Tag Archives: Christian fiction

Friday Friend–Julie Arduini

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AND A GIVEAWAY!

My Friday Friend this week is Julie Arduini. She loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and —maybe one day—the chocolate. She’s the author of the  re-release, ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as the sequel, ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past. She also shared her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY.

She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities at JULIE ARDUINI: SURRENDER ISSUES AND CHOCOLATE and the weekly e mail. SUNDAY’S SURRENDER AND CHOCOLATE. You can connect with Julie on Facebook: http://facebook.com/JulieArduini and Twitter: http://twitter.com/JulieArduini.

She’s giving away a print or e-copy of ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past. All you have to do is leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win. Winner will be announced next Friday, July 29.

Entangled: Surrendering the Past by  Julie Arduini

 

“You need to leave me alone. It’s the least you can do.”

Carla Rowling has been given her dream of attending cosmetology school. The gift is so generous she feels unworthy because of choices she made as a teen. The pressure mounts as Carla juggles school, is a single mom, helps her best friend Jenna plan her wedding, spends time with boyfriend Will Marshall, and deals with the fact that her son’s father is back in their lives.

Will Marshall is the one Speculator Falls resident everyone can count on. His truck deliveries are reliable. He’s the first to help friends like Ben Regan with boat work or be a card partner with Bart Davis. Will’s ready to settle down with Carla, loving her is natural. He’s bonded with her son, Noah. But when Carla starts cosmetology school, she puts emotional distance between her and Will.

Can Carla release her past and create a future full of highlights, or, will she burn her options worse than a bad perm?

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Amazon Link

 

 

YOUR TURN: Don’t forget to leave a comment and you might win ENTANGLED! Don’t know what to say? Tell us about your favorite summer activity or whatever’s on your mind! Thanks!

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

And the winner….

Leave a comment

And the winner of Renee Blare’s book, Through The Raging Waters is…Pamela!  Congratulations!RagingWaterscopy(683x1024)

Thanks to all who entered…maybe you’ll be the winner next time!

 

God Bless & Good Reading!

Friday Friend–Renee Blare

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AND A GIVEAWAY!

KEEP READING FOR INFORMATION ON THE GIVEAWAY.

Renee Blare is my Friday Friend. She’ stopped by to talk about her very new book that’s releasing today, Through The Raging Waters. She was raised in Louisiana and Wyoming and 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/

 

Book Two of her Snowy Range Chronicles launches today, July 8, Through The Raging Waters.  Suspense takes on new meaning in this book as the small town of Timber Springs faces the storm of the century during the peak of spring runoff. Paul Fitzgerald and Melissa Hampton must fight the battle of their lives as thunder and lightning reveal more than just rain.

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Back Cover Blurb:

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?

 

Sounds like a great book, Renee. If you think so and would like an opportunity to win an e-copy of the book, leave a comment. Winners will be chosen on July 14th. Don’t know what to say? Answer this question–Do you read more in the summer or the winter and why?

Thanks to Renee for being my Friday Friend and giving away an e=copy of her new book, Through Raging Waters.

 

Until next time God Bless & Good Reading!

 

Flash Fiction Friday!

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It’s been a while since I wrote a flash fiction piece so here it is. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is…it’s a very, very short story but still has a beginning, a middle and an end. Usually the word count hovers below 1000 words but can be even shorter. A few creative people have even managed to write a complete story in a sentence or two. Not being quite that creative, it took me a few more sentences but here it is…

 

 

LIFE PRECIOUS

Lillian Duncan

 

 

Life. A precious thing.

Most of us live our lives the best we can and then we die. We merrily dance our way through childhood, suffer through adolescence, then create the life we want or simply follow the path of least resistance.

Either way, we experience love and heartbreak, laughter and tears, victories and tragedies and, of course, life and death along the way.

But a few forego normality so that others can have it.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure what to write next. As she reread the words, she wondered if she was talking about the deceased or herself.

This obituary changed everything. This death changed everything. This man changed everything. She wiped away the tears, determined to finish what she’d started.

Her fingers moved back to the keyboard.

Life. A precious thing but an honorable death is just as precious.

She nodded. Good. Very good. He would have liked her words or at least she wanted to believe that was the case. Truth be told, he probably wouldn’t have. Never one to be the center of attention, he liked staying in the background. Staying in the background is what allowed him to be so very good at his job.

