FIRST BOOK IN MY NORTHERN INTRIGUE series.
Romance and mystery in a small north woods town–deep in winter.
ON SALE FOR 99 CENTS FOR A LITMITED TIME ONLY! Click here to purchse for your Kindle. Winter’s Secret – Second Edition (Northern Intrigue)
Or click this link to purchase for your Nook. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winters-secret-lyn-cote/1030802671?ean=2940014576673
To purchase for any other E-Reader, click this link. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87068
–Lyn
My guest today is author Lois Greiman, a long time friend. She’s going to share her grandson’s take on romance and ask for yours. Here’s Lois:
Last June my son, Travis, or Son One as I call him (some of you might remember him as Romantic Times Review’s Mr. Romance runner-up from a few years back–tee hee–you cannot imagine how fun it is to tease him about that) got married to a gorgeous young woman from Cameroon. Gorgeous young woman, as it happens, has an equally gorgeous son, who I will hereby refer to Grandson One or G-1. Anywhoo, a while back I pried my wallet open and took G-1 to see Untangled. You know the film-spunky heroine, sexy hero, opinionated horse, lots of hair. It was a fun flick and just about right for a six year old…or a romance writer…since it was basically a love story.
So after the credits were rolling away and the popcorn salt had been licked from every finger I turned to G-1 and asked what his favorite part of the movie was. Now remember…he’s a boy…he’s six…he’s being raised by macho 6’3’ Son One. So what do you think his answer was? Anybody? No?
Well I’ll tell you…he didn’t pause, didn’t bat an eyelash, didn’t take time to breathe. He just said, “When they kissed.” Huh? I did a double take, did another take, then stared at him agog, because when he asked what my favorite part was I had to tell him the truth; It was when spunky heroine hit sexy hero with the frying pan…which by the by was quite often. I don’t know if you remember the film, but sexy hero spent about half the movie unconscious and I was more thrilled each time the cast iron reverberated against his skull.
Lyn here-note to self-Do not make Lois mad!
So (note clever segue here) when I began writing Finding Home, the first book in the Hope Springs series, which is not quite a romance, but more woman’s lit-ish, I wasn’t exactly sure how to begin. I mean, I knew Casie Carmichael, feisty owner of the Lazy Windmill ranch, had a thing for Colt Dickenson, but I also knew she was far from ready to admit it.
So their first scene together was fraught with snarky dialogue. And if there’s anything I like better than seeing a guy hit in the head with a frying pan, it’s snarky dialogue
So what about you? What’s your favorite part of a romance, the fighting or the flirting? Or do you need both to make it work?
www.loisgreiman.com
http://www.facebook.com/lois.greiman
To purchase, click here. Finding Home (Hope Springs)
FINDING HOME
1 broken down mare, 2 baby lambs, 3 lost teens, and a busted up bronc rider with more balls than brains…They all add up to trouble in Casie Carmichael’s book. She’s come back to Hope Springs, South Dakota, with only one thing in mind–selling the family’s tumble-down ranch and returning to Sioux Falls and her very practical fiancé. But leaving isn’t as easy as she imagined, not when every bedraggled stray in the territory has a homing beam straight to her barn.
Suddenly, angry parents, hairless goats and a former flame’s new heat aren’t Casie’s most pressing problems. Her own mixed-up heart is at the top of the list, and as she throws herself into making a safe haven for her motley crew, she realizes home is a lot closer than she thought.
So what do you think about Lois’ question? Do you like the push part of romance where the hero and heroine conflict OR the pull part where the romance blossoms? Hmmm?–Lyn
Last Monday I asked the question whether or not I should continue to permit guest authors to do book giveaways. My contention was that people only left comments when a book was offered. Here’ the link to my original post:
http://booksbylyncote.com/SWBS/book-giveaway-2/why-blog-book-giveaways-yea-or-nay
WELL! That got a lot of comments. And I think that I forgot that when I ask a good question–that’s is one that people want to comment about–they do!
So I will still let guest authors give away books when they choose BUT I also will come up with a good question occasionally so you can post your opinions.
