A Visit with Author Amy Lillard

May 15th, 2013 by Patricia Bradley

I am so pleased to welcome Amy Lillard, author of Saving Gideon and the soon-to-be-released Katie’s Choice.

Thank you for having me, Patricia.

Tell us a little about yourself, Amy. Like where you grew up and where you live now:

I grew up outside Corinth, Mississippi, (ever hear of it? J) and spent most of my “growing up” years there. I moved to Oklahoma just before I graduated high school. I met my husband in college. After living in Texas and the Caribbean, we now call Tulsa home.

Corinth. You must have left about the time I came. It’s a wonderful place to live. Now, how long have you been writing and how many books have you published?

I’ve been writing for about twenty years. (Yikes! Has it really been that long?) LOL Katie’s Choice is my second published novel. It’s the sequel to Saving Gideon which was released last year.

Were there any particular challenges in writing this novel?

The hardest part was that Zane Carson, the hero, is English (not Amish) and comes from a world completely different than Katie Rose and the other Fishers. Not just because he’s not Amish, but because his life is a hard and wordly place. He’s a war correspondent. His job is rough and his life is not filled with the everyday devotions to God. His language was a particular challenge. I had to make sure that I tempered him for my reading audience, and yet still kept his voice in line with who he is and where he comes from.

How long did it take you to write Katie’s Choice?

It took about seven weeks from start to finish. That is, seven weeks to write a draft worthy to turn into my editor. From there, of course, it went through two edits and countless cross checks of Amish facts and character outlines to keep everything consistent.

Wow. I think I’ll turn just a little green. By the way, how hard is it to write an Amish story?

I don’t feel that it’s *hard* to write an Amish story. It takes a lot of research and a definite appreciation for the culture. But I am a romance writer first and foremost, so the relationship comes first and within this relationship the characters have to abide by the dictates of their culture.

Katie’s Choice has a very strong faith-based theme. What role has your faith played in your writing?

My faith plays a huge role in my writing, both within the text and behind the scenes. Especially when dealing with “English” characters. The Amish have a few different beliefs than the non-Amish Christians. My personal beliefs are beneficial in developing believable characters whether they have lost their faith, believe as I do, differently, or not at all. I feel very blessed to be able to write faith-based novels that can be shared by generations.

I understand your next series, Beachy Amish Romance is going to be published by Kensington. Would you like to tell us a little about that? And I’ll finish up by promising to have you back when they come out. J

The next series is tentatively titled Some Secrets. (I’m not sure if Kensington will keep the name.) It’s a series about three girlfriends and the changes certain secrets bring into their lives. That’s really all I can say about it right now. Don’t want to give anything away too soon. In the meantime, Gabriel’s Bride the third Clover Ridge will be released next year. Can I come back for that too? J

Definitely will have you back!

And, since it’s a blog tour, Amy is giving away a prize at every stop. She’s calling it, “The envelope, please” Contest, because she’s taking various prizes–gift cards to different stores and codes to win free e-copies of Katie’s Choice—and sealing them in envelopes. Every stop will have a winner, but the prize is a surprise until the envelope arrives at the recipient’s. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

Tags: A Visit with Author Amy Lillard, Amish Fiction, faith-based, Inspirational Romance, writing

Posted in Inspirational Fiction, Writing | 24 Comments »

My Journey With Sensa

May 8th, 2013 by Patricia Bradley

First, I want to say for the record, I don’t own stock in Sensa nor am I being paid for what I write about the product.

But for months now, every time I watch television, I see this commercial with these bikini-clad girls sprinkling white powder over everything they eat, and of course they are model thin–I did say they were in bikinis, didn’t I? (And don’t worry, you’ll never see me in a bikini!) And they’re advertising this product that is guaranteed to help you lose weight. There is a 30-day free trial that only costs shipping and handling.

So…I thought, what did I have to lose? Sensa doesn’t mess with your metabolism or anything else about your body, it just helps you to feel full a little sooner. Of course the skeptic in me liked the free trial aspect. ‘Cause I really didn’t expect the product to work.