But this was his day and she would celebrate his life and mourn his death.

Taking a deep breath, she hit enter. Then slowly she stood up and walked out of the room, knowing she would never return.

Time to stop following the path of least resistance.

With a smile, she walked out of the room and into a new life.

the end!

YOUR TURN: I hope a lot more questions popped up as you read it. Who was the man? What was his connection to her? Why did he die? Why did it affect her so? What’s she going to go do now? Answer any or all the  questions or even a different one that the story brought to your mind and then share it with us.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

What I Write…and

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WHAT DO YOU WRITE?

My tagline says I write stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem! In short, that means I write Christian suspense. Some may doubt that suspense/mystery novels can actually be Christian fiction but…there’s a lot of Christian suspense writers out there who would disagree.

Christian fiction has changed so much over the last few decades and continues to change all the time. If you love to read but think Christian fiction isn’t right for you, you’re wrong. So today, I’m inviting other writers to leave a comment telling who they are, what they write, and can even include their website address so you can  check out some new writers.

So writers this is your chance to get some new readers, go for it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

Mary Manners–My Friday Friend!

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AND A BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they’ve rescued from local animal shelters…Lucky and Gus. She loves swimming, running, flavored coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.

Mary believes everyone has a story to tell, and she loves to share hers. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone. Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

Mary’s here to tell us all about her new book, HEARTACHE AND HOPE.

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Daylin Sullivan has a passion for two things: books and food. Both help her escape from a past riddled by abandonment; she spent her childhood passed from one foster family to the next. Life has mirrored a game of musical chairs until one New Year’s Eve she stumbles upon a Dash for the Dream brochure in the local diner. The team is a faith-based group that runs marathons to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research.

Patrick Litton is raising his six-year-old daughter Aubree alone. As the leader of Dash for the Dream, the widower works tirelessly to secure funding in search of better treatment for all those afflicted with CF, including Aubree. Patrick has no time for romance—until he meets Daylin at the Dash for the Dream kick-off party.

Daylin and Patrick don’t expect to fall in love, but both learn that when it comes to romance, training for a marathon is the easiest part of their journey.

 

It sounds like an awesome story, Mary. And the good news is that Mary has kindly offered to give away a copy of her book. So be sure to leave a comment and you might be the lucky winner!

 

 

No Home For The Holidays!

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GIVEAWAY!! GIVEAWAY!! GIVEAWAY!!

My newest release will be available in a few days on December 1, but you can preorder it now! NO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is part of my publisher’s Christmas Extravaganza. It features a variety of novellas in a variety of genres that have Christmas as part of the story. Since they’re novellas that means they’re short–so you can read several of them or all of them this Christmas season.  To learn more about the CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA, go to PELICAN BOOKS.  NO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is available now as a PREORDER.

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AMAZON LINK

 

Here’s the blurb for No Home For The Holidays:

Unlike the Prodigal Son, Chloe Sullivan knows she can’t go home for the Christmas holidays or ever—not if she wants to stay alive.

She’s resigned to the fact she must stay in hiding to keep herself and her family safe. Lonely and desperate for God’s presence, she’s drawn to a nearby church.

Ex-FBI agent turned preacher, Colton Douglas, mistakenly identifies Chloe as the person breaking into local churches. A midnight chase ensues that ends with him snapping her photo. When the photo goes public he learns more about the mystery woman than he bargained for. . .

And that changes everything!

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

To celebrate the release of No Home For The Holidays, five lucky winners will receive a $10 Amazon Gift card. So leave a comment HERE so you’ll be entered to win one of the gift cards. Last day to enter will be December 22 with winners being picked on the 23rd. Just in time for Christmas!

Don’t forget to leave a comment! If your comment doesn’t show up right away, that means I have to approve it. Thanks

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

An Interview With Myself!

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When I have a new release I usually create several different posts as I take a book blog tour, which is a fancy way of saying I visit other people’s blogs to talk about my new book. I’m not doing that with The Christmas Angel Thief since I have another book releasing on December 1.

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AMAZON LINK

One of the types of post I do is an interview. So I thought it would be fun to interview myself. Along with that, I’d love to get some questions from you as well. They can be about me, about this book, or even questions about the writing process itself.  So, for the next few weeks, I’ll post a few questions for myself and then see if any of you have any questions for me.

 

What is your writing process?

