Susan Baganz and The Baron's Blunder Regency Romance

We're up to Book Number 10 in the Love Is series!
In a departure from contemporary romance, author Susan Baganz gives us a charming Regency read.

Enjoy! Love does not delight in evil, I Corinthians 9:

About the Book:

The Baron’s Blunder

“Love does not delight in evil …” 1 Corinthians: 13:6

Fighting evil has been a hobby, but fending off marriage-minded women—a chore. 

Lord Charles Percy fends off a highwayman robbing a carriage in broad daylight. Noting that he’s rescued a debutante, he lies about his title claiming to be a mere mister. But the Honorable Henrietta Allendale is suspicious that something is false in spite of his act of heroism on her behalf. She didn’t need a man to fight her battles. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? 

Meeting again in London, Lord Percy begins to enjoy the verbal sparring with the intrepid young woman and his heart is soon captivated as well. But he’s playing a deep game and her presence in his life puts hers at risk. When a successful rescue results in possible scandal, the baron’s biggest challenge will be to convince the marriage-adverse young woman that his love is true. 

Ebook: $2.99

Bundled print coming soon

Buy on Amazon

My Review:

Charming and delightful…and sinister and layered. On the outside, Henri tries to be the lady of repute her upstanding family deserves. But her country deserves so much more, and there must be something she can do to protect the innocent. Who would suspect a high-ranking woman playing such a dangerous game? Certainly not a dodgy character who keeps her from using her pistol to defend herself.

Henri, who can take care of herself, thank you, learns her rescuer misrepresented himself, and acquainted with her brother to boot, sinking her opinion of him lower than low. But when her innocence combined with hotheadedness gets her in trouble, the game shifts. She’s offered a choice that will allow her to continue her service to her country on one condition, dependent on overcoming her opinion of the baron who blundered upon first acquaintance.

Sweet story of first impressions and misconceptions working together and adding up to a greater cause. Told in alternating viewpoints, the story is fast-paced and true to the historical style this author excels in. Watch for her upcoming Regency series.

You would think the author of countless romance stories would find it easy to write one out of her own life. But it’s not.

Growing up, I would walk home and look up to heaven, spin around, and wonder if God was taking my picture. Did He care for my overly-sensitive, hurting and lonely heart? All a teacher had to do was look at me wrong and I’d burst into tears until sixth grade when I learned to hide my pain.

The sweetest love story is when, after years of sensing God’s call to me, I finally understood that I could respond. That he was waiting for me to do so! James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (NASB)” Really? He wasn’t some distant King high on a thrown beyond my reach. I first came to understand this at a Campus Life/Youth for Christ meeting.

For weeks I had begged some friends to let me come to a meeting. They seemed happy. They had something I didn’t. And they would go to concerts for groups like . . . Petra, who I had never heard of. Finally, I was invited and we had a conversation about misconceptions people had about Christianity. I was raised knowing about God and taught to fear Him, so I was fully engaged in the conversation. Then the biggest misconception hit me—that people didn’t understand that they could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Whoa. Really?

I prayed right then and there and my entire world shifted.

I went out and bought a Bible and started devouring it. Opposition came but I clung to Christ. To a hurting, lonely fifteen-year-old, the fact that the God of the universe wanted me—Me?—was a huge revelation. When depression plagued me, I was told I was trying to manipulate people. The only reason I never attempted to take my life was because of the love of God.

Thirty-five years have brought me through many trials and triumphs, deep pains and sweet moments. God has been there by my side through all of it. I wish I could say that I’ve been as faithful to Him as He has been to me. It’s hard when people have wounded me deeply to trust the God who allowed it to happen. Yet I wouldn’t be here without Him. He’s led me, grown me, matured me . . . and I’ve learned that in Him I have more strength than I could ever have on my own. Some trials I look back on in wonder at how I was able to respond the way I did. That couldn’t have been me, could it?

Only God.

Through abuses, betrayals, heartache, He has been my constant. My one true love. When I write my romances my hope and prayer is that at some level the reader will understand the love of God that underlies the journey’s my characters take.

God is faithful. He has never abandoned me. The fact that He gives me the opportunity to put some of those experiences into my stories to bless others is just another example of His love for me.

