Lyn Reviews Author Miralee Ferrell’s Blowing on Dandelions

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Lyn CoteJuly 21, 2013

Blowing on Dandelions: A Novel by Miralee Ferrell

An interesting combination of the classic Western and prairie romances. No cowboys but a hero who loves his son and a heroine who loves her daughters. Mix in a boardinghouse, a mysterious boarder, and two matriarchs, marking their territory. Katharine Galloway is a heroine to root for! And Miralee Ferrell is an author to watch!

Notice that I’m reading historical romance again! Another romance book review next month too!–Lyn 🙂

View all my reviews
To purchase, click here. Blowing on Dandelions: A Novel (Love Blossoms in Oregon Series)

Author Rachel Hauck & Once Upon A Prince

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Lyn CoteJuly 13, 2013

My guest today is author Rachel Hauck. I love Rachel’s out of the box romances and recommend them highly. Today she is going to share about her mother. Here’s Rachel:

“Lyn, thanks so much for having me on your blog. I love celebrating strong women. I’m honored to share the story of my mom who demonstrated strength and courage during a difficult time in her life.

The Unexpected

In June of 2005, my dad, after battling leukemia for ten years, died rather suddenly at the age of 68. He’d been doing well. In fact, he was still working. But after a few days of not feeling well, he died quickly one Thursday evening.

My mom demonstrated amazing strength in the midst of grieving her husband. She worked, took care of my grandma, her mom, who lived across the street all the while taking up life and living, the finances that my dad had done all of their married life. She even moved some of the accounts online!

Forced to Make New Plans

For my mom, dad’s death forced her to make her own plans. After a year, she sold her house and my grandmothers and moved to Tennessee to be near one of my brothers.I know she was scared and nervous. I know she missed my dad. She became a big part of my youngest brother’s family life. She sees his children weekly. She’s closer to my sister’s children than she was before she moved. I know she never envisioned her senior years caring for her mother instead of her husband. But through the pain, she embraced it and leaned into God all the more.

Never a Victim

Mom was also a victim of child abuse and sexual abuse. But she never, ever let it slow her down. She said once she forgave her abuser, and gave it all to the Lord, she was done with that part of her past. I admire her for her courage for believing God healed her past and her heart. Growing up with her, we would’ve never guessed she’d been abused.

To purchase, click here. Once Upon a Prince (Royal Wedding Series)

Rachel’s latest book-Once Upon a Prince

My latest heroine, Susanna, was a strong character like my mom. When she was a girl, her parents fought like crazy. Susanna managed her fear and pain by pretending her closet was a magic garden. She also dealt with the instability by planning her life. Even in elementary school. So when the story opens, her most treasured and important life plan is being ripped from her! What’s a girl to do when her dreams crumbled on the shores of a south Georgia beach?

For Susanna, the untimely death of a relationship brought her to a tree, Lover’s Oak, where she met the love of her life! A prince no doubt.
The tree, the prince are symbols. A hyperbole of how grand and great God is to us when we trust Him. Even when we don’t trust Him.
Strong women accomplish a lot. But strong women leaning into the Lord accomplish even more. Do like my mom. Lean into the Lord. We can trust him!”–Rachel

Facebook.com/rachelhauck

Twitter.com/rachelhauck

www.rachelhauck.com

Well, Does that sound like a book you’d enjoy? I think I’ll read it. I love Rachel’s books. Have you trusted God lately? In what circumstance?

PS-Linda Thum won Louise M Gouge’s A Lady of Quality!

Love Inspired Historical Author Louise M Gouge & Sister, Daughter, Heroines

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Lyn CoteJuly 4, 2013

Today Love Inspired Historical author Louise M Gouge shares about family and her fiction. And she will be giving away a copy of A LADY OF QUALITY! Here’s Louise:

“Hi, Lyn. Thanks so much for hosting me. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss strong women in my family, as well as in my books. Today I’m talking about my sister and my oldest daughter. My two recently released books are A Lady of Quality from Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical line and my own self-published Escape from Kikwit. There is a link among these topics: All of the “heroines” are oldest daughters in their families, and all of them are strong women.

My Sister-Birth Order

In recent years, we have heard about the importance of birth order in the development of personalities. This is certainly true in my family. My sister is the oldest of four, and I am the youngest. We could provide a perfect example of what the psychologists profile for these family positions. My sister, whose name is withheld to protect her privacy, has accomplished so much in life, often against the odds.

