Monday, December 31, 2012

2013, 2013, 2013


 Are you ready to have a happy, healthy, blessed new year?
Starts with prayer.
Stays with being willing to take a risk and step out of faith.
Continues with growing in God's Word.
Is sustained by serious commitment.
Is worthwhile when we give of ourselves
Using boldness to spread the gospel
Watch for the Lord's return for His bride

My personal resolution?
  • Never stop growing in God's Word
  • Keep up the prayer for my Country
  • Pray daily for my Family
  • Pray regularly for Friends and Loved ones
  • Pray for Enemies
  • Trust God every day, not just now and then
  • Stand for Righteousness
  • Keep my standards high
  • Remember the importance of the Values, Morals, and Principles God put before me and keep them


And, oh, so much more.
Anything else?
  • That God would open the door for my family to move
  • That we would do what is necessary to accomplish our goals this year.
  • Write a good book :)
  • Read several good books :)
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU FOR 2013?


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Making Holiday Memories



Making Holiday Memories
LoRee Peery

 
Wrapped up in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, how do others see you? Do they see harried grouchiness or joy in our Lord’s birthday celebration?

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,” (Prov. 15:13). That’s what our faces should reflect as we go about the busyness of the holiday season.
Looking Back
Nostalgia goes hand in hand with holiday happenings. Taking a trip back in time, I remember my mother telling us how fortunate we were at Christmas time. Her gifts were necessary homemade clothing and maybe, an orange.

One of my favorite memories is the wonderful school plays given in a one-room country schoolhouse. Blankets were strung on wire for stage curtains, the teacher sat on a bench with script in hand (no one sat close to the oil-burning stove in the center of the room), and after the play, an ancient Santa wearing a seamed face and lots of padding, rang out in his jolly bass, “Ho, ho, ho, M-e-r-r-y Christmas!” His voice resounded through the room as we waited to taste the delightful goodies he carried in that gunnysack slung over his shoulder: hard candy, nuts, chocolate-covered mints we called “haystacks,” an orange and an apple. Mmmm.

Christmas Eve was our Sunday school program and we were allowed to open one gift before we left for church. That was a necessary surprise we needed to wear.

Our trees were always spindly, sparsely branched cedars cut from the pasture or shelterbelt. We kids loved throwing on icicles to cover up the holes between branches. With so many small helpful hands involved, the glass baubles grew fewer each year.

My father’s parents made it a Mosel tradition to have oyster stew after church on Christmas Eve. That’s one I carried on, until my sons-in-law fessed up to not liking it. So we have a couple different soups now, and my husband and I eat oyster stew on New Year’s Eve.
Memories, Memories, Memories
 
What are you leaving as memories for your loved ones? You can (and should) build memories for your children and grandchildren. As soon as my kids were big enough to stand on a bench, they helped roll out and decorate sugar cookies.
After being away from home a few years, I asked my adult children what they remember about getting ready for Christmas.  I heard singing, buying presents, baking cookies, making decorations, the tree, and our living room. When they were small, that room was a Victorian parlor depicting the era. The kids would descend the stairs in wide-eyed wonder.

Traditions create memories and bind families. They vary from a birthday cake to Jesus and reading the Christmas story from Luke, Chapter Two, crazy gift-giving games or drawing names for handmade gifts, saving Christmas cards and praying for the sender through the year, or even starting the next year’s gifts by shopping the day after Christmas.

Whatever your memories, savor them because life is short and changing faster than we can voice an opinion. Take time to make new memories. Love one another, and may I challenge you to leave a legacy of joy.

 
 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Futuristic Realities with Brian Ritchie


Brian Ritchie has 25 years in the publishing business as a manager and innovator at a large metropolitan newspaper. He is a freelancer, author and occasional poet. On his blog butterscotchridge.wordpress.com, he writes about the quirky little adventures that everyday life in a family provides. As an author his passion is for sharing biblical stories through futuristic adventures, while including the gospel message. When he isn't writing, or keeping the presses rolling, he spends his time on his real passion, loving on and enjoying his wife and three children, just outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

 
Anointed: The Chronicles of Ascension volume 1

Anointed takes the reader to a bleak dystopian future, after the United States government has collapsed.

