The Reluctant Queen

About Joan Wolf:

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut, where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.” For more about Joan and her other books, please visit www.joanwolf.com.

About A Reluctant Queen:

An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love. See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Ahasuerus was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart. Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity. More here.

The Reluctant Queen Kindle Giveaway and Facebook Party:


To celebrate Joan’s debut Christian Fiction title, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!
One grand prize winner will receive:
* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen
* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)
To enter, just click below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on FB! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Author K. Dawn Byrd Stops by

Fellow author K, Dawn Byrd has a book releasing, and I've invited her by to share her book with us.

Mistaken Identity: Eden Morgan longs for a boyfriend of her own, an impossible goal when her best friend, Lexi Branson, gets all the attention and all the guys. When they fall in love with the same guy, Eden believes she doesn't have a chance. She can only hope that sometimes the good girl gets the guy.

This is an intriguing set up. How did this story come to you?

Sometimes I get the strangest ideas! I wondered what would happen if a not-as-pretty good Christian girl and her gorgeous non-Christian best friend fell in love with the same guy. Who would get the guy?

Tell us about the journey to get Mistaken Identity published.

I had already published several book with Desert Breeze Publishing when they opened a young adult line. I'd been writing romantic suspense and thought it would fun to try my hand at a young adult novel. It was so much fun that I'm signing a contract for a young adult mystery series that will debut in January.

Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

1. I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs.
2. I love sour things....pickles, lemons, sour candy.
3. I used to ride a Harley, but gave it up in order to have more time to write. (My husband always wanted to stay out way too long and take the scenic route home. He still has his bike, but I don't miss mine at all.)

Parting comments?
Thank you for hosting me! For those of you who love Christian fiction, please check my blog for weekly book giveaways. I interview 3-5 authors a week who give away their books.

Where can fans find you on the internet? In addition to my website and blog, you can also find me on facebook.

CFBA Tour: Sweetest Thing

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Sweetest Thing  • Bethany House (June 1, 2011)  by  Elizabeth Musser  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, studied English and French literature at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. While at Vanderbilt, I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Aix-en-Provence,

France. During her Senior year at Vanderbilt, she attended a five-day missions conference for students and discovered an amazing thing: God had missionaries in France, and she felt God calling her there. After graduation, she spent eight months training for the mission field in Chicago, Illinois and then two years serving in a tiny Protestant church in Eastern France where she met her future husband.

Elizabeth lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. She find her work as a mother, wife, author and missionary filled with challenges and chances to see God’s hand at work daily in her life. Inspiration for her novels come both from her experiences growing up in Atlanta as well as through the people she meets in her work in France. Many conversations within her novels are inspired from real-life conversations with skeptics and seekers alike. 

Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon's editors. Searching for Eternity is her sixth novel.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Compelling Southern Novel Explores Atlanta Society in the 1930s.
The Singleton family’s fortunes seem unaffected by the Great Depression, and Perri—along with the other girls at Atlanta’s elite Washington Seminary—lives a life of tea dances with college boys and matinees at the cinema.  When tragedy strikes, Perri is confronted with a world far different from the one she has always known.

At the insistence of her parents, Mary ‘Dobbs’ Dillard, the daughter of an itinerant preacher, is sent from inner-city Chicago to live with her aunt and attend Washington Seminary.  Dobbs, passionate, fiercely individualistic and deeply religious, enters Washington Seminary as a bull in a china shop and shocks the girls with her frank talk about poverty and her stories of revival on the road.    Her arrival intersects at the point of Perri’s ultimate crisis, and the tragedy forges an unlikely friendship.

The Sweetest Thing tells the story of two remarkable young women—opposites in every way—fighting for the same goal: surviving tumultuous change. Just as the Great Depression collides disastrously with Perri's well-ordered life, friendship blossoms--a friendship that will be tested by jealousy, betrayal, and family secrets...

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Sweetest Thing, go HERE.

A big thank you

At the end of May and beginning of June, I tackled a project that grew exponentially. A little idea that took on a force of its own with the help of local media. As a result massive amounts of time disappeared as I collected and sorted boxes and bags of items for Joplin.

But it ended up not just being me. There were so many people who stepped up to help. I can't possibly list them all. One person has to be acknowledged though.

When you're married, anything you do, either your spouse supports or endures. I expected my husband to endure my little Joplin project. It had a defined end date, so I thought we could endure as a family for the little more than week of chaos.

Instead, my husband logged practically as many hours sorting as I did. He loaded more boxes on the truck. He carted boxes back and forth across our pretty large truck. And he generally supported me...most importantly by telling me he was proud of me at my most tired and overwhelmed moments.

I also got a note from my mom at a moment when I was drained that gave me the energy to go another round with mounds of items that needed to be sorted. 

It reminded me how important it is for us to truly support the efforts of our spouses, friends, and family. Those simple words: "I believe in you." "I support what you're doing." "I'm proud of you." Mean a lot. They can energize an otherwise weary person.

So thank you for coming alongside me, not just in word, but in time and action, too. Love you, Eric!

Susan Sleeman stops by with a Contest!

Enter to win a copy of Susan Sleeman's Behind the Badge and a $50 Amazon gift card!

Susan Sleeman here. Behind the Badge, my second romantic suspense book for Love Inspired Suspense will release on June 6th and in honor of all of you, the readers, I am hosting a special contest on my website for the month of June.

Let’s face it. Without you, the wonderful readers, books would not exist and I wouldn’t be able to wake up looking forward to a job that is fresh and exciting each and every day. Praise God for this incredible opportunity!

Now back to the contest. All you have to do is read the excerpt below then go to my WEBSITE and answer the following question. That's it. You're entered to win.

If you'd like to sign up for my mailing list to learn of other contests in the future you can do that at the same time, too. Full contest rules are on the entry page. Remember only one entry per person.

QUESTION: Did Russ see the suspect's face?

The Morgan Brothers - Bk 2                     Love Inspired Suspense                     June 6, 2011                     ISBN-10: 0373444478                     ISBN-13: 978-0373444472

"YOUR SISTER IS NEXT!" A killer is threatening the life of rookie cop Sydney Tucker's sister-unless Sydney turns over evidence from a drug bust. But she doesn't have the evidence. Not that the thug believes her. Now she and the sibling in her care are under the watchful eye of Logan Lake police chief Russ Morgan…but will his protection be enough? The killer is closing in, picking off the people and places that mean the most to Sydney. A list that now includes Russ. To protect her loved ones, will she pay the ultimate price-her life?