Thanks for responding and helping me get what was going on! DID I GET IT RIGHT???–Lyn
BTW–THOSE NINE OF YOU WHO LEFT COMMENTS FOR LOIS RICHER SHOULD READ HER COMMENT AND FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR AUTOGRAPHED COPIES OF HER BOOK! SHE WAS VERY GENEROUS!!!
Today I have the pleasure of interviewing a long time friend, Author Lois Richer. She’s just as much fun as she appears in her photo with a puckish sense of humor, generous spirit and a zest of life. Lois is also offering a giveaway today. Here’s Lois:
1. Tell a little about your life and your writing life.
Well, my writing life is my real life. I’ve been writing about 17 years, mostly for Love Inspired but also for Tyndale and a couple of other Christian publishing houses. My goal is to show in each story the practical applications of what I am learning/have learned about the way God works. I have a husband and two grown sons and we travel quite a bit, but wherever we go, my laptop goes along because you never know when inspiration will strike!
2-Was there a time in your life when you think God challenged you to become stronger? Please share.
It may sound odd, but with each story, I find myself writing what I am currently learning. For instance, my dad died this past September and the story I’m working on now has a hero who has lost his father. Totally God-incidence, by the way. So as I’m learning to deal with my loss, I’m gaining new understanding of how God consoles and also shows His ways. As I write the stories I feel compelled to ‘practice what I preach’. As the characters must grow in their spiritual faith, so must I.
3-In what ways does your heroine show strength? And where does she draw this strength?
My heroines may feel like dummies, or weak or ineffectual, but they never, never show it. They are always women who have chosen a goal that they are determined to achieve. I hope they show their strengths by moving past their fears and stretching themselves to reach for that goal.
4-Share one fun fact about your life or books.
The covers. With Love Inspired you can give suggestions but you never know what you’ll get. I had one story about twins and the cover turned out to be a shot of a mom and dad with twin girls. To my amazement I received a letter from a woman telling me her daughters had modeled for the cover. Out of curiosity she read my book. She was moved to find the story paralleled her own and wrote that she’d rebuilt her faith because of it. That was a very fun time.
To Purchase, click here. Yuletide Proposal (Love Inspired)
Blurb:
Helping children in her hometown is a dream fulfilled for single mother Brianna Benson. But being back in Hope, New Mexico, isn’t easy for the medical clinic’s new child psychologist. Ten years ago, the night before her wedding, Brianna discovered that her fiancé, Zac Ender, betrayed her—and she left town in tears. Now a school administrator, Zac is asking for her help with kids at risk—such as her own troubled son. But how can she work with the man who broke her heart? As Christmas approaches, the gift of reunited love is waiting to be unwrapped
Thanks, Lois, for sharing so candidly with us.
Questions: Have any of you ever read a Lois Richer romance? OR
Do you have any words of comfort or wisdom about grieving you’d like to share?
Leave a comment and be entered in the drawing for Yuletide Proposal!--Lyn
The week of November 30th was the third anniversary of beginning this blog.
Before that week, I took about two years coming up with a different idea for a blog, more than the usual “I’m a writer. Let’s talk about books” theme. I wanted something that would have a different tone and purpose.
This blog isn’t about me–I hope you’ve noticed. 🙂
Occasionally I will post something about one of my books, but primarily this blog is devoted to stories of strong women.
Each of the authors (and readers in May) who guest here not only tell us about their latest book, but they also share a revealing insight into their lives as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. I love hearing the stories from my guest authors.
BUT I ALSO ENJOY HEARING FROM YOU, THE READERS!
For so many years, I would write my books alone in my office and they would go out into the world and I never got to interact with people who read them. This blog is one of the ways I can overcome that former separation.
Many blogs insist that guests give away a book. I permit giveaways but I don’t ask for them or insist on them. Lately I’ve had many authors offer them and I’ve noticed that this may have had a negative effect on the unselfish sharing of ideas and opinions that usually takes place here.
Perhaps it’s just my perception, but over time the leaving comments on here on posts that don’t offer a giveaway have dropped off precipitiously.
So I’m trying to decide. Should I continue letting authors give away a book when they guest or not?
