I’m Feeling Neglected-If I Offer You a Freebie, Will You

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ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS? Here’s goes:

1-Are you still interested in my Christiane and how her progress into print and ebooks is going? Ask me about it!

2-Did you know I have a new Love Inspired out this month? If so, what’s the name of the series it’s in?

3-Have you read any good books lately? Name them. (I’ve named several lately. Did you notice Kathy Herman’s latest on Monday?)

4-Have you bought an ereader yet? Are you thinking of buying one? Do I have one? What do you think?

5-Have you witnessed an act of kindness big or very small or average in the past year? If so, please share!

If you answer these questions, I will no longer feel neglected AND I will giveaway 7, that’s right SEVEN, copies of my latest book ONE EACH to 7 commenters.  (The Catch-winners need to promise to write a review of the book and post it somewhere on the web or tell 5 people about the story. The deadline for this deal is Sunday Oct 23 at noon.)

DON’T MISS THIS GIVEAWAY–It’s than LARGER your average one!–Lyn

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Mystery Author Christine Husom & The Effect of “Sundowning”

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This August my dh and I visited one of our favorite places, the Blue Belle Inn in St Ansgar, Iowa. The owner author Sherrie Hansen Decker held a writer’s retreat. I met and made a new author friend Christine Husom that weekend. I was fascinated by Christine’s heroine and mysteries. Here’s how they started and you’ll discover what “sundowning is.” BTW, Christine would like to give away a copy of one of her mysteries. So please leave a comment. I’ll ask you a question or two near the end!  Here’s Christine:

My Winnebago County Mystery Thriller series was born a year after a family tragedy, an unlikely death under unlikely circumstances.

It was late July and my father was in the local hospital being treated for pneumonia. He had been given a sleep aid, one, it was later discovered, sometimes caused sleepwalking. Dad went missing between one nurses’ round and the next. We will never know exactly what, why, or how it happened, but he got out of bed, around the rail, ripped out his IV needle, walked directly (evidenced by the blood trail) to the emergency exit, and pushed open the door. The recently installed alarm did not sound, but when tested multiple times the next day, it worked every time.

Dad went out into the pouring rain, shortly before midnight, made his way down a fairly steep hill, fell into a pond at the bottom, and drowned. The doctors determined he had suffered an episode of “Sundowning,” a condition where an elderly person wakes up, sees he or she is not home, and feel compelled to get to the familiar. My father had no dementia. He wasn’t depressed. What caused such a bizarre scenario?

I obsessed about the whys for a year, then one day it occurred to me, What if it wasn’t an accident? My father was a retired district judge and was widely respected, but had received threats over the years, nonetheless. He was very active in community and church service, a devoted husband, father, grandfather. Would a person bent on revenge seize an opportunity to hurt him? Who would that person be? What would be his or her motivation?

My imagination gave birth to a number of characters who lived in the fictional Winnebago County in Central Minnesota. As a former Wright County Sheriff’s Department officer, I didn’t want to use the actual name of the county.

”

My antagonist is a woman whose son died while incarcerated. She blamed the judge and others in the criminal justice system for his death and determined they must pay with their own lives.

My female protagonist, Sergeant Corinne “Corky” Aleckson, is a young sergeant with the sheriff’s department. Corky is morally strong, determined, and dedicated to her family, friends, and career. She had to overcome the obstacle of her over-protective mother’s objection to pursue her dream of a career in law enforcement, and squarely faces the challenges posed by people and circumstances in her work. One of Corky’s strengths is that she is not afraid to ask for help or advice–from her friend and mentor, Detective Dawes, or from family members, ministers, psychologists, friends.