  

About the Author:

Susan M. Baganz chases after three Hobbits and is a native of Wisconsin. She is an Acquisitions Editor with Prism Book Group specializing in bringing great romance novels and novellas to publication. Susan writes adventurous historical and contemporary romances with a biblical world-view. Visit http://susanbaganz.com

Prepare for your Christmas list with short fiction from Victoria Minks

Wind Chimes: Christmas Story Collection

Victoria Minks

Buy on Amazon 

ebook .99

paperback: 9.99

Anthology of Christmastime short stories

Christmas is a day of forgiveness, love, God, and family, no matter where you live or when you lived. These stories will take you somewhere long ago, and yet much like today.

With a touch of humor and a family-loving gentleness, these stories carry all the hope of Christmas. 


The Wind Chimes-- Still bitter over a hurtful mistake a year ago, Martin Roebuck meets the despised doctor on Christmas Eve.

The Two Runaways-- Lost while running away from home, Albert Russell is taken in by an old man, who seems to also have past grievances.

On the Fourth Floor-- Though living on the same floor, George Nolan and Christin Rimmers overlook each other-- until a common challenge brings them together the night before Christmas Eve.

The Spinster-- Wanting to avoid Christmas loneliness, Milly Lambert finds herself in the cabin of an old woman who holds a wise secret.

The Broken Man-- Criminal Arch Fisher attempts to take advantage of a kindly old settler in the woods, but things go miserably awry.

Winifred's Adventure-- Elderly couple Amias and Winifred Hambly--eager for an uncommon life--discover a dying mother the day before Christmas.

My review:

I learned of this young author through a review opportunity for her second book titled Jonas and Olivia http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-fiction-from-victoria-minks.html. Minks has a lovely sense of story and fluid, mature writing style which can only grow better the more she practices and grows her craft. I love short stories and enjoyed each of the six Minks put together for a historical Christmas anthology. The stories take place in America and England.

The stories are described well. Each is layered in motivation and ethics, with a sense of moral minority under skirting each theme. Even though the author will continue to advance in mechanics, I was awed by the character development in each little bite of story, the natural dialog and her ability to set place and time. Well done. Enjoy this book and watch for more work from this author.

About the Author:

Victoria Minks was born in Oklahoma but moved to Japan as a missionary kid at age 3. Since then, she has enjoyed the life of a foreigner in four different locations in Japan and has traveled all across America twice with her family.

She was saved at age 5 and is surrendered to doing whatever God wants her to do in her life. She is excited about the future, looking forward to see what God will do. 

An avid bookworm ever since she can remember, she has cultivated a desire for telling stories since a young age, and still has hordes of old manuscripts from her first 15 years of life that she's too embarrassed to show anybody but too sentimental to throw out. 

When she was 16 she began the first novel she decided was going to get published, whatever the cost. Since then she has written multiple more books, all in various stages of the process to publication. A self-taught Jack-of-all-trades, she takes pleasure in learning how to web design, format books, create book covers, edit, market, budget, and finance everything. 

Homeschooled by her mum, she enjoys anything involving history, literature, language, or art.

Writing Helps to Heal Author Justine Johnston Hemmestad

by Justine Johnston Hemmestad

In 1990 my car was broadsided by a speeding city bus as I turned out of a parking lot - I was in a coma and had sustained a severe brain injury. I was paralyzed when I woke up from my coma, though I worked hard to walk again within a few months, and to relearn how to perform the basic functions of life.

I began to write when I was carrying my first child Megan, less than two years after my accident, as tool or a way to cope with feeling so alone in my disability and misunderstood. Writing, throughout the darkest part of my recovery—when everyone looked down on me and I had no one to talk to or relate with me—helped me to get my thoughts in focus, to learn new things, and to remember what was important to me. I felt bullied, my thoughts and perception were skewed, and I felt emotionally alone, isolated by my personal lacking (my speech was slurred; my reactions were slow, etc.).

But writing was my Savior. When I was so afraid and so filled with guilt for being disabled, writing offered me a safe and comforting place to go, where I could cry and feel loved. Writing was my confidante and gave me hope when the world was crushing me. Writing even helped me find out who I was, since everything about "me" seemed to have melted away with my TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Writing helped me find my words to speak again. Writing was my purpose, and writing was my healing.

My novella, Truth be Told, is essentially the story of my recovery wrapped up in fictional characters in a different time and place. Everything is symbolic in my novella because symbolism itself taught me how to travel deep inside my thoughts and search until I found the answers. Symbolism aided my memory by the weight of its meaning.

The old man in my novella is symbolic of God, prayer, love of my children, and the inner truth I found when I dug deep, the challenges that stretched my mind and that I knew I had to face when I wanted to give up on life completely.

