Amish Author Marta Perry & What a Mother Can Do!

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My guest today is Amish author Marta Perry who is a dear friend. I count myself lucky to be able to call her that. Today she is sharing a heartwearming and faith-inspiring story from her family. Here’s Marta:

“My mother-in-law knew something was wrong when she saw her new-born daughter. Unlike her other children, Christine’s skin was not a healthy pink but a pale, almost bluish color. The doctor confirmed what she suspected. Little Christine had been born with a hole in her heart—a condition that was nearly always fatal in the 1940s.

But Greta Johnson was not one to give up easily. A hard-working farm wife, she knew the value of persistence. Doctor after doctor gave her the same advice: take her home and love her for the short time she has.

The only slight ray of hope came from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, where a new surgery was being tried that saved blue babies. The family doctor was not encouraging. The hospital was far away, the surgeons had never performed the surgery on a baby as young as Christine, it would be expensive, there was no guarantee that it would work. Still, Greta persisted, and Christine’s records were sent to Hopkins for consideration. The only thing to do now was wait.

They waited. And waited. And waited. Christine grew worse daily. Hope began to falter.

Early one morning Greta was in the kitchen alone, working and praying for an answer. She heard a voice speak behind her. “Go to Baltimore and talk to the doctors.”

She turned around, shocked and stunned. No one was there. But the voice still seemed to hang in the air.

Greta didn’t hesitate. People came to help with the other children and care for Christine, somehow the money was found for a train ticket. She rode all night on the train, took a taxi to Johns Hopkins and entered the imposing lobby, bustling with people who all seemed to know where they were going and what they were doing. She found her way to the pediatric surgery area. Just as she gave her name to the receptionist, a passing doctor stopped, surprised.

“You’re Christine Johnson’s mother? We were just looking at her case.” The doctor proved to be Helen Taussig, cardiologist, who with surgeon Alfred Blalock and technician Vivien Thomas had developed the procedure.

The words that had guided Greta to this spot bore fruit. Christine was scheduled for surgery, and when she was wheeled back to her waiting parents afterward, Greta knew she was witnessing a miracle—her blue baby was now a beautiful, rosy pink.

Persistence in doing what is right is a quality I’ve always valued. It’s one that often characterizes the heroines in my books, none more so than Libby Morgan in Danger in Plain Sight. Faced with one person after another disregarding her fears, she persists in doing what she believes is right, regardless of the danger, even when it brings it face-to-face with a ruthless killer.


To purchase, click here. Danger in Plain Sight

If you’d like to leave a comment, I’ll be happy to give a copy of Danger in Plain Sight to one entrant. And if you’d like to receive a bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, just send your mailing address to marta@martaperry.com.”–Marta

Here are two more of Marta’s books–DARK CROSSINGS and HER SURPRISE SISTER–which will come out in a few days in July. Click cover to purchase.


www.martaperry.com,
www.facebook.com/martaperrybooks

So friends, have you ever felt that God spoke to you in some way. It might not be in words, but perhaps in the form of serendipidity or God-incidence. Please leave a reply and be entered into the drawing. Also remember that you can still go back and read and comment on Adina Senft’s posting on Monday to qualify for her drawing too. I’ll announce winners on Sunday as usual.–Lyn

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Amish Week Begins With Adina Senft & Why the Kapp & Bob?

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My guest today is author Adina Senft who will discuss her Amish Quilt trilogy. Adina is a personal friend. We were roomies on a book tour in the summer of 2006. She is a fun, interesting and energetic person. And I love whatever she writes BTW, she’s offering an autorgraphed copy of the Hidden Life for a reader who leaves a comment! Here’s Adina:

“In my travels in Lancaster County researching the Amish Quilt trilogy, I find myself having the occasional blast from the past. I grew up in a plain church—not Amish or Mennonite, but one with strict standards of dress and hair and lifestyle. The sun shines through an Amish woman’s Kapp and I see her “bob,” or bun, tightly coiled at the nape of her neck and secured with hairpins. Not bobby pins, mind you, because those came in in the 20s when women cut their hair, and are considered worldly. No, these are U-shaped, rippled hairpins, just like the ones I used. I see ladies whose hair is thinning on top from the sheer weight of their bun, just as my mother’s once did. I see women in black stockings just like the ones my grandmother had to wear because nude-colored hose were worldly.