I did not think something creative and rewarding would arise from deep sadness and loss,  but it has. People think writing the first book was a catharsis for me and maybe it was. I think my dad would have given me his blessings.”–Christine

I don’t know about you but I was amazed at how Christine used a personal tragedy to launch her new career as a writer. Have you ever had a tragedy spark something positive? Or known of somebody else? Or do you have a question for Christine? Leave one and we’ll announce a winner on Sunday.–Lyn


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Lyn Reviews Author Kathy Herman’s Dangerous Mercy

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Dangerous Mercy: A Novel (Secrets of Roux River Bayou)Dangerous Mercy: A Novel by Kathy Herman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kathy Herman’s latest, Dangerous Mercy, brings up a question many Christians face–how to help without taking unnecessary risks. More importantly to readers, it’s a riveting suspense ride, set in the Lousiana bayou country. A can’t miss!

I count Kathy as a friend but also I count myself as one of her biggest fans!

View all my reviews

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Author Patti Lacy Interview-The God Connection

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My guest today is Author Patti Lacy who is going to take us

Behind the Book Scenes with Patti Lacy

I. Where did you get the idea for this book?

Sigh. I’m about to let you in on a secret. After all, my tag line’s “Spanning Seas and Secrets,” and it fits me like my ratty but beloved old bathrobe.

Do you suffer from rapid-fire, random synapses? Join my club, folks! As described in more detail on Seekerville’s 9/11 post (http://seekerville.blogspot.com), I construct my novels by taming and corralling swirling brain “Twitters.” With God’s help, they’re woven into what I hope will be a page-turning book. For my fourth literary baby, Reclaiming Lily, the process started in a heart-rending way. If Jesus’s words, “In this world, you will have trouble,” resonate with you, READ ON!!!!!

In 2009, my mother contacted a physician named Dr. Chang for a medical procedure…and discovered a “God” connection. Years ago, my parents had taught English in Dr. Chang’s city. After that medical procedure, my mother awoke from anesthesia to find Dr. Chang in tears, saying, “You have cancer. But from this moment, you will be my American mother, and I will help you beat this.”

Our family embraced Dr. Chang, who shared the story of how she and her sisters saved their parents following their release from a Cultural Revolution era prison. I now had the multicultural and historical links that give breath to my stories.

Because both of my brothers are adopted, the questions swirling about that process fascinate me. Where’s that other family? Why did they place their precious swathed bundle into the arms of other folks? Since my parents had served in China, I was drawn into the “Lost Daughters” phenomena that has gained worldwide attention since the doors of China’s orphanages have been flung open. The seed of my character Lily/Joy germinated by a combination of those two interests.

A friend’s battle with PKD (polycystic kidney disease) provided the Jodi-Piccoult-like crisis that sizzled conflict through my story. Reclaiming Lily was born! After my agent’s tear-down and rebuilding of my proposal, e-mails zipped into publishers’ “in” boxes. I later signed a contract, traveled to China, and turned in my rough draft on November 15, 2010.

My adoption information is taken directly from the files and life of a friend who shared her daughter’s journey from China to central Illinois. I also read over twenty books about China, its history, its people, with a focus on those lost daughters. A key resource was The Waiting Child by Cindy Champnella.

Whew! If it sounds complicated, IT IS! Writing on other countries demands research, patience, and a willingness to bend old mindsets.

About the Book

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria’s relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman’s apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer…or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

About the Author

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University in 1977 with a BS in education. She taught at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, until she retired in 2006 to pursue writing full time. She and her husband, Alan, have two grown children. Visit Patti at http://www.pattilacy.com.

That’s really interesting. Have any of you read any of Patti’s books?–Lyn

VISIT THE FULL BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE AT http://bit.ly/ReclaimingLilyVirtualBookTour.

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Author Elizabeth Goddard & The Heart of Strength

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My guest today is Author Elizabeth Goddard, a Love Inspired Suspense author who I recently met in St Louis at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. She is a cheery person. Here’s Elizabeth:

“I come from a long line of strong women on both sides of my family. I recently lost one of those strong women—my maternal grandmother died last year at 86. She was a huge part of my life and she is still greatly missed. I’m a 7th generation Texan and for years paid my dues as a DRT (Daughter of the Republic of Texas.) That simply means that my family was in Texas when it was a republic—and in my case, my family on both my mother and father’s side lived in Texas several flags ago.

