Thursday, February 25, 2016

Clash of the Titles - find a new author to love

With four great contenders and a week of voting, we welcome you to the February clash!! Step up and browse the covers, voting for the one you'd love to add to your reading pile. Scroll to the bottom for voting, and support your favorite title! Be sure to leave words of encouragement for your author, including his or her name!

**For those viewing on smart phones and devices that don't display the survey monkey below, follow this link to cast your vote: January Release Survey **

Happy voting!!!



Finding Love in Sun Valley Idaho

by Angela Ruth Strong



Emily Van Arsdale returns to her home state of Idaho to film her latest movie, but will finding love with rafting consultant Tracen Lake be enough to make her stay?

Find it here


Salsa and Speed Bumps

by Susan M. Baganz


Sometimes God allows speed bumps on the road to redemption. 

Find it here



A Worthy Heart

by Susan Anne Mason


Adam O'Leary, newly released from prison, wishes to make amends to his family and start a new life, only a certain Irish lass gets in the way!

Find it here


Just Kin

by Caryl McAdoo


Torn apart by war, rejection, and a letter with news she never wanted, Lacey Rose takes her shredded heart and runs. Charley figures something isn’t right, but is duty-bound to the Confederacy until a deathbed order sets in motion a series of events that test his love, honor, and commitment to the breaking point.


The Healer's Rune

by Lauricia Matuska


To save Humanity from extinction, Sabine Rhyonselle must overcome centuries of lies and prejudice to forge an alliance between warring races and learn how to manage a dangerous secret that could get her killed.Find it here




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Monday, February 22, 2016

Judy Knox and A Widow's Might




E-book $5.99
Print 15.99
ISBN 978-1622453160
buy the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1Ozdw3K or publisher: https://goo.gl/NaASUJ 

Aneko Press

About the Book:
Many of us in the body of Christ are living below our privileges as sons and daughters of God. We yearn for more in our experience with Him but don’t know what’s missing. In A Widow’s Might, Judy Knox reveals the missing element and explains how to get it.

Losing her husband due to complications following heart surgery could have been devastating. Instead, Judy’s ten weeks with him in the hospital ICU became a turning point, where she turned from her own strength to God’s. And when after fifty-one years, she suddenly found herself alone, she realized she was not alone at all. God was walking the path with her.

Judy will help you get more out of your relationship with God by showing you how to:
  • hear and know God’s voice
  • infuse your life with the power of the Holy Spirit
  • enjoy your freedom as a new creation in Christ
  • conquer negative thoughts and emotions
  • win your spiritual battles


Her stories illustrate these serious truths in a light-hearted way. Whether you’re a new believer or a seasoned Christian, the fresh insights in Judy’s message will energize your walk with God.

My review:
Judy Knox shares her experience after being a married woman for most of her life and thinking she had a healthy faith to realizing duringa  medical crisis that healthy faith did not equate to a healthy relationship with her Lord and Savior. From the opening chapters in which the author deals with the eventual passing of her husband to her journey to joy, Knox writes of her gradual transformation into a woman of God who delights in knowing Him and being known.

Each chapter opens with a thematic verse, a discovery about its relevance and background such as why light is such an integral part of growth, discipline in developing uninterrupted intimate time with the Lord, and learning to hear, see, and rely on Him everywhere at even the seemingly most insignificant moments.

Just as importantly, Knox did not leave her husband behind as she began life anew and looked to the future. She did not dwell in the past, or make a shrine to his memory, but she did keep him in her heart and thoughts, even considering what he would have done or advised in a given situation.

The lessons she shares about walking as a faithful Christian growing more spiritually aware and mature include guarding our hearts and minds, our words, the example we are to others, even in our thoughts and resulting actions.

Included is a list of books and articles with comments about them in a Resources section.
Good for anyone who wants to develop a closer relationship with God.

The publisher is offering a giveaway of the book. Info below:

Judy A. KnoxJudy Knox, a retired high school teacher, now teaches Christians how to get more from their relationship with God. Recently widowed, she resides most of the year in northern Illinois near her married son and daughter and six grandchildren, and flies south to Arizona for the winter months. In addition to writing and speaking, she is active in her local church and enjoys playing the cello. 

