Healer by Linda Windsor - A Terrific Read

The first novel in the Celtic-Arthurian Bride of Alba series, Healer centers on Brenna of Gowrys. After ensuring the safety of her infant daughter with a trusted nurse, Brenna’s mother killed herself to escape the clutches of the neighboring O’Byrne clan leader, who murdered her husband moments before. The dying woman prophesied about her daughter, forcing Brenna to live as a fugitive in the wilds with only Faol, her wolf, as her companion. But the early guidance of her nurse and a mentoring monk has helped Brenna hone her God-given healing skills, and with the monk’s assistance, she secretly restores local people to health, even though her acts of mercy and kindness place her at great risk.

Together Brenna and Faol fend off an unknown assailant who attacks and severely injuries a stranger. Brenna drags the victim to her cave home, where she heals and restores him, unaware that he is Ronan, the O’Byrne prince—eldest son and heir of her father’s murderer—who doesn't reveal his identity until they fall in love (which Windsor honestly portrays without the extremes of explicit detail or unrealistic purity).

Delightful and Sweet "Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska" by Loree Lough

What’s Bryce Stone, a Marine war hero, to do, when going home to North Pole, Alaska to hide from life's woes and start over in a barely-there carpentry shop isn't working? And everyone disgustingly commercializes Christmas every day of the year?

What’s Samantha (Sam) Sinclair, a Baltimore, MD chef with a brand new culinary arts degree, to do, when her guaranteed job in North Pole is reneged, and  employment opportunities are almost zilch? And she's forced to settle for something else quick because no way is she going back home to face teasing and disgrace?

Beth Wiseman's Plain Pursuit--An Enjoyable Read

In Plain Pursuit Beth Wiseman not only gives the reader a glimpse of Amish life, she also imparts a strong faith-in-God message. Ms. Wiseman’s unique handling of shunning reveals the struggles of family members from both sides of the issue, something other Amish novels I’ve read had not addressed with such sensitivity and depth. Because Plain Pursuit is a romance, the plot follows the predictable romance format, but that doesn’t detract from the story. The lovers’ poignant journey draws the reader in, and plot twists keep the pages turning. The glossary of Pennsylvania Dutch words and the recipes adds a warm, homespun flavor.

Forcing Creative Juices to Flow...Via a Margie Lawson Online Fiction Course

My apologies for neglecting this blog since mid-February. If you're wondering if I fell into a gorge, took a trip to some and dreamy, distant utopia, or suffered a mysterious malady that made me allergic to blogging, then nya, nya, nya, nya, nya. You were wrong, wrong, wrong.

Nothing that dramatic happened.

On a whim in late February, I enrolled in a Margie Lawson online Empowering Characters' Emotions course, thinking maybe I'd lurk my way through it like I normally do. Surprise, surprise! When the course officially began March 1st, I discovered I'd be stupid to stay passive this time. So I put aside my blogging, hid from Facebook, and honed all other activities to the barest levels to let Margie's amazing lectures and assignments dominate my life. [Almost devour it, in fact. For the whole month and then some.]

Hmmm. On second thought, maybe something dramatic had happened after all. And something dynamic. Thank you, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Margie, too.

If you don't know about Margie Lawson, she goes around the country alerting authors to powerful ways of impacting characters and readers. She's been a college professor, clinical trainer, sex therapist, Director of an Impotence Clinic, hypnotherapist, and Director of an Employee Assistance Program. And that's only a small part of her incredibly busy and productive life. She also practices what she preaches. [Oh ackk, cliche alert!]

Check her out on http://www.margielawson.com/ and be prepared to hang there for a while. Her website and blog are just as comprehensive as her courses. [Or is it the other way around?] She is a woman who doesn't do anything halfway.

In her ECE course, she helped me identify and correct areas of my wips that were bummed out. Validated good things I did but wasn't sure about. Answered questions to niggling concerns that always seemed to hover, and encouraged me to identify and eliminate cliches so I could write fresh. Write Fresh. WRITE FRESH!

No wonder Randy Ingermanson, Colleen Coble, and other award-winning and best-selling authors can't praise her enough.

I can hardly wait until next month. That's when I'm due for another mega-shot of M.L. instruction and insights.

Happy writing, or whatever your April goals are...

Author Interview with the Highly Talented Roseanna White

Today I'm very pleased to interview my multi-talented critique partner, Roseanna White, to discuss her book, A Stray Drop of Blood, and other subjects dear to her heart. We've been novel-writing buddies for almost three years, and I truly believe I've benefitted more from our association than she has. She's an inspiration, and I frequently thank the Lord for hooking us up together.