Most of the time when I tell people I’m trying Sensa so I can lose weight, they will look at me and ask why. Because I’m about 15 pounds over what I’m comfortable weighing–it makes my heart beat really fast when I have to bend over and tie my shoelaces. So I went to their website and tried their offer. Now, I’m not going to tell you how much I weighed when I started Sensa (You wouldn’t believe me anyway) but I’ve been using it for 3 weeks and I have lost 4 pounds. Now that doesn’t sound like much compared to some of the claims I see on other products, but hey, I figure I didn’t put my weight on in a week, and I’m not taking it off in a week.

The first time I decided the product might actually do what it claims is when I went to a local restaurant where I usually clean my plate. I come from a background where I Mom always said, “There’s lots of people in the world who would like to have that.” (Mom would always point to whatever I didn’t want to eat). “Now finish your supper.”

There are two containers that you sprinkle from: the sweet side and the salty side. I sprinkled from the appropriate side and began eating. Halfway through, I was full. And I quit eating–took the rest home(all those hungry people, you know). I think that’s the key to any weight loss program. Stop eating when you are full.

According to Dr. Alan Hirsch who was featured on the Dr. Oz show, Sensa enhances the smell and taste of food. I don’t know if it does or not. I do know I’m not eating as much. And I’m eating whatever I want. Like this hot fudge cake. And I didn’t even eat half of it.

Stay tuned as I plan to do at least one blog post a month on Sensa and let you know if I continue to lose that 15 pounds. And leave a comment and let me know if you’ve ever tried to diet. Have any tips?

Hot fudge cake photo provided by Patricia Preston

Tags: diet, My Journey with Sensa, Patricia Bradley, weight loss

Posted in Life | 14 Comments »

The Frasier and why I’m “not” entering this year…

Feb 12th, 2013 by Patricia Bradley

Got you there, didn’t I?

But as I thought about this post about why entering the Frasier would be such an awesome thing, I wondered why a writer wouldn’t enter it. So…

Here are my 10 Top Reasons why a writer might not enter the Frasier:

You never win anything.
You don’t have anything written.
You heard it wasn’t a good idea to start out with “It was a dark and stormy night.”
You have a bad title.
You don’t know how to write a synopsis. (My Book Therapy has really good articles on this one! In fact they have really good articles on everything writing!)
You’re afraid to put your work out there for other people to read (or judge).
You don’t like people saying your baby is ugly and that manuscript is your baby.
You know more than the judges, so you don’t need their comments.
You entered last year and one judge said your dialogue was weak, that you explained something the other character would already know, like… “You look so down,” Sally said. “I haven’t seen you this down since mama up and left with the insurance salesman, and you had that nervous breakdown.”

“Yeah, I know,” Danny replied thoughtfully. “You know how awful those days were that I spent in the mental ward at the local hospital. But you were so good to introduce me to that cute nurse that I later married.”

You got a publishing contract and aren’t eligible!

Number 1 is why I’m not entering, and I blame it on the Frasier and the judges who helped me polish my first chapter until it gleamed. It gleamed so much, Revell gave me a 3-book deal! I personally think the Frasier is one of the best contests out there.

I entered the first year of the Frasier contest and finaled. The feedback was exactly what I needed to take my writing to the next level. So, if you really want to improve your writing and maybe even win a contest while you’re at it, enter the Frasier. You won’t be sorry you did!

Have you entered the Frasier in past years? What was your experience? Do you plan to enter the Frasier this year? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Pat

Entries for the 2013 MBT Frasier Contest for unpublished novelists will be accepted through Sunday, March 31, at 11:59 p.m. The contest is open to Voices members. The winner will receive a scholarship to a My Book Therapy coaching retreat ($500 value). Final round judges are award-winning author Susan May Warren; literary agent Steve Laube; and Shannon Marchese, senior fiction editor for WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. For more information, FAQs and to enter, visit the Frasier Page at www.mybooktherapy.com.

Tags: Frasier, Revell, The Frasier and why I'm "not" entering this year

Posted in Inspirational Fiction, Writing, Writing Contest | 10 Comments »

Where Treasure Hides–Meet Debut Author Johnnie Alexander Donley

Jan 15th, 2013 by Patricia Bradley

The winners of last week’s drawing for the $10 Amazon gift cards are Laura McClellan and Carole Walker!!

I am pleased to welcome Johnnie Alexander Donley to my blog today. I met Johnnie on line in 2009 on an ACFW Critique loop, and our friendship has grown and grown and grown. We met in person in February, 2010 and then again at the ACFW Conference in Dallas last year along with two other partners, Renee Osborne and Chandra Lynn Smith. Only Rob McClain was absent…maybe next year we all will get together.