The Lady is the aspect of my recovery in which I felt lost, even to myself—I didn’t know who I was—but in prayer and meditation I learned to focus my mind, calm my thoughts (which were drowning in the guilt I felt for being disabled) and listen to God’s answer…what defines me?

The knight is the aspect of my recovery that was assaulted by PTSD. Not only was I recovering, but I was recovering amidst a torrent of fear, pain, and false persecution. He represents the survivor’s guilt I had for living as brain-injured, and the part of myself that felt I deserved the lies that people told about me simply because it was easy to lie about me. I illuminated my purpose— the purpose that any recovering person needs to be able to climb out of the darkness—symbolically as Jesus. When people lied about me, writing defended me and made the truth immortal. My purpose, as writing, was the well within me; writing saved me and gave me direction in life (even when I no longer had any sense of direction due to my TBI). There were people who tried to point me in the wrong direction, but my prayer, and written prayer, was always brimming with truth.

My purpose in writing raised me out of the darkness and set me on a new path. As my characters in Truth be Told founded one of the first Universities in Europe, my purpose led me to enter into college, to study tirelessly, and to set goals and reach them. For a person with a TBI, these things stretched my mind to the breaking point. And yet my savior, writing, was always there, so much that my purpose and my goals became intertwined. Every class I’ve had brought me new challenges; every professor’s pushing has helped me more than they were ever aware.

My husband and I now have seven children and I'm still writing, for both have truly been essential to my recovery. I've also earned a BLS through The University of Iowa and am now working toward a Master's Degree in Literature through Northern Arizona University. I’m grateful to have written a book that I felt so strongly, all along, could be of help to survivors, for them to recognize themselves in the characters and to know that they're not alone. I would have recognized myself in this story and it would have given me hope. My mission now is to give other survivors hope.

Justine on Amazon
Justine's Website
Justine's blog

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Colin Cahoon and The Man with the Black Box

I had the privilege and honor of working with Colin on an early draft of this haunting novel and together we found his publisher, eLectio. For those who enjoy international intrigue and early twentieth century history with a taste of a brusque Scotland Yard detective! Much to love. The author has some great background material on the era, which as a historian I thoroughly enjoyed, and the story behind how he got started on The Man with the Black Box. Also interesting are videos and pictures of the places where the main parts of the story take place.

Buy on Amazon

ISBN-13: 978-1632132642

Ebook: $4.99

Print: $15.99

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

EVERYONE'S DYING TO KNOW.

An international crisis threatens to plunge the world into war at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, but the British Foreign Office finds itself blinded by the bizarre deaths of crucial agents and informants as it struggles to stave off the coming conflagration. For help, they turn to an unconventional outsider, Inspector Jenkins of Scotland Yard, who soon finds himself on the trail of a mysterious man with a deadly black box and a host of devoted accomplices. Innocents transform into monsters. Men of God become agents of destruction. Good men rise from the flames of damnation to become soldiers in the coming apocalypse. The Man with the Black Box is a terrifying examination of the corruptibility of mankind, a riveting twist on the classic battle of good versus evil, and a fantasy thriller of historic proportions.

About the Author

Colin P. Cahoon is a practicing patent attorney, former Army helicopter pilot, and writer of historically based fiction. He is a frequent speaker at legal seminars in the US and abroad on the topic of legal ethics and patent law. Colin is the Chancellor and a Lay Eucharistic Minister for the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Dallas, Texas, where he has served on the board of its affiliated school. He earned his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from New Mexico State University and his J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he met his wife, Susan. Colin and Susan have three grown children and live in Dallas when not enjoying Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Colin grew up in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico, and enjoys traveling in Europe and fishing and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. Visit him on the web.

A Radio Spot with Rex Owens

I recently had the pleasure of being featured on 103.5 SunPrairie radio. Here's a link to the hour-long interview with very cool historical Irish fiction author 

Rex Owens on his Conversations with Wisconsin Artists.

Talking with Marc Kerry from Time Trap by Danele Rotharmel

Meet Marc Kerry

Character from Time Trap by Danele J. Rotharmel

Today, I’m talking with Marc Kerry, a professional time counselor with the Temporal Counseling Program at National Science University. Marc, can you tell us what time counseling entails?

Sure, Lisa! Time counseling is a unique—and sometimes dangerous—profession. TEMCO’s main objective is targeting death-row offenders for time-based counseling. It’s my job to travel back through time and counsel criminals while they’re children. Many times, I’m able to put the children on a better path so that when they grow up, they avoid a life of crime.