I don’t want this blog to be JUST about entering drawings for books.
It’s about so much more.
I blog to give authors and readers a chance to talk about their lives as strong women and share the stories of strong women they have known.
So should I stop allowing giveaways in 2014? Or limit them?
I don’t want this blog to be about getting but about giving and sharing and uplifting. What do you think? Book Giveaways–Yea or Nay?–Lyn
BTW, Maria and Tabitha won copies of Marta Perry’s Amish book and Katie J won Carrie Turansky Christmas Love Inspired! 🙂
My guest today is my dear friend Marta Perry, who writes such great Amish stories, many with suspense. Her upcoming new release Home by Dark combines both. She is offering two copies of this book for two people who leave comments. Here’s Marta:
“Perhaps you know a woman like the one I’m thinking of…a woman who stays in the background, seldom drawing attention to herself, but performing quiet acts of love and grace toward others. I’m not going to mention her name, because she wouldn’t like that, but when I think of the Christian woman I want to be, I think of her.
Every church has one, I think. She’s the person who’s often found in the kitchen, doing the dishes after a church supper. She’s the one who knows all the children of the church by name. She takes the time to clip out newspaper articles about their triumphs, sending them to the child with a note of congratulations. She never lets a birthday go by without a greeting and never fails to recognize and celebrate the achievements of those she knows. But she is at her best in times of trouble. Those who are struggling with illness or grief are inevitably cheered by a simple note or card from her, often containing a passage of scripture or a small cross, and always the words, I’m praying for you.
We often celebrate, and rightly so, the public triumphs of women. The election of a woman to high office makes all of us proud. The achievement of a female scientist or astronaut gives young girls someone to emulate, and that’s as it should be. Still, I fear that sometimes we are in danger of ignoring the simple human gifts of kindness and generosity performed by the women like my friend. Not that she minds that, not at all. She wouldn’t want to be in the spotlight. But I wouldn’t want to be without the love she brings to my world.
To Purchase, click here. Home by Dark (Hqn)
The protagonist of my latest book, Home By Dark, is a woman of quiet strength. Born Amish, Rachel has lived in the English world for a number of years before she comes home to the small village where she was raised, looking for a refuge for herself and her young daughter. But she finds that safety and security can’t be taken for granted no matter where she lives, and she must call upon her courage and strength to protect her younger brother, her child, and herself from a danger that threatens all of them.
Home By Dark will be available from HQN Books on December 18th, and I’ll be happy to send copies to two people who comment on this question:”–Marta
If you had a fabulous gift to give, who would you give it to? And what would the fabulous gift be? Marta, thanks for being my guest.–Lyn
My guest today is Author Carrie Turansky (shown here with her daughter). She is offering a book giveaway and tells us about a young woman that she admires. Here’s Carrie:
One strong, young woman that I deeply admire is Katie Davis, who lives in Uganda and has opened her heart and home to adopt fourteen daughters. With her deep love for God and her commitment to care for the least of these, some people think of her as a modern day Mother Theresa. I was deeply touched when read her book, Kisses from Katie. I have given copies to several friends who were also impressed by Katie’s commitment to love and serve the people of Uganda.
Katie didn’t grow up with the idea of traveling to Africa and adopting so many children. She is a beautiful, talented girl from Tennessee who was raised in a loving family. She was senior class president and homecoming queen at her high school. As she thought about going off to college another dream formed in her heart, and she visited Uganda for the first time in December of 2006 when she was 18 years old. The culture and people immediately captivated her, and she made the decision to leave her life in the US behind and move to Uganda.
To learn more about Katie’s amazing story pick up a copy of her book, Kisses From Katie, or visit her blog: http://kissesfromkatie.
I’ve always admired single mothers like Katie Davis. Parenting is a tough job for anyone, but doing it alone is even more challenging.