The sitting ruler is a mad man who is steering his subjects to depravity, and self-indulgence. The singular remnant from the collapsed government, Syrus Finn, sets-out on a covert quest to discover and anoint God's new ruler. Desperate and on the verge of giving up, he discovers Duncan, a wild and untamed boy. Could this really be God's chosen King? As the boy eventually finds himself working in the Palace, war is waging out west, against the bitter separatist country, Pacifica. The armies face-off and the tension builds as Pacifica presents their vile, mutation Grimm to issue a challenge. When no one comes forward, the unlikely Duncan volunteers to meet the challenge.

Set in a future time, Anointed takes the well-loved biblical story of David and Goliath and follows the events as described in 1 Samuel 16-18.

An excerpt:

Once he had struggled to his feet, he turned to the children, and discovered they had all frozen. They were stiff, eyes wide, and afraid.

They heard something, he thought. Something he hadn't, and they were looking right at him. Two or three of the youngest shakily stepped backward, the fear more prominent on their faces than the others. His head raced, somehow he knew their senses were attuned to things out here that his worn set of faculties were not.

He waited, and the children held their positions, as if waiting for affirmation before bolting. Then he heard it, himself. A low, throaty growl, coming from the woods right behind him. The birds hadn't stopped their songs in fear of the children, after all. There was a real predator nearby, and Syrus's instincts told him he was it's prey.

The next one was deeper and longer, menacing and ferocious, its vibrato shaking the very leaves on the bushes. This one revealed it's identity. A bear, and a big one by the sound of it. He had seen them in zoos as a child, but those had no access to him. They didn't live under the rule of the jungle, that drove them to eat or die.

Youthfully stepping off the mat, and several feet down the hill with adrenalin coursing like a drug through his veins, he turned his back to the children, ready to defy, or at least occupy the animal. He wouldn't be much protection for them, but he was closer and the easiest victim, so he would make sure his death counted, and know they would all be able to escape.

What made me do it:

I know it has been said many times by many people, and it feels a little cliche to say it, but I've wanted to write a book since I was a kid. I really have. The real question is, why did I wait until I was in my forties to actually do it? I wish I could say, but when I finally got down to the task, it pored out of me.

I've been forever a fan of science fiction, and have read the C. S. Lewis Space Trilogy and the Lord of the Rings more times than I can count. So when I sat down to write my first book, I knew I wanted to do something futuristic (I'm learning that sci-fi/fantasy are dirty word in Christian Literature), while retelling a biblical story. So, I decided, since I wanted to sell books, it would be wise to write a book that fits in the popular genre of Young Adult fantasy that is so popular these days.

I wanted Anointed to have the appeal of books like the Hunger Games, and I think that is just what it does.

Anointed is available on Amazon, kindle, kobo and a couple other online stores, all of which can be accessed through my web site.



 
HOW OFTEN DO YOU READ C.S. LEWIS STYLE WRITING?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

For Better or Worse - with Patty


Patty Froese lives in central Canada where the winters are long and cold--giving her excellent excuse to stay in and write without guilt. She's a tea drinker, a novel writer, an adoring wife and mom, and she's pretty sure she's a British person born in a shivering, Canadian body. She loves rain, royalty, pretty knick knacks and three square meals a day. No dieting here!
If you'd like to find her online, come by her blog: http://pattyfroese.com. She's also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pattyfroese, and whenever someone gives her a new like or follows her blog, she sighs in delight.

Legally Wed is her ninth novel to be released.

Shirley: I see your book is about marriage, Patty. If that was the inspiration to your new book, we'd love to hear about it. The cover and blurb is already exciting.