I’m so excited about Johnnie’s debut novel, Where Treasure Hides. If we have 10 people to comment, Johnnie will give away a copy of Treasure, and I’ll give away a $10 iTune gift card!

But first…

Tell us a little about yourself, Johnnie:

I’m a Midwestern farm girl who somehow ended up in small town Florida. I love how the sun sometimes shines even when it’s raining, the smell of orange blossoms, and the ungainly sand cranes that saunter around our neighborhood. I even enjoyed our little adventure a few months ago when a young alligator took up residence beneath my car. Other than that, I love family times and road trips. I usually have a fistful of blue ink pens in my purse and four or five books I’m reading at the same time.

This year, I’m president of the Central Florida chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers and the 2013 ACFW Genesis Contest Historical Fiction Category Coordinator (whew! That’s a mouthful!)

For several years I worked for the Florida Legislature, but now I’m an at-home novelist, a grandmom, a guardian ad litem volunteer, and a women’s Bible study leader.

Were there any particular challenges in writing your debut novel?

Perhaps the biggest challenge was in deciding just how to tell the story. My hero, Ian Devlin, first came to life as a secondary character, a widower, in an unpublished manuscript. Friends of mine who read that story wanted a sequel, so I decided to write about Ian’s love story. The first draft of Where Treasure Hides has Ian sitting outside a courtroom as he struggles to adopt a Jewish orphan. The story, then, was a giant flashback about the war, the woman he loved with all his heart, and how she died.

But as I delved into the story and became better acquainted with my heroine, Alison Schuyler – well, call me a softie, but I just couldn’t kill her. So the story took a completely different journey and is more about how Alison and Ian overcome Alison’s strange fear of an old family fate, the hardship of war, and a forced separation to reach their bittersweet happy-ever-after.

How long did it take you to write Where Treasure Hides? I wrote the initial 50,000-word draft in November 2009 as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It sat untouched for several months until I began rewriting it, especially the opening, so that I could enter it in the 2011 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest. That summer and fall I did major revisions. So I’d say a little over two years. Of course, when Tyndale requested the full manuscript, I did another two-day edit before sending it to them.

How hard was it to write a WWII story? I love the research and had already delved into different aspects of WWII for the previous manuscript. I knew I wanted to write a story about how much art the Nazis looted, but as horrendous as that is, I couldn’t neglect the more tragic loss – the millions of children who died. I saw one statistic that only ten percent of Jewish children living in Eastern Europe survived the war. That loss is staggering and tragic.

In Where Treasure Hides, one little Jewish orphan is saved because of Ian’s compassion and courage. Without giving too much of the story away, the novel hints at the tension between what a society values – one of a kind, irreplaceable works of art or uniquely created, irreplaceable children.

Where Treasure Hides has a very strong faith-based theme. What role has your faith played in your writing?

Alison’s go-to verse, Proverbs 31:25, has been my go-to verse for many, many years. I memorized it as, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.” In difficult times, and even in just “I need a little bit of courage” times, I’ve found strength in this verse and a reminder that eternity will be joyous.

As far as writing – and life — is concerned, I know with great certainty that God guides my journey. Disappointments and rejection happen, but He also has affirmed that I’m doing what He gave me the desire and the gift to do. I pray my writing honors Him and blesses my readers.

Now for Johnnie’s debut novel, Where Treasure Hides

Artist Alison Schuyler spends her time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is, until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life. Drawn to the bold and compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow. As time, war, and human will struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?

Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a copy of Where Treasure Hides and a $10 iTunes gift card!

The Opening pages…

Where Treasure Hides

Johnnie Alexander Donley

Chapter One

August 1939

The stringed notes of “Rule, Britannia!” grew louder as the crowd quieted, eyes and ears straining in their search for the violin soloist. The patriotic anthem echoed through Waterloo Station’s concourse, and as the second chorus began, sporadic voices sang the lyrics. Travel- weary Brits stood a little straighter, chins lifted, as the violinist completed the impromptu performance, the last note sounding long after the strings were silenced.

