Christmas Giveaway Day 12

And so my month of giveaways comes to a close. If I look around my house, I'm sure I could find another couple dozen books to giveaway. I hope you've enjoyed learning about these books as much as I've enjoyed sharing them with you. Today I have two Love Inspired Suspense titles from Terri Reed. And Sharon Dunn has included one of her full length titles Romance Rustlers & Thunderbird Thieves. I love the way she mixes humor into this series.

I hope you'll participate one more time. It's been fun to meet so many of you this month.

Christmas giveaway: the what & hows

This month I'm giving away lots of books. It's been a year filled with great story, and I want to share some of those with you. The photo shows you just a few of the books I'll giveaway over the next weeks. 

Christmas Giveaway Day 11

Today I'm giving away two books by friends Tricia Goyer and Kathryn Cushman. Tricia writes in so many different genres it's truly amazing. The Memory Jar  is Amish and set in Montana. Who knew, right? And Kathryn writes gripping stories that run deep.

The Memory Jar: Every year, 30--40 young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They

Christmas Giveaway Day 10

Today I have a collection of four Love Inspired Suspense titles from my friend Sharon Dunn. Several years ago I wrote two books for them, and I love the format of these. They're a great size to throw in a bag or purse. Here's more about these four titles:

Night Prey (2011 Carol Award Winner): As director of the Birds of Prey Rescue Center, Jenna Murphy wants to protect the wild raptors she feels such a strong connection to. When injury to the birds escalates to a break-in and threatening note, she enlists the help of childhood friend Keith

The Reason We Celebrate

In case anyone else needs a reason to remember the true meaning of Christmas, here's Linus from Charlie Brown's Christmas to help us all remember.

Christmas Giveaway Day 9: Suspense!

These are two more great suspense writers. Jim writes with a strong supernatural aspect: think Frank Peretti Clear & Present Danger. Steven James writes FBI with a twist, though this is the first in his new Jenkins Bank series. Soul's Gate is also the first in a series and literally made me yearn for a deeper relationship with God. I can't say that about many books I read in 2012. Placebo took a look into the what ifs of science and twisted them into knots.

Soul's Gate: Reece Roth once was able to

Christmas Giveaway Day 8: Romance!

Today, I'm bringing you two great books. The first is The Trouble with Cowboys by one of my favorite contemporary romance writers Denise Hunter. The second is Smitten, a novella collection by authors Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt and Kristen Billerbeck. It is a FUN collection of related stories about a town in Vermont that is trying to save itself from destitution.

 The Trouble with Cowboys: Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek's premiere horse

Christmas Giveaway: Day 7

Today I'm delighted to bring you the set of my friend Tricia Goyer's Spanish Civil War series. I learned a lot by watching her write this series. In its pages, she transports the reader to a complex war that became a testing ground for many new techniques applied in World War II.

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. She is caught up in the escalating events

Where is God in Tragedy?

Because I have kids who bracket the ages of those murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, it’s been a time of questions and lots of putting myself in those families’ shoes. 

One of the curses of being a writer is the empathy that floods me in events like this. I feel the pain and horror. I’ll be sitting in church watching our children’s Christmas program and grieving for the families that lost a child and the empty spots in the angel choirs. I think of the unopened presents that are under a tree. What’s a family to do with those when they are still too stunned? I think of the momma cuddling her precious child’s teddy bear, curled on the now empty bed. I think of the medical examiners who had to do the autopsies on those small bodies.

But as I prayed aloud with my kids Friday afternoon, I could feel the shift in my spirit as I prayed for God to do what He does. The miracle that we can’t imagine in these moments. That act of stealing victory from Satan and turning a horrible, beyond-words evil act into something He uses for good. I’ll admit I am clueless as to how He does it...but  I know to the very core of my soul that He does. So I pray for Him to be real to the families and the communities, to all those who were first responders and confronted with the tangible after effects of evil. And I pray to do what God does best: Transform an evil act into something good and beautiful.

Even as my heart shatters for those families.

Christmas Giveaway Day 6: More Great Suspense

Okay, please don't be too jealous, but while we were in Germany, I got to read When a Heart Stops-- before it was in print. That was Lynette's gift to me :-) Now I'm going to gift one person with these two books. The third isn't out yet -- but it's a goodie! So this will give you a chance to get caught up on the series before the third releases in the spring. Both are romantic suspense ala Dee Henderson and Irene Hannon.

When the Smoke Clears: As a member of the North Cascades Smokejumpers, Alexia

Christmas Giveaway Day 5: Contemporary Romance

Today I'm bringing you a two books that are collections of shorter contemporary romances. My collections Ohio Brides and Cornhusker Dreams are part of this line. 

In Gateway Weddings, three Missouri women enter the gateway to life, love, and longing. Valerie Bishop, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is afraid to leave her home. Can ex-con Healy Ferguson show her the path to freedom? Sailor Kern is enamored of romance author Chandler

Christmas Giveaway Day 4: Great Historical Fiction

Today I'm bringing you two books and authors who are perfect for those who love historical novels that are rich with layers and detail. Both of these ladies are uber-talented and you should add their books to your TBR piles.

 Tamera Alexander's To Whisper Her Name is a sweeping tale set in antebellum Nashville. A USAToday bestseller, here's more: Olivia Aberdeen, destitute widow of a man shot as a traitor to the South, is shunned by proper society and gratefully accepts an invitation from "Aunt" Elizabeth Harding, mistress of Belle Meade

Monday Meditation: Your prayer has been heard

Yesterday morning our pastor taught out of Luke 1. In an example of the Bible being alive and active, a passage that I thought I knew inside and out took on fresh life and meaning. Look at Luke 1:13. Before we go there, let me admit that this is not where the pastor had us. He summarized it before moving ahead in the chapter, but this is what really hit me. Okay, back to Luke 1:13:

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard..."

Christmas Giveaway #3: Young Adult Titles

In a year I'll have a teenager. My first, and the thought is daunting. I'm not sure there can ever be enough good tools to help parents navigate those teen years successfully with their children. That is why I am THRILLED to bring you this collection of non-fiction books.

Praying for Your Future Husband is an amazing book by Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn that I used with tweens at our church. It's perfect for teens, but can be used with younger girls. The idea behind the book is to help girls turn their

Christmas Giveaway Day Two -- Suspense

Today I'm bringing you books by two of my favorite people. Robin is someone I routinely brainstorm with. We also frequently read each other's books before our editors see them. Randy is one of the nicest people I know and he writes AMAZING legal suspense. I told him last month he's the reason I don't write legal!

So I am positively thrilled to have copies of their books to give away. Here's a little more about both of them:

Christmas Giveaway #1: Two Robin Lee Hatcher Books

Today I'm giving away two new books from Robin Lee Hatcher. Here's more about the two books. 

Betrayal: It's the turn of the twentieth century and drifter Hugh Brennan is a man well acquainted with betrayal. Hugh finds himself drawn to the attractive widow, Julia, yet when he looks into her eyes, he recognizes the same hurt that haunts him. Julia Grace has little reason to trust men,