Patty: I was a jittery bride. I mean, a really jittery bride. I was so nervous about my wedding that I refused to plan it. I wanted to just elope but my mother begged me to have a "real wedding," and I agreed... with a few conditions:
1.       I would plan none of it.
2.       I would arrive appropriately dressed and that would be the only thing required of me.
3.       We would have 8 guests. Period.
The day of my wedding, my husband and I picked up our rental car, picked up a couple of guests, and headed towards my parents' house where the wedding would take place. I had no idea what to expect. All I cared about were the vows and some "I do's." Anything after that was pure detail.
My mother put together a beautiful wedding. She took all the furniture out of her living room and turned it into a chapel. She had finger foods arranged on the dining room table. She had flowers everywhere. It was gorgeous!
The minister arrived. My mother put some lipstick on me. I looked at my husband-to-be...
"Are you ready?" they asked.
We nodded.
Then my mother moaned. She'd remembered everything to finest detail... except the wedding march music. (I was to walk from the kitchen to the living room.)
It was like the idea occurred to all of them at once--every single person in the room started to hum "Here Comes the Bride."
I walked down the "aisle" to the hummed music, music made by the people who loved me. They teared up as we stopped in front of the minister, and as we were joined in marriage, I remember feeling so loved, so protected... by my husband and by our friends and family who gathered close, humming their contribution to our special day. That is my most treasured memory (besides the "I do's") of my wedding.
I learned something that day that I've applied to my marriage: the biggest mistakes can end up being the most treasured memories.
Marriage is complicated, but it's also amazing. No one knows exactly what to expect when they take those vows, but the journey together is the exciting part!
Legally Wed is a story about marriage--two marriages, to be exact. One marriage is supposed to be over. The other marriage is supposed to be perfect. Neither couple gets what they expect! Marriage is hard work, complicated and downright confusing sometimes, but when you're legally wed, you've just sarted the ride of your life.
LEGALLY WED

When Rich McConaughey comes back to town, divorce papers in hand, he’s in for more than he bargained for. Lisa Young, the woman he was married to for six months, hasn’t changed a bit. His mother has though… she’s gone from matronly to meow, and his father has taken off with the secretary. Does anything last anymore?
Lisa Young feels chained to the hardware store her family has run for generations. How can she tell her father that she hates the family business? When Rich walks back into her store asking her to finalize a divorce she thought was behind her, she thinks that the answer is to sign on the dotted line and move on. Except, Rich isn’t making it so easy… and God has other plans.
For better or for worse, when you’re legally wed, things can get complicated.

Excerpt:

"What do you mean we're still married?" She hurried to match his pace."And for crying out loud, slow down."

He slowed his steps to a leisurely stroll and glanced down at her. She only came up to his shoulder, and she resented having to tip her chin to look him in the face. Young Hardware stood on Main Street, one of the first stores built on this street before the town sprung up around a crossroads with a gas station, a diner and a church to serve the farms in that area. Now it joined many businesses flanking Main Street, and she couldn't help but feel like every single of one of them watched.

"We used my Uncle Neil to finalize the divorce, remember?" Rich asked.

"Yes, that sounds right." As she hurried Ricky past Whirlwind Realty, the business next door to the hardware store, she felt a rush of relief that Jane, the head realtor for the place, stood with her back to them. One less person to give her the third degree later.

"Well, as it turns out, Uncle Neil was having trouble with alcohol at the time and..."

"And?"

"And never filed it. It sort of slipped through the cracks."

"Sort of?" What on earth are you talking about?" Lisa heard her voice rising in pitch. "He never filed the papers?"

"Looks that way."

"And how did you figure this out?"

"When the IRS audited me. My accountant thought I'd had my identity stolen. The IRS thought I was fraudulent."

"Ouch." For the first time, a pang of pity replaced irritation for the man. She stopped at the street corner and looked across the intersection at the coffee shop. A couple of people visible in the window ordered their drinks. She glanced back at Rich. "So you came out here to get me to sign?"

He squinted in the bright sunlight and pressed his lips together. Finally, he gave a slow shrug. "That was the plan."

She turned her attention to the envelope in her hands. It had been a long time since she'd held divorce papers, and they still felt ominous and weighty. She nodded.

"Okay. Well, I'll take a look at these then."

"Look, I'm sorry about this." Rich put his hands into his pockets and looked down at his shoes. He raised his gaze to meet hers. "I know this is a surprise."

"You could say that."

He gave her one of those lopsided smiles of his and for just a moment she could see the boy with the spontaneous grin and cajoling eyes she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. Why could Ricky always speed up her heart, even when every logical bone in her body knew he wasn't in her best interest?

"Well." She cleared her throat. "Thank you. I'll see you around, I'm sure."

"You bet."