Alison Schuyler gripped her leather bag and threaded her way through the crowd toward the source of the music. As the final note faded inside the hushed terminal, she squeezed between a sailor and his girl, murmuring an apology at forcing them to part, and stepped onto a bench to see over the crowd. A dark-haired boy, no more than seven or eight, held the violin close to his anemic frame. His jacket, made of a finely woven cloth, hung loosely on his thin shoulders. The matching trousers would have slipped down his hips if not for his hand-tooled leather belt.

Either the boy had lost weight or his parents had purposely provided him clothes to grow into. Alison hoped for the latter, though from the rumors she’d heard, her first assumption was all too likely. She stared at the cardboard square, secured by a thick length of twine, that the boy wore as a cheap necklace. The penciled writing on the square numbered the boy as 127.

Other children crowded near the young musician, each one dressed in their fine traveling clothes, each one labeled with cardboard and twine. Germany’s castaways, transported to England for their own safety while their desperate parents paced the floors at home and vainly wished for an end to these troublesome days.

“Now will you allow him to keep his violin?” A man’s voice, pleasant but firm, broke the spell cast over the station. The children fidgeted and a low murmur rumbled through the crowd. The speaker, dressed in the khaki uniform of a British Army officer, ignored them, his gaze intent on the railroad official overseeing the children.

“He better,” said a woman standing near Alison. “Never heard anything so lovely. And the lad not even one of the king’s subjects. I’d take him home myself—yes, I would—if I’d a bed to spare.”

Alison mentally sketched the tableau before her, pinning the details into her memory. The officer’s hand resting on the boy’s shoulder; the official, a whistle around his neck, restlessly tapping his clipboard with his pencil; the dread and hope in the boy’s eyes as he clutched his prized instrument. The jagged square that tagged his identity.

To continue reading click here.

Where to buy Where Treasure Hides:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christian Book Distributors (ChristianBook.com)

Connect with Johnnie at:
Treasured Moments blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
Pintrest
Linked

Tags: ACFW, crit partners, Faith, Itunes gift card, Meet Johnnie Alexander Donley, Where Treasure Hides

Posted in Book Review, Faith, Writing | 43 Comments »

The Call…or Rather the Email

Jan 8th, 2013 by Patricia Bradley

Tonya Kuper had this great idea of creating a Blog Hop with the authors at The Seymour Agency to share how each of us received our call from either Mary Sue Seymour or Nichole Resciniti for representation. Click on the telephone and scroll down for a link to learn how my fellow agency mates received their call.

I’m giving away two $10 Amazon gift cards. Just leave a comment to be entered. Sign up for my blog, tweet about this post or post on your FaceBook page for additional chances. Just be sure to let me know in your comment along with your email address so I can contact you.

The contest ends Monday evening and the winner will be announced Tuesday, January 15th.

Before the Call…

I started out writing short stories. Actually Woman’s World bought the very first story I ever wrote, a 2,000-word mini-mystery.Then they bought two more, and each time the word count got smaller. Short stories will really teach you how to make every word count. Blood Kin was the last one and the shortest at 1000 words, but the most fun to write.

In 2001, I took a ten year break from fiction to work with kids in the Abstinence Program in Mississippi. I loved that job, but I missed my fiction! So, in 2008 I began working on Shadows of the Past. That year it won the Maggie in the Unpublished Inspirational category. That’s also when I met Mary Sue for the first time. She requested the full manuscript at Moonlight and Magnolias, the Georgia RWA conference in Atlanta.

My only problem? It wasn’t finished. And wouldn’t be until 2012. Slow writer. Although I have gotten faster.

Every time I went to a conference, I would run into Mary Sue, and she’d say, “Send me that manuscript.” And I would go home, fulling intending to send it…as soon as I finished it. The book went through 4 years of revisions. Finally in March of last year, I mailed her the completed manuscript, and in July she emailed me, offering representation.

My feet didn’t hit the floor for two weeks. Here’s a photo of me filling out the contract.

After The Call:

Since signing with Mary Sue, I’ve landed a three-book deal with Revell. The first book, Shadows of the Past, will debut in February 2014. The second, Shadows of Love, will come out in September, 2014, and the third in July of 2015. It’s an exciting journey, one that God called me to. And, getting to know Mary Sue has been a wonderful experience. Her kindness and encouragement have been such a blessing.

One last thing I’d like to say. Whenever I prayed about getting an agent, God always brought Mary Sue to my mind, so I wasn’t totally surprised when she offered me a contract.