When my grandmother was alive my mother and aunt would take her on genealogy research trips to visit cemeteries. I’ve heard a number of interesting stories, believe me. One that always gets a laugh is the story of strong arms. Apparently the women in my family were so strong, that when traveling west in a covered wagon and there was wheel trouble, the women would do the work—lift the wagon and fix the wheel. I have to admit, I have pretty strong arms too.

My paternal grandmother is 90 at the writing of this post and though she’s struggled with illness recently, she’s a strong-willed woman and improving daily.  I think that the will to live, the will to survive, is often at the heart of strength. Somehow we have to reach deep inside to grab hold of whatever it is that is going to see us through. Sure, trusting in the Lord is key, but still, you have to have the strength to reach for Him and to hold on.

The main character in Freezing Point, Casey Wilkes, is a strong-willed reporter and accustomed to making her own way in the world. She knows where to find a story that perhaps others have missed and to dig deep, unearthing the truth. Sometimes that truth is a dark secret. In this case, her discovery gets her into trouble and she has to dig deep and find the will to survive, though in the beginning it costs her everything. She wonders where God is in all of this. That’s a question we all ask at times. But He is always there and all we have to do is look past the storm to Him.”–Elizabeth

Here is the book blurb for Freezing Point:

Secrets Under The Ice

Casey Wilkes didn’t realize her simple human-interest story would put her life at risk—again. After fleeing her home and journalism job in Portland, she wanted to live under the radar for a while. But when her interviewee starts dodging her questions, her reporter instincts kick in and she finds herself in over her head…

Homeland security agent Jesse Mitchell has been undercover as an ice sculptor for months, trying to infiltrate a smuggling ring. He wants to avoid trouble, and that’s just what Casey brings. Now someone has a target set on Casey. Saving her could blow his cover, but leaving her unprotected endangers him even more—especially his heart.

Bio

Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of seven contemporary romance novels and two novellas, including a romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—a 2011 Carol Award winner. Elizabeth is a member of ACFW and has served as a board member in her local RWA chapter. She is a 7th generation Texan who lives in East Texas with her husband and four children. She and her family recently spent five years in Oregon, which serves as the setting for several of her novels, including Oregon Outback, releasing with Barbour Publishing in Spring 2012.

My links:

http://elizabethgoddard.com

http://facebook.com/elizabethgoddardauthor

http://twitter.com/bethgodd

Thanks, Elizabeth. Remind me not to challenge you to arm wrestle.  What do you all think of her cover? Isn’t that striking?–Lyn

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I’m ON the Web Today!

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My new book Building a Family (cover to the right) is being promoted on several different blogs. So if you want to hear about the book and why I wrote it, drop by

CRAFTIE LADIES OF ROMANCE blog http://bit.ly/mT5GZp

ROXANNE RUSTAND’S blog http://roxannerustand.com/

Love Inspired Authors blog http://loveinspiredauthors.blogspot.com/

On this third site, my friend Roxanne’s photos and blog about spending the weekend at my house are up today and if you scroll down to Friday, you’ll read my “Have You Seen a Hodag?”

So take your pick or drop by all 3 sites and read all 4 blogs. Leave comments there or here.

And leave a comment or two this month here. I may be giving away a copy or two of Building a Family here to commenters.–Lyn

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St Louis Was Good to Me!

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Hey, blogger friends! I just got home from St Louis on Tuesday late afternoon. I’d gone there with three friends to American Christian Fiction Writers Conference.  What an experience! I attended workshops, met with editors and ate a lot of good food! And TALKED, TALKED, TALKED with old and brand new friends.