Lisa raised her hand in an awkward wave and turned back towards the hardware store.

Married. Her body moved like wet clay, and when she fumbled about inside for her feelings she discovered -- nothing. Not yet. Later. Time enough for a meltdown in privacy.
 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

What do you give thanks for



 
Every year I am reminded of how much I love and appreciate this time of year. I love being reminded by God of all the reasons I have to give Him thanks for giving me life -- for all the people who have been a part of my life over the years, and especially for all the circumstances I've been through that have made me appreciate God for bringing me through those circumstances and situations successfully.
 
In my Civil War romance, Flame from Within, my heroine Amethyst Rose loses her home and nearly all of those she loves. She has to walk away from much of what she's cared for all her life. The circumstances she goes through bring her pretty far down in her thinking about what might now happen to her in the future --  even whether it is worth it to go on. Worst of all, she has no knowledge of the her Heavenly Father who loves her and wants to be there for her, if she will only look to Him for help.

 
In my book, Say Goodbye to Yesterday, my heroine Annabelle, who has had a difficult past life, has to find a way to learn what it takes to forgive herself not only for her personal failures, but also for those who've done her wrong throughout her life, especially when the past keeps staring at her in the face. Worst of all, Annabelle has sadly forgotten she once had a good  relationship with the only One who can teach her there is a way to find forgiveness.
 

 

In my book, That Impossible Dream, my heroine Geraldine, learns early how her disabilities might make life difficult for her.  Because of her relationship with God, however, she's been able to accept herself just the way she is. It doesn't matter  what others think. At the same time, Still,as a young woman full of dreams and prayers, Geraldine can't help but wish some of her prayers might someday come true. But with so many disappointments throughout her life, can she come to the place where it simply won't matter one way or the other?
 
In all three of my "I See God" devotionals, (I See God in the Simple Things, I See God in the Thorns n Thistles, and I See God on the Narrow Road) I wanted to show the importance of living with thankfulness -- no matter what we go through -- no matter where we are -- regardless of the circumstance we find ourselves in or where we might find ourselves tomorrow.  We really can see God in everything, if we simply open our eyes. He's there.
Life can be special and we can have much to be thankful for if we keep our eyes focused on what's important.
 
During this month of Thanksgiving, do you have something unique for which you can especially give thanks? I hope you'll share it with us.
 
Even the smallest joy you might have to offer is important to us here at A Pen for Your Thoughts. I look forward to drawing your name and giving the winner either a gift card for the e-book of choice, or sharing a signed copy with you of one of my print books.
 
 
 
God bless you all this Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 8, 2012

A Bit of Comedy Relief

Nothing better than a taste of happiness, a comedy relief, especially on a rainy day. Take a moment to read about Krista Phillips new book, Sandwich, With a Side of Romance.


Krista Phillips writes inspirational romantic comedy. She believes a sprinkle of laughter (and a wee bit of chocolate) makes everything a little better! She blogs regularly about life as a wife, mother, follower of Jesus, and mother of a child with a rare congenital heart defect at www.kristaphillips.com. Her debut novel, "Sandwich, With a Side of Romance," releases in September, 2012 from Abingdon Press.

Alittle about her newest book: Sandwich, with a Side of Romance

She moved to Sandwich, Illinois, in search of a new life, but ended up in a giant pickle.

Sandwich represents hope for twenty-year-old Maddie Buckner and Kyle, the eleven-year-old brother Maddie wants to spring out of foster care. Then she loses her new job after less than a day. It’s all Reuben-the-Jerk’s fault, and she’s determined to make him right the wrong.  

He does so, reluctantly, by giving her a job at his restaurant, The Sandwich Emporium. Then crazy things start happening at the restaurant, and Kyle’s foster parents apply to adopt him. To stop it all, Maddie must learn the art of humbling herself and accepting the help God has arranged, risking her heart to Reuben in the process. 

And she’d rather eat a million corned-beef on rye sandwiches than do that.
Krista's Social Media Links:

 
This sure looks like a book worth checking out.
Drop us a line about your favorite kind of read and why you are drawn to a specific genre.

 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace (Time to Reflect on the Sweet Things of Life)

Deanna is here to talk to us about the Fruit of the Spirit, and a taste of her brand new book. And a giveaway, one of us would be delighted to receive. Read on...

