Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 22, 2012 by bethrachg

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let’s make a few lists.

A. I wrote several pages listing everything that I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving. I started with breathing. That’s right. We should be thankful for each and every breath. If you start there when creating your list, you realize the list can go on and on. The list is infinite.

You better understand the scripture:

1. O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His loving kindness is everlasting.1 Chronicles 16:34

Or . . .

2. Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

God’s love is infinite. It never ceases, therefore our thanksgiving and praise should never cease.

The list of thanksgiving scriptures goes on.

B. Then I also wrote a list of things needing prayer, and things overshadowing my Thanksgiving. Two things that loom darker than the rest are:

1. Israel

2. Black Friday

The two hardly seem to go together, but there it is. There’s nothing more I can do for Israel except pray and prayer is most powerful. (And yes, our  nation needs major prayer too.)

On Black Friday, I have a question for you. I have never been one to brave the chaos on Black Friday, which has now morphed to include Thursdays, too. If you’re one of those brave souls, I assume you’re in it to save hundreds of dollars, otherwise what’s the point?

I’ll share with you that my dear grandmother beat the crowds to the Dollar Store one Black Friday. That’s right—the Dollar Store. Ahem. . .there wasn’t exactly a crowd there either. But picture that in your mind, and I hope it makes you smile.

Back to the topic. Are books ever on your list of items to grab during the chaos? No? Do you ever enter blog contests to win a free copy of an autographed book? They make great Christmas gifts to the book lovers among your friends and family. If you’re not interested in taking the time to comment on blogs for free books, perhaps consider shopping at your local Christian bookstore. If we want to remain thankful for the ability to shop at these stores, we need to support them.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Be Blessed!

Elizabeth Goddard

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A Thankful Heart

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Maureen Lang

Most of the year goes by so quickly I rarely have time to think about anything except whatever task I’m trying to finish. But the holiday season is about to kick off, and although it brings all kinds of new busyness, this is one time of year that I usually find a moment to sit down and reflect.

Pictured here is what my disabled son will use when we sit around the table and tell each other what we’re thankful for. Since he has so few words in his vocabulary, he uses PECS to communicate, a Picture Exchange Communication System. It’s hard to know if the pictures are an accurate representation of what he’s thinking, since even with the help of a variety of picture choices many of his actions appear more arbitrary than planned. Did he really choose these pictures for himself? Maybe not; maybe they were just the ones his aids at school have observed in him and encouraged him to choose. He makes much clearer choices when they have a direct and immediate, usually tangible, benefit (i.e. food related!). 🙂

Nonetheless, seeing his thankful list in such a visual way made me wonder what kind of pictures I would choose if I were to make a plate of thankfulness. Family, friends, church and home would all make the list.

Not long after my son was diagnosed with Fragile X, I was reminded that we need to thank God in all things. (1 Thes. 5:18) At first I grated against this command. I was supposed to thank God for something that, even at the time, I only suspected would be limiting – not just for my son, but for my entire family? I was to thank God for that?

Eventually as my grief settled into place and I realized I had no place else to go except to God, I first thanked Him only out of obedience. I felt no gratitude, but I said the words anyway. Then, gradually noticing things like the wonderful people who came into my life as a result of my son’s disability, and little things like an increased awareness of our magnificently fine-tuned creation, I began to realize God still loved me. And after all, we live in a world full of death, disease, deceit, and disappointment. Why should my life be spared? I could think of no reason. If all we needed for a charmed life is to come to God, then I assured myself everyone would find a way to Him, one way or another. And where would faith play into that?

So after realizing I had nowhere else to go, and that it was only pride that made me think my son and those of us who love him should have been spared such a lot in life (and that I didn’t have to look far to find someone with more challenges than my own) I began to look for some promises that everything would be all right. I began to look for that “character growth” the Bible promises (Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, Jeremiah 29:11 to name a few).

One of the first answers in this regard was a book God assigned me to write, which shouldn’t surprise anyone since I’m a writer. I’m still thankful for having written The Oak Leaves, because it was such tangible evidence of how God can allow a good purpose to result from something difficult. I still get emails from other parents of disabled kids from that book, even though it’s only available as an e-book these days.

I can also say that even though I still get frustrated, and I still resent the lack of freedom we all have because of Fragile X, nothing else in life has strengthened my faith and dependence upon God the way this has. I also look forward to Heaven more than ever, when I’ll get to converse with my son, run with him, worship with him. Can that be a bad thing, that kind of hope? I don’t think so.

So, am I thankful for everything, even the challenges? It’s easier when I think about the purposes God had in mind. Sometimes it just takes a little more reflection to get there!