And what’s the point of all these peculiarities of dress, you ask? The simple answer is: They’re signs of submission. In the Amish church, the Ordnung, or unwritten order, dictates (among other things) the appearance of the people. In my church, the “standard” was also unwritten, but it was still plain as day. You grew up learning it and knowing it—and you also grew up knowing how hard it was to keep it. You see, it takes inner strength to submit your will to a rule that you believe is scriptural, especially when it’s natural to want to appear attractive—to cut your hair to flatter your face shape, to emphasize the eyes with makeup, to correct skin flaws with foundation.


In my Amish Quilt trilogy, this submission is a daily battle for my Amish characters. In The Hidden Life, Emma Stolzfus has a talent that she could use to make her living. But it’s a public talent–and Amish women have no public voice. Part of the story involves her struggle to submit to this, and to try to keep her talent hidden so that she doesn’t get into trouble. As one character says, “Obedience is a choice you make every day.” You might think it’s easier to make that choice if everyone around you is doing it, and that might be true to a certain extent. But it still comes down to “Will I submit or won’t I?” and for the Amish, the answer is evident in their dress and how they relate to the outside world.

It’s not easy. In many eyes, it’s not even necessary. But these strong Amish women depend on God’s strength to do it, and that’s the important thing.”–Adina

Web: http://www.adinasenft.com

Blog: http://www.adinasenft.com/blog

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/shelley.adina

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adina-Senft/140668956029677

Question to qualify for the book drawing: Most of us don’t choose to wear a kapp and bob, but I think we all want to be humble before God. In what ways do you show obedience or submission to God?”–Lyn

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Lyn Cote’s Latest EBOOK Release-For Sophia’s Heart Goes Free!

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So what do you think of my latest cover? I think she’s lovely, a pretty girl in the 1890’s. But life wasn’t easy for her or a certain young man. Here’s the blurb:

A penniless but pretty girl…a wealthy young man on his way to war–what could draw them into a marriage of convenience?

In April 1898, Sophia Schiffler boards a train and meets Gannon Moore, both on their way to Chicago. Gannon is going to withdraw from the university to enlist in the Spanish American War. Teddy Roosevelt is gathering his rough riders to invade Cuba. And Gannon is ready to join the fight against Spain to gain Cuba’s freedom. Mourning the recent loss of his sister, Gannon is shocked when Sophia reveals she is going to marry a man she’s never met. When this suitor doesn’t meet Sophia at Union Station, Gannon accompanies her to the man’s address. What they discover there catapults Sophia into a situation she could never have imagined.

Soon she is living in Chicago and frequenting Jane Addams’ famous Hull House. Gannon trains in Florida and prepares for combat in Cuba. He and Sophia exchange letters written from their hearts. In the fall, Gannon returns from war, a changed man. The course of true love never runs smooth. And life has a way of turning tables on two young people in love. Their springtime love endured separation and a war. Will it survive a winter of reality?

Free on Kindle Friday June 22 through Sunday June 24, 2012

Click here to purchase http://tinyurl.com/d6py9k4

Also on sale those days, one of my full length historicals,  La Belle Christiane. Normally 4.99. On sale for $1.49– Three days ONLY!

Click here to purchase La Belle Christiane (Patriots and Seekers)

I hope you will spread the word. This is a novella, so it’s a short novel. If you don’t have an ereader, you can still download this for free to your computer. Just click this link and look on the right (scroll down a bit) for how to download the free software.

Here are tweets you can use to let your friends know:

#Free June 22-24 #Kindle @LynCote For Sophia’s Heart, a Novella, Christian historical romance For Sophia’s Heart, A Novella

@LynCote La Belle Christiane, Christian romance $1.49 Fri-Sun 22-24 @kindle_promo http://tinyurl.com/736jy28

Thanks for helping spread the word!–Lyn

BTW-DO YOU LIKE THE COVER?  MY DAUGHTER DID IT! Tell me what you think!