She was a pioneer in her chosen field in a time when women were not encouraged to enter it. Still, she persevered and became a leading expert in her field. But my sister also took responsibility in our family. At the height of her career, she took care of our aging parents and made sure their sunset years were as pleasant as possible. Even today, she makes sure my brothers and I are doing well and that we share family news, even though we live far apart.

My first heroine

To purchase, click here. A Lady of Quality (Ladies in Waiting)

Like my sis, my heroine Catherine du Coeur is the oldest child in the family. When her father is falsely accused of treason, Catherine seeks to uncover the truth and take revenge on the man who propagated the lies that sent her father into hiding. I based much of Catherine’s character on my sister, who has always set an example of perseverance for me.

My Oldest Daughter

About a year ago, I wrote on this blog about my daughter Jane. The oldest of my four children, Jane has always been brave, strong, and adventurous, never more so than when she went to Africa as a journeyman missionary. Her service was interrupted when a rebellion broke out and all foreigners fled the country. Once she was safely home, I couldn’t resist writing a fictionalized version of her harrowing tale.

My next heroine

For this story, Jane becomes Jenna, and somehow she gets left behind in Zaire, the land Joseph Conrad called the Heart of Darkness (now Democratic Republic of Congo). For my hero, I had to borrow from the actual military unit that rescued my daughter: the French Foreign Legion. Ooh-la-la! It was so much fun creating their adventure. Knowing my daughter, if she had been left behind, she would have reacted exactly as Jenna does in my story. Nothing in that wild jungle setting defeats her!”–Louise

To purchase, click here.

Follow her on Twitter @Louisemgouge, or visit her blog/website at http://blog.Louisemgouge.com

Now available on Kindle and Nook:
Escape from Kikwit! Ahab’s Bride, Hannah Rose, Son of Perdition, Then Came Faith

Question: Do you think birth order makes a difference in a person’s life? Did it make a difference in yours? Leave a comment to enter the drawing.–Lyn

GoodReads Baby Bequest Giveaway

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 30, 2013

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Baby Bequest

by Lyn Cote

Giveaway ends August 31, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Author Ed Semon Debuts Memoir-Where Time Stood Still

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 29, 2013

My guest today is a dear friend author Ed Semon. He has been my guest before with his Tennis book
Over the Net and Between the Lines
and today he is going to talk about his latest book, his memoir which could have been titled, Growing up Jewish in a Small Wisconsin Town. He will be doing a book giveaway too. Here’s Ed:

“First this book is a tribute to my beloved father and mother, eastern European immigrants, who settled in rural Wisconsin, worked hard, raised a family and made the American Dream come true.

During the Depression-Through the Eyes of a 12 Yr Old Boy

My story growing up in tiny Athens, Wisconsin during the historic depression years, the 1930s, is told through the eyes of a twelve year old boy. Athens hasn’t hardly changed. Even in my eighties, I call it the place where time stood still. Recall is powerful. Impressions of school, friends, people, events and community remain strong. The life I knew there came at a unique time and place, never to repeated.

At First-A Joke

At first, the comment about time and place standing still was a kind of joke, but each time we visit Athens, I appreciate the value of the unchanging nature of my home community, a solid rock in a world in which, for most of us, daily changes come much too fast.

We Were Different.

Second, the awareness of my family’s status as the the first and only Jewish family many Athens people would ever meet or know is important to understanding its social structure and to me. After WWI, my mother and father opened a store on the main street of Athens and became a part of the community in spite of their being immigrants and Jewish. My mother had the hutzpah to join the Presbyterian Women’s Club, the week after moving there. She was going to be a part of the town, not apart. (Definitely a strong woman-Lyn adds) My parents’ store provided a valuable service to the small town. And my dad ( a WWI vet) is remembered even after all the years gone by. His name is inscribed on the town’s veteran’s memorial plaque.

Don’t forget what’s important

Third, I advocate the importance of writing one’s own life history and encourage every adult to write their story. Children and grandchildren will cherish the memories.”–Ed

To purchase print book ($7.16), click here. Athens, WI: The Place Where Time Stood Still

For Kindle ($1.29) : Athens, WI: The Place Where Time Stood Still

For Nook and Other Ereaders: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/329306

Visit Ed at Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/ed.semon

Have any of you taken the time to write down some memories for your children, grandchildren? I keep planning to but I think I’ll have to wait till I stop writing novels to have the time. Share some of your reminiscences from your family and e entered into the drawing for a copy of Ed’s book.”–Lyn

Amish Author Marta Perry & All About Sisters

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 21, 2013

My guest today is Amish author Marta Perry, a dear friend. She has a new very intriguing Amish story coming out. And she shares about her sister. Here’s Marta:

“Do you have a sister?