What about you? Is there something God has allowed in your life that, if you look at what purpose God might have in mind behind it, has benefited you, or someone around you? Changed you or increased your faith? Maybe there is something about even the challenges we face that we can be grateful for.

May your Thanksgiving be full of gratitude — even in unexpected places.

 

 

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This Cracked Me Up by James L. Rubart

Posted on November 20, 2012 by James L. Rubart

As novelists we strive to craft words and stories that stir emotions in our readers. One guidelines we all use to make this happen is to avoid clichés. Clichés dumb down writing, bore people, and tell our readers we didn’t put a great deal of effort into being original.

How ’bout you? Even if you’re not a writer I bet you’ve fallen into the world of cliché when choosing  words to describe your Christianity. Click on the image below–it will take you to the vid–and let me know if I’m right. (Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to embed the video in my post.)

 

So did you laugh? Why? Because you heard phrases that roll off your own tongue with more than a little frequency?

What do you think non-Christians would think of this kind of lingo?

And finally, do you have a burden for any phrases you’d like to add to the list? (Yes indeed you astute reader you, I did just slip one of own most hated phrases.)

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The Truth About Thanksgiving by Vicki Hinze

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Vicki Hinze

Photo Credit: canstockphoto.com

 

 

While this isn’t an article on books, it is a reminder to readers (and writers) that history, storytelling, and reading stories has power.  All can change lives, open closed minds and hearts, offer different perspectives that might be just what’s needed to see things more clearly.  We’re also reminded, since the heart of story (fiction or nonfiction) is squarely on people, even if they’re fictional characters, it’s imperative that we understand people, their goals, motivations and conflicts.  In those insights and revelations, we grasp and shape identity—that of the storypeople and of our own.  And with that collective wisdom, we comprehend and appreciate the treasure in tradition. 

What we learn from those who came before us, how embracing those traditions served us, gives us a firm hold on who we were, are, and who we choose to be.  That solves a lot of potential crises.  So what can we learn about Thanksgiving?  What in it is significant?

To answer those questions, we must ask, “What does Thanksgiving really mean?”

Time typically confuses things, and right now we’ve an abundance of confusion.  Many say we’re neck-deep in a national identity crisis.  So rather than discuss the confusion, let’s call on the wisdom of truth.  Reacquaint ourselves with it—unfiltered—by returning to the man who officially established our nation’s Thanksgiving holiday.

In 1789, on Thanksgiving Day, George Washington issued the following Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, beginning a tradition in the United States of America that is celebrated still today.

George (G.O.) Washington
Photo Credit: canstockphoto.com

Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

 

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor – and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

“Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

“G.O. WASHINGTON.”

 

Insight. Truth.  Tradition.  Wisdom.  Great fodder for characters in stories, and great character fodder for people. 

May the traditional spirit of Thanksgiving be a blessing to you and yours.  And in times that try souls and make us weary, may we remember to hold fast to our traditions—our identity—and to attitudes of gratitude.

For all our flaws and challenges,  ours is an exceptional nation of exceptional people.  We might lose our way at times and we forget who we are.  But we are fortunate.  We have the treasures of traditions and history to remind us.

This Thanksgiving, may we recall who we are, whose we are, why we are who and whose we are.  And may we feel to the depths of our souls the value of knowing each and every day.

 

 

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Rating Books

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

Camy here! Rating books is something I’m never very happy about doing because it just doesn’t seem nice. Someone put many hours into each book and a rating seems to cheapen that effort.

Also, I know all readers are different, and just because I didn’t like a book doesn’t mean another reader won’t, either.

That’s why I really don’t mind if I get 1, 2, 3 star ratings on Amazon and BN.com, because I know my books aren’t going to appeal to all readers. I understand that and accept it as a necessary fact of the career I’ve chosen as an author.

However, I have to admit that rating books can be useful as a quick guide to how I felt about a book I read, especially when I go back to refresh my memory.

It’s also helpful to see the trends of how I liked certain authors. If all the books I’ve read by an author have good ratings, then the author goes on my auto-buy list.

I was thinking about my ratings the other day and thought it would be good for me (and my declining capacity to remember anything) to write down what my ratings mean.

So here’s what I figured out my book ratings to mean:

1-star: Didn’t finish the book because I either didn’t like several elements of it, had problems relating to/liking the characters, or had issues with the plot.

2-stars: Book had at least one positive thing about it that I liked, but later I wasn’t interested enough to finish the book.

3-stars: I finished the book, but there were elements of it I didn’t like, or at least one of the characters was hard to sympathize with, or there were parts of the plot that didn’t make logical sense to me.