Deanna Nowadnick is a Pacific Northwest native and debut author. Fruit of My Spirit began as a love story to her sons. She just wanted them to know how she met their father. One chapter quickly became many chapters. One day, she said to anyone who’d listen, “I think I wrote a book.”

When not writing, Deanna serves as Client Service Coordinator for The Planner’s Edge, a financial advisory firm. Deanna is active in her church, playing the violin and editing the monthly newsletter. She loves to knit, adores chocolate, and most importantly, enjoys a blessed marriage to Kurt. They are the proud parents of two adult sons, Kyle and Kevin.
Deanna is currently working on Book 2. At the Corner of Grace and Mercy: Meeting God at Life’s Crossroads tells of those times when God has come alongside and guided, directed and turned her. The book is another collection of short stories, this time recounting how God has met her at life’s crossroads, when she’s been “on point” with God, not because of anything she’s done, but because a loving, gracious, merciful God was there time after time, again and again.

FRUIT OF MY SPIRIT:

Reframing Life in God’s Grace

by Deanna Nowadnick

           For those asking questions about our purpose in life, Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace offers hope and help. Author Deanna Nowadnick fills her memoir of short stories with humorous insights gleaned life’s missteps and misdeeds. Rich in Biblical quotes and references, the book shares a refreshingly honest look at Christian life. The author builds her story around the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to the people of Galatia: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23) .

        This engaging personal growth book thus goes beyond the storytelling of a memoir; it employs vignettes that directly touch the heart. Readers instantly identify with the travails of a child who was brought up to be seen and not heard. Later hearts are touched as she recounts her time as a teacher of children with disabilities, “At that school, I found an unexpected contentment and a renewed sense of self, and in that room, with those children by my side I learned to speak—in love and compassion.” 

      What started as a single story for her sons about how she met their father quickly turned into a divine writing adventure in which she was able to tell of God’s love and faithfulness. Recalling the nine qualities of the Holy Spirit’s fruit, the author uses pictures to relate each attribute to its Greek equivalent. The chapter on “Joy” or chara (Greek for divine happiness) is paired with cherries; “Kindness” or chrestotes (Greek for goodness) is paired with strawberries. Charming black-white photos capture transformations through thirty years of marriage for Deanna and her husband Kurt, and family time with their sons Kyle and Kevin.

     It takes a skillful writer to weave stories of personal transformation that resonate with more profound references from the Bible, and to that end, the book is part Bible study, part memoir, part confessional. The author’s wry sense of humor shines in poignant examples acknowledging that God is in the details. As she shied away from a more intimate relationship with Him and then as she was learned to accept His love and guidance, she found the strength and insight to reframe life in His grace.  And then she found that answer to the really big question about her own special purpose in life.              
     Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace is a spiritual memoir providing readers with priceless insights and inspiration. More important, the author’s stories remind readers how they can find the enormity of God’s grace in the details of their own lives.
     Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace can be purchased online at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.



How does the Fruit of the Spirit frame YOUR life today?
Write in your thoughts this week.
We will select a winner of Deanna's great book later this week.
        

 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

He Says It's C.S. Lewis' Fault

Say hello to James L. Rubart, a "classic seat-of-the-pants" author, I'm sure you'll want to meet, if you haven't yet.

James L. Rubart is the best-selling, award winning author of ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, THE CHAIR, and SOUL’S GATE (Nov 2012). During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing which helps businesses and authors make more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife and two sons in the Pacific Northwest and loves to dirt bike, hike, golf, take photos, and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman. More at www.jameslrubart.com
SDC: Over the last few years you have become both a well-known and talented writer. Before you tell us about your newest release coming, please fill us in on what got you started writing from the beginning.
James-  It’s C.S. Lewis’ fault. I read the Chronicles of Narina at age eleven and knew I wanted to try to whisk people away to new worlds and immerse them in story like he did for me. It became a burning desire that only grew in intensity as the years went on.
SDC:  Tell us about your publishers. How did they find you?
James-  I’m hoping they found me to be full of passion for great stories. Sorry, poor joke.
SDC: I LOVED IT!
 