Visit Judy's website and blog for more information: www.judyaknox.com

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Lynn Lovegreen and stories of Alaska - Gold Nuggets



Gold Nuggets by Lynn Lovegreen
edited by Lisa Lickel and Joan Alley

Ebook Now 99 cents! at Amazon Kindle

About the Book: 
In the shadow of Denali, she has a home, and he finds adventure. 

Charlotte Cooper wants to stay near her parents' home in Alaska. But her dreams of being a writer call her away to college or work, and she has to choose her own path in life.

Henry Reeves is a wealthy New Yorker seeking a summer adventure when he travels to Kantishna near the proposed Mt. McKinley National Park. He discovers two passions, one for Charlotte, and the other for keeping Alaska wildlife from being wiped out like the buffalo. Charlotte and Henry find an attraction they can’t deny, but can they build a new life together between the wilderness and high society?

Lynn's favorite excerpt:
Good health practically oozed out of his pores. It was easy to imagine him winning a footrace or wrestling a champion. The short hair under his broad-brimmed campaign hat seemed to accentuate his high cheekbones and strong jaw. And his hazel eyes dashed this way and that, taking in the scene. He was as pretty as a magpie, and just as annoying when he opened his mouth. 


About the Author:
Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. She taught English for 20 years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys reading, hanging out with friends and family, and hitting targets with a cowboy action shooting club. Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Pinterest. 

Her novels Quicksilver to Gold, Golden Days and novella Worth Her Weight in Gold are available through Prism Book Group or your favorite book vendor.

Author Blog Link: www.lynnlovegreen.com



   


Friday, February 19, 2016

Love Is with Julie Cosgrove and Greener Grasses

LOVE IS Series from Prism Book Group

First Corinthians 13:4-8a New International Version (NIV)  

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8. Love never fails

Today's Special release features Julie B. Cosgrove's Greener Grasses

LOVE DOES NOT ENVY...


Two twins are so envious of each other's lives they can barely stand to be in the same room. It has soured their relationships and their marriages. So why did their mother state in her last bequest they spend fourteen days together with their husbands in her house preparing it for auction? Can they do it? If not, neither will get a penny from the estate.

Here is an excerpt:

Hot tears dripped down Erin’s not-often rouged cheeks. Sorry, Mom. But I have a right to cry. It is your funeral, after all. She brushed them away with her fingers, checking for mascara smudges. Out of the corner of her vision she caught John’s stern glare. He nodded as the pastor continued.

“Marilyn’s legacy is witnessed by this fully packed church. Her Christian charity touched many lives, and for that we should praise God. She would not want us to be sorrowful, but to raise our hands in hallelujahs that she is finally walking the streets of gold, free of the pain, suffering, and heartaches of this dark and fallen world on which she once trod.”

Erin’s stomach felt as if Boy Scouts practiced their knotting skills in it. How could she rejoice? She and Ellen were now orphans. Dad had been killed in a car wreck five years prior. They had no other siblings. No more buffers lay between the twins’ tendency to squabble. How would she face Ellen the rest of the day with a plastered smile? Could she survive the sharp verbal pricks and superior, disapproving glances unscathed? Deep down, she admitted to the ugly, forbidden thought. Erin not only hated her sister for being born first, she despised her mother for bearing twins.

The thought made her bite the inside of her lip. She bowed her head and prayed John wouldn’t make a social faux pas in conversation or her boys eat with the wrong fork at the reception. And Lord, please keep me from dribbling anything on this blouse. It’s the only good one I own.

Sibling Love

  
I guess most sisters bicker as they grow up. We have a tendency to be a tad jealous of each other. “How come she gets to…” and later, “Why do all my boyfriends notice her?” Even later, “Why doesn’t my husband treat me like hers treats her?” or “”Why are her kids so well-behaved?”

My sister and I are six years apart so by the time I entered my teens she was married. I felt a deep loss and for a long time I felt the odd person out. She and my brother’s wife were closer in age, so they bonded. They always huddled at family events. I felt the pangs of exclusion like the wimpy little kid slumped on the sideline bench whose muscles would never fill out his uniform.