You mentioned that time counseling can be dangerous. How so?

Sometimes, time counselors encounter unexpected events. For instance, a few years ago, a student cadet encountered a serial killer during her field exam. Gil almost lost her life.

Has anything like that happened to you?

I’m happy to say that it hasn’t. But a time counselor always has to be prepared. Danger is part of the job.

Does TEMCO take precautions to keep you safe?

Of course! Since Gil’s deadly assignment, time counselors always travel in pairs. And student cadets are no longer allowed to handle criminal cases—they’re assigned suicide preventions. Speaking of which, two cadets, Phoebe and Drake, are about to tackle their field exam. I just ran into them on campus. Director Matthews and Dr. Nelson were going to tie up some last-minute details and then send them through a temporal portal.

Will Phoebe and Drake be in danger?

Probably not. Danger isn’t likely during a cadet-handled suicide prevention. Besides, TEMCO has top-notch lab technicians who constantly monitor the timeline. This helps ensure the safety of time counselors in the field.

Marc, you blushed when you mentioned TEMCO’s lab technicians. I’ve heard that one of the techs, Crystal Stuart, has caught your eye.

That may be true, but I’m not sure what to do about it. Crystal and I had a fight several years ago, and she refuses to talk with me.

If you try hard enough, I’m sure you can patch things up and grab her attention.

I don’t know, Lisa. I’d like to think that my famous “Kerry Charisma” could charm her, but Cris has a mind of her own—and that stubborn mind of hers is determined to hold a grudge. I wish she’d forgive me. She’s a fascinating woman.

Marc, thank you so much for talking with me. I want to wish you luck on your next assignment…and also luck with Crystal.

Thank you, Lisa! I appreciate it.

About Time Trap:

 When problems arise during a field exam, Director Peter Matthews and Dr. Laura Nelson are sent through a time portal to investigate.  While they search for their missing cadets, they encounter an enemy who is calculating and brutal—a mysterious nemesis who is holding a grudge against the TEMCO program.  As Peter and Laura race to unravel clues directing them to their kidnapped cadets, their own survival comes into question.  A deadly trap has been set, and they are forced to pit their wits against a serial killer who is intent on playing a deadly chess game through time itself. 

Prism Book Group

$3.99 eBook

$16.99 Print

Buy on:

Amazon

Barnes& Noble

 About Danele J. Rotharmel 

Danele Rotharmel’s life took an unexpected turn when a mysterious illness brought her close to death. Eventually, she learned that a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty furnace was poisoning her. This poisoning triggered Multiple Chemical Sensitivity causing her to be put in quarantine. For seven years, she could only talk to friends and extended family through a windowpane. During this time, she wrote the first six books in The Time Counselor Chronicles.  Although her journey back to health was difficult, it provided her the opportunity to grow closer to God and write her books. For that, she’s forever thankful. To learn more about Danele, visit her blog:  

https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/

Meet Danele on the web:

Testimony: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/welcome/

Books: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/my-books/

He's Still Working Miracles free book Aug 9

He's Still Working Miracles:  Daring To Ask God for the Impossible

Dana Rongione

About the Book:

The Bible is full of the impossible. The parting of the Red Sea. The crumbling of Jericho's walls. Jesus walking on the water. A multitude being fed with one boy's lunch. A Father sacrificing His own Son for fallen mankind. And now, Christian author and Bible teacher, Dana Rongione, wants to take you on a tour to explore what God has done, what He's capable of doing, and how He works in the lives of His children.

Each chapter of He's Still Working Miracles highlights a story in the New Testament where an ordinary person met an extraordinary God and gives application of how these encounters relate to your own life and circumstances.

You are not alone in your struggles. You don't have to face your heartaches alone. Call out to the One who cares. The One who can make a difference. The one and only God of possibilities.

In this book, you will:

·         Learn to identify miracles in your own life.

·         Understand how to apply the principles of Biblical miracles to specific circumstances that the Bible doesn't address.

·         Discover compelling reasons why keeping the faith is so difficult, yet imperative.

·         Be encouraged and inspired to stay on course with God for years to come.

·         Glean valuable insight from each story's unfolding and conclusion.

·         Learn how to pray and accept God's will in every situation.

·         Find the answer to the question, “Does God still work miracles?”

It's time to lay your questions and doubts to rest. The God of yesterday is the God of today. He is still watching. He is still working. And He is still doing miracles.