James: My first three novels were published with B&H Fiction. My first agent submitted ROOMS to David Webb who rejected it, but said if it didn’t sell somewhere else, to bring it back to him in six months. A year later (in the fall of ’07) I met him at a conference and he said, “I’ve read 200 manuscripts since I read yours and I can’t get it out of my head. Let’s take another run at it.” David got it through his publishing committee in the late spring of ’08.
The relationship with my current publisher—Thomas Nelson—came about through a deep friendship. In the fall of 2008 I met Allen Arnold (who at the time was Sr VP and Publisher at Thomas Nelson) and we quickly became close friends. The friendship had nothing to do with publishing and everything to do with shared passions about life, family, adventure, similar histories, and love of epic stories. In late 2010 he brought up the idea of doing books together and in the spring of 2011 I signed a five-book contract with Thomas Nelson.
SDC:  What kind of response to you receive from readers who have not yet come to know the Lord, or who have been influenced greatly by one of your books? 
James-  The response has come from both extremes. Just the other day a friend told me I’m her neighbor’s favorite author—and this neighbor isn’t a follower of Jesus. In another case a man who had fallen away from the Lord came back through reading one of my novels. He gave it to a friend of his who came to Jesus through the book. (After hearing that story I decided I could stop right now. So cool.) On the other hand are non-Christians who have hammered me hard—check out some of my many one-star reviews on Amazon for ROOMS—for writing books where Christianity is prominently promoted.
SDC: How do you make faith, love, and hope work together in your stories?
James- Do those three things work together in my stories? Good to hear. I don’t mean that facetiously. I’m a classic seat-of-the-pants writer. I have the premise in mind, then I just write. So I don’t try to make those elements work together, I simply transcribe the movie I see playing in my mind. But yes, since I’m a Christian faith, love, and hope will intrinsically be part of my stories.
SDC: What was your criteria for selecting your own agent, if you have one?
James-  I met my first agent at a writing conference, we became friends so it was natural to become a client of his. When that partnership didn’t work out long term, I seriously considered being my own agent. (Not a wise move—it’s like trying to be your own attorney.)
A number of author friends said, “You have to talk to Lee Hough.” Lee wasn’t even on my radar, but I figured, “Why not?” After two minutes of conversation I knew Lee was my guy. It just clicked, you know? He’s been phenomenal.
SDC: I haven’t yet had the opportunity to read one of your books and hope to soon. How do you choosing the setting for your characters, and do your characters ever live outside the United States?
James- What! I’m outta here. J  Great question. No, I’ve not had any of my characters live outside the USA (yet).
SDC:  Have you ever written anything that you had to later toss? How would you describe your OLD file system of “works in progress” that you chose not to pursue?
James- The first draft of my first novel, ROOMS was 148,000 words long. I had no clue how long a novel was supposed to be. So when I found out 100k was the upper limit of a first time novel I did a LOT of cutting. From time to time I’ve thought about sharing some of those deleted scenes with my readers.
Regarding those old WIP’s I’ve been extremely fortunate: I don’t have any. ROOMS was the first novel I tried to write and it was published. Same thing with my second attempt, BOOK OF DAYS, and my third, THE CHAIR.
SDC: As we close, please share a brief blurb about your newest book and tell us where your books can be found -- where our readers can look you up.
 
James: What if you could send your spirit into other people’s souls to fight for their healing and freedom?
That’s the premise of SOUL’S GATE and I’m seriously pumped up about this novel. I believe it’s going to make a significant impact in many people’s lives.
Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly says about it: “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.”
Here’s RT Book Review’s take on SOUL’S GATE: “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.”
You can find me here:  Web: www.jameslrubart.com   Twitter: @jimrubart
Thanks so much for having me, Shirley!

 


 

 

 

Monday, October 8, 2012

A Dream is More Than a Simple Wish.

Everyone loves dreams -- at least  good ones especially if they could actually come true. But what if such a thing is nigh to impossible?

I'm excited to be telling you about my new historical romance, the second in my Decisions Series, That Impossible Dream. Here's a hint of what the book is about.

THAT IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
By Shirley Kiger Connolly
 
Disabled woman finds hope when she learns she might marry the man of her lifetime dreams. That expectation is soon dashed when a disgruntled uncle blocks the betrothal, demoting Geraldine Jordan to the status of domestic servant.
 