4-stars: I finished the book and mostly enjoyed it, although there might have been things about the plot, characters, or writing style I didn’t particularly like.

5-stars: I finished the book and enjoyed it. There might have been one or two things I didn’t quite like, but on a whole the book was entertaining and I liked it.

There are some 5-star books that I absolutely loved, but rather than give a 6-star rating or reserving the 5-star rating for those “perfect” books, I simply rave about the book in the comments section of my book catalogue (I use Booxter, which has a virtual “card” of information about each book I’ve read or have, and there’s a comments section where I talk about what I thought of the book).

So how about you? How do you rate books?

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Taking the Windows 8 Plunge by Julie Arduini

Posted on November 14, 2012 by juliearduini

My husband is a computer programmer and a natural teacher. When we married, he was patient and taught me not to be afraid of computers and the constant changes. As my confidence grew and his work schedule increased, I started playing with the latest trends and helped my friends get started with their brand new laptops and other gadgets.

When Windows 8 came out, two new things happened. For one, my husband wasn’t overly enthusiastic for me to try it. In fact, he made it clear there is no trying. Windows 8 is like a covenant. You enter in, and you don’t look back. You’re all in.

The second surprise was our son is old enough and technically gifted that he can offer an opinion of his own. “Don’t try it, mom. It’s different than anything you’ve ever had. I don’t think it is for you.”

I took what they said into consideration. Afterall, the loudest Vista critic had to be me. I couldn’t wait for Windows 7 to redeem the hot mess I found Vista to be. But Windows 8 was a different animal. A complete overhaul, my husband said.

What made Windows 8 so different? In one word, apps. Windows 8 was designed for the touch screen user who can slide from screen to screen. If that translates to a concert, the touch screen/tablet type users were the front row seats and my laptop with no touchscreen was the nosebleed section. Using Windows 8 put me at the event, but not up close.

Still, I had to try. I maintain my own website. I consider my greatest victory of 2012 mastering the Bluetooth function on my Ford Sync. I was on Facebook before it was a phenomenon because I felt it would be a great way to grow my platform. Windows 8 seemed to be the next level on my technology mountain, much like that yodeling game I watched as a kid on “The Price is Right.”

My husband tried to inject reason. “You should wait. With your wrist surgery recovery I think the learning curve is too much for someone who will be on Vicodin.”

Okay, I listened to that advice.

I installed Windows 8 on NaNoWriMo Eve.

Two weeks plus later, I have to say my family was right, and wrong.

Here’s what’s true.

Windows 8 is so different. As I wrote, if you had to sum it up, it’s all about apps. The learning curve is steep.

This is the start screen on Windows 8. You can customize it, and it scrolls/slides.

  • Instead of the start menu/list of programs on the left side, everything is an app. When it installed, most everything I was already using automatically converted. But to access the start menu/app center, you have to hover to the left corner.
  • The right corner hover reveals icons to search, settings, devices, share, start, and reveal the time, date, battery status and signal strength, I believe. For touchscreen, I imagine activating this is easy. For me, it takes time to find the exact place to maneuver.
  • I didn’t even know how to turn my own laptop off. What a relief my husband confessed the same. Once you know, it makes sense. I hovered on the right, hit settings, and you can power off. But what a search to figure that out.
  • You can customize how a lot of apps, your desktop, and start menu look. It’s a lot more personal, I think.
  • I’ve never Googled “How to…Windows 8” more in my life. I am Googling a lot. I needed something to transfer from my Google calendar to the calendar app. I lost serious writing time that took so long to figure out.
  • It can be buggy. I know my husband had to download a driver to make something simple work. I think printing, but I can’t remember, because I was in that depression zone when you want to master something and realize it owns you.

But, you know what? I don’t regret installing it.

  • Every day is easier for me to use it, and I think at the end of the day, I’m efficient because of it.
  • It’s a crisp, clean look.  I love how my start screen looks. I love the layout, much of it a result of my playing with it.
  • The apps are endless.  The categories keep scrolling and scrolling in the store. So many choices.

My advice? If you aren’t interested in joining the technology bandwagon, I wouldn’t go Windows 8. I try to picture someone like my mom trying it and I can envision her being frustrated and frazzled. She just wants to e-mail and manage pictures. Windows 8 would be overwhelming.

If you want in, but you’re busy, give it some time. It takes getting used to, and although this is a very busy month, part of my NaNo word count being down is because I lost it to figuring out Windows 8 aspects.

What do you think? Has anyone installed Windows 8?

