten in the town of Truman, and it's not just the cow pasture. With her savvy reporter's instincts, she is determined to find the story behind all the secrets.
How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God appears to be giving her the total smackdown?

I loved, loved, loved this book. Maybe that's because my favorite moments in life were spent watching Molly Ringwald movies. The book is written for an audience of teen-age girls, and if you have one of those in your life, you should enter for a chance to win, because so many of the books targeted to them these days are, frankly, awful. A few years ago I saw every other girl reading a certain book so, intrigued, I read it for myself and felt immediately icky. Jones' book is sweet and clean, but with a comic edge so sharp, she cuts the grown-up chick lit attempts to shreds. I laughed loud and often while reading, all the while appreciating the subtle, but integral, message of faith. And, even if you don't have a teenager to hand the book off to, read it for yourself. It's a sweet summer break, and an opportunity to wish you could go back to highschool--even if only to meet the adorable editor of the newspaper.

Yeah--it was the high school newspaper aspect that hooked me. I, too, was a budding teen-age journalist. But the most interesting story I ever got to cover was the introduction of the cafeteria salad bar. Nothing like the exciting adventures of Bella. sigh...

That was me. Here's what Jenny B. Jones has to say about her high school life: In high school, I was the girl who knew I had a good thing going. I wasn't in a big rush to grow up and get out of school because I LOVED high school. Junior high and middle school I wouldn't do over again for anything, but high school was a great time. I saw my friends every day, I ate questionable food without caring, and I actually liked going to class. Except science. Ew. High school was a lot of fun. I remember giggling a lot and just being carefree. I was busy all the time--games, friends, studying, friends, the occasional job, friends. I loved that the world was all ahead of me. So many possibilities. I could be anything. I was also the girl who took a huge tanker of ice tea to school every day. It went with me everywhere like a security blanket. Me and Lipton. Together forever.

So, who were you back in the day?

This Week's Book...

Congratulations, Carly--you're the winner of Ten Thousand Charms. Quick side note--a few evenings ago, I had the opportunity to just sit in a Starbucks and talk writing with my lovely friend Elizabeth, and I ended up talking about this book a lot--kind of like revisiting an old friend. So, Carly, I hope you enjoy!!
This week's give-away will take you down an intriguing, intertwining path. It's Rose House by the lovely Tina Ann Forkner.

Rose House is Fornker's second novel (a follow-up to Ruby Among Us), and in it she takes us back to the beautiful Californian wine country. Although there are a few returning characters, it's not a sequel to Ruby. Rather, it is its own haunting tale of woman still in the grips of mouring unspeakable loss, and the healing that comes through the faith she discovers and the friends who embrace her at a charming, although somewhat haunting, cottage. The whole time I was reading Rose House, I had this feeling of watching an old movie...you know, the one you stumble across on a Sunday afternoon and just get sucked in. So, while it would be a great read at any point during the summer, it's a fantastic book for that warm, rainy evening, or that quiet Sunday afternoon when everybody else in the house is napping.

One important element in the story is this beautiful, mysterious painting (and its charming, mysterious creator), and Forkner does a beautiful job bringing that painting to life. I can still see it. So, to be entered in this week's give-away, tell me about your favorite painting! One of mine is The Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet--three women in a nearly barren field, thier faces obscure, their backs bent. It's a depiction of dignity in poverty, and a reminder of my favorite Biblical heroine, Ruth!

So...what's your favorite painting, and why? Doesn't have to be anything famous...truth be told, my absolute favorites are anything my son Charlie creates!

Monday, Monday, Monday!

First of all, the winner of Stealing Home is turnermd1. So, turnermd1, please send me a private email so I can get your address!

So, look at what we have. It's Monday, June 1st. I know summer isn't "officially" here until the 21st, but how can you not think of kicking off summer on the first of June? So, it's my goal this summer to get everybody reading...something. And, don't worry, not just my books. I have a bunch of great books to give away all summer. However, I'm kicking it off with one of mine--my first book, actually, Ten Thousand Charms. It was the book that kicked off my writing career, so it seems fitting that it be the one to kick off the summer reading series. I won't be giving you a review, but really, I do rather like this one!

Personally, I have a stack of books in a basket by my bed. (don't we all?) But there are certain books that I have earmarked for summer. Frankly, there are some stories that seem less "summer" to me than others. For example, I really don't like to read historicals in the summer. Why? Don't know. Maybe the thoughts of all those petticoats when it's 100 degrees outside. No, when it's hot outside, I like a good comedy, or even a great, dark mystery. I like summer books that are huge and thick to read at home, and little, light romances to carry in my bag when I go to the waterpark.

Since I'll be showcasing so many different books this summer, take a minute and tell me what makes the perfect summer read for you! Your comment enters you in a drawing to win a copy of Ten Thousand Charms. Yeah, petticoats, I know. But you can read it under the air conditioning!