Until my husband died suddenly in the shower getting ready for work. Though five hours away, my sister dropped her life and rushed to my aid. She boarded her animals at the vets, packed a bag and drove to my door. I honestly cannot tell you how long she stayed with me. Certainly until after the funeral five days later. Having lost her husband a year previously, she guided my numbed mind and aching heart through the planning, the visitations and the arrangements as I sniveled for days on in overwhelmed by it all.

When I sold the house and moved to a one bedroom apartment, all I could afford at the time, she returned. We spent hours rubbing masking tape onto the floors mapping out where furniture would go and plotting what I could bring and what I should leave behind for the estate sale. She then monitored the estate sale like an award winning  car salesman, raking in the bucks so I could afford the moving company.

My brother, an attorney, drove in to handle all the legal affairs pro bono without blinking an eye. All I had to do was show up at the courthouse and swear my husband to be deceased—by far my highest hurdle. Declaring him legally dead before a magistrate made it real, too real. My brother stood by my side as my knees quaked. His even-toned professionalism became my boulder. I watched, wide-eyed and tear-blinked as he handed off paper after paper to the court clerk. Documents all identified by letters and numbers which I never understood. 

Growing up, my brother seemed a phantom. Eleven years older than me, he was a teenager locked in his world by the time I could toddle. Then came the college years away. When I was in third grade, he walked down the aisle. After that, he moved away, had a child of his own and built a life. Eventually I did the same. For decades we acknowledged each other like shadows at family gatherings. But that day at the courthouse, he became flesh and bone to me.

God purposes good from tragedy. My husband’s passing brought me closer to my siblings and showed me what family-bound love is all about. Five years later, we are able to communicate at a deeper level, share our feelings openly, and be there for each other through this rollercoaster called life. Now, that’s true love— a love akin to no other on earth.

My Review of Greener Grasses:
Author Cosgrove’s example of Love does not envy in Prism Book Group’s Love Is... series based on I Corinthians 13:4-8 uses a family situation. Twin sisters each outwardly and secretively envy the other’s life choices and circumstances—education, husband, children, lifestyle. They’ve allowed themselves not only to drift apart, but let the chasm of their disappointments build until it’s Grand Canyon deep. It takes the death of their mother and her unusual request in her will to force them to choose whether to bridge the divide and eventually work at backfill, or remain bitter and at odds.

Told from multiple viewpoints, each side of the story reveals the misfortunes, both real and assumed, as Erin with her blue collar life and growing boys and Ellen with her higher-society frets and illusions face each other at their mother’s funeral. From there, they are forced to spend a week together with their husbands, who have managed an arm’s length relationship at best. As they reminisce, secrets come to light, and twists on old dreams and who got what when, why, and how, show them that envy stagnates the soul and existence. Even their children receive some life lessons as they spend the week together with an aunt and uncle in a different locale.

Many good lessons come from this short sweet read. How we treat others is a sure sign of our faith life; how we respond to tragedy is the mirror of our souls. Allowing another, even a dear sibling, to share our hearts and gently point us in a better way is a diamond blessing. 

Check out Julie’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…
 Buy on Amazon

Connect with Julie

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Elaine Stock and her novel Always With You


About Always With You:
Can she move forward without knowing her past?
Will he enjoy his present if he can’t free himself from what he left behind?
In the heart of the Adirondacks, Isabelle lives in the shadow of a dark family secret whose silent burden strips her family of emotional warmth and faith in God. Tyler belongs to the religious sect called The Faithful, which Isabelle’s father dislikes immensely. Yet, because Tyler belongs to this group, Isabelle sees only a man devoted to his family and faith.
She wants it; she gets it; they marry.
And when the truth comes out, Isabelle faces two choices:
Staying could endanger her child.
Leaving could cost her life.