If so, you know that despite quarrels, envy, frustration, and all the other negative emotions that siblings can arouse so easily, a sister is still a treasure. Your sister is the person with whom you never have to pretend. She’s seen the worst in you, and she loves you anyway!

As we get older, we discover that our sister are the only ones

who truly understand where we come from, the only ones who know what it was like growing up in our families. My sister, Pat, was ten years older than I was, and she was like a second mother to me. In many ways, we were exact opposites—she was lively and outgoing; I was shy and introverted. When I looked at her, I saw someone who could always engage the people she met, who had a positive gift for friendship. She made friends with all kinds of people, and her friends knew they could always rely on her. Our dinner table conversations were enlivened by the stories she told, finding humor in everything that happened to her. She took me places with her, lent me her car, and taught me everything from how to make paper dolls out of catalogs to how to put on lipstick.

My own dear sister passed away on December 31, 2012,

just as I was writing this series, and she has left such a hole in my heart. Her funeral service was crowded with people, and afterwards, everyone I talked to seemed to have a story to tell of her kindness. Thinking of her lent a special poignancy to writing these particular books, and I’m sure I’ll never look at them without seeing her dear face.

To purchase, click here. Lydia’s Hope: The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley, Book One

About Marta’s Latest Amish book

What if you were an adult when you discovered that you had not one, but two younger sisters you didn’t remember? That’s the unimaginable truth that confronts Amish wife and mother Lydia Beachy in my new book out the first of June from Berkley Books: Lydia’s Hope, The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley, Book One. With no memory of her birth parents or the tragic accident that took their lives and her memories, she has loved the aunt and uncle who adopted her as if they were her parents.

Now, it seems, they’ve hidden a secret from her all her life. She has two younger sisters: Susanna, who was adopted by an Amish couple in another community, and Chloe, who was raised by their wealthy grandmother among the Englisch. Lydia yearns to be united with the sisters she has never known, but will revealing herself to them tear their lives apart…or enrich them beyond all imagining,

Please visit me at http://www.martaperry.com; at http://booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com; or on Facebook at Marta Perry Books. If you send me your name and address, I’ll be happy to respond with a signed bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Blessings”–Marta

It never fails to amaze me how my guest authors share so genuinely. If you appreciate this too, let Marta know in the comment section. Or if you have a word of comfort for her, please share.–Lyn

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Time to Express yourselves! And How to Leave a Comment!

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 24, 2013

I really love writing this blog or I should say writing and hosting.

I enjoy the stories that other authors and some readers share here and I enjoy reading everyone’s comments! And I’m always happy when readers leave comments EVEN WHEN THERE ISN’T ANY BOOK BEING GIVEN AWAY!

This year I’ve presented 4 kinds of blog posts:

1-Author Interviews

2-Guest author sharing from her own life and introducing her latest characters

3-Book reviews

4-Informational posts

For #1-I started doing interviews last year, but I have added a few new questions.

#2 is the staple of this blog, the stories of strong women. This is the whole purpose of this blog.

#3-I love to read when I can find time between my writing obligations and I like letting you know about books I’ve enjoyed.

#4-I post blogs about matters I think people need to understand. I posted one recently on what to do when Google Reader goes away this July.

NOW FOR WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!

Would you rank the 4 types of posts in order of what you like. Put the one you like the most first and then in descending order.

If I were doing it, I would rank them thusly:

2, 1, 3, 4

Also in past years I’ve reviewed primarily romance novels. This year I’ve been reading a lot of cozy mysteries. Please let me know if this is okay with you. Do you enjoy cozy mysteries too? Want to know which ones I’ve enjoyed?

And this post serves as a #4 too.

This information is about how to leave a comment. Many readers on Facebook etc want to leave comments but don’t understand how.