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.

Her books include Nipped in the Bud, High-Stakes Inheritance, Behind the Badge, and The Christmas Witness. Also watch for the first two romantic suspense books in her Justice Agency series coming from Love Inspired suspense in 2012 and featuring a private investigations firm specializing in helping those who traditional law enforcement has failed.

Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson. 

To learn more about Susan visit her website, Facebook , or Twitter.

---

READ AN EXCERPT:

  

Chapter One

Gunshots split the inky darkness.

Deputy Sydney Tucker hit the cold ground, a jagged rock slashing into her forehead on the way down. She reached for her service weapon. Came up empty handed. She'd stopped after work to check on the construction of her townhouse and left her gun and cell phone in the car.

Dumb, Sydney. Really dumb. Now what're you gonna do?

Inching her head above knee-high grass, she listened. The keening whistle of the wind died, leaving the air damp and heavy with tension but silence reigned.

Had she overreacted? Could be target practice. But at night? Maybe. Hunters did crazy things sometimes.

Footfalls pounded from below like someone charging through the brush. No. Two people. Maybe a chase. One person after another. A loud crash, branches snapping.

"What're you doin', man," a panicked male voice traveled through the night. "No! Don't shoot! We can work this out."

Three more gunshots rang out. A moan drifted up the hill.

Not target practice. Someone had been shot.

Sydney lurched to her feet, dizziness swirling around her. Blood dripped into her eyes. She wiped it away, blinked hard and steadied herself on a large rock while peering into the wall of darkness for the best escape route.

Heavy footfalls crunched up the gravel path.

"I know you're here, Deputy Tucker," a male voice, disguised with a high nasally pitch, called out. "We need to talk about this. C'mon out."

Yeah, right. Come out and die. Not hardly.

Praying, pleading for safety, she scrambled deeper into the scrub. Over rocks. Through grass tangling her feet. Her heart pounded in her head, drowning the prayers with fear.

"I'm losing patience, Deputy," he called again in that strange voice. "You're not like Dixon. He had it coming. You don't."

Dixon? Did he mean the man she arrested for providing alcohol to her teenage sister and for selling drugs? Was that what this was about?

Rocks skittered down the incline. The shooter was on the move again. No time to think. She had to go. Now!

Blindly she felt her way past shrubs, over uneven ground. Dried leaves crunched underfoot. Branches slapped her face and clawed at her arms, but she stifled her cries of pain.

"I hear you, Deputy."

She wrenched around to determine his location. A protruding rock caught her foot, catapulting her forward. She somersaulted through the air. Her knee slammed into the packed earth and she crashed down the hill. Wrapping arms around her head for protection, she came to a stop, breath knocked out of her chest, lying flat on her back in a thick stand of weeds.

"So you want to play it that way, do you Deputy? Fine. Just remember, you can run, but you can't hide. I will find you. This will be resolved one way or another." His disembodied laugh swirled into the night.

The darkness pressed closer. Blinding. Overwhelming. Terrifying.

She was easy prey. Even with her bulletproof vest, a few rounds fired in her direction would take her out. She had to get up.

She rose to her knees, but pain knifed into her knee, keeping her anchored to the ground.

Lord, please don't let me die like this. Give me the strength to move. I need to live for Nikki. She's only seventeen. She has no one.

Sydney uncurled and came to a standing position. Taking a few halting steps, she tested the pain. Nearly unbearable. But she could-no she had to do this for her sister.

Thinking of Nikki, she gritted her teeth and set off, moving slowly, taking care not to make a sound.

Out of the darkness, a hand shot out. Clamped over her mouth.

Screams tore from her throat, but died behind fingers pressed hard against her lips.

A muscled arm jerked her against a solid chest and dragged her deep into the brush.

God, please, no.

She twisted, arched her back, pushing against arms like iron bands.

She dug her heels into the ground, but he was too strong. He kept going deeper into the brush before settling them both on the ground behind a large boulder.

"Relax Sydney, it's Russ Morgan," Logan Lake's Police Chief whispered, his lips close to her ear.

Russ Morgan? What was he doing here?

"Sorry about the hand." His tone said she was nothing more than a stranger instead of someone she'd known for years. "I didn't want you to alert the shooter with a scream. I'm gonna remove my hand now. Nod if you understand me."

She let all of her relief escape in a sharp jerk of her head. His fingers dropped away.

"Once the shooter rounded that curve, you would've been a goner," he whispered while still firmly holding her. "Good thing a neighbor reported gunshots."

Sydney started to shiver and breathed deep to steady her galloping pulse. Air rushed into her lungs. She was alive, but barely. No thanks to her own skills.

"You okay?" he asked, his breath stirring her hair.

"Yes." She willed her body to stop shaking and eased out a hiss of disappointment in her performance as a deputy. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to hear the shooter claim he's hit Dixon and is coming after you next," he whispered again, but urgency lit his voice and rekindled her fear. "This have to do with your arrest of Carl Dixon the other day?"

"I don't know," she whispered back. "I just stopped to check on the construction of my townhouse on my way home from work."

"Off duty, huh? Explains why you don't have your weapon drawn."

"I left my duty belt in my car." She waited for his reaction to not carrying, but he simply gave a quick nod as footfalls grated against gravel.

"Shh, he's about to pass us." Russ leaned forward and drew his gun with his free hand, but didn't release his hold on her.

Crunching steps came within a few feet of their location. Halted.

"Can you feel me breathing down your neck, Deputy? I'm inches from finding you." He didn't know the accuracy of his words.

She felt Russ's breathing speed up, upping her concern and washing away the brief blanket of security his arms provided. Adrenaline urged her to move. To keep from panicking, she focused on Russ's unwavering weapon.

The shooter took a few steps closer. Her heart thumped, threatening to leave her chest. Russ tightened his hold as if he knew she wanted to bolt.

The shooter spun sending gravel flying then headed up the path.

As his footsteps receded, she tried to relax taut muscles. The warmth from Russ's body helped chase out her fear and the chill of the night. Thank God Russ was here. If he hadn't come.