If you want to write a book, keep in mind that it’s your job to write. God will bring His plan for you to pass. And remember publishing is a slow process. In fact, my tag line is: I asked God to teach me patience, and He gave me a book to write. Just don’t give up.

Be sure and leave a comment to be entered. And you’ll receive additional entries for each link to this blog–tweeting and/or posting on FB and/or if you subscribe to my blog. If you’re already subscribed, just mention it in your comment. Hope you found my story interesting.

Tags: Blog hop, Maggie, Moonlight and Magnolias, Revell, RWA, Shadows of the Past, The Seymour Agency

Posted in Faith, Inspirational Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing | 35 Comments »

Meet Jo Huddleston

Dec 11th, 2012 by Patricia Bradley

I met Jo Huddleston on line a couple of years ago. We’ve never met face-to-face, but I hope to rectify that soon!
Jo is a writer of awesome devotionals. A reviewer once wrote that they “offer spiritual tonic and hope” and I’ve found that to be true. But she’s decided to join the ranks of fiction writers and her wonderful book, That Summer, released December 8, 2012. I thought it’d be interesting for her to interview one of her characters, so, without further ado, here’s Jo…

Oh! but first, Jo has graciously offered to give away a copy of That Summer to one of the commenters on today’s blog! So be sure to leave a comment at the end!

First of all, thank you so much for hosting me, Pat. It’s my pleasure to spend time with you and your readers. Today I’m interviewing Jim, the hero of my book.

Hello, Jim. Are you the young man who doesn’t enjoy growing up on a farm?

JIM: Yes, ma’am, that’s me.

What’s so bad about growing up on a farm?

JIM: To begin with, our house and everything belongs to a Mr. Thomas. We’re sharecroppers I guess you would call it. As I understand it, when Poppa settled on living on Mr. Thomas’s land, the owner wanted rent money, not a share of the crops we grew. That way, Mr. Thomas gets his money whether the crops make good or not.

How many are in your family?

JIM: I have two brothers, twins, and two sisters. And there’s Momma and Poppa.

Tell me about your house.

JIM: The house is pretty crowded. We just have two small bedrooms. One, Momma and Poppa use and then in the other bedroom we have two beds, one for my two sisters and the other for me and my two brothers. We have a little kitchen and a room big enough to put a round oak table where we can all sit down and eat together. Then we have a small living room, I guess you’d call it, where we have a fire grate. The fire in the living room and in Momma’s cook stove in the kitchen is all the heat we have in the winter. And in the summer we just open our windows to try to get cooled down. The only chairs we have to sit in are wooden straight-backed chairs, some with cane bottoms. We use them to sit in the living and carry them to the eating table to use there too.

What are your happiest memories of living with your family?

JIM: Well…I guess I can’t think of too many. I can remember when I was a little boy, Poppa would play with us. He would cross his long legs and let me sit on his foot. He would swing his foot up and down and we’d play “ride the horsey.” For a while now there’s been no playing with Poppa. He’s turned mean. Nothing any of us do is the way he wants it done. He’s mighty hard on me and the twins. My older sister, Shirley Ann, is even afraid to be around him now. He spews out his anger at whoever stands nearest to him and his anger is usually misdirected or unfair.

What can you do about this situation with your poppa?

JIM: Well, not a whole lot. Just try to stay out of his reach. Momma just takes it, says the Bible tells her to be submissive to Poppa. I don’t think the Bible means she should be submissive to a man that treats his family as harsh as Poppa does. But I know what I’d like to do.

What would you like to do, Jim?

JIM: I’m the oldest, I’m seventeen, and I want to move to town. I want to get a job and have me some money, meet some girls, and make my own choices. That way, I wouldn’t have to listen to Poppa’s ranting and raving every day.

But the Bible tells us to honor our fathers and mothers.

JIM: Yes, ma’am, it does. But do you think that means we’re just supposed to be treated no better than the farm animals? If Poppa has his way me and the twins would stay here forever and he’d work us on the farm. But I’ve got to get away from all this. I’ll hate to leave Momma but she won’t even talk about leaving. And my sis

ters and brothers will get their chance to leave as they get older. I’ve just got to get away. Someday I will.

Jo’s publisher will offer her novel, That Summer, at a discounted price through this month of December only. You can buy the book for $9.99 if you click here.