How TO LEAVE A COMMENT

Here’s the process:

a-Scroll to the bottom of the post till you get to the last line: Here’s the most recent example:

Send to Kindle

Posted in Author Interview, Book Giveaway, New Book Release | Tagged cozy mystery | 14 Comments |

b-Click Comment or Leave a Comment if you’re the first one. This will open the comments and a form for you to fill in for your comment.

c-If it is your first time leaving a comment, it will not show up immediately. I always have to approve a person’s first comment. This protects me from SPAM.

And that’s how to leave a comment.

Now please let me know what you’re enjoying most on this blog,

what you think about my reviewing mysteries and

also let me know if there is any author you’d like to see as a guest

Or if you have a new idea for a type of post. Thanks in advance!

If you leave a comment, I’ll enter your name into a drawing for an advanced copy of my next book, The Baby Bequest.” –Lyn

BTW, Don’t miss Amish Author Marta Perry who will share on Wednesday! Also everyone who left a comment last week on Eunice Loecher’s blog post will receive a free copy of her 1st mystery, THE WIDOW’S MIGHT! And Valri won Belle Calhoune’s first Love Inspired!

Mystery Author Eunice Loecher & Her New Adventure!

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 19, 2013

I’m thrilled today to introduce my very good friend Mystery Author Eunice Loecher (pronounced Low-sher). She lives in my area and is one of my faithful writing partners. (I think the photo above gives you some idea of why I like Eunice.)

A few weeks ago, she launched her first cozy mystery series: THE ARBOR VALE series, set in the northwoods where we both live. Here is my interview with Eunice:

Share one fun or interesting fact about your life or books.

There are so many to chose from. At age seven I got my head caught in a turnstile in the grocery store. It still hurts. I leave it to your imagination as to how that happened. Then there was the day I walked on water when it rained down poisonous snakes from the tree I was fishing under. Or when I was late for work because a tarantula was in front of me on the sidewalk.

Was there a time in your life when you think God challenged you to become stronger?

Seventeen years ago, my dad and my husband were both diagnosed the same week with different forms of cancer. I became the family caregiver. My lowest point came when I had been up all night with my dad and toward morning he had a seizure. Mom was seriously ill and in bed with the shingles and couldn’t help. My husband tried to help but the chemotherapy had made him so sick, he was in the bathroom vomiting. At that moment my daughter arrived with my six week old grandson. She was returning to work that morning after her maternity leave. I was her only option for child care. I stood in the livingroom holding that prescious baby and crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Yes, God challenged me to become stronger. I took care of my dad and then my husband until he passed seven months later. I helped raise two grandchildren and cared for mom until she passed two years ago at the age of 99. God did not forsake me but has led me all the way.

Why do you write?

Because I enjoy putting words on paper and expressing the stories and ideas running around inside my head. I’m really enjoying the stories my current characters, Zita and Zinnia, have to share as they get embroiled in all sorts of murder and mayhem.

To purchase, click here. A Widow’s Might (Arbor Vale Mystery)

BLURB FOR THE FIRST ARBOR VALE MYSTERY

Fred didn’t show for the fiesta lunch special on Wednesday at the Arbor Vale Café. Why not? He’d called to say he had something to tell her. So Zita Stillman drops by his house to hear him out. Fred had been such a good friend to her late husband. But Fred lies, lifeless, by the wood pile.

So begins Zita’s first murder investigation with her lifelong sidekick Zinnia Blossom Winwood and the distraction of the good-looking Max Knight, successful condo builder. Attacked by a clown, run off the road, and warned off by the police, Zita will not let Fred’s murderer get off scot free. But another mystery, the facts surrounding Zita’s parentage and birth also may come to light.

A Widow’s Might is the first of the (Arbor Vale Mystery) Series. Followed by Woman at the Well, (Book Two-now also available), written and coming soon, The Subtle Serpent, (Book Three), The Root of All Evil, (Book Four), and Sin Lieth at the Door, (Book Five).

BIO

Eunice Loecher enjoys living in a small Wisconsin northwoods town, south of Lake Superior. This setting inspired her Arbor Vale mystery series, featuring the two “Z’s” Zita Stillman, amateur sleuth, and her sidekick the flamboyant Zinnia Blossom Winwood.

Writing for over twenty years, Eunice was a finalist in the prestigious Wisconsin Regional Writers Award, The Jade Ring 2003. Eunice also had stories included in three editions of the “God Allows U-Turns” series, the Christian version of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Then Eunice switched from non-fiction to fiction and began by writing two romantic suspense novels. She now writes cozy mystery as her true calling.