Buy the book:
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1PfRyXX

A Brief Interview with Elaine Stock:
What do you love about this book?
One of my passions is helping to stamp out hatred and prejudice between different races and faiths. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY during the 60s, surrounded by civil rights protests. In my youngest years I was raised in what was considered as a very poor section, filled with “lower class” people, which I was typecast into. I never understood why there was so much misunderstanding and name-calling, why people refused to get along, and why those who did not live in East New York failed to respect us as human beings who had the same needs as anyone else.

Many years later, tragically, 9-11 struck.

Always With You is my attempt to show that God created us as equals and loves us all the same… it is up to us to follow Him the way He wants us to.

Share one or two things you learned during researching or publishing this book
As a former psychology major I’m fascinated by the why behind hatred. I researched a lot to grasp the motivation behind these emotional preferences. It was only when I learned that these people not only justify their feelings but also develop an entire lifestyle behind it that swallows them whole did I begin to understand (though not condone!) the whys behind their action.

Introduce us to your most difficult character.
I like challenges in my writing. Each of my characters in Always With You provided their own unique test. In creating Isabelle I had to make her a naïve but intelligent young woman who at first stands up for what she wants but puts aside her independence when love blindsides her. Tyler is a wounded man, wanting to give to his family and his faith so much out of his heart that he refuses to see the harm he surrounds his loved ones in. However, my most villainous character, the group leader, Thomas, is a hating machine—he had to be portrayed as both a loving man to his devoted followers yet, willing to snuff out the lives of others who won’t follow his beliefs. Hmm. Doesn’t that seem to be the way of past and present figures who have changed the shape of the world?

What are you reading now, Elaine? 
I just finished Room by Emma Donoghue, which is an amazing story both plot wise and POV wise since it’s told strictly through the viewpoint of a five-year-old boy. I’m about to begin Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke because I enjoy WW II based fiction, especially if it’s a time-slip novel that tells a story between 2 different eras.

Can you share what's next for you?

I’m finishing up a story that involves 3 different family members that all need rescuing within 1 week’s time and for different reasons.

Sounds complicated and excited. I look forward to trying it out. Best wishes, Elaine, and thanks for coming. 

About the Author:
A former Brooklyn gal, Elaine Stock lives in the Northeast with her husband where she enjoys spring, summer, autumn, and puts up with the winter. A member of several writing associations, she also is a contributing author to the international “Happy Sis Magazine.” In addition to Twitter  Facebook  and Goodreads  she hangs out on her active blog, Everyone’s Story, dedicated to uplifting and encouraging all readers through the power of story and hope. Check out her Reading Group Guide her website.

My review:
Always With You is a cautionary tale of the dangers of keeping secrets, of following after false impressions, of swallowing one side of a truth as presented.

Lonely young people, one from a family of violent abusers and another from an austere but comfortable home, find each other during a moment of terror. Isabelle, a high school grad and waiting to get into the college of her dreams is rescued by Tyler, who lives on a compound of an outwardly innocent community. After her knight comes to her aid, she battles her family and the suspicions of her small town to look beyond their animosity toward the group who keeps itself apart from Outsiders. When she knows she can’t win, she surrenders to the Faithful.

Tyler knows inwardly all is not right with the Faithful family who rescued him and his siblings as unsecure orphans. But his desire to take care of his family, including his young wife, overrides other sensibilities and creates a desperate turmoil he doesn’t understand and does not know who to turn to for help and trust.


Told from three viewpoints, one not introduced until the last part of the story, Always With You is a frightening page turner, making any parent want to go and hug his child, no matter the age. Twists and well-planted cues lead to some inspiring aha moments, as well as the possibility of surprise in that it is not completely predictable. Recommended for those who like gritty stories of redemption and reality mixed in with credible characters in inspirational fiction.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Book Award The Laurels for 2015 published Christian fiction



A NOTE TO PUBLISHED AUTHORS:



If you had a novel release any time in 2015, you're invited to submit to Clash of the Titles' Laurel Award!!

The Laurel is a contest available to any genre of Christian fiction published in 2015. The novels are judged by their audience—readers well-versed in Christian fiction yet not associated with the CBA industry.

Authors write for readers, so why not have readers be the judges?
With a submission fee of only $15, easy electronic submission, a bevy of prizes, and judges devoted to Christian fiction and author encouragement, the Laurel is a contest like no other.