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Author Michelle Stimpson & Footprints in the Sand

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Today my guest is author Michelle Stimpson, who always has an interesting story to share. Here’s Michelle:

“Thanks so much, Lyn, for inviting me to post on your blog!
This year, I turned 40 (woo hoo!), and what a year it has been! My dad spent three weeks in the hospital recovering from a diabetic coma. The month after he got out of the hospital, my mother had a stroke and has since moved in with us while she completes her recovery. Needless to say, I haven’t done much writing lately. I haven’t done much of anything, actually, except…you know, I can’t even say what I’ve done since I’ve turned 40!
In times like these, I remember the “Footprints in the Sand” poem by Carolyn Joyce Carty. The fact that I can’t say where these first months of 2012 have gone is a testament to God’s KEEPING power. His sweet presence has been a constant reminder that I have no reason to become anxious or fearful because He is near (Philippians 4:5-6).
So, now that my family members are healed (thanks be to God) and He has lowered me back onto the sand and we’ve got two sets of footprints going here, I am soooo ready to get back in front of a computer screen and write something. Anything!
Apparently, the older I get, the more I realize that writing isn’t simply something I do – it’s a comforting gift for me and a service to Him. It’s a great part of why God keeps me here, what pleases Him, and what He will reward me for throughout eternity. Getting back to writing means getting back to Kingdom work. (Thanks, Lyn, for allowing God to use you in the big Get-Back-to-Work-Michelle push!)

To purchase, click here. Falling Into Grace

Camille, the main character in my seventh novel, Falling Into Grace, is a talented singer who has been out of her element (and calling) for many years. Upon hitting her milestone 30th birthday, she decides that it’s past time for her to get back in the saddle and rev up her vocal chords again. But the music industry can be brutal, and Camille has to weasel her way into a mega-church to fulfill her master plan. I certainly don’t recommend joining a church under false pretenses, but I think we all know that even when we do silly things (or get off track), our Master’s plan will still prevail. Re-reading through this book during my own hiatus was actually an encouragement to me, and I hope that you will enjoy following Camille’s journey back to her ordained position.
Beyond that, I encourage you to take and/or hold fast to your position in the body of Christ, so that we can all benefit from the calling He has on your life as well (Ephesians 2:10)!

Thanks, Michelle, for sharing. So glad your family is recovering. Falling into Grace sounds intriguing.

Question: Michelle shared this season where she had to lean on God. What season taught you that God is our refuge and strength? Let’s praise Him for his love and power!–Lyn

Facebook: michelle.stimpson2
Twitter: @MichellStimpson

www.michellestimpson.com

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Winners & Wildflowers!

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I’m pleased to announce this past week’s winners!

Jackie Tessnair
jackie_tessnair(at)yahoo(dot)com won my slightly read copy of Jenny B Jones’ Save the Date!

And Liz

ebveronis(@)verizon(dot)net
won a copy of Jeane Westin’s MAKING DO!

Thanks to Jeane for donating a print copy of her book!

Don’t miss African American Author Michelle Stimpson’s guest post Monday.

And on Thursday my exciting news about my latest EBOOK release AND IT’S GOING FREE!

Hey does anybody recognize what kind of wildflower that is?–Lyn

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Lyn Reviews Jenny B Jones’ Save the Date!

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Save the DateSave the Date by Jenny B. Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Save the Date is my first Jenny B Jones chicklit. I don’t usually dig this subgenre of romance so my 5 star rating shows you this book is worth reading whether you like chicklit OR NOT!
Our heroine is the brave underdog Lucy Wiltshire. Though the daughter of a single unmarried mom, Lucy endured a high society high school. In her adult life, she runs a non-profit in Charleston, SC, Saving Grace, for girls who have aged out of the foster system but haven’t finished high school. The plot revolves around a deal she strikes with the hero Alex Sinclair. She will get Saving Grace funded if she poses as his fiancee for his political campaign. Yes, I know it sounds like a Made for TV movie. And it may end up one. A very interesting secondary character Clare Devereaux who for some reason wants to claim Lucy as her granddaughter. Is Lucy her granddaughter and if she disowned her before what does she want with her now? A thoroughly enjoyable and touching read. A Romance Writers of America RITA finalist this year too~!