Limited Time Offer:

Sign up to receive a free Kindle copy of the book on launch day, August 9^th.  http://stillworkingmiracles.weebly.com

About the Author:

Dana Rongione is the author of several Christian books, including the highly-praised Giggles and Grace devotional series for women.  A dedicated wife and doggie “mom,” Dana lives in Greenville, SC, where she spends her days writing and reaching out to the hurting and discouraged.  Connect with her at DanaRongione.com, and be sure to sign up for her daily devotions.

Phoebe Reynolds from Time Trap by Danele Rotharmel

Meet Phoebe Reynolds

Character from Time Trap by Danele J. Rotharmel

Today, I’m talking with Phoebe Reynolds, a senior cadet in the Temporal Counseling Program at National Science University. Phoebe, I’ve heard that you’re about to take your field exam. Can you tell us more about the test?

Sure, Lisa! In order to earn my Time-Counselor License, I have to pass a field exam. For four years, I’ve been studying about time travel. Now, I have the opportunity to surf timewaves myself! I can’t wait!

How far into the past will you be traveling, and what will you be doing?

Unfortunately, because of TEMCO protocol, I can’t give specifics. However, I can say that I’ll be traveling about ten years into the past, and my case subject is a girl named Nicki. She’s a fourteen-year-old artist who is about to commit suicide. It’ll be my job to convince Nicki that life is worth living.

I’ve heard that because of new field-exam protocol, cadets are now teamed with partners. Can you tell us a little about your partner?

My partner is Drake Procerus, another senior cadet. I’m really looking forward to working with him.

You just blushed. Is there something going on between you two?

Not yet, but… Lisa, all of the girls wanted partnered with Drake. He’s so cute. When he looks at me, my bones melt. It’s been so much fun going through the preliminary stages of testing with him. I’m hoping that once we’re out in the field, I can really catch his eye. Gil, one of TEMCO’s former cadets, fell in love during her field exam. Why couldn’t it happen to me?... Not that I won’t be focused on Nicki, of course. Nicki is my first priority.

Are field exams dangerous?

Not usually. Gil ended up facing a serial killer during her exam, but I don’t think that will happen to me. After all, I’m just dealing with a suicidal teenager. What could be dangerous about that? Besides, I’ll have Drake as my partner. I feel completely safe.

You just went pale and shivered. Why?

I’m not sure… I just had the strangest feeling… Never mind, I’m just being silly. It’s just a case of nerves. I know that everything will be fine. Field exams are safe—at least, most of the time.

Phoebe, thanks for being with us today, I wish you the best with your exam.

Thanks, Lisa. I can’t wait to make a difference in Nicki’s life!

And what about catching Drake’s eye?

I can’t wait to do that too!

About Time Trap:

 When problems arise during a field exam, Director Peter Matthews and Dr. Laura Nelson are sent through a time portal to investigate.  While they search for their missing cadets, they encounter an enemy who is calculating and brutal—a mysterious nemesis who is holding a grudge against the TEMCO program.  As Peter and Laura race to unravel clues directing them to their kidnapped cadets, their own survival comes into question.  A deadly trap has been set, and they are forced to pit their wits against a serial killer who is intent on playing a deadly chess game through time itself. 

Prism Book Group

$3.99 eBook

$16.99 Print

Buy on:

Amazon

Barnes& Noble

 Danele J. Rotharmel 

Danele Rotharmel’s life took an unexpected turn when a mysterious illness brought her close to death. Eventually, she learned that a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty furnace was poisoning her. This poisoning triggered Multiple Chemical Sensitivity causing her to be put in quarantine. For seven years, she could only talk to friends and extended family through a windowpane. During this time, she wrote the first six books in The Time Counselor Chronicles.  Although her journey back to health was difficult, it provided her the opportunity to grow closer to God and write her books. For that, she’s forever thankful. To learn more about Danele, visit her blog:  

https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/

Meet Danele on the web:

Testimony: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/welcome/

Books: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/my-books/

Mystery Review of Carole Brown and Knight in Shining Apron

I introduced Carole Brown's newest book, the second in the Appleton, West Virginia Romantic Mysteries series here.

Print:11.99
Ebook: 2.99
Buy on Amazon

As promised, here's my review.

Hints of an abusive relationship between restauranteur Starli and her late husband are the focus of this romantic intrigue. When first introduced, it seemed Starli had a huge chip on her shoulder and was at odds with many in the town, including her former brother-in-law, a policeman, who constantly threatens to avenge his sibling’s death. Starli has more on her plate to deal with as her former head chef abruptly leaves, with an ominous note “accidentally” left for Starli to find, vandalism and sabotage taking place in her business, a youngster in the kitchen who thinks she’s management material, an over-confident, over-the-top knighted British chef stepping in at the request of her maître d, and a boring confidant banker who wants to be more. What’s a widow to do?