The best workshop for me was the Continuing Ed one with Author-Editor Erin Healy. Erin edits for WaterBrook Press and also writes novels. Her workshop was titled: “Sometimes It’s Better to Tell than Show.” One of the first “rules” a writer is taught is “Show Don’t Tell.” So I enjoyed her examples from books that sometimes break the rules with success!

The most fun workshop was the Spotlight on Bethany House Publishers where Senior Editor Dave Long said honestly that no one in publishing knows exactly how this new digital publishing (ebook) revolution is going to shake out. As an example of how this felt-he also told a story about how he was traveling with his family and was playing an audio book for his children. He thought the story didn’t make any sense. Then he realized that he’d set the CD player on SHUFFLE. No wonder, it was just bouncing around reading chapters out of order. Made me laugh. But maybe you had to be there. 🙂

BTW, on Saturday night I also won the Carol Award for Her Healing Ways. If you’d like to see the list of winners, drop by ACFW. And if you want to read more about my win, drop by http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com

So did you travel this summer? Go to an interesting convention? Listen to an audio book while you traveled? Any or all?–Lyn

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Author Donita K Paul & Dragons of the Watch

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My guest today is Author Donita K Paul, a woman who writes Christian romance AND FANTASY. I am a big supporter of fantasy for children. I think it feeds their imagination and helps them think creatively. I think our creativity is a reflection of the Creator. I mean our God thought up the platypus! That’s creative! Here’s Donita:

“With the final installment of the “Twilight” film series scheduled to be released in October, vampires and zombies are set to be among the year’s most popular Halloween costumes.  Many parents feel torn between their child’s love for imagination and not wanting to encourage the darker side of fantasy.

How can they encourage reading and wonder, but without all the junk?”–Donita

Answer: Meeting that precise need, popular and trusted author Donita K. Paul brings us her newest tale of dragons, adventure and faith in The Dragons of the Watch (October 4, 2011 from WaterBrook Press).

The Chronicles of Chiril continue as Ellie and Bealomondore find themselves trapped in an isolated city guarded by dragons and separated from everything they know and love. How can they escape? Along the way they meet a group of wild children and a very old man, whose needs they must meet before they can find their way home. With the help of the dragons of the watch, they discover that their fate depends upon their ability to recognize and step in line with the Creator’s will.

Mrs. Paul has created a fascinating and detailed world where dragons and humans “mindspeak,” tiny creatures are heroes, and gateways serve as doors to an entirely different place and experience. With a warm, accessible and humorous tone, lots of action, and avoidance of the heavy, dark elements found in much of today’s fantasy fiction, The Dragons of the Watch is a great family read.

On a deeper level, it also encourages discussion of how to interact with those who do not share one’s faith in a foreign culture or one’s own city. The book includes a map and a glossary of characters and terms, and fans can go even deeper at DonitaKPaul.com with puzzles, recipes, resources for aspiring writers and links for homeschooling families.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time points the way to the right future for some beloved characters.

Ellie is a simple country girl living with her large family. Hungry for adventure, she eagerly accepts an invitation to attend the royal wedding in Chiril’s bustling capital. En route, Ellie is separated from her traveling party. She finds herself lost in an enchanted city made by giants.

Unable to leave, her only companions are the wild children who roam the streets, and Bealomondore, the handsome artist and recently distinguished war hero.

Ellie and Bealomondore must solve the mystery of the city and its children in order to break the enchantment and escape the invisible walls which imprison them. Throughout their quest they learn about obedience, redemption, and love.

I know in many Christian circles fairy tales have been frowned upon. But witches, dragons, etc were put into those stories to teach children about the evil in this world–to warn them not to trust everyone. Hard lessons for a hard world. Do some child a favor and introduce them to dragons!–Lyn

Mrs. Paul has also released a prairie romance, Taming the Wild Wind.
Check out her website for details: donitakpaul.com

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Author Renee Ryan & Courting the Enemy (& #bookgiveaway)

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My guest today is Author Renee Ryan who is going to tell us how to “strong” up a heroine! Here’s Renee:

“Good morning, Lyn.  Thank you for having me today as your guest.  I always love stopping by and chatting.  Today, I’m going to talk about the heroine in my latest Love Inspired Historical release, COURTING THE ENEMY.  The book is set in 1943 Florida, when the United States was in the heat of WWII.  My heroine, Savannah Elliott, definitely qualifies as a strong woman.  But I’m embarrassed to say she didn’t meet the necessary requirements in the first draft of this book.