She refused to go there. God had watched over her. Provided rescue, just not in the form she'd have chosen.

Not only was Russ an officer from the city police force-a team often in competition with the county sheriff's department where she worked-but a man she'd had a crazy crush on in high school. A man whose rugged good looks still turned women's heads.

She let out a long sigh.

"I know this's awkward," he whispered, "but hang tight for a few more minutes. We need to wait for him to head back down the hill."

She wanted to protest and suggest they flee now, but not Russ. He thought clearly. Taking off now gave the killer the advantage of higher ground, making them moving targets. They'd have to sit like this until he passed them again.

If they made it out of here, which the approaching footfalls told her wasn't at all certain.

They pounded closer. The shooter moved at a quick clip this time as if he thought she'd gotten away and he was fleeing. Or maybe he was heading to her car to lay in wait for her.

As the footsteps receded again, she felt Russ's arm slacken.

"Time to roll," he whispered. "Stay here."

"But I-"

"You have a backup?" He referred to a back up gun officers often carry.

She shook her head.

"Then wait here." He gave her the hard stare that'd made him famous around town and crept toward the path.

She leaned against the boulder and wrapped her arms around the warm circle on her waist where he'd held her. Without his warmth, she couldn't quit shaking. The reality of the night froze her inner core.

She should listen to Russ. Lay low. Wait until he apprehended the killer.

That was the safe thing to do.

The easy thing to do.

The wrong thing to do.

Not for everyone, but for an officer of the law, letting a shooter escape without trying to stop him wasn't an option. Even if that shooter had her in his sights, she'd make her way to her car for her gun and help Russ stop this maniac before he hurt anyone else.

*****

Near the ditch, Russ came to a stop and fought to catch his breath. Taillights on a mud splattered dirt bike roared up the trail. He'd warned the suspect to stop, but short of shooting him in the back, Russ couldn't stop him from fleeing into the dark.

At least he'd accomplished his primary objective. To protect Sydney and keep her alive. Now he needed to alert his men and the sheriff's office to the suspect's whereabouts.

He lifted his shoulder mic and ordered a unit from his office to stake out the end of the trail for the motorcycle and an ambulance in case Dixon survived. Then he asked dispatch to patch him through to the county sheriff's department to make sure they knew he'd taken charge of the scene so none of their hotshot deputies arrived with the hope of usurping control.

He turned on his Maglight and headed up the hill. The beam of light skipped over gravel and lush plants lining the winding path. Midway up, rustling brush stopped him cold. He'd left Sydney higher up. Nearer the lake.

Was a second shooter hoping to ambush him?

He flipped off his light and sought protection behind a tree. His breath came in little pulses in the unusually cold air for a typical Oregon fall. Adrenaline with little time to ebb away came roaring back, but even as the noise grew louder, he resisted the urge to take action

Maybe it was Sydney. The Sydney he used to know wouldn't have listened to his directive and stayed put. She'd trounce down the hill, her chin tilted at the same insolent angle as when he told her he didn't return her crazy crush her freshman year of high school. Not that he'd wanted to send a beautiful, lively girl like her away. He could easily have dated her, but he was four years older, in college. With their age difference, it wouldn't have been right.

Bushes at the path's edge shook then parted. Slowly, like a sleek panther, Sydney slipped out. He watched until she stood tall on those incredibly long legs he'd admired since she was sixteen before lowering his gun and aiming his flashlight at her.

She jumped. Peered up at him, an impudent look planted on her face. This was the Sydney he'd known as a teen and heaven help him, in less than thirty minutes, she'd sparked his interest again.

"Care to shine that somewhere other than my face." She perched her hand over her eyes, warding off the glare.

He moved the light but not before he caught a good look at a gaping wound running from her hairline to eyebrow, covered in congealed blood. He lifted his hand to check out her injury, but stopped. He wouldn't probe a wound on one of his men's faces. As a fellow LEO-law enforcement officer-he wouldn't treat Sydney any differently.

"I told you to stay put." He infused his words with authority.

"I wanted to help. Wish I'd listened. I tripped over the body." She held out blood-covered hands. Her eyes watered as if she might cry.

Man. Don't do that. Don't fall apart. He couldn't remain detached if she started crying. He'd have to empathize, maybe give her a reassuring pat on the arm. Maybe feel her pain and resurrect all the reasons he'd left his homicide job in Portland.

He changed his focus. Nodded at the brush. "Show me the body."

As a faint whine of sirens spiraled in the distance, she limped into tall grass, a grimace of pain marring her beautiful face. He followed, illuminating the area ahead of her. About ten feet in, she suddenly stopped. He shone his light a few feet ahead of her.

Diffused rays slid over a young male lying on his back. Russ swung the beam to the man's face landing on open eyes staring into the blackness above.

Sydney gasped and swung around him. She rushed toward the main path. Even though Russ knew it was a lost cause, he bent down to check for a pulse. No question, this man hadn't made it and no question about his identity. Carl Dixon, a man every LEO in the area knew from his frequent blips onto the police radar and the most recent arrest for selling drugs.

All that ended with three gunshots to the chest at close range from what Russ could see with his flashlight. Once they thoroughly processed the scene, he'd know better. But first, they needed to vacate the area before further contaminating the scene.

He found Sydney near the path, gaze fixed in the distance, hands clasped on her hips and exhaling long breaths as if trying to expel what she'd just seen.

Haunted eyes peered at him. "He's dead, right?"

"Yeah."

"And what about the killer?"

"Couldn't catch him. He took off on a dirt bike."

Disappointment crowded out the fear on her face. "Did you at least see him?"

"From the back. He was my height or a little taller, but lean. Wore a black stocking cap. The bike has a plate so it must be street legal. I caught the first few digits."

"That's something, then."

Russ didn't want to tell her it would do little for them in terms of searching DMV records as three digits would return thousands of bikes, but he didn't think she could take any more bad news so he kept quiet. "Let's head down to the parking lot."

He gave her the flashlight and urged her to take the lead down the steep hill. Once on solid concrete, she handed it back to him. Holding it overhead, he watched her closely for dizziness or other impairments from her fall. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but a head injury could mean a concussion. He'd have the EMT's check her out when they got here.

He pointed at a rough-hewn bench. "Maybe you should sit down."

"I'm fine " Her voice cracked and she seemed embarrassed over reacting to the murder.