Book Two of the Appleton, West Virginia Romantic Mysteries (after Sabotaged Christmas) is a charming follow up. Told in alternating points of view, Sir Joel tasks himself with uncovering his new boss’s skittish untrusting persona as he repays his uncle for past kindness in rescuing this damsel in distress. Starli deals with scary parts of threats and well-meaning friends and employees who think it’s time she get out and live again after the death of her terrifying husband. Clues, plenty of red herrings, several twists all make the reader keep turning pages…and that’s only in the first quarter of the book. A proposal gone awry, a dreadful accident, and a surprise confession all bring this sweet and savory story to a satisfactory conclusion.

A huge cast will keep you entertained as well as guessing and salivating during the courses of Knight in Shining Apron.

The Scarlet Cord biblical fiction book review

The Scarlet Cord

By Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux

Prism Book Group, September 2014

Biblical Fiction

ISBN 978-1940099699

Print $13.99

Ebook $3.99

Buy on Amazon 

About the Book:

Rahab, a resourceful beauty, struggles to survive in the pagan culture of ancient Jericho. As years of harsh labor begin to lift her and her family from poverty, a foreign army threatens the well-fortified city. Rahab is forced to make an immediate decision. Will she put her faith in the fabled walls of Jericho or the powerful God of the Hebrews? Either choice may cost her life.

My review:

Wonderfully researched, beautifully written, lovingly shared…this version of the story of one of the more elusive biblical characters is a treat for those who love fiction based on short facts known about documented people.

Rahab, called by several discourteous terms in the account of Joshua’s capture of the city of Jericho. She is a sympathetic person, and perhaps her family and descendants embody acceptance and forgiveness, mercy and love in a way the pen strokes of God’s law do not.

Canaanites occupying the Promised Land were wary of the mysterious Hebrew tribes, escaped former slaves from Egypt, marching across the land, conquering mighty kingdoms in their way, worshiping an unseen and powerful force. Rumors were rampant, and when their path led through the mighty city of Jericho, only one family was destined for salvation.

Summer's Sizzlin' with Competition

*

Summer's Sizzlin'
Vote for your Fave!

Scroll through these THREE new reads and vote below

for which you'd pick up first to read while sippin' iced tea.

It'll be a tough choice! But somebody's gotta do it. May as well be you!

Almost Like Being in Love by Beth K. Vogt

She’s won an all-expenses-paid, luxurious wedding — all she needs now is the groom! Winning a destination wedding would be a dream come true … if Caron Hollister and her boyfriend, Alex were already engaged — and if her ex-boyfriend, Kade, wasn’t back in her life, causing her to wonder “what if?” when she thought she was ready to say “I do” to someone else.

~~~~~~

Rescue Me by Sandy Nadeau

Risking her life to save him is easy. Risking her heart to give him a second chance is impossible.