To purchase, click here. Snowflake Sweethearts (Love Inspired)
In my newest book Snowflake Sweethearts, the heroine Annie Romano is a single mother with a deep love for her five-year-old daughter Emma. She trains to become a personal chef so she can support her daughter and have a flexible schedule to be there when her daughter needs her. Providing a safe and happy childhood for Emma is a high priority for Annie, and that’s one reason I think readers will be captivated by her story and cheer for her as they read Snowflake Sweethearts. This heartwarming, holiday story would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys inspirational romance.
For more information about Snowflake Sweethearts or any of my books, please stop by my website: www.carrieturansky.com. I also enjoy connecting with readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I would be happy to give away a copy of Snowflake Sweethearts to someone who leaves a commen, and
answers this question: What is one thing you could do to encourage a single mother this Christmas season?
Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Lyn!”–Carrie
I’m always happy to have you, Carrie. I hope you all will drop by Katie’s blog andlearn more about her mission! And leave an answer to Carrie’s quesion.”–Lyn
PS Deb B won Virginia Carmichael’s Love Inspired. Congrats, Deb!
My guest today is a debut author–brand spanking new and squeaky clean, 🙂 Virginia Carmichael. I interviewed her so that both you and I can get to know her. VIRGINIA IS OFFERING A BOOK GIVEAWAY so be sure to leave a comment. Here’s Virginia.
1- Tell us a little about your writing and your real life.
I was born in Colorado but raised in Oregon. I spent some time in France, California, and South Carolina while in high school. I went to the University of Oregon and have dual degrees in theoretical linguistics and religious studies. I came back to my home town for ‘just a little while’ and met my husband here. We have six young kids, who are homeschooled and fairly lovely when they’ve had enough sleep. Which isn’t often enough. 🙂
I got an idea for a book in 2009, sort of a clean ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ set in academia. I still love that book but it probably won’t ever find a home.
I sat down and started writing. And then when I thought it was good enough, I entered contests, realized it wasn’t very good and started over. Then I entered more contests and got a critique. Then I read a lot of books on craft and chose some things to work on, until I thought it was better. I wish I could say I never queried during that time, but I always thought I was a great author, when actually, I probably shouldn’t have been allowed to e-mail any agent on this planet until 2011. Maybe not even then.
2-Was there a time in your life when you think God challenged you to become stronger? Please share.
Oh, boy. Probably every day! I was raised with pretty much whatever I wanted, and as the youngest, I just assumed the world was my oyster. College went great, after college was great, working was great… and then when I had kids I suddenly realized I had to make a choice between being the center of the universe or putting God there, instead. It’s a daily battle.
3-In what ways does your heroine show strength? And where does she draw this strength?
My heroine is the classic worldly woman who has been deceived by the world’s idea of success. She draws closer to Jesus when she realizes how very lonely she is. He gives her the strength to step out of her comfort zone (board meetings, business deals, heading a giant company) and offer to give whatever the shelter needs. Which is sometimes filing or even helping out with the little kids. It sounds easy, but for her, it’s not. In Him, our weakness is strength, and through her willingness to serve, she makes lifetime friendships and falls in love.
4-Share one fun fact about your life or books.
Um. Well, I watch a lot of kid movies and this book is based on a very famous Pixar movie. J I’ll let you figure out which one.
Virginia said:.” It sounds easy, but for her, it’s not. In Him, our weakness is strength, and through her willingness to serve, she makes lifetime friendships and falls in love.”
This sounds really close to what Veronica talked about on Monday.
To enter drawing, leave a comment.
Question: What weakness became your strength? For you or someone you know.–Lyn
To Purchase, click here.
Season of Joy (Love Inspired)
Blurb:
As the holiday season approaches, wealthy CEO Calista Sheffield wants to give instead of receive. So she volunteers at a downtown Denver shelter, never expecting that her own scarred heart will be filled with hope and healing. The mission’s director, handsome Grant Monohan, has devoted his life to helping those in need. But his harrowing past—and what he sees every day—makes him wary of Calista. Unless she shares her painful history, he’ll never believe they can have a future. But a future with Grant at the shelter is the only Christmas gift Calista truly wants.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6544907.Virginia_Carmichael?auto_login_attempted=true
BTW, I’m guesting on Cheryl StJohn’s blog today about my Christmas tree. Here’s the link.
http://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/