"It's okay to be upset, Syd. A horrible thing happened tonight."

"I'm fine really. I'll be back to a hundred percent by morning."

Text copyright © by Susan Sleeman

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

Friday Recipes: Grandma's Cherry Delight

All of us have recipes like this. The one you just expect to see on the overloaded, groaning table at family gatherings. Here's one from my grandma:

Cherry Delight

Mix together the following to make a crust and place in a 9 x 13 pan:

16 squares Graham Crackers, crushed
1/4 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat together:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar

mix in 8 oz. Cool Whip and place over crust.
Top with a can of cherry pie filling.

Yum!

Review & Giveaway: The Lady of Bolton Hill

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Lady of Bolton Hill Bethany House (June 1, 2011) by Elizabeth Camden


This book has a fascinating set up. Set during the Industrial Age, right as labor woes exploded across the United States, The Lady of Bolton Hill highlights those issues in Baltimore, MD. The historian in me loved that aspect. The story teller loved the history between the two main characters. The way they wanted to continue to see each other as the young adults they'd been 12 years earlier, yet the dramatic ways they'd both changed. One is bent on vengeance. The other on teaching the value of faith and love. One is a reporter. One is a rising industrialist. The story is gripping. The characters rich. The writing lush. I loved this story and am delighted to have a copy to giveaway to one commenter. Be sure to leave a comment below if you'd like a chance to have your own copy of this historical romance. 
 
ABOUT THE BOOK

Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.

When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts, and lives, hang in the balance?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lady of Bolton Hill, go HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.

A word from Elizabeth: I am a college librarian in central Florida by day, but by night I can be found pounding out inspirational historical novels the moment the sun goes down. I love writing books about fiercely intelligent people who are confronted with profound challenges. As a rather introverted person, I have found that writing is the best way for me to share my faith and a sense of resilience with others.

As for who I am? I love old Hitchcock films, the hour before sunset, a long, sweaty run through the Florida countryside, and a glass of good wine. After spending my entire adult life on a college campus (either as a student or a librarian) I have finally been able to pursue my ultimate goal of writing professionally.

Children's Book: That's when I talk to God

As a mom, I love to find books that help me break complicated ideas about faith into easy to understand concepts. This book does just that with prayer.

Sometimes it's tricky to help our kids understand that they can pray anytime about anything. In this beautifully illustrated book, Dan and Ali Morrow walk children through the different times they can pray. We can pray when we want to tell God that we love Him. We can pray when we are thankful. We can talk to God when we need to tell Him sorry. This charming book is a great way to help your children understand God wants to hear from us all the time for any reason.

When the Storms Blow...

Today a truck loaded with diapers, food, baby food, toiletries, and kids clothing is headed to Joplin, Missouri. The picture doesn't begin to convey how many boxes are layered in there. I really didn't think it would all fit...but it did!

Yesterday a pastor at the church we are working with spoke at our church. He and his wife shared stories that would break your heart -- yet gave such hope at the same time. God is on the move.

In storms like this, I think we see who we really are. How strong we really are. What our core values are. What we are fundamentally made of at the core of our existence.

Some people experience a massive tornado -- possibly the most destructive in United States history. But for most of us, the storms are other things. In the last few days a friend had a husband tell her he never loved her and their life together has been a lie. F-5 on the scale of storms. Another friend learned that her cancer returned, this time in her bones. Another F-5 shock. Yet another friend went in for an ultrasound and learned her baby had no heartbeat. An F-5. Another friend learned that she was being asked not to continue on a public project. A F-5.

I'm sure you've had something similar happen. So what do we do?

Do we lean into Jesus and His promises? Or do we rail against Him and shake our fists at heaven? Do we sink into His loving embrace like my six-month-old curls into mine? Or do we go rigid and turn away?

Praying that whatever the storm in your life, that Jesus would be bigger, present, and still it.

Review: In the Shadow of the Sun King

Because I have French Huguenot ancestors, this story intrigued me. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into what life would have been like in such a difficult time (17th Century France). The author draws deft pictures of the palaces and France. And the complexities of the times and relationships are artfully drawn -- with traces of intrigue. The pace slowed a bit at times, but I'm glad I chose this book.  

More about the Story:

As Huguenots in 17th-Century France, Madeleine Clavell and her family defy French law daily. Though they live in comfort and happiness in the French countryside, their Protestant Christianity is considered traitorous. But they are wary. Persecution is surly at hand.

Then King Louis XIV's dragoons arrive, forcing the family from their country estate. Madeleine must gather her courage and seek out the king in his royal palace at Versailles.

Because Madeleine has a secret. Though years and a thousand choices have separated them, Madeleine and King Louis have a history together. One she feels certain he has not forgotten. She will risk everything to speak to him again. But will the impetuous king choose to save her...and her family? And if so, at what price?

Friday Recipes: Simple Tortellini

My family loves pasta. We eat it in spaghetti, macaroni, and all form in between. One of my favorites is tortellini. I was so excited when a friend introduced me to packaged dry tortellini because I could finally make it at home. Problem is my kids can be finicky and turn their noses up at cheese stuffed pasta.

I know! Bizarre!

This week has been the definition of insanity between teaching, writing and working on my church's Joplin efforts, so last night I didn't care about finicky tastes. We were eating some comfort food. I made it waiting for the groans. Instead, the kids asked for seconds, thirds and fourths. The best part is this was soooo easy.

Cara's Tortellini

1 pkg of dry tortellini cooked to package directions
When cooked, strain out water, then pour tortellini in large bowl. Add one can of diced tomatoes, a couple teaspoons of olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Mix ingredients. Then top with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Bon appetit!

Praying for Your Future Husband...Giveaway

I am sooooo excited to tell you about this brand new book from two of my friends, Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn. Last summer while I attended ICRS, a Christian Retail Show, I got to listen to these two talk about writing the chapters to this book and how very jazzed they were to get to read it.

Then in early May Tricia sent a copy to my daughter. I was THRILLED. I'm even more excited to have a copy to giveaway to one commenter/follower on this blog and one on my teen review blog!

Let's face it young adults are concerned about finding that perfect spouse. But in the pursuit of the right person, we often forget we need to become that right person. What I love about this book is that Gunn and Goyer focus not only on how to pray for your future spouse -- before you even know who that is -- but also on how you need to prepare yourself to be the right person, too. Can you imagine what would happen if we poured half the energy we devote to dreaming and fretting into praying? That could be amazing!