Photobucket image

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An Excellent Read–By Hannah Alexander

Posted on November 13, 2012 by alexanderhodde

I’ve always thought of myself as a romantic suspense reader. After all, that’s what I write, so it obviously interests me. Phyllis Whitney and  Mary Stewart were two of my favorites, among others, when I was developing my taste in fiction. Beautiful prose draws me, as well, which is why I enjoy a good Dean Koontz novel despite the fact that I’m not a lover of horror. Dean usually manages to insert a happy ending into his work, which keeps me coming back for more.

Looking back over the more recent years, however, I’ve discovered that I enjoy a well-written fantasy novel, such as Donita Paul’s Dragon series, which was supposedly written for younger folk, but which many adults enjoy. I love fantasy not only because they are fun, exciting stories, but because it’s possible to portray great spiritual truths in these stories without being accused of preaching. After all, it’s fantasy. Kathy Tyers is another sci-fi/fantasy novelist whose work I enjoy, as well as my friend, Karen Hancock, who has won multiple Christy awards for her intense and excellent work.

If you haven’t already discovered RJ Larson, let me introduce you to a fantasy novelist who has captured the very essence of the technique in her Books of the Infinite series, a sort of Hunger Games with hope. I’m not sure how many books will complete the series. The first novel was Prophet, about a young woman who is chosen by the Infinite to become His prophet, shocking all the priests in her city. Throughout a journey into other lands–including romance! Yay!–our young prophet discovers and learns to depend on the power and personal love of the Infinite in her life, and in the lives of those she meets. In Judge, the second novel, our prophet, Ela, and the hero she loves, Kien, are plunged into political intrigue, war, betrayal and hope as their faith is tested and forced to grow deeper through experiences the prophets and children of God must have felt in our Bible. As I read, I find my own faith reaffirmed, as I’m sure other readers of this exciting series have discovered, as well.

If you like Christian allegory and fantasy, you will not be disappointed with this series by RJ Larson. If you haven’t tested the waters of fantasy, I urge you to pick up a copy of Prophet or Judge today and get your feet wet. I think you’ll be encouraged.

 

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God’s Gift of Emotion, posted by Maureen Lang

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Maureen Lang

One of the reasons many of us read is because we enjoy tapping in to the emotional lives of the characters portrayed in a well written book—and, if we trust the author, we look forward to an emotionally satisfying ending. In this way reading is like riding a roller coaster; we look forward to both the ups and the downs but we know we’re going to be safe at the end.

Not long ago I asked God to control my emotions. It wasn’t my most stellar prayer, since emotions are a gift that’s closely connected to our free will. It was as if I’d asked Him to take away one of the most valuable gifts He’d given me. After all, emotions are powerful, and He entrusted that power to me. He didn’t make me a robot, programmed to love and hate all the right things.

Instead of asking Him to control that gift, I needed to be more in tune to Him and what His word says about honoring Him—to monitor and then foster the emotions that take me in a direction closer, not farther, from Him. That leaves the control and responsibility in my hands, accompanied by surrender and submission that’s entirely my choice with each step of life.

But coming to that conclusion didn’t help as much as I thought it would when I faced some of the darker emotions that often come with life. Escaping into a good book helps; listening to music that honors God helps, too. Talking about my emotions with someone I love and trust, striving to be other-centered rather than self-centered is also important in times of sadness.

God blessed these kinds of efforts to get over my doldrums, but He also has a sense of humor. As many of you know, I have a handicapped son. He’s seventeen and a half years old, but functions like a two year old. He’s basically non-verbal, but he does understand a bit of language, certainly more than he can express – and he has a small collection of words himself.

He also loves music, and doesn’t mind that I have a singing voice only God and my mother would welcome. So when I sing a song he likes, he latches on to one word in the lyrics and repeats that when he wants me to sing a particular song for him. Wouldn’t you know it, when I was feeling so low, he remembered a song from literally years ago: If You’re Happy And You Know It (clap your hands, stomp your feet, shout hurray…).

Do you know that song is impossible to sing fifty times in one day and not have some part of the Happy rub off? I’m fairly convinced it was God who reminded my son about that old song, just when I needed to tap into it.

Realizing God is involved in the details of my life—that His love especially for me is found in such details—is probably the most important element in conquering those doldrums. God is in the details if we look for Him.

So . . . if you’re in those nasty old doldrums, perhaps God is in the detail of directing you to read this blog post today. He knows our needs and like the best loving Father He’s ready to meet them. I think that’s more likely than Him just wanting to hear a catchy tune, don’t you?