Leave a comment about chicklit–like it or don’t like it–or want to know what it is and I’ll add your name to the drawing for my slightly read copy!–Lyn

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Author Jeane Westin & The Book Dearest to Her Heart

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My guest today is secular author Jeane Westin who usually writes English historical romances. Today however I’ve invited her to share about the book dearest to her heart, her first book, non-fiction history of the Depression through the eyes and hearts of women who lived it, now available again. Here’s Jeane:
“Making Do: How women survived the 30s

The Great Depression era of the 1930s was another life, another world but it produced strong women for that decade and for WWII that followed.  We saw that make-do strength in our mothers and grandmothers.  What could be more relevant to our lives today than the stories of women surviving lay-offs, trying to feed and clothe their families and save their homes?

When Studs Terkel’s book Hard Times came out in the 1970s, it was very male-centered.  Frankly this angered me.  Where were the strong women’s stories?  They had to be told before they were lost.  I interviewed 160 women from across the country, including all races, rich and poor, young and old, single and married, both adventurers and stay-at-homes.  They had once thing in common: they all had to make do with less than they needed and had carried that strength throughout their lives.

They can best tell their stories in their own words:

‘“Oh, I can still see the women of the Emergency Brigade swinging down Chevrolet Avenue with the company goons coming after them.”

“I remember my mother doing everything to keep us together until the grasshoppers
and sand storms drove us out.”

“On the switchboard they paid me five dollars for fourteen hour days, seven days a week.” “We were swinging good.  Real good.  I think I had the only all girl band on a big session with Benny Goodman.”

“The madam paid me 50 cents of every dollar I earned.”

“I got lots of jobs by lying  I’d say yes even if they asked me to sing grand opera.

“I dressed like a boy and hopped a boxcar to get to California.”


To purchase click here Making do: How women survived the ’30s

All the women had stories of strength to tell me, but two stand out in my memory today.  One woman was married to a tent preacher and she talked about traveling the dust bowl praying for rain for the hard scrabble farmers when she didn’t know if there would be enough pennies in the collection plate to buy the gasoline to get to the next town.  Another woman told me of her days in the circus and when I was about to leave asked: “Would you like to hear when I was a prostitute in New Orleans?”  What would any writer say but, “Yes, tell me what that did to your life.”

Lately I’ve been writing Tudor historicals centered on Elizabeth I’s court.  Out in August my latest novel is The Spymaster’s Daughter, about Lady Frances Sidney a very strong women for her time, who defied everyone to decode secret messages and help save the queen from assassination.


Thank you Lyn for inviting me to blog about Making Do. the first of many books I’ve written, but dearest to my heart.

Making Do is available in Kindle and in print on Amazon and I will be happy to give away one print book to a reader.  My web site is www.jeanewestin.com.”–Jeane

Jeane, thanks for sharing this interesting book on an era many of us have heard our family talk about. I’m going to ask a question:

Are there any stories told in your family about the Depression of the 1930’s? If so, please share them here.

Remember leave a comment and be entered into the drawing for the copy of Jeane’s Making Do!”--Lyn
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Winners, Winners, And MORE Winners!

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First of all, I had planned to list the contents of the MEGA May gift basket last Sunday but I was speaking at  a conference that day so that’s my excuse.

Every May I give one big basket of books to one reader. This year the MEGA May basket contains:

Hometown Hero by Allie Pleiter

Building a Perfect Match by Arlene James

After All by Deborah Raney

Her Brother’s Keeper/Out of the Depths and Threat of Danger by Valerie Hansen

ESP, Explain, Show, & Practice) Character Training by Kim S. Doebler

And last but not least, an autographed copy of my Daddy in the Making.

45 people (not including the authors) left comments in May. My husband chose

Angie in So Cal! Congratulations!!!

Now for more winners, this week Ruth Harris offered an EBOOK or digital copy of Zuri, her African romance with the adorable baby rhino and I reviewed Roxanne Rustand’s Duty to Protect and offered my slightly used copy.

The winner of Ruth Harris’s Zuri is Margaret (singit)!

The winner of Roxanne Rustand’s Duty to Protect is Carol Gehringer!

Congratulations to the winners!

This coming week I’ll be hosting Author Jeane Westin who will talk about her book MAKING DO.

Here’s a bonus for you, a charming video by author Angela Hunt who makes these to find homes for animals in her local shelter. Enjoy and shed a few tears, I did!