Goyer and Gunn also have very different experiences that lead to marriage. These experiences bring a richness to the book because it's not all rosy nor all warning. Instead, it casts vision for what is possible. They guide the reader through 12 areas they can pray for their future spouse. Areas like his heart, that he would be a God lover, for patience, understanding, intimacy and commitment. This book would be a great gift for a girl who is starting to focus on young men -- especially if it's coupled with a commitment to read it and discuss the principles with her.

Here's more:
From when we were small girls, most of us dream of “The One,” our   future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We   wonder who that special guy is and when we'll find him. The great news   is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life   of your future husband!

Authors and good friends Robin Jones Gunn (Christy Miller series) and   Tricia Goyer (author and former teen mom) believe God answers women's   prayers for husbands—even husbands they may not meet for years. They   invite young women to pray boldly for their future mate … while also   asking God to prepare their own hearts.

In Praying for Your Future Husband, Robin and Tricia share their two vastly different experiences, including the things they did right and   the mistakes they made on the path to meeting and marrying their   husbands. Each chapter includes helpful Bible verses, prayers, and   practical application, along with true stories of women who prayed for a   husband and how God answered in remarkable ways.

God has a beautiful romance prepared for you. Prayer is the key to unlocking the love story … with your future husband and with God, the   lover of your soul.

The Kryptonite Questions by Publisher Allen Arnold

I'm a huge Superman fan. His strength is legendary. So is his greatest weakness -- Kryptonite.

Your greatest strength is your story. In the end, it always comes down to the story.

But your greatest weakness -- whether you're a best-selling author or brand new writer -- may be the questions you're not asking.

I call these the Kryptonite Questions because the thought of asking them might make you a bit weak in the knees. It's easy to want to avoid some of these discussions or put the burden on the other party to proactively provide you with the data….but it's never best to be reactive or avoid big discussions. It's hard to know if you're in the right place to achieve success -- or even what success really means -- without asking them to your publisher, your agent and even yourself.

While there are more, here are several of the top Kryptonite Questions:

1. Do you know your publisher? I'm not asking if you know your editor or marketing point person…or just the publisher's name. Do you really know the publisher? As great as the publishing team at large may be -- it's the publisher that oversees (or should oversee) the vision and the tone of the division. Since the direction and stability of the division directly impacts your books, it's good to have regular contact with the publisher. If you're an established author, I recommend a brief conversations with your publisher at least a few times a year. If you're looking for a publisher, before you sign you should have a conversation with your potential publisher to ask if they are open to this type of author involvement. If the publisher isn't open to this request -- a great follow-up question would be why. As a publisher, I see author interaction as one of my main joys and responsibilities.

2. Have you asked how your publishing house determines if your novel is a success? Is it units sold -- if so, how many? Is it earning a certain amount beyond the advance -- if so, how much? Is it hitting a bestseller list? A percentage of growth in readers from the last work? There are several ways to measure success -- but you need to know how the publishing house is measuring your novel's success since that impacts so much for you and your stories. Bonus question -- how do you deem a novel successful beyond the publisher's definition? Knowing that will help you enjoy the process much more by replacing doubt, worry and stress with a true peace.

3. What are the long-term plans of your publishing division over the next several years? How do they plan to not just survive but thrive in the ever-changing world of publishing over the next five years? Are they planning to increase or decrease title count? Is their staff increasing or decreasing? Are they expanding to different genres or not? Do they lead or follow in the digital world of content -- and how? That's important to know since the decisions made today impact how you might fit (or not fit) into their future based on who they are becoming each day. If they don't know or won't share their long-term vision -- that is valuable to hear as you consider your future.

4. Do you know how stable your current or potential publishing team is? It's good to ask how long each member from the publisher down has been with the company. You want to make sure that the team there who is courting you has a high likelihood of being the same team there when your novel comes out a year or so later. Unfortunately, that's not as common as one would hope with some companies…so ask on the front end since past history is often a good indicator of the future.

5. Is your input into the development of the marketing plans and cover design welcome? If so, when is the optimal time to share thoughts and contribute? Mark that timing on your calendar and be prepared to share early, succinctly and in a winsome manner.

6. How involved does your current or potential agent plan to be in the life of your novel? Some agents are more oriented to be deal-makers. Once the deal is done, you may not hear much from them unless you raise an issue. Some agents shine most in strategic editorial and marketing discussions after the contract is complete. Know most what you need from an agent and then make sure your agent is a fit for those needs. Also ask how many clients your agent personally serves. If it's an incredibly high number -- their time for any one author may be limited. Good to know.

7. If you are a published author, do you know how recouped you are for each past work? If you're an unpublished author -- do you understand the importance of recoupment? It's a key measurement to a publishing house -- and a goal that you can work together towards achieving. Ideally, an author recoups (or earns out) their upfront advance for a novel soon after that novel is available -- and then begins earning royalty. Some will tell you it is unrealistic to count on royalty -- and to drive the upfront advance as high as you can since you'll likely never earn royalty checks. I say run from that advice. The best path is to receive a fair advance -- which is one that can reasonably earn out shortly after the novel is published. The goal over time is to live off the revenue stream from books actually bought by consumers (royalty) -- not the advance based on what we hope consumers will do. Recoupment and long-term royalty is the best mark of a profitable, healthy publishing career.

8. Do you know how you are perceived within the publishing house? When an e-mail comes from you -- is it the first one the person opens or the one they wait until after lunch to click on? Does it bring a smile or create an ulcer when they hear you've called? It's a hard question, perhaps, but one worth asking since everyone gravitates toward those they enjoy working with. An overaggressive ego or a communication style that leads with blame or never being satisfied does (not may -- but does) have a negative impact on an author's growth potential. The reason to change is not primarily for career growth - but to become more Christ-like, which is the call of every Christian. Ask hard questions here -- and dive deep on this front..

It's great to know these Kryptonite Questions. But remember -- these questions only lead to breakthrough if you actually ask them, listen well, and then learn from them. I wish you SUPER results on this journey!

Celebrate with Me!