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A Glimpse into My Christian Journey

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Sarah Goebel

When I came to know and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was elated and overwhelmed with a sense of God’s goodness and mercy. I could hardly wait to get to my Bible each day to learn more about God and His ways. I was also extremely excited to share the good news of Christ with others, whether male or female, and did so tirelessly. It was probably six months after my salvation that I invited my daughter’s friends’ moms to my house for Bible study. Among other experiences I had in sharing Christ was witnessing to a homeless man. I happened to see him leaving our barn one morning. Come to find out, He was living there. One morning after my husband and children were off to work and school, I invited him in for eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. While he ate, I read passages of Scripture to him. For the next two weeks, I continued to fix him breakfast and share the Scriptures until one morning, he received Christ. This kind of thing continued happening to me until I started to go to an organized church.

You see, when I found Christ, I was not in the organized church. I was led to the Lord by a co-worker who, like myself, was a beauty care consultant and sold products from her home. However, she left town soon thereafter without plugging me in somewhere. I continued studying the Bible and doing word studies and such on my own. It was three years later before I went to an organized church, but my passion for Christ and studying the Word had only increased during that time. However, as I got more involved with the church, I discovered they had different lists for how women and men could serve. This was confusing to me in that when I listened to our pastor’s sermons, and when I read the Bible, I understood we were to serve using the gifts God gave us. I didn’t see women presented as lesser spiritual beings than men. Instead, I saw Christ breaking the gender barriers of the culture during His time on earth, and I saw the Apostle Paul empowering and encouraging women as well. Yet, I was told that I could not fulfill the ministry dream that was on fire in my soul. I wanted to be right with God and I thought I must be wrong in what I thought I saw in the Word. After all, I was not as knowledgeable as these men. I tried really hard to convince myself, and I was semi-convinced that women were not supposed to teach, pastor, or lead where men were involved. I accepted the notion that women were more easily deceived than men because Eve was deceived and not Adam and other such teachings. Yet, I still had those memories of my earlier years and passion that had burned in my heart and soul for Christ and teaching others. I still remembered the joy I felt witnessing Christ whether to male or female. Nonetheless, I decided not to put the time and money into getting a formal education as I am doing now, because I could not see the point since women were so marginalized when it came to ministry. Yet, for my whole life, God and the work of the ministry is the only thing I have ever had a burning desire to pursue knowledge for.

As I have watched, studied, prayed about and experienced women who live in an atmosphere of inequality at church and home, and compared them to those who live in an atmosphere of equality and mutuality in church and home, I have discovered a remarkable difference.  I have discovered women deal with discrimination due to gender by fear and anger and bitterness. Some women even take on an authoritarian role and sometimes even become oppressors themselves with other women. Others react with depression and give up on meeting injustices directly. Some attempt to build mini empires by leading a small group in such a way that others become dependent on them rather than pointing them to Christ and teaching them to be dependent on Him. Still others resort to the use of manipulation or other indirect means to control and alter situations, perhaps even unconscious of their dependency on this evil technique.

Then, there are those precious Christian women whom I have counseled who suffer abuse – some verbal and some physical – who believe they must always submit to the male headship no matter what; and those who are afraid of what the church will think if they were to say something about the abuse; or those who think there must be something wrong with them instead of him; after all, isn’t the woman less spiritual than the man. These things have always left a little doubt in my mind as to our interpretation of Scripture in this area of male hierarchy over women in the church and home as I have seen women stripped at various levels of human dignity. God’s way should produce good fruit, and leave no room for bad – it should produce life and leave no room for death to result. Yet, there were those couple of Scriptures that had me tripped up. Although they did not fit with the rest of the Scripture, I did not know why, so I did not know what to do with them.

Then God sent my husband and I to the desert where He has provided rivers of living water, pouring so much of Himself into me. It has been here, that He has begun to unravel the truth to me during my personal study time. He is showing me the error in my own belief system and the belief system of my wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. However, there is so much to learn. There is so much evidence needed to build my confidence in sharing this truth with others, that I decided this topic would be the perfect topic to invest my time, energy and finances into for my Writing and Research class. After all, when it comes right down to it, we are talking about the finished work of Christ at the cross. We are talking about the restoration of the male-female relationship back to God’s original design as seen in the creation account found in Genesis. And when we have this correct, we begin to understand the nature of the body of Christ and a woman’s role alongside men in it. So, by the grace of God, I hope to be sharing more with you as my research progresses over the months ahead.

On another note, I just want to remind everyone that tomorrow is our opportunity to cast a vote for our next President. I want to encourage everyone to pray for God’s mercy on our country and pray for the election. And, please vote if you haven’t done so! It is a privilege we should not take lightly. May God bless America!