MP: Hi Ro, I'm so glad you're here to get your brain picked. But before we begin, can you share an excerpt from A Stray Drop of Blood? Something to pique our readers' interest?

RW: Sure can. This is from the scene where my lead character, Abigail, meets Jesus on his way to Calvary, and where the title of the book comes from. It's one of those scenes that I had planned out in excruciating detail long before I got to that point in the book. For weeks I had these lines running through my head: "One little drop to soil her garment. One little drop to cleanse her soul."

After the 21-Day Fast ~ a Time of Meditation and Expectation

I seem to be a goal-oriented, type-A personality without the intense emotional upheavals that some people like that often have. Still, in my not too distant past, I was tempted to do, do, do, go, go, go, hurry, hurry, hurry, now, now, now for weeks, months, years at a time. One of my nasty habits was staying up too late at night because I wanted to squeeze in one more project. I ended up creating stress that could have been avoided.

In early January this year when my pastor called our church into the 21-day Daniel fast, I knew my challenge wouldn't be abstaining from certain foods or TV. I did that most of the time already. No, my idol was time, and relinguishing control was going to be difficult. But I sensed the nudging of the Lord to do just that. He didn't require I give it all, just increase my daily prayer and Bible reading. So I let go and obeyed. The more I read about what Jesus did in His earthly ministry (I love to read while I listen to a dramatized version of the NIV), the more I realized I needed attitude adjustments BIG TIME. To help that along, the Lord planted a yearning in my heart to become more pliable in His hands.

Day Five of the 21-Day Daniel Fast~the Pursuit of Jesus

The fast continues. Although foodwise, it barely feels like it because I usually eat this way. But I do have a mild yearning for salmon now and then. Green smoothies are filling and enjoyable, if you like that sort of thing. Which I do. Other people shudder when I try to tell them you can't really taste the cup of kale in a two-cup blended health drink. Ah well, as my mom used to say, "To each his own."

Now there's other things I do crave, the fiercest: reading fiction for pleasure before I go to sleep at night. Voices continue to tell me to read it just a little, to back off with scripture readings and the spiritual works. I don't dare. Instead I'm praying more, seeking more, reading the Word more, especially John 17, saying it aloud and imagining Jesus speaking the words. The love that floods me through that simple act of obedience overwhelms me at times. And I'm appreciating the sacrifices Jesus made for me so much more. How patient, loving, and surrendered. What a oneness with the Father. So amazing, and their unconditional love knows no bounds.

Day Two of the 21-Day Daniel Fast~the Pursuit of Jesus

Jesus~to know Him is to love Him. But putting aside "in-this-world" pursuits and focusing on Him is to CRAVE Him.

Day One wasn't hard as far as eating goes. The Daniel diet (Daniel 1:8-16) isn't difficult for me to follow because I tend toward vegetarian eating anyway. Well, except for abstaining from grain foods--brown rice, barley, corn, wheat, oats that are no-nos right now. But I started to drop them from my diet months ago because foods with gluten slow or stop my ongoing battle to control my weight.

My areas of temptation came from other areas: like staying away from reruns of Castle--the only TV show I watch, after Terry Burns said it's great. I never wanted to watch the reruns before. HAH! Sounds like the little foxes trying to spoil the vine. Get thee behind me, satan.

The Duke's Redemption Book Review and Author Interview

To protect her sister, Prin, Eloise Cooper has been forced to serve in the South Carolina patriot underground network as a spy dubbed the Fox. She yearns for the day she and her sister are free to leave Brixton Hall Plantation and the tyrant who controls them. When she accidentally kills a Redcoat double agent in a fight for her life, she continues her covert activities, but declares the Fox is dead--a decision that threatens the hopes for freedom for Prin and herself.

In England, Drake Amberly, Fifth Duke of Hawk Haven, learns a murderous rebel spy has not only killed his brother in SC, but has also duped the British authorities there and escaped. Enraged and frustrated by the news, he travels to SC under the guise of a tradesman ship owner to secretly head a plot to flush out the notorious insurgent and bring him to justice.

A Very Special Christmas Eve Surprise

Less than an hour before our Christmas Eve celebration was slated to begin, I took a break from my busy preparations to check my email messages. An unfamiliar name and intriguing "Contest Entry" subject line caught my eye. One click later, it caught my breath.

My contemporary romance, Season of Surrender, made the final round of the Phoenix Rattler, Does Your Story Have Bite? contest! (See the www.edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/ for a list of finalists.) Wow! With Christmas decorating (40,000 thousand lights or thereabouts) and party hosting in full swing from the time I submitted my entry until the third week of December, I'd forgotten all about the contest.