The winners are: 


From blog followers: bluerose and Me & Mine in a Small Town.
From commenters: Janna and Misskallie2000
From my newsletter: haleygirl58 and jrs362


Congratulations!

Last week I received a copy of my latest book in Guidepost's Patchwork Mysteries series. In Squared Away, Sarah Hart is trying to get to the bottom of a counterfeit problem in her town. As with anything Sarah does quilts are involved.

It's a fun story with a hint of romance, lots of mystery solving and small town America.

I'd like to share it with you.

I've got six copies I'm giving away.

• Two copies will go to randomly selected followers of the blog. For extra chances on the blog, let me know that you follow me on facebook or twitter with your name. Also post about the contest on your facebook page, blog or twitter, and let me know here. I may add books to give away if we get over 75 comments.
• Two copies will go to randomly selected individuals who subscribe to my newsletter. You can sign up here.
• Two will go to those who comment on the post on Facebook. You can find me on Facebook here.

Join in the fun!

Patchwork Mysteries

1.      Family Patterns by Kristin Eckhardt
2.      Time to Share by Jo Ann Brown
3.      Muslin Mysteries by Vera Dodge
4.      Timeless Treasures by Cara Putman
5.      Homespun Holiday by Kelly Ann Riley
6.      Pieces of the Past by Susan Page Davis
7.      Threads of Truth by Kristin Eckhardt
8.      Secret in the Stitches  by Jo Ann Brown
9.      Bound in Love by Camy Tang
10.  Yesterday’s Secrets by Kelly Ann Riley
11.  Squared Away by Cara Putman

Review: Grandma's Attic and More Stories from Grandma's Attic

Any of you remember reading these books as tweens? I loved the In Grandma's Attic books, but my one complaint is that the print was so small I haven't been able to interest my ten year old in them.

These new editions take care of that issue, by making these wonderful short stories easy-to-read.  And engaging illustrations have been added to several of the stories in each book.  Each short story tells of an event in Arleta's grandmother's life. Everything from a hoop skirt to a quilt or a button serve as the launching point for a story that illustrates an important life truth.

These short chapters are easy for young readers to enjoy. But the content is great for any age. If you like Little House on the Prairie, you will equally enjoy these books.

 Synopsis: Remember when you were a child--when all the world was new, and the  smallest object a thing of wonder? Arleta Richardson remembers: the  funny wearable wire contraption hidden in the dusty attic, the  century-old schoolchild's slate that belonged to Grandma, an ancient  trunk filled with quilt pieces--each with its own special story--and the  button basket, a miracle of mysteries. And best of all was the  remarkable grandmother who made magic of all she touched, bringing the  past alive as only a born storyteller could.

Here are those  marvelous tales--faithfully recalled for the delight of young and old  alike, a touchstone to another day when life was simpler, perhaps  richer; when the treasures of family life and love were passed from  generation to generation by a child's questions, and the legends that  followed enlarged our faith. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Part of the  bestselling Grandma’s Attic series, these charming tales—updated with  delightful new illustrations—will whisk you away to another time and  place. And you’ll find something worth far more than any treasure or  keepsake…timeless lessons of life and faith!

Come get involved!

Drive to support Joplin tornado victims: wlfi.com

CFBA: The Reluctant Detective

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  The Reluctant Detective  Monarch Books (April 30, 2011)  by  Martha Ockley
    I really enjoyed this book. The British flavor is a delightful change and the heroine is far from perfect. She's like me -- struggling to live her faith in the midst of an often confusing situation. She's also a not-quite-reformed former detective, who can't help investigating when a fellow clergy member is murdered. I can't wait to find more books by this new-to-me author.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Martha Ockley is the pen-name of Rebecca Jenkins. She read history at Oxford University, and spent several years working alongside her father, the Rt. Revd. David Jenkins (Bishop of Durham 1984-94) during the turbulence of the 1980s. She lives in Teesdale in the North East of England where the landscape and history provide the inspiration for her Regency detective, F R Jarrett. Since September 2009 she has been Royal Literary Fund Fellow and Writer in Residence at York St John University. She is a full-time author, writing both fiction and non-fiction. (She should not be confused with a Canadian actor and singer, also called Rebecca Jenkins.)  


ABOUT THE BOOK   

The Reluctant Detective sees Faith Morgan arriving back in the region of her birth - Winchester in Hampshire. Recently ordained, she had been working as a curate in an Anglican inner-city church. Within an hour of her arrival at Little Worthy, she witnesses the sudden shocking death of a fellow priest during a communion service at St James's. He had been poisoned with a pesticide mixed with the communion wine. The senior police officer who arrives at the scene turns out to be Detective Inspector Ben Shorter, Faith's ex long-term boyfriend.

She is urged by the Bishop to stay on to look after the parish of Little Worthy. As she meets her parishioners she learns some surprising facts about her apparently well loved predecessor, and starts to suspect a motive for his death. And it is she who finally identifies the murderer.

The story gets off to a dramatic start with the previous vicar collapsing as soon as he drank the communion cup, and it holds the interest throughout. There is some romantic interest too. Inspector Ben Shorter starts by sneeringly telling his sergeant, "Ms Morgan is a vicar. One of the ordained," Ben emphasized the word. “She's a card-carrying professional at the touchy-feely stuff.” But he soon starts to feel differently about her again, although she is well aware that he "didn't understand the reality she experienced through her faith. He didn't even recognize its existence. That was the gulf between them." Her own beliefs and doubts are convincingly described, for even she can't help wondering, "What if there is no truth to it?" But for her, as for Pascal before her, it was a gamble worth taking.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Reluctant Detective, go HERE

In the face of disaster, what can we do?

I've been burdened by the tornadoes and their horrific paths of destruction. I first asked God what I could do when I saw the horrific images of Alabama. Then the weekend storms hit Joplin. A third of the town...gone.

It's almost too much to fathom.

But the burden wouldn't leave. So I kept praying. A donation didn't seem like enough, though I did that, too. I wanted to do something tangible. Something the kids could participate in like giving of clothes and books to those who have lost everything.

I mentioned an idea to my pastor's wife, and literally, in twenty-four hours God exploded it into something so much bigger. I love how He does that! Our church is a collection point for material goods to go to a church in Joplin where my pastor's brother serves as a worship pastor. I sent out a facebook message to 41 friends (don't you love social networking) and now three local churches are partnering with us. I worried about how we would transport the goods, and one of those churches has a box truck we can use. A friend has a trailer we can borrow. God saw all of this and has it planned!