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Christians Read newsletter

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

The first book in Vicki Hinze’s Lost, Inc. series released October 1st:

Lost, Inc. Series, Book 1
Mass Market ISBN: 978-0373445097
Large Print ISBN: 978-0373675302
Love Inspired Suspense

THE DARKEST HOURS
After losing everything, Della Jackson tries to begin again as an investigator. But she can’t forget the past . .. and neither can someone else. Someone who won’t let anyone–even Della’s best friend, former special operative Paul Mason–stand in the way. As Della is stalked and those closest to her are targeted, both Della and Paul realize there’s only one way to survive. They each have to face their greatest fears, overcome the scars of the past and dare to love again . . . before it’s too late.

LOST INC.
By finding and helping the lost, these broken investigators heal.

Watch the video

Check out the Lost, Inc. website

Kathi Macias’ Unexpected Christmas Hero released October 1st!

Here’s my latest release! FYI: The guy on the cover is Willard Parker, a guy who looks amazingly like the homeless Vietnam vet/unexpected Christmas hero in my book. Willard is also homeless and hoping having his picture on the cover will help him find his family, particularly his grown daughter. I’m posting this all over the net and talking about it on radio/TV in hopes of helping make that happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Rubart’s newest novel, Soul’s Gate, releases November 6th!

My latest novel, Soul’s Gate just released! Here’s a couple of opinions of the novel from Publishers Weekly and RT Book Reviews:

  • PW- “Readers with high blood pressure or heart conditions be warned: this is a seriously heart-thumping and satisfying read that goes to the edge, jumps off, and “builds wings on the way down.”
  • RT- “Rubart’s novel is enthralling and superlative. Truly a story about freedom from things that we hold onto, this tale will captivate readers and encourage a more active, dynamic spiritual life. The original plot and well-drawn characters elevate this book to “must read” status.”

What’s really fun about this novel is I’ve partnered with Barnes & Noble to release along with the regular version, an exclusive Barnes & Noble only version which contains three extra chapters and an author’s note.

The rest of November I’ll be working on the sequel to Soul’s Gate and looking forward to having my college age son Taylor home for Thanksgiving!

 

Camy Tang’s latest romantic suspense release is A Dangerous Stage which released November 1st (yesterday)!

Tessa Lancaster worked for her uncle in the Japanese mafia until she was sent to prison for a murder she didn’t commit. Now, after finding God behind bars, she takes odd jobs as a bodyguard to keep her distance from the family business.

In A Dangerous Stage, the second book in Camy Tang’s Protection for Hire series, Tessa gets caught up in the web of lies surrounding a shady singing competition. Hired by one of the contestants, she works with Charles Britton—the lawyer who sent her to prison—to discover the dark figures manipulating the contest from behind the scenes.

Tessa’s abilities will be tested like never before as she’s forced to balance the safety of her client’s family and her deepening relationship with Charles. In the midst of the chaos, she holds on to her faith to keep her safe and bring down the shadowy organization.

Check out the webpage for A Dangerous Stage!

Posted in Camy Tang, Honored Alumni, James L. Rubart, Kathi Macias, Uncategorized, Vicki Hinze | Leave a comment

DO YOU READ OR WRITE?

Posted on November 2, 2012 by yvon63

The tongue can get us into a lot of trouble. Words come out unedited. When my publisher for my Titanic book came to spend the day at my book signing at the Titanic Display in Pigeon Forge, TN, she and her husband took me and my friend out to dinner.
The conversation turned to books being read and written and I looked at the publisher’s husband and asked, “Do you read or write?”
He said, “I do both.”
Oh, I felt so ridiculous, having wanted to make a good impression as an intelligent, successful author. I failed.
Fortunately, everyone laughed good-naturedly, knowing I was referring to the writing process which requires a lot of both.
But that reminds me of the many times (every time) that I’m trying to write my story in a way the reader will enjoy, I feel like a failure.
A while back I emailed my agent with the words, “Everyone is going to find out I’m not really a writer.”
He emailed back, “Ha. Ha. When that email came in, I was on the phone with another client who was saying the exact thing, that she’s not a writer and never will be.”
I’m now writing my 54th novel. But only once in this writing business, did I ever feel like a “real” writer during the process, and that was with my 50th novel, Hearts that Survive – A Novel of the Titanic. From the time the editor said, “Yes, if you can do it in a short period of time,” I wrote the first draft, 120,000 words in six weeks and it required very little editing. My craft and creativity came together in a remarkable way. I felt it flowed.
All the others have required work, and time, and change, and editing and wondering if I’m a real writer. After each book is finished, I’m surprised that the effort came together and I can remind myself that I am a writer, one who works hard in this profession.
When I begin reading a book, I think of all the time and effort that went into getting those words down and realize again how much effort this and any profession requires. And I’m so grateful for readers.
I can read. I can write. And am so glad I don’t have to “speak” my novels.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NaNoWriMo!!!!!!