COURTING THE ENEMY is about an American woman (Savannah) who finds her loyalties divided when a Nazi war plot to sabotage U.S. shipyards pits the man she calls father against the man she loves.  Neither is who he seems, but only one is guilty of treason.  Lots of conflict and tension, yes? Well, I certainly thought so.

You see, Savannah is the bookkeeper for one of the targeted shipyards.  Surely that was enough to make her a strong heroine.  After all, at the time very few women worked in the male-dominated field of accounting.  Unfortunately, my editor pointed out that Savannah appeared weak in the story.  She had no real purpose.  She was merely floating through life, allowing the events of the story to drive her actions.  After a second glance I realized my editor was right.  Once I gave Savannah a purpose beyond herself, she became a strong heroine.  She no longer reacted to the events of the story.  She took charge and even drove much of the action herself.

When I was rewriting Savannah’s character, I came across the story of Peter’s mother-in-law.  The text reads: Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.  Okay, I don’t know about you but this woman perplexes me.  She’s on her death-bed, literally, and yet after one encounter with Jesus she’s not only healed but she gets right out of bed and immediately begins waiting on Him.  Talk about a strong woman living the kind of victory meant for every one of us.   I could learn a thing of two from this woman.

All too often, I find myself more like my first version of Savannah instead a brave, modern-day version of Peter’s mother-in-law.  I tend to let life happen to me instead of living every day to its fullest. I let life’s hurts keep me from serving my Healer. Finger-pointing, excuse-making, playing the blame game, such easy choices when life gets hard.  The truth of the matter is that we live in a fallen world.  Life here on Earth will never be perfect.  But it took a revision letter and another look at Peter’s mother-in-law for me to learn that Christ wants all of His children to live in victory on a daily basis.  Now if only I could remember that more often.”–Renee

September 2011, the next in my WWII series Courting The Enemy

Mission Irresistible

His assignment: woo the beautiful widow. Savannah Elliott’s father is a suspected Nazi sympathizer. Gaining her confidence could help undercover agent Trent Mueller derail a plot to sabotage the U.S. war machine. With so many lives at stake, the undercover agent can’t afford to feel guilty at his deception. Nor should he find himself captivated by Savannah when her very allegiance is in question…

In war, trust is a luxury. Yet Savannah is appalled to learn that her own father is a suspected traitor. By working with Trent to discover the truth, Savannah hopes to prove her father’s innocence. But if Trent’s hunch is right, can love withstand the ultimate test of loyalty?

Yes, Renee, a good editor is worth her weight in gold! I count on my editor Tina James to help me see what I missed in my own stories. 🙂 What do you think of Renee’s chosen historical setting? Are WWII stories of interest? Why?–Lyn

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Lyn Reviews Author Cheryl St John’s Joe’s Wife

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Joe's WifeJoe’s Wife by Cheryl St. John

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Joe’s Wife is not the first book I’ve read by Cheryl St John. It is an earlier one so I was interested in seeing her writing at an earlier stage–and before she started writing for the inspirational market. Actually this book is an inspirational. God is very present in the lives of the characters. And I loved the heroine Meg who stood up to the holier-than-thou crew at the local church. This is a classic marriage of convenience story but written with tender feeling and deep emotion. A very believable story of two people trying to work out a marriage. There are love scenes included but they aren’t love scenes meant to titillate but to describe a woman’s sensual awakening. I was not offended. In fact, they were both emotionally moving. So if you want to read a solid romance by an excellent author, download Joe’s Wife.

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