So what can we do?

• Pray. I absolutely believe prayer is key. I'm praying that God will lead the searchers to those awaiting rescue. I'm praying for peace and comfort to those who lost so much. And I'm praying for the storms to calm.
• Give. There are excellent organizations like Convoy of Hope and Samaritan's Purse that are on the ground making a difference. For Samaritan's Purse, the link takes you to the donation page and enter an amount at the US line. For Convoy of Hope, you can also go to KLOVE's page for easy donating. These organizations are on the ground with critical food and water and the love of God. Samaritan's Purse is organizing volunteers, too.
• If you want to help with physical items, there are many churches that will serve as collection points. If you're near West Lafayette, Indiana, bring them to my home church Bethel Christian Life Center. We will get them to Joplin Family Worship Center, for distribution
• Desperately needed items:
• Baby food
• formula
• diapers
• kids' clothes from infant on up
• toys and books are welcome too, but think small since we'll have to transport everything.
• tarps in all shapes and sizes.
• hygiene products -- everything from hotel sample sized to full sized
• I'm also hearing that things like cell phones and chargers are critically needed, too.

 If you would like more information on how to help, contact one of the organizations listed above or email me if you're close to Lafayette.

I refuse to stand paralyzed in the face of disaster. Instead, I choose to do something and be the hands and feet of Christ to those in desperate need.

Running Free: a lesson from Jessie

My family has a dog. Kind of an over-grown, but oh-so-skinny mutt. We selected her at a shelter four days after our other dog was killed. Mason was the wonder dog with one weakness -- bunnies. Jessie is a patient dog with one weakness -- freedom.

We don't have a fence -- though we keep saying we're going to add one. Instead, we give Jessie lots of freedom in the yard via a long thin cable. It's at least twenty feet long and lets her reach most places a fence would.

But it's not enough.

Jessie truly is an object lesson in the grass is always greener on the other side of anything. If her cable snaps, which happens after lots of use, she's free. So she runs.

If the kids accidentally leave a door open, she's free. So she runs.

If someone not familiar with our escape artist comes in without carefully shutting the door behind them, she's free. And she runs.

And we chase. All over the neighborhood. Fortunately, she usually stays contained in the neighborhood, but that isn't a guarantee of safety. Fortunately, she doesn't get out more than two or three times a year...anymore. We're getting smarter. She's getting a wee bit calmer. Ever so wee bit.

But the last time she ran, it made me think about how I am with God. He gives me borders and boundaries for my safety. I don't always like them. At the least little break, I'm running for what looks so much better. Then a carload of sin barrels down on me. I get thirsty from the effort. But I keep going, just like Jessie, until I weary and remember how much better I had it laying beside still waters in green pastures.

Review: Over the Edge

Brandilyn Collins is back with another suspense that is ripped from the headlines. This time the setting is the battle over Lyme Disease.  Over the Edge tells the story of a woman who is targeted by a man determined to show her husband is intentionally lying. She's targeted because her husband is a leading researcher on Lyme. And when she comes down with symptoms, his research moves into his home.

The pacing is typical Brandilyn Collins: tight and spiraling. The book spans about a week as Janessa tries to determine what's happening to her body. Questions multiply faster than her symptom riddled mind can comprehend. And as I expect with a Brandilyn Collins book, the spiritual thread is intricately intertwined. You can't separate it from the rest of the story. A great read for when you can stay up all night.

Synopsis: Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author's own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today's medical field.

Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University's Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn't exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.

One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next.

But Janessa's marriage is already rocky. She's so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.

Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.

“A taut, heartbreaking thriller. Collins is a fine writer who knows how to both horrify readers and keep them turning pages.” --Publishers Weekly

“A frightening and all-too-real scenario. Very timely and meaningful book.” –RT Reviews

If you would like to read the Prologue of Over the Edge, go HERE

Watch the book video:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brandilyn Collins is an award-winning and best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®. These harrowing crime thrillers have earned her the tagline "Don't forget to b r e a t h e..."®  Brandilyn's first book, A Question of Innocence, was a true crime published by Avon in 1995. Its promotion landed her on local and national TV and radio, including the Phil Donahue and Leeza talk shows. Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons). She is now working on her 20th book.

In addition, Brandilyn’s other latest release is Final Touch, third in The Rayne Tour series—young adult suspense co-written with her daughter, Amberly. The Rayne Tour series features Shaley O’Connor, daughter of a rock star, who just may have it all—until murder crashes her world.

Review: A Killer Among Us

What makes a family? That is the underlying question of Lynette Eason's latest thriller, A Killer Among Us.

Kit Kenyon is a hostage negotiator who has moved to town to get to know her biological sisters. Noah Lambert a good detective, and her new partner. Together the two are thrust into the pursuit of a serial killer who seems to target law students. Then the two of them find themselves squarely in the killer's sights.

The suspense builds with each new murder. The crimes happen quickly, leaving little time for them to catch their breath. The clues are tight and kept me reading as I guessed the killer's identity. While I guessed correctly, I still found the book very enjoyable and well worth the read. The romance was well written, adding to the tension without detracting from the suspense threads. and for those who have read the earlier books in the Women of Justice series, you will love the reappearance of Sam and Conner, Jamie and Dakota. This book is one that will pull you deeply into its pages and not let go until you reach the highly satisfying end.

Available May 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Friday Recipes: Julie's Potato Soup

I know May is not traditionally soup weather, but this is such a yummy soup, I had to share anyway. I like to make this soup and keep it in a crock pot all day until it's time to serve. It's great for gatherings as a counter to chili. A very yummy soup. And I love the leftovers if there are any at the end of the night.

Julie's Potato Soup

1 box of Uncle Ben's long grain rice
4 cups of milk
1 can of diced potatoes
1 can cream of potato soup
8 oz. of Velvetta
small package of bacon bits

Combine milk, soup, diced potatoes, cubed Velvetta, and bacon in a large pot or crock pot. Cook the rice and add to the soup. Add more milk if needed. That's it. You can serve right away or keep warm for later.

Yum!

Bonus Recipe: Rhubarb Custard Cake

You know I've been posting some favorite recipes here on Fridays. But in honor of the Hearts at Home Blog Hop, I'm adding a spring favorite today.