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

Camy here! Today is the first day of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. This month, thousands of people are committing to spending the next month trying to write 50,000 words on their own novels.

I’ve loved NaNoWriMo, because it’s fun to be part of a huge community all aimed at a common goal. It has also helped me to focus on finishing a manuscript I might have a deadline for.

This year, I’m again working on a contracted manuscript, the 22nd book in the Miracles of Marble Cove series with Guideposts. I love writing for Guideposts because the series ideas are so appealing and make me feel good about life, and the mysteries are always a bit unusual but never graphic or distasteful.

For Miracles of Marble Cove, it’s women’s fiction with a very light mystery thread running through each of the books. It’s about four women who are neighbors in a small coastal town in Maine who form a close friendship despite differences in age and home situations. I love each of these women I’m writing about and feel almost like they’re my friends, too.

Anyway, I’m excited to start on the book today!

Anyone else want to join me? You don’t have to be a writer to try the NaNoWriMo challenge–just anyone who has ever hankered after writing a book “someday.” The website is NaNoWriMo.org.

A good book about preparing for NaNoWriMo–both the writing prep but also the home life prep–is No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, who started NaNoWriMo with his friends. It’s a pretty entertaining book to read even if you don’t want to write one. 🙂

So who’s doing NaNoWriMo this year? Weigh in and tell me about your book!

Posted in Camy Tang, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 11 Comments

10 Must Haves for NaNoWriMo by Julie Arduini

Posted on October 31, 2012 by juliearduini

Cue “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” because it’s almost Christmas  National Novel Writing month, otherwise known as NaNoWrMo. Over 250,000 writers sign on with the hopes to create a 50K novel in 30 days. The participants range from those who have no writing experience and want to join the madness to published authors who need to crank out the first draft of their next work.

I started in 2010 with a “win,” because I hit the magic 50,000.  Spectacular Falls is a contemporary romance probably in an 8th draft as I take it through two critique groups affiliated with ACFW. It’s nowhere near what I started with that crazy NaNoWriMo experience, and that’s a good thing. More on that in a bit.

My 2011 attempt wasn’t a win, but a good lesson. I tried to write Discovering Nancy Struthers without plotting ahead of time, and in a month’s time, I only logged 16k. Now I know I have to plot. I guess deep down I knew that, but wanted to try.

This year I’m excited because while editing Spectacular Falls, a secondary character started waving at me, trying to get my attention. When I finally looked her way I realized she has a story. I have To Protect and Serve plotted out, and I’m ready to go. My typing fingers are twitching and I’ve been adding extra caffeine to my already insane intake as part of my pre NaNo training regiment. If you participate, you know what it feels like.

If you plan to participate in this year’s NaNoWriMo, here are resources and tips to make the most of your month.

1. Sign up at nanowrimo.org and take advantage of the forums. Every genre you can think of has a forum. There are threads for plot questions, venting, music choices while writing, and more. There are regional forums where you not only connect online, but can attend local write-ins.

2. But don’t go too crazy with your new friends. Like Facebook, the NaNoWriMo site gives the option of friending people, although I think the term might be buddy. Your personal page allows sharing information about your novel, right down to creating a cover for it. This is fun, but if you start this in November, you’re wasting precious writing time. If you get social with your friends on the NaNo site, you’re setting yourself up for frustration at the end of the month when you are low on your word count. Use connections for questions, not social time.

3. Join My Book Therapy and take advantage of their resources. Susan May Warren and her cream-of-the-crop team are the best cheerleaders with amazing writing helps.  Susie has a discount on her Book Buddy for MBT-WriMo participants. She has an incredible graphic that takes your novel from start to finish that I saw on their blog this week. They have accountability where you log every day, even if your count is 0, but by logging in, you have a shot at winning prizes. Again, watch your time, but the resources are great.  My “winning” year I listened to the soundtrack they had available every day.

4. If you plot, Scrivener has a free trial that consistently receives rave reviews. I’m trying yWriter this year. It’s free and I read good things about it.

5. Look at your calendar and plan accordingly. The NaNoWriMo friends I know are college students. Wives. Parents. They caregive for aging parents. Take children to appointments. There is this day in November called Thanksgiving where family expect a turkey. 🙂 There will be certain days you won’t write a lot, if at all. That’s okay. There are excel programs that color code the word counts and do the math to help you stay on track for a win. A Google search should help locate one, or one of the forums.