No limit to number of books purchased, but only discounted through December, 2012. The Kindle and Nook books should be online this week. Paperback will be on Amazon, B&N, and CBD whenever they put them on their websites.

Have you ever escaped a situation only to find yourself mired deeper in the mud? What did you do? Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win That Summer.

Posted in Uncategorized | 30 Comments »

What I’m Writing…

Dec 5th, 2012 by Patricia Bradley

When my friend and fellow writer Johnnie Alexander Donley asked me to participate in a blog hop, I had to Google blog hop to find out exactly what it was. I learned it’s a list of blogs or posts that are connected. This blog hop is about what each of us is writing. (A list of the other participants is at the bottom of the page—be sure to check them out)

What I’m Writing started with writer Karen Wingate (be sure and check out her blog) after her agent, Linda G laz, suggested the blog hop. Johnnie’s blog was up next and she talks about her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, that releases from Tyndale Digital First in January 2013.

Now for what I’m writing…

The old home place in Logan Point, Mississippi is the key to solving her problems, but does she dare return and face the ghosts that haunt her dreams?

Title: Shadows of the Past
Where did the idea come from? Shadows of the Past came to me one morning during my quiet time. Several years earlier, God had put on my heart to help write an abstinence curriculum and to work in the abstinence program in our state, and I’d taken several years off from writing to do that. Even though I loved writing fiction, during those years I didn’t have one creative thought in that area. Then, that morning as I asked God for direction, a character popped into my mind, and I knew two things about her. One, she was looking for her dad, and two, someone was trying to kill her. I was so excited.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

What actors would play your character in a movie version? A younger George Clooney is always who I saw in my mind when I thought about Nick. Stana Katic who plays Kate Beckett on Castle would be great in the role of Taylor. Come to think of it, Nathan Fillion would be perfect for Nick, as well.
Short synopsis: After twenty years, Taylor Martin has a lead on her father’s whereabouts, but someone doesn’t want her to find him. She returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi to investigate and finds herself in the middle of a life built on lies. And Nick Sinclair, the man she’s fallen hard for, may be the biggest deception of all.
Agency Representation: I have a great agent, Mary Sue Seymour of the Seymour Agency

How long did it take to write the first draft? I wrote the first draft so many times…starting in 2008. The final version doesn’t even resemble the 2008 version. Even the names have changed. Hopefully the second book won’t take as long!
What other books in this genre compare? I’m not sure…maybe Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series (not that I’m comparing myself to Dee Henderson!)

Any others in this genre? There are two books that will follow Shadows of the Past. Shadows of Love will be Sheriff Ben Logan’s story. Ben plays a secondary role in Shadows of the Past. And there’s a third book what will pick up one of the characters from the second book.

I also have a straight romance, The Brass Ring. It’s a about a young man who believes wealth and power will bring him happiness until his hometown and the girl he left behind shows him otherwise.
Who or what inspired the WIP? I don’t always know where my characters come from. They are just there, and I have to write about them.

Anything to add? I’m still pinching myself that Revell is publishing Shadows of the Past! And that they want two more stories set in Logan Point. Shadows of the Past is about God’s love and how He never leaves us nor forsakes us, that He’s there even when we don’t feel His presence.

Keep on “blog hopping”!

A great big thanks to my writing friends who’ll be sharing “What I’m Writing” on their blogs today. Please be sure and visit them.

Johnnie’s lovely daughter, Bethany Jett, blogs about relationships. Her debut book, The Cinderella Rule: A Young Woman’s Guide to Happily Ever After, releases from Regal Publishing in April 2013. Visit her at http://bethanyjett.com/.

Jeanie Wise blogs about Healthy Spirituality. She is the author of The Great Communicator: God as the Model Communicator: Reflections for Writers and Speakers. Visit her at http://www.healthyspirituality.org/.

Pam Hillman is blogging about her debut novel, Stealing Jake. It is an EPIC eBook Awards finalist in the historical romance category. Claiming Mariah releases in January 2013. Visit her athttp://www.calicotrails.blogspot.com/.

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer’s latest book, Mind of Her Own, also releases in January 2013. She has written two other novels and a nonfiction book on blended families. Visit her at http://www.dianabrandmeyer.com/blog/.

Leave any questions or comments below. Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments »

A Visit with Susan Sleeman

Nov 6th, 2012 by Patricia Bradley

I first met Susan Sleeman a couple of years ago when I read