I’m what they call a “pantser” meaning I write by the seat of the pants. I never know what’s going to happen in my story on any given writing day. It’s as if my mind is a movie screen and I watch that day’s events and then I write it.

When I start a new story I usually have a clear picture of the main character in mind and what obstacle he/she will face, but anything goes after that. If I’m writing and start to feel bored—then I kill someone, blow something up or do something that’s a complete surprise to me.

And that way it’s a surprise to me and to my readers.

How long does it take you to write a book?

That’s a questions that I get asked a lot and I still don’t have a good answer for it. Because I might work on a story for a few weeks or a  month, then move on to another project, then come back to it at a later time. Another thing I do is work on several writing projects at a time. That means I might spend 30 minutes on a story one day or 2-3 hours on it another day.

Once the first draft is finished, I always set it aside for a while, then come back to it to edit, revise, and polish. I do this several times before I send it to my publisher.

So as you can see, it’s really hard to estimate how long it takes me to “write” a book. But I can say that from start to finish, any full-length book is worked on for at least a few hundred hours.  My novellas would be a shorter time, of course.

 

So there you have it. Two questions that are often asked of me in a typical interview. Now it’s your turn! Post a question for me and I’ll answer it–probably!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!

 

 

Vannetta Chapman is the Writer of the Day

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AND A BOOK GIVEWAY!

 

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Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel, Falling to Pieces, was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist. A Promise for Miriam earned a spot on the June 2012 Christian Retailing Top Ten Fiction list. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full time. She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband. For more information, visit her at http://www.VannettaChapman.com

Vannetta is giving away a print copy of her new book, Anna’s Healing. Leave a comment at the end of the post and you’re entered in the contest. Easy as pie! Winner will be picked on Monday, October 19.anna'shealingsm

ANNA’S HEALING:

 

Anna’s Healing is the first book in a brand-new collection from popular author Vannetta Chapman. These stories of love and family and Amish community in Oklahoma tell of the miracles that can happen when lives are lived in service to God and to one another.

When a tornado strikes the farms surrounding Cody’s Creek, Anna Schwartz’s life is changed forever. She suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic.

Three people—Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz—join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle’s. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.

Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world’s attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable.

 

Wow, Vannetta! That’s sounds like a great book, not your usual Amish story. I think I’ll put myself in for the book giveaway–just kidding! If you want to be the winner of Anna’s Healing, leave a comment. Be sure to stop back to see if you’re the winner or that I have your email so I can let you know.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…God Bless & Good Reading!

 

 

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

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Yea! We’re having a book giveaway today! And that’s always fun, but before we get to that, I want to talk about gothic novels. Not sure what that is? No problem. Gothic novels have a very distinct feel to them. Here’s a few of the characteristics:

  1. A castle setting, but modern day stories usually have a huge mansion instead.
  2. An atmosphere of mystery, suspense, or foreboding.
  3. And, of course, romance but often unrequited or a love triangle.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, today I’m featuring a gothic novel today. It’s title–An American Gothic written by Alice K. Arenz. I’m so excited to have Alice as my Writer of the Day. Even though, we’ve never met, we share a special bond. I look forward to the day when we do get to meet, Alice.

A.K.Arenz

An American Gothic is the new book of 2010 ACFW Carol Award winning author, Alice K. Arenz. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, her first two novels, cozy mysteries, The Case of the Bouncing Grandma (a 2009 ACFW Carol Awards finalist), and the 2010 winner of the ACFW Carol Award in Mystery, The Case of the Mystified M.D., were originally published under A.K. Arenz and have now been released under Alice K. Arenz. The more serious mystery/suspense Mirrored Image (a 2011 finalist for the Carol Award) will soon be re-released by Forget Me Not Romances. Visit her at her website www.akawriter.com .

 

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AN AMERICAN GOTHIC by Alice K. Arenz

She came to Foxxemoor to write a mystery, not to become part of one.

Devastated by the death of a child in her care, Lyssie’s heart strings are tugged when she finds another child in danger. Amid past secrets, lies, and betrayals of an old college friend’s family, she must choose a twin brother to trust. If she makes the wrong decision, she could not only lose her own life, but also the life of the child she’s come to love.

 

I’m in the middle of reading An American Gothic right now. And enjoying it. So I don’t mind recommending it to all of you. Anyway, Alice wants to give one lucky reader the chance to win a print copy of the book. Leave a comment and you’ll be entered. Winner will be picked October 5!

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME…God bless & Good Reading!