But act quick! Slots are limited. To avoid overburdening our volunteer judges, we are limited in the number of submissions we can accept.

* All previous COTT champs whose winning novel was published in 2015 have an assured spot (fee waived) in the 2016 Laurel.


The Skinny:

ELIGIBILITY: Christian novels (30,000+ words) of any genre published between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

PRIZES: One first place winner will be chosen. The winner will receive a special feature on Clash of the Titles' blog, a tour through COTT’s Blog Alliance, a dedicated page on COTT’s site for a full year, an on-line radio interview with author and CAG board member, Cynthia L. Simmons, a digital winner’s badge, and a beautiful plaque to display at home.

COST: $15 USD

Novels participating in the Laurel are judged by their audience—readers who are well-versed in Christian fiction yet not a part of the CBA industry. This contest judges the first two chapters (or 3,500 words) of published novels. Any genre of Christian novel (30,000 words or more) is eligible, including indie.

SUBMISSION DATES: February 4, 2016-February 26, 2016

Learn more about the Laurel Awards HERE


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Friday, February 12, 2016

Love Is with Gay N Lewis Clue Into Kindness

A Whirlwind Relationship


At the age of seventeen, my boyfriend presented me with an engagement ring. I said yes and then wondered what I’d done.

My fiancé was good-looking, charming, and he cared for me, but our goals were different. The man I’d promised to marry planned life as a farmer. Can you imagine me as a farmer’s wife? I grew up in the city, had never even planted a pot of ivy, and possessed no idea about country life.

And to top that off, at the age of eight, I’d surrendered for God’s service. I presumed I’d teach children Bible stories in a distant country in South America. After all, I was studying Spanish.
To say I had second thoughts about marriage to this nice guy is an understatement. Our ideas were totally incompatible. I guess when I said yes I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

I finally decided it would be kinder to undo this tragedy in the early stages rather than continue in a relationship destined for failure. Three months later, on a Saturday night, I gave him the ring back. He reluctantly accepted it and said to me, “You’re gonna get your feet wet.”

As I tried to sleep the night of our heartbreaking parting, I thought about his odd remark. I’d never heard the expression before, but I had an idea what he meant. The thought came to me that my feet had been in hot water when I’d accepted his proposal. I’d just dried them off when I returned the ring.

The next morning dawned warm for early March in Texas. After church, I spent the afternoon washing cars for a high school fundraiser. The project kept my mind off the sadness dwelling in my spirit. During a lull between vehicles, I inspected my appearance and gave a rueful smile. My feet were literally wet, and so was the rest of me. I was a dirty mess, but I don’t think that was the kind of prognostication my former fiancé had meant.

As I finished hosing down the last car, a friend and her mom came by. I declined their invitation to attend a new church, but they talked me into it and waited for me to change clothes. The three of us strode late into the service. The small, crowded sanctuary left no room for us to sit together, so we split up.

A handsome young man with black, wavy hair and sparkling brown eyes led the music. At the end of the service, he slipped out the back door and managed to be the first one to greet me as I left the sanctuary. The guy must have sprinted—he appeared faster than Texas tornado. We exchanged names and spoke a few minutes, and then I left.

Intuition told me he’d call on Wednesday night. And he did. We made a date to go bowling the coming Saturday night. The evening was fun, and in between my falling down once or twice and throwing my ball into the gutter rather than down the alley, I discovered he planned to enter the ministry.

He walked me to the door as our date ended. He kissed me goodnight and then said, “I’m in love with you, and I’m going to marry you.”

Whaaat? Was he kidding? Seriously?

I’d just ended a relationship and had no intention of jumping into another one. This guy didn’t know me, and he loves me? What kind of nut could he be?

Before long, I learned. This man is a fast mover, makes speedy decisions, and is seldom wrong with his discernment. 

Our relationship moved along at a rapid pace, and I discovered we shared the same goals.

He was in college, worked full time, gave twenty hours a week to the church, and somehow managed to find time for me.