Here's an oh-so-easy and yummy cake that you'll love to share with friends and family. And they'll think you've worked oh-so-hard.

Rhubarb Custard Cake

1 yellow cake mix

4 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb sliced

1 cup sugar (though I usually use 1/2 a cup)

 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Make the cake according to package directions. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Layer the rhubarb on top of the batter. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the rhubarb. Then pour the whipping cream over the top of that. Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

It’s delicious warm. While it bakes, the rhubarb, sugar and whipping cream sink to the bottom and make a delicious custard. A delicious and easy dessert.

Click here to add your blog entry to Heart's at Home's Third Thursday Thoughts Blog Hop...

Looking for YA Titles?

Are you looking for YA titles, either because you like to read that genre or because you have a teen or tween reading them? If so, please pop over to a new blog I've started with my sister (another homeschooling, book-reviewing momma). The blog is oh so creatively titled Teen and Tween Book Reviews.

We'll be planning giveaways for June to coincide with summer reading.

We'll also be loading lots of reviews. Some will be written from our perspective. Some will invite our reader kids to write with a little help from mom. Some will be non fiction. Most will be fiction titles.

So pop over there and then let me know what you think. What kind of books would you like to see highlighted? Are author interviews helpful? etc.

I'm looking forward to this new journey!

Fade to Blue & author interview + giveaway

Today, I'm delighted to host my friend Julie Carobini. She writes fun stories set in California along the ocean. She has a new book releasing this week, and it's another good one. I read  -- no, savored -- Fade to Blue over several days, letting myself enjoy the heroine's journey.

In honor of the release of Fade to Blue, I'm giving away a copy of Sweet Waters, the prior book in the Otter Bay series. To be entered leaving a comment about your favorite ocean/water escape. Congrats to winner Sarah Forgrave.

Suz Mitchell is a determined dreamer and won't allow her ex-husband Len's jail sentence to ruin their young son Jeremiah's life. An accomplished artist, she moves with her child across the country to California's central coast and lands a job restoring priceless art for the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the ocean.

A serious old flame, Seth, also works at Hearst and jumbles the dreams inside Suz's heart. While sorting out the awkwardness of their past split and current spiritual differences, a repentant Len shows up eager to restore his family.

What I loved about this story is that Suz is a gal I wanted to bring home for coffee. I needed to know how she waded through so many issues and how they resolved. There also was a major twist at the end that I loved. It really upped the stakes and made me love the outcome all the more. 

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fade to Blue, go HERE.

I always want to know how people got started writing. Where did your interest start?
My father wrote magazine articles on the side, including interviews with entertainers such as Fred Astaire and Fred MacMurray. Always loved that! I too became an article writer almost twenty years ago, but I always yearned to create fiction. I wrote two novels that did not sell, but as they say, third time’s a charm, and my debut novel, Chocolate Beach, released in 2007 (re-released with recipes in 2011 as an eBook). By that time, I had a renewed faith in God as well as a redefined focus on the kinds of stories he was leading me to write.

What compelled you to write this book?
Ever since the inception of the Otter Bay Novels with Sweet Waters, I’ve wanted to set a book with the famed Hearst Castle as its backdrop. So much intrigue and mystery about that real castle on the hill and its eccentric, yet astute owner. Of course, novels are more than their location. So after writing the 2nd of these stand-alone novels, A Shore Thing, even I longed to know what happened next for the big-hearted, single mom from that story. Fade to Blue satisfies that curiosity … ☺

What surprised you as you wrote this book?
Writing this story was much like holding a seashell, constantly turning it over in my hand. Though they’re often tossed into the sea with nary a glance, seashells are intricately beautiful—even when broken. The more I examined the shattered life of Suz—the heroine of Fade to Blue—the more beauty I found. Only the One who restores our souls can make that happen.

Are there  specific lessons you hope readers will learn and apply to their lives after reading your book?
I hope readers get lost in the story and the beautiful setting, that they revel in God’s creation as much as I did while writing it. I also hope they experience the Good Shepherd’s gentle leading (Psalm 23), and fall in the love with the concepts of forgiveness, sacrifice, and grace—as much as they do the breathtaking locale.

How does the book intertwine with God’s call on your life and how you are currently serving Him? This story reminds me not to dwell on the past, but to prayerfully, joyfully—and ‘hope’fully— move forward. Such lessons there! Suz Mitchell made mistakes in her past—so have I—yet healing brokenness and restoring souls is God’s business. Praise him for that!

Anything else you want to add in closing?
Just that I hope people reading this are encouraged to follow their heart’s desires with the Good Shepherd as their guide. God took all the lows and highs in my life and created something new with them. Although I’d always wanted to write, I had no inkling that I’d be writing beach- themed novels one day. I just kept praying and writing and seeking until an idea popped into my head. I followed that idea, and now find myself talking about my fifth novel filled with ‘waves of grace.’ Be encouraged!

Friday Recipes: Cajun Shrimp

This is a hands on, messy recipe. And it's always a crowd-pleaser. Just don't forget to ask your guests if they don't like shrimp before you make it. It's also a dish you stick in the oven as they walk in the door.

Anytime I make this it makes me think of the couple that introduced it to us (the Westfalls) and the great time we had together as we peeled dozens of shrimp. So messy, and so incredibly yummy!

2 sticks butter    (I use 4 sticks of butter and melt in the 9x 13 pan)
2 sticks margarine

8 oz worcherster sauce
bulb of garlic
4 lemons (2 juiced into the mixture and 2 sliced to be put on top the dish)
4 tablespoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of Rosemary
4 teaspoons of tabasco (though I never add this)
2 teaspoons salt
2-3 pounds of shrimp in the shell (1 1/2 pounds is good for four moderately hungry people)

Mix all ingredients except shrimp and sliced lemons. Pour 1/2 of mixture in bottom of pan and top with shrimp. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the shrimp. Top with sliced lemon. bake for 15-20 minutes (or until shrimp turn pink) in a 350 degree oven.

Serve it with sliced French or Italian bread that will be dipped in the sauce. Serve in bowls and have extra bowls on the table for collecting the shells. I also serve it with a spinach salad that my family loves. It's a great meal and who doesn't like to not have to worry about getting messy :-)