Geraldine Jordan's lived all her life with an unpleasant disability. She learns the meaning of painful rejection early. Any probability of obtaining a respectable suitor one day to someone like Alistair McKenna the man of her lifetime dreams is slim to none.
When Geraldine is passed off to live with her controlling-zealot Uncle Henry, she grows weary of waiting for that impossible dream until a treasured aunt steps in to  save the day. Auntie  immediately arranges a potential marriage for her niece with esteemed Chicago banker in search of a wife and mother for his  ward. The disgruntled Uncle Henry,   who believes  Geraldine is unsuitable for any man of status,  sets out to block the betrothal. He quickly demotes her to status of domestic servant to a family west of New York.

Will the shattered Geraldine lose all hope when she learns the potential suitor Auntie arranged was none other than her secret love, Alistair McKenna?
*****
 
 
Yearning to read a tender story about a young woman
with problems  like so many, who too often 
must struggle with acceptance 
in both yesterday's and today's society? 

Enter my contest for a giveaway of either the first in my Decisions series, Say Goodbye to Yesterday,or my newest book That Impossible Dream.
       Send me your thoughts about women of today who are physcially challenged in today's society, and some of the things you have seen them have to go through. 
     Be sure to let me know which book you are interested in winning for your E-Reader library.
 
THAT IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (Decisions Book Two) is an October 2012 release. Both this book and SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY, my (Decisions Book One) are being made available as Ebooks and will be also offered in print in the spring and early summer of 2013.
 
 
 



EXCERPT 
 
It was true. Alistair and several in his grandmother's former community had learned long before about Jordan sisters' biological father, clearly a lowlife, if nothing else. He had assumed Captain Davies, besides his numerous offences, had obtained his mental incapacities during the war. Had Alistair been misinformed?
"My young niece will more aptly suit as a governess in your fine home. She will not be at ease doing anything else, son," the reverend finished.
Despite Reverend Jordan's insistence, and Alistair's reluctant agreement to hire Geraldine as governess in his home instead of wedding her, Alistair felt more concerned than ever. His decision seemed almost offensive now -- very near rash -- to ask of her such a thing.
He rubbed his chin as he turned to the housekeeper. "You were saying Miss Jordan has improved?" he asked.
"Don't need no improvement, Miss Geraldine she don't. The lass, she's healthy as a brand new blade of grass, she is. Don't see it changing none, neither." She waddled off ahead of him.
Bewildered, he followed behind the housekeeper. The two arrived at the open archway leading into the parlor from which he was sure he had heard the voices earlier.
Alistair's curiosity piqued again, when he stole a glance at the attractive fair-haired woman sitting peacefully on a settee. Not unlike the young girl, he had seen in the portrait at the top of the stairs, this fine lady was also writing something in a leather-bound book.
Alistair seldom forgot a face. The woman in front of him was dressed for mourning -- most likely in remembrance of her aunt. Except for her slightness in size, she was not only beautiful to gaze at, but also much more developed (and quite splendidly at that) than the girl, he affectionately remembered. When she looked up and he took in her large sparkling blue eyes then those sweet lips he could never forget, his breath caught in his throat. The lovely woman in the chair ahead was years beyond the youthful fourteen-year-old girl of the past.
Geraldine?

 
 
Shirley Kiger Connolly is a teacher, speaker, wife, mom, and grandmother, who writes both historical-inspirational fiction romances and lighthearted devotional books of reflection, which includes her "I SEE GOD" series.  That Impossible Dream recently finaled in the OKRWA IDA contest.   An English and Journalism Major at college, Shirley is a graduate of Institute of Children's Literature, a member of ACFW, FHL, RWA and enjoys being a part of Hearts through History Romance Writers. She and her husband now live  on the Southern Coast of Oregon with their plethora of animals.
Be sure to drop me a line with your comments and your Decisions e-book choice -- either Say Goodbye to Yesterday (Book One) or That Impossible Dream (Book Two) to get your name in my basket of potential winners. Shirley's Flame From Within her first historical is  also available at any online bookstore in both Print and Ebook.