Eunice is offering to give away several copies of her EBOOK The Widow’s Might. Please leave a comment to enter the drawing. Here’s the

QUESTIONS: Is there any venture or activity that you have been putting off till you have time? What is it and what’s stopping you from trying it or beginning the adventure?

Visit Eunice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eunice.schuelerloecher?fref=ts

Author Belle Calhoune & Her Anger at God

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 15, 2013

My guest today is new Love Inspired Author Belle Calhoune. She shares a dark period in her life. She is offering a book giveaway so be sure to leave a comment. Here’s Belle:

“One of the most difficult life passages

involves letting go of a loved one. It doesn’t matter whether we’re adults with our own children or teenagers struggling through adolescence. The loss of a parent feels as if we’ve been run over by a mack truck. It is a painful and devastating experience.

When my mother received a crushing diagnosis

of terminal cancer she was a vital, energetic woman with no health problems. Married to my father for almost forty years, mother of five children and a dedicated physician, my mother was a force of nature. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. Yet in one fell swoop she had to face the fact that her life was slipping away from her. While I was busy sobbing my eyes out, my mother calmly listed all the things she was grateful for in her life. My father. Her children. A wonderful home. Her dream career. And friends. It was in this moment that I realized exactly who my mother was—a strong, spiritual woman grateful for her blessings, even in her darkest hour.

During the next nine months my family rallied around her. We cared for her, loved her, watched movies with her, rang in the New Year and made each other laugh. One of the most beautiful things I witnessed was the love and devotion of my father, who stood by her side and served as her caregiver each and every day. And one of the most poignant things my mother was able to experience before she passed was my father dedicating himself to God in a church ceremony.

Yet I struggled with the loss of my mother and my anger at God.

How could a woman as giving as my mother be taken from us so swiftly, so randomly? And why had He allowed it? I didn’t attend church, stopped writing and allowed anger into my heart. In the end, it was my five year old daughter who showed me that God was all around me, supporting me, loving me and nurturing me. How could I be angry when He’d given me so many blessing in my life? After all, He’d given me my wonderful mother and everything else I cherished.

To purchase, click here. Reunited with the Sheriff (Love Inspired)

Belle’s New Book

As authors, we inject a little bit of our own experiences into our works. My heroine, Cassidy Blake, returns to her hometown of West Falls, Texas in order to take care of her cancer stricken mother. Because she loves her mother dearly, Cassidy is willing to endure coming face to face with her past in order to support the woman she loves during a health crisis.”–Belle

Stop by and visit Belle at:

www.bellecalhoune.com
Author Belle Calhoune on Facebook
www.bellecalhoune.blogspot.com

One of the main things I appreciate is that my guests are not afraid to share their real stories, the ones that cost them something to share. And my readers are similarly fearless.

QUESTION: Have you lost anyone dear to you? How did you handle it? OR have you ever been angry with God? Why and how did this change? Or has it changed?

Leave a comment and be entered into the drawing for Belle’s book–Lyn

PS-The winner of my copy of BILLY GRAHAM & ME is Barbara Thompson!

A Suggestion of a Gift for Father’s Day Or Win a Copy for Dad! BILLY GRAHAM & ME

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Lyn CoteJune 12, 2013

PAPERBACK EDITION

I’m sure you’ve all heard of, or seen or read THE CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL books. This one centers around a man I highly respect, Reverend Billy Graham. This book titled, BILLY GRAHAM & ME, is a collection of 101 personal recollections of people who have known him well. Some people who wrote reminiscences are Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Wynonna Judd, President Barak Obama, Kevin Sorbo, and Ravi Zacharius and many more.

I’ve always had high regard for Billy Graham because he has never let his family down. No sordid affairs or tawdry scandals. And I always loved to hear him preach. To me, he was a man who spoke to each person as if it were only the two of them–even though thousands were present. This is a great gift book for anyone who has ever heard Billy Graham preach. I especially enjoyed the story of how Cliff Barrow became Billy’s song leader–definitely a God-thing.

I have one HARDBACK copy to send to one commenter. Or I will send it to your father or whomever you honor on Father’s Day.

HARDBACK

AUDIO BOOK

KINDLE EDITION

Question: What do you think of Billy Graham? What do you remember about him?–Lyn

PS-I listed all the various editions so if you don’t win, you can order one in the form you want in time for Sunday!