~~~~~~

River Rest by Susan Page Davis

Unable to depend on her father to heal the crumbling family, Judith is afraid to trust the mysterious neighbor, Ben, who lives with his own grief. When Ben is injured, she is the only one who can help him.

~~~~~~

VOTE HERE!

If you have trouble viewing the entire survey, click here to load a dedicated page to the survey.

Featuring the 2016 Clash of The Titles Laurel Award Winner

2016

LAUREL AWARD WINNER!

This year, At First Sight took home Clash of the Titles's sixth annual Laurel Award. Over the course of six weeks, the novel's first chapters were read and judged by avid readers of Christian fiction who determined At First Sight to be the worthiest to receive the 2016 Laurel Award.



Clash of the Titles extends a heartfelt congratulations to author Delia Latham for her exemplary writing. We wish God's richest blessings on her future work.



About At First Sight :

Reagan Massey has gone through a great deal of trouble to make her cousin irresistible to the visiting single minister but things get a little sticky when Reagan falls in love with Cord Phillips herself…

Cord doesn’t believe in marital bliss after seeing the mockery his parents made of their vows. He’s promised himself he’ll live as the Apostle Paul lived, dedicating himself solely to God. When his heart turns traitor, Cord has to completely rethink his position on love.

Things around Riverbend House of Worship take on some humorous, heart-touching, soul-stirring twists and turns, with Reagan and Cord so busy getting in God’s way that they can’t see the path He has laid out for them to travel…together.

At First Sight is part of the Pure Amore bundle of 12 novels that celebrate purity. Use the code Laurel2016 to receive the bundle at 50% OFF. (expires 31 July 2016)


PURCHASE YOUR BUNDLE TODAY


LISTEN TO A RADIO INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR!

Delia in her own words:

A born-and-bred California gal, I grew up in a little community called Weedpatch. Nope, that's not a typo. It's a few miles southeast of Bakersfield, and in the...well, I won't say how many years since I left there...Weedpatch has even found its way onto a map or two.

Writing has been my passion since third grade, when I won an essay writing contest and took home the coveted prize: a beautiful bed doll with an overstuffed pink, quilted satin skirt. Remember them? Huge, padded skirts, some (like mine) with flat cardboard bottoms to accommodate display. The doll's feet were hidden away somewhere in all that finery, never again to see the light of day. These fancy ladies were most often used as centerpieces for beds, and that's where mine went - smack in the middle of my unimposing bed in my unmatched, Salvation Army-furnished bedroom. It was the most elegant item I had ever owned, and I was one proud little lassie. (Ahem ... surely someone else remembers those dollies?)​

Winning that contest made a profound impact on my young psyche - enough so that I never stopped writing. From those first little songs and poems and (very bad) short stories, I graduated to Staff Writer for a large daily newspaper; freelanced for an upper-scale regional magazine; and finally began writing fiction...which was my goal all along.

Connect with Delia online:

http://www.delialatham.net/
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New Fiction from Victoria Minks

About the Book:

Fourteen year old Olivia Wilkerson is left desolate and grieving when her patriot father passes away. Directed by his will to be placed in the care of an old friend, Olivia is forced to venture away from all she’s ever known to make her new life among people who are strangers to her. 

Unaware of the new responsibility about to be thrust on him, Jonas Carmichael lives the life of a reclusive in an attempt to ignore the painful memories of the past. His heart has grown hard and bitter over the past thirty years of solitude, and his hatred towards people has only multiplied. 

Suddenly burdened with Olivia, Jonas’s only burning desire is to shove the girl off on somebody else. But Olivia, still suffering from her loss, is only looking for someone to love her as her father did-- and soon realizes that there is more to Jonas than meets the eye.

With the Revolutionary War pressing closer around Jonas’s secluded bubble of safety and threatening to burst it at any moment, Jonas discovers that there are choices to be made--choices that will not only affect himself but those around him as well. 

Book information

Inspirational historical fiction
Trade Paper ISBN: 978-0996993821
$9.99

Ebook coming soon
$3.99

Buy on Amazon

My review:

This young lady connected with me in plenty of time before her release to ask if I'd be interested in helping her promote her new book and possibly review. I really should stop hesitating over DIY author requests, as Ms. Minks proves.

Jonas and Olivia is on the surface a simple story about orphaned hearts healing together through a special faith and unconditional love. There is angst, natural grief and a fair amount of grumping from each of the principal characters as they adjust to their changing lifestyle; for Jonas it's a thirty-year wake-up; for Ishmael, the silent servant, it's a journey of several years, and for Olivia, the catalyst character, it's a mere few days. A lot can happen in a fortnight.

Minks shares the theme of her historical novel well in her summary, so I won't elaborate. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, but primarily through Olivia and Jonas's perspectives. I hadn't reread the summary and mistakenly thought the story might be a romance until I realized Jonas was a contemporary of her father and not a romantic figure despite being portrayed as almost a Heathcliff-type character, but that was my fault. Olivia might be an orphaned teen, but even in grief and fear, her maturity shows others who have more reason to feel alone through choice or circumstances that we are never abandoned. As a historian I also scrambled to fact check a couple of aspects of daily life and was pleased to see that all was very much in order.

For such a young author, Minks has done extremely well, showing an understanding of story and character, an excellent grasp of language, grammar and punctuation with only minor lapses I don't even count on mature writers to display, myself included. Well done. Recommended for those who love daily life in the Revolutionary War era in American history, and for any age reader, probably avid readers preteen and up.