Launching Party Disco Winners

So...a lot to talk about in one little post--partly because I haven't posted in a few days, and partly because it's one of those times when a bunch of stuff happens at once.

Launch Party!! Last night (Monday) I had a modest little launch party for my new book, Stealing Home. I hi-jacked the first hour of my regular writers group meeting and treated them and a bunch of friends and family to snacks in keeping with the spirit, setting and theme of the book...hot-dogs, Coca-Cola and Cracker Jacks. I gave a little talk, did a little reading, and had a lovely time. I'm just so excited about this book--it's truly the book of my heart, and, as promised, one of my blog followers will win a signed copy, and the winner is...diamonds, daisies, snowflakes...THAT GIRL!! So, THAT GIRL, email me privately your address, and I'll get a copy in the mail to you.

And, the winner of Tamara Alexander's The Inheritance is WindyCindy...so, WindyCindy, email me with your address and you'll inherit this great read!

Finally, lest we forget, it is Tuesday, and that means Idol, and once a year we have that wonderful night when Idol meets Disco and all seems right with the world. In the interest of keeping my prediction reputation on the line, I'll skip the lengthy re-cap and just spill my thoughts. Two people are going home, and those people will be Lil and Matt. Because, really, didn't both of them sound like some horrific office Christmas party gone terribly wrong?

You've Got to Read this Book -- The Inheritance

I am, of course, a fan of good historical fiction, and I'm also a huge admirer of Tamera Alexander's work. She and I sort of hit the Christian fiction scene at the same time, and I must say as I grow, I hope to follow along her path. She is a gracious, beautiful woman herself, and her books reflect that inner beauty.

The Inheritance is a lovely tale of family--the struggle to put together new ones, and the hard work it takes to maintain the one you have. Here's a quick look:

Determined to tame her younger brother's rebellious streak, McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin's invitation to move west and to begin again. But she quickly discovers that life in Copper Creek, Colorado is far from what she expected. Shouldering burdens beyond her years, McKenna tries to be the parent Robert needs, instead of the older sister he resents. But an "untimely inheritance" challenges her resolve at every turn, while also offering a second chance to restore her trust--and perhaps even her heart.
U.S. Marshal Wyatt Caradon is dedicated to bringing fugitives to justice, yet years of living on the trail have taken their toll. When his path intersects with that of McKenna, he comes face-to-face with a past he never wanted to relive--and the one woman who can help him find the future he's been longing for.
As McKenna struggles to let go of her independence and Wyatt considers opening his heart again, they discover an inheritance beyond imagination. But it will come at a price.

My take: I really loved The Inheritance not only for the love story you expect to unfold, but for the powerful brother/sister relationship that unfolds alongside it. McKenna is a character of wonderful dimension and depth, and Wyatt Caradon sheds the darkness of his past before our very eyes.

As with any good book, the title is multi-layered, as McKenna's inheritance is both measurable and immeasurable.

So, I'd love for you to "inherit" a copy of Tamera's book--especially if you are new to her writing. Leave a comment and tell about one of the greatest "treasures" you've ever inherited--tangible or otherwise--and be entered in a drawing to win a free, signed copy of The Inheritance. Drawing will take place Monday, April 20.

A Promise for Spring

Take a peek...

England-born Emmaline Bradford pledged her life to Geoffrey Garrett and then bid him farewell when he sailed to America. Although Geoffrey anticipated only a short separation, several years passed before he was able to send for Emmaline. By then the fiery flame of her youthful love had all but died. Shocked by the conditions on Geoffrey's Kansas sheep ranch, Emmaline wishes to return to England immediately. Geoffrey offers a compromise: If Emmaline promises to stay until spring, he'll pay her return fare if she decides to go back to her home country. When spring arrives, will Emmaline return to England, or will she marry Geoffrey and carve out a life with him in Kansas?

Take it from me...

A Promise for Spring takes on one of my favorite historical romance modes---the marriage that is and isn't. And is. And isn't. And... Ooh, the tension! This also takes on the question of whether or not the infatuation of young love can withstand the pressures and and responsibilities of an adult relationship. In this case, though, since they haven't had the opportunity to grow together, both Emmaline and Geoffrey face the hardships of frontier life--locusts, sheep and all--while still dealing with each other on the same emotional level they did as teenagers. There were times, I'm sure, when the sheep themselves were rolling their little sheep-eyes and bleating, "Come on, kids! You know you love each other! Get on with it already!"

But Kim Vogel Sawyer does a masterful job and keeping the reader (and the sheep) rooting for the romance to kick in while still enjoying the emotional fencing match between the two. You'll find yourself on Emmaline's side in one chapter, and on Geoffrey's the next. And then, like the welcome of any long winter, there's the promise of Spring.

And this is one promise that really comes through!

So, what promise does Spring hold for you? Leave a comment and be registered for a drawing to win a free copy of A Promise for Spring. Check back March 21 to find out who wins!