My first reaction was to read the message again. Much slower this time. Then I wanted to holler the news to my daughters. But I decided to wait until the whole family was present.

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White ~ WOW!

If you’re looking for a novel that waters down the stark realities of sin and its wages, don’t read A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White. Set in decadent first century Jerusalem and Rome, strong, multi-layered characters, rich spiritual insights, well-depicted historical events, and moving romance are powerfully combined in an edgy yet tastefully crafted and fast-paced classic.

Stunningly beautiful Abigail is an atypical Hebrew slave gently raised and educated as a daughter in the prosperous Visibullis household during the time of Jesus. But her

Green by Ted Dekker--A Most Provoking Novel

I’m normally not an allegory lover, so I struggled about a week to give an honest review of Green by Ted Dekker. This is one of the few books I’ve read that I’ve pondered about for many days after I read it.

The Circle is a meager nation of seventeen thousand people living two-thousand-plus-years in the future under the leadership of Thomas Hunter, a man catapulted into their world from our contemporary era. They have followed the tenets of Elyon, their Creator and Savior, but no one has seen Him in a decade, and doubts about Him have eroded their faith. Discouraged by their bare, nomadic existence with the need to constantly flee from the enemies they’re forbidden to fight, many in the Circle, including Thomas’s son, Samuel, turn away from their Creator to war against their foes and avenge their victims.

Amanda Cabot's Paper Roses, a Heart-warming Story of Giving and Forgiving

Sarah Dobbs, determined to bury her painful past in Philadelphia, travels to Ladreville, Texas, with her little sister, two-year-old Thea, to start life afresh as a mail-order bride. But she doesn’t know that her intended, rancher Austin Canfield, has been murdered by an unknown assailant. Austin’s brother, Clay, an emotionally wounded man who wants Sarah to return to her previous life, offers her no encouragement or support and tries to talk her into going back home. Since that is not an option, Sarah and Thea must live on the Canfield ranch temporarily, but Sarah refuses to be a burden. She soon puts her trilingual talents to use by accepting a job with the French owners of the only general store in Ladreville, where French and German factions eye each other with deep mistrust and suspicion.

The Christmas Journey Review and Interview with Author Winnie Griggs

Ry Lassiter, a prosperous lawyer from Philadelphia, hurries back to Texas after he receives a desperate telegram from Belle, his childhood friend. But before he can reach her, two thugs accost and shoot him. Josie Wylie, a livery stable owner he’s briefly met and helped, realizes the thugs are following Ry and mean to harm him. She charges after them, and her quick thinking saves his life. When a thug gets the upper hand, Ry rescues Josie before he passes out from his injuries.

Gingham Bride by Jillian Hart ~ Book Review and Author Interview

Seventeen-year-old Fiona O’Rourke’s goal is to graduate from school and run away from her cold-hearted, worn-out mother and lazy good-for-nothing father to live in a world she controls where no one can hurt her. She’s so focused on her escape plan, she is unaware of the admiration of the young men in her town, and is convinced she’s unattractive and unlovable. Her unhappy world goes from bad to worse when a man she’s been betrothed to all her life but has never met suddenly shows up to jeopardize her dreams with the threat of forcing her into a loveless marriage to get the deed to her family’s land.

Poor but honorable Ian McPherson travels from Kentucky to Montana, not to marry Fiona as his grandmother promised the O'Rourkes, but to determine if their land is suitable to raise his small herd of thoroughbred mares, the only assets left after his family suffers the loss of their wealth. Dismayed by the run-down condition of the O’Rourke property, Ian has no intention of staying and marrying Fiona, especially when her father demands a huge sum of money for her that Ian doesn’t have. But her plight touches his heart, and when she is attacked by a ruthless acquaintance of her father’s, Ian is determined to protect her, even if it means sacrificing his own dreams to help her fulfill hers.

Pitch and Promote Like a Pro by Terry W. Burns

When I attended the ACFW conference last month, I was privileged to meet and talk with Terry Burns. The man exuded wisdom, gentility, and compassion, and I went away wanting to know more about him and his expertise. (I also wished an agent or editor could have reviewed my proposal and told me if it was not only acceptable, but exemplary--'Sorry. That's my perfectionist tendencies talking.)

A few days later, I clicked on Terry's website, www.TerryBurns.net, zeroed in on his bookstore, and found a jewel. Pitch and Promote Like a Pro CD. And the price was better than right. I ordered it, hoping it would help me give my book proposal the edge I felt I needed to impress an agent who had invited me to send one.