A brief interview with the author

Victoria, what do you love about this book? 

I love the characters. Maybe Jonas the best, but they all have a special place in my heart! 

Share two things you learned while writing it.
Well as far as writing goes, probably that sometimes you need to take a step back and actually pay attention to your characters, to dig a little deeper. And an important life lesson I learned: To stay dedicated and focused on what God has you doing right now, even when you might want to do other things or you get annoyed with what you're supposed to be working on.

What you hope readers will tell others? 

Oh you know, I've never thought about this! I hope that people who read my book will say "It seemed so real" or "They're the kind of characters that you can't soon forget". But that's a lot to ask. ;) I'd be satisfied with a "I thought it was a pretty nice read" too. 

What you're working on next? 

I have a few things planned. The next one to be published will probably be another Revolutionary War book. It's about a young midwife and involves lots of secrets and twisty subplots. The theme is how courage comes in many different forms, and how we must stand for right even if we stand alone. 

That sounds fascinating, Victoria. Thanks for sharing with us today and congratulations on your books. Victoria is also the author of a short story collection titled The Wind Chimes and Other Christmas Stories, available from Kindle for .99.

About the Author:

Victoria Minks is an everyday teenage MK in Japan, with oodles of daydreams and ideas. She loves historical fiction, chocolate, music, horses, and old books, and firmly believes that there is whimsy and beauty in any day. She was saved at age 5 and desires to write for God's glory. visit  www.victoriaminks.com.

Giveaway New Romance Through Raging Waters with Renee Blare

If Mother Nature has her way, Timber Springs will never be the same... 

A warm spring and early rainstorms melt the snowpack. Spring runoff compounded by the storm of the century sends Timber Springs into a tailspin.

Tossed into the role of rescuer, local pharmacist Paul Fitzgerald must face his past before the whole world falls apart. While he fights to contain the beast around him, he finds his steadfast control slipping through his fingers. And life…everyone’s life…hangs by a thread once again. 

She isn’t a hero. Melissa Hampton has her own demons to battle. After she learns of her mysterious beginnings amidst her mother’s keepsakes, she faces more than just the river rushing outside her door. Now, she must discern friend from foe…but as waters rise and tension climbs within Timber Springs, she needs to rise to the challenge or lose the only man she's ever loved.

Can two people find each other through raging waters? 

$3.99 eBook

Buy on Amazon 

A brief interview with Renee

Renee, what do you love about this book?

I love the pace of Through Raging Waters. Some may say that it’s fast-paced, but I can tell you from experience that my life is like this book. I rarely have time to breathe. I rely solely on the Lord for my peace and strength and this book is a clear reflection of that.

Share two things you learned while researching this book.

I wrote a lot of Through Raging Waters from personal experience but I researched a lot of the helicopter scenes. I discovered quite a bit about how they are used in logging operations as well as rescue. They are extremely versatile pieces of equipment. Some don’t even have keys, but others do…mainly for the doors.

Introduce us to one of the characters.

I’d like you to meet Ashley Morrison or Ajax as she prefers to be called. Ajax is an old pharmacy classmate of Paul Fitzgerald’s. She’s also his deceased fiancee’s sister. Ajax brings quite a bit of baggage with her to Timber Springs when Paul calls her to town as relief for the pharmacy while he gallivants off to the mountains. And that baggage is very, very heavy.

What are you reading now?

I’m actually reading biblical fiction more now. It’s kind of strange but the stories of biblical times have really piqued my interest.

What’s next for you?

I’ve accepted a promotion at the pharmacy I work for and I’m busier than ever. We’ve relocated in my wonderful state. I’m still unpacking boxes as we speak! I’m also releasing two novellas this year! In addition, I’ve broke ground on Book 3. As you can see, life is never dull around the Blare House. LOL What’s NOT next?

Renee has offered to give away an electronic copy of Through Raging Waters to one of our guests. I'll draw from those who comment on the morning of July 26 by noon.

About Renee:

Raised in Louisiana and Wyoming, Renee started writing poetry in junior high school. After having her son, a desire to attend pharmacy school sent her small family to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and she's been counting pills ever since. While writing's her first love, well, after the Lord and husband, she also likes to fish and hunt as well as pick away on her classical guitar.

Nestled in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains with her husband, crazy dogs and ornery cat, she continues to serve her community as a pharmacist while penning her Christian stories any chance she can get. She loves to interact with readers and invites you check out her website, blog, and social media.

• Website: http://www.reneeblare.com/
• Blog: http://reneeblare.blogspot.com/
• Group Blog: http://diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com/
• Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Blare/e/B00SCELZRS
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeBlareAuthor
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113410151904056563997/posts
•  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/renee-blare/4/44a/3a0
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/blarerenee/
•  Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeBlare
•  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/reneeblare/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55WKSlufqXcluWMdhxMEjw
• Tumblr: The  Journey: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/reneeblare
• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/renee-blare