6. Don’t turn into Chevy Chase or Jack Nicholson. It’s been a few years since I watched “Funny Farm,” but I remember Chevy Chase’s character was determined to write the great American novel. It didn’t take long before he was impossible to be around, and he lost everyone and everything around him. If there is a Christian version of Jack Nicholson’s character from “The Shining” (Okay, probably not,) I was delirious my first year. A complete recluse who answered my family’s requests for food and clean clothes with grunts. I don’t even remember Thanksgiving beyond retreating to a quiet room away from my family I rarely get to see. Take breaks. Enjoy life. After November 30 comes December. You will have to face your family again. Don’t forget them during NaNoWriMo.

7. Write totally, really, crazy, badly. A newbie writer is full of flowery adjectives and adverbs. One of my favorite quotes is from Stephen King who said, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” When you get the courage to share your baby, it’s heartbreaking to learn your words are going on the chopping block. Under normal circumstances, you’ll be grateful for their editing. If you have writing experience the temptation is to pen your November novel with your self-editor ready to go, scanning your pages to delete the adjectives and adverbs. You’ll fight the urge to polish the sentences. NaNoWriMo is the one time you have permission to go crazy with the adverbs. Write whatever comes to mind. It will be bad. The goal is to get it written in November. You have to turn your editing off and re-live your beginner writing days. Cringe and move on.

8. Get in the mood. I work better with candles lit, preferably a balsam scent because my work is set in the Adirondack Mountains. Sometimes I use my Pandora playlist. My writing space is a recliner. Be comfortable.

9. Exercise. My muscle tone took a hit my first year. Exercising gets the brain circulating as well. I ended up having ideas for my work when I got my sad body moving. Keep snacks beyond arm’s reach. I tend to become so consumed that I can polish off a bag of cookies without knowing. Make yourself get up, take only a couple snacks, and return without the bag.

10. Have fun. Yes, there are success stories where NaNo writers found publishing bliss. First they had to write it. Use November to, as Larry the Cable Guy says, “Git ‘er done.”

Are you NaNo’ing? I’m on the official site and My Book Therapy as JulieArduini. Just remember #2. 🙂

Posted in Julie Arduini, Susan May Warren, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Ethel Herr–by Hannah Alexander

Posted on October 30, 2012 by alexanderhodde

We received word that a beloved friend passed from this world this morning. Ethel Herr lived a full and productive and loving life. She reached out to those around her with grace and understanding. If you’ve ever been touched by Ethel’s hand of kindness, you would be reassured of God’s goodness, in case you’d been doubting.

Ethel fought her final battle with cancer, and some of us had been praying that God would take her home. I’m so happy for Ethel that our prayers have been answered, so saddened that this world has lost one of those powerhouse human beings we need so badly.

If you’re a reader or a writer, you may well have known Ethel, or been introduced to her words. How I wish I could respond with her kind of grace when I am fighting for my life. May she be given all the gifts and pleasures in heaven that she gave to us here on earth.

Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Mountains and Molehills by Kristen Heitzmann

Posted on October 26, 2012 by kristenheitzmann

Yesterday I disintegrated.

I could tell you something big and awful happened, but it didn’t. No terrible news, no world-shaking crisis. The truth is, I was presented a challenge that for some people is no challenge at all. It had to do with the myriad ways we authors have to connect and promote ourselves/our work. Have you ever held a magnifying mirror up very close to your face? Did you see every ridge and valley, every speck and blotch, each scaly skin cell an insult in itself? That’s how I feel about myself when it’s time to promote. Even then, I wouldn’t mind–when the focus is my work–if I only knew HOW.

Accomplishing one small task reminds me of something else I haven’t or don’t know how to do. That reminds me of another that I forgot, and I heap a little dirt on that hill. Very soon I am mountain climbing over molehills.

“Some folks worry and putter, Push and shove, Hunting little molehills to make big mountains of.” from One Day At A Time In Al-Anon.

That is not me. In general, I am pretty low-key. I’m flexible, spontaneous, optimistic, joyful. I love to create. I love the writing life. I’m ecstatic to do it for Jesus. What grace!

So how to explain yesterday… I think this sums it up:

“But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” 2Cor4:7

God graciously reminds me I’m flawed and helpless without him.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” 2Cor4:8-10

God reminds me I should have no expectation of ease.

“For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2Cor4:17,18

God knows the plans he has for us, for our work, for the impact we may or may not have. If I strive in my earthen vessel, it is he who shines. And that, dear ones, is a mountain worth climbing!

Posted in Honored Alumni, Kristen Heitzmann, Uncategorized | 6 Comments