Pitch and Promote Like a Pro arrived a few days later, and it provided a wealth of down-to-earth advice about every facet of pitching one's book. Nineteen topics spread over eighty easy-to-read pages that range from overcoming his personal fears about pitching to writing the dreaded proposal step by step. Terry uses his own proposal as an example and breaks it down, page by page, with simple explanations to help the writer not only create the blasted thing, but understand the reason why he or she must follow certain guidelines. And he's taken the guesswork out of the "Marketing Analyses" and "Marketing Comparables." Yay! Great, great stuff!

My proposal is finished. I can't say that it's exemplary, but I have a lot more confidence in it than the version I took to the conference. Thanks, Terry, for sharing your invaluable info. To God be the glory.

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World offers hope to people worried about our current, mind-boggling economic crises, other potentially catastrophic events, and increasingly difficult, personal struggles of life. New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Jeremiah examines a variety of traumatic situations and offers wise solutions richly backed up by the Word of God. With the added use of extensive research and scores of thought-provoking anecdotes, the author shows us that God has answers for the world’s problems. But He needs individual believers to help Him provide them.

Perfect Love Casts Out Spider Phobia

When I was a little kid--maybe about four or five years old--I overheard a man tell my dad that he had a nightmare about spiders. In the dream he was trapped in a pit somewhere and nasty critters crawled all over him and bit him. He screamed and struggled, but couldn't get away. He must have relayed the story with great emotion, because it left a lasting impression in me that morphed into an increasingly paralyzing phobia as I grew older.

By the time I reached my twenties, all spiders, no matter how tiny, were objects of terror. If I was alone in a room and saw one, I hollered until someone came to rescue me. I couldn't kill my nemesis myself, because fear riveted my eyes on it and rooted me to the floor. I couldn't cope with the thought of drawing closer to the eight-legged monster, and leaving the room was not an option either. If the spider disappeared during my absence, my irrational thinking convinced me it would attack me at night when I was asleep and most vulnerable. My fear became so potent, my myopic vision translated every undecipherable blob on the wall into a spider. Even seeing a picture in a book caused my heart to flutter, and I needed all my courage to turn the page.

But in my early 40s, I experienced a life-changing event. I fell in love with the Word of God and devoured massive doses of it every day. Less than a year later while painting a room in my house, I happened upon a little spider. Instead of screaming bloody murder, I ran it over with the roller and imbedded it forever in the creamy wall. (And I didn't cringe every time I entered the room afterward either.)

Two things from that experience triggered incredible joy: a) for an instant I felt sorry for my baby victim before I killed it, and b) I had been set free. To this day I don't know if the fear disappeared during that incident, or God had taken it away earlier. I puzzled over it for days until I read 1 John 4:18, and understanding came.

18a There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! [Amplied Bible] Although this verse refers to fear of judgment, it describes my circumstances perfectly. Through His still, small voice and the written Word, God had increased His love, the first fruit of the spirit, within me, and I didn't have to be afraid anymore. I give glory to God and His living Word.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  [ESV]

If you have a similar story of how God set you free from fear, please consider sharing it with us. The one that receives the most comments will receive a copy of Winnie's Griggs's precious Love Inspired Historical Romance, The Christmas Journey.

Disclaimer: This contest applies only to readers in the USA.

Laurie Kingery's The Outlaw's Lady Book Review and Author Interview

Tess Hennessey, an accomplished young photographer, strives to earn enough money to study her craft with a famous studio in New York, something most women wouldn’t consider doing in the 1880s. On her way home from a successful shoot at her uncle’s ranch in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, she is accosted and kidnapped by a gang of Mexican banditos. Who is the mastermind behind the scheme? The attractive Sandoval Parrish, a man she meets at her uncle's gathering who is reputed to befriend Diego Delgado, the evil leader of the notorious outlaws.

Sometimes I'm One of Those Weird Types

In early July of this year, I visited my family in the Detroit area for a week and stayed at my siblings' houses (three of them). After having been away for years, one of the things that impressed me was the quality of toilet paper they used. Can you believe that?

My sister bought the plush stuff, almost too thick and impressive to use, if you know what I mean. On a rating system of 1-5, I gave her a wholehearted 5+. My brothers chose different brands that seemed slightly thinner, but equally memorable. They got a 4.75. In a nephew's home, I found another kind that was teenie-weenie thinner yet. I had to peek under a couple of bathroom sinks to identify the brand. It ranked a close 4.5.