Before long, a church in Oklahoma invited him to become their pastor. He accepted the invitation, and then drove back to Texas. We met for lunch the day he returned. He proposed marriage—presented me with a ring. I felt comfortable accepting this one, but I wanted to wait before we said the vows. I’d just graduated high school and wanted to attend college for at least one semester. During those few months, I could plan a wedding.

“Oh no, you can’t do that—no time. I told the church I was bringing a wife in three weeks. We have to marry now.”

Whaaat? Was he kidding again? Seriously?

After I gulped back my shock, I responded. “I can’t marry you right now. My mom is in the hospital.”

His reply? “We can have the ceremony there.”

My fiancé drove to the hospital to visit with mom. She was extremely ill, and we weren’t supposed to upset her. She surprised me by accepting the news well, but she asked the young preacher how much money he would be making.

“Fifteen dollars a week,” came the reply.

Mom almost fell from the bed. “Fifty dollars a week? You can’t live on that.”

Uh oh. She’d misunderstood the amount. My sweetheart merely nodded and said, “The Lord will provide for us.”

Six months after we met, we had a small ceremony in the chapel at the Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas. We said vows on a Thursday night and packed our few belongings on Friday. We drove to Oklahoma on Saturday, and Paul preached his first sermon on Sunday morning.

Our meeting and wedding sounds fictional, doesn’t it? But it is a true story.  I tell it often when I speak to groups. Maybe I’ll include it in a book in the near future. 

My sweetheart isn’t the most romantic guy in the world, but he is kind, caring, thoughtful, and funny. The first time I saw the Dallas skyline lighted up against the black sky as we drove in from rural Oklahoma, I cried.

My new husband said, “If I’d known lights would make you this happy, I would have fastened a string of them in the back yard.”

Three daughters, and four grandchildren later, we find we think alike—even finish each other’s thoughts.

The Lord, Paul Lewis, family and friends are the loves of my life. I’m thankful that God graciously prevented me from making a mistake with a nice guy—but he was the wrong one for me. God was kind to me, and I didn’t get my feet wet. God gave me the husband He’d intended for me all along.  I just had no idea a whirlwind came with him.

And here’s the thing, this man of mine still moves faster than I do. Somewhere over the years, I’ve adapted to his swifter pace. On the other hand, he’s slowed down a bit so I can keep up.

Check out Gay’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…
  
Clue Into Kindness

Product Details“Love is kind…” 1 Corinthians: 13:4
from Prism Book Group, a series of fifteen novellas based on I Corinthians 13. Releasing Fridays in February, then the last Friday of the month--watch for them, and an opportunity to win fabulous prizes this month during our Sweet Valentine Promotion through the month.

2.99 single ebook
Print bundle coming soon

About the book:
Georgia loves her husband, Alan. She shows him kindness with actions and words, but Alan responds in a heartless, selfish way. To receive respect and admiration from people, he believes he must have a perfect wife—so he criticizes Georgia at every opportunity—even tells her she’s fat! Alan’s best friend Ken and his wife Jana reassure Georgia that she remains the gorgeous beauty queen she was during her college days. Who will Georgia believe—her friends or the mysterious, handsome stranger who comes into her life?

Circumstances bring a change to Alan’s attitude. But is it too late to save this marriage? 

My review:
A married couple who have been poked in the eyes by the stars they’ve let swirl far too long gets an overdue lesson in treating each other better.

Alan and Georgia married for all the usual romantic reasons and soon lost touch with each other, only they’re unaware of the fact except to their quasi-friends, Jana and Ken. Ken has the patience of a saint, is secure in his relationships with people and God, and sees the good in the boorish Alan. When Jana takes a page from her husband’s notebook on life advice and works harder to be a friend to Georgia to get her to see her life in tatters, the results take an unexpected curve. Clueless Alan has little respect for anyone until his dad enters the scene and sets him straight.

Experience and twenty-twenty hindsight final reveal that kindness in love is integral in any relationship. Hopefully it’s not too late for Alan and Georgia. Clue Into Kindness is a sweet romantic story of love gone awry and the chances we take or miss to get it straight. Told in multiple viewpoints for those who enjoy a swift kick of a story.