And on Thursday, I’ll be announcing my latest ebook! And letting everyone know its special launch promotion.

Thanks again for supporting this blog which thrives on books, authors, readers, and Strong Women, Brave Stories!–Lyn

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Lyn Reviews Roxanne Rustand’s Duty to Protect

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Duty to ProtectDuty to Protect by Roxanne Rustand

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Roxanne is a dear friend but even if I didn’t know her, I would have given this book 5 stars. Duty to Protect in her “Big Sky Secrets” series hits every note right on key. A lovely and endangered heroine, a handsome cowboy/former cop hero, a cross country chase–and every plot twist heightens the tension between the hero (Jake) and heroine (Emma) and the very real danger Emma faces. Roxanne knows the horse world and the Big Sky country from personal experience and it shows. She even manages to throw in some family dynamics with the hero’s teen-aged nephew and someone out to take Jake’s ranch. So if you enjoy a sweet romance, a fast-paced mystery set in Big Sky Country, don’t miss Duty to Protect!

I will be giving away my lightly read copy of Roxanne’s book to someone who leaves a comment. Here’s the deal. Drop by Roxanne’s website: www.RoxanneRustand.com and then come back and tell me something you saw there that piqued your interest.  Go for it. This is a great book!–Lyn

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Author Ruth Harris & Have You Heard About Zuri?

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My guest today is NY Times Bestselling author, Ruth Harris. I’ve come to know Ruth on an email loop of authors who are re-publishing books in digital form, such as Kindle. I have grown to love her wit and appreciate her kindness. And when she announced a new original novel, titled Zuri, I asked her to guest here. I found the HOW of this books so interesting. I hope you will too! Here’s Ruth:

“ALL ABOUT WRITING ZURI

ZURI was born via an accidental collision. Out Of Africa, set in Kenya and  starring Meryl Streep as the Danish writer Isaak Dinesen, and the young, golden Robert Redford as a white hunter is one of my favorite movies. I watch it every now and then and had just seen it when, while flipping thru TV channels, I happened to see a clip of a baby rhino. I was blown away by the little rhino’s appeal and gracefulness.

A rhino? Adorable? Yep.

I was also aware via newspaper and internet articles that poaching was decimating the rhino populations of Africa & Asia and, so, the germ for the book was firmly planted.

The need for a great deal of research was obvious. I had to find out about the newest discoveries in animal communication, the hard work involved in conservation efforts, the gory reality of poaching and the criminal gangs who profit from its bloody endeavors, details of rhino husbandry & veterinary, the amazing work of African animal orphanages, the dangers of wildlife rescue, rhino and elephant behavior—Zuri has elephant and other animal friends in the novel—Swahili words, Kenyan cuisine & wedding rituals and on & on….& on!!!

The research was totally fascinating. Did you know that the illicit trade in wild animals is third only to the illegal trades in drugs & weapons? Or that rhino horn—it’s actually keratin, the same material found in feathers and nails—is considered a miracle medicine in Asia, and is, in fact, of zero medical value? The price of rhino horn, driven by booming Asian economies, is now more expensive than gold.

Of course, me being me, a writer of romantic women’s fiction, I wanted to add a love story. Therefore: Renny Kudrow, the sexy expert in animal communication and Director of an animal orphanage in Kenya—and Starlite Higgins, the talented vet with a horrifying secret. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start when Starlite almost causes Zuri’s rescue to fail and the two must work their way through their initial very rough beginning.

I think of ZURI as romance in its broadest sense, meaning love of nature, love of animals, and, of course, human love.

ZURI—which means “beautiful” in Swahili—is the name of the lovable and courageous baby rhino who is its heroine. ZURI is meant for adult and YA readers and is also perfect to read to a younger child or grandchild. No sex and no cursing but lots of romance.”–Ruth

Now do you see why I wanted to feature this book? I love it already. Ruth has graciously offered a free EBOOK (digital) copy to one of my readers. Please leave a comment to enter the drawing. –Lyn

To Purchase Zuri–ZURI Africa. An orphan. A love story.

For more info on Ruth,

She blogs at WG2E and with Anne R. Allen. Here’s a bio:  http://annerallen.blogspot.com/p/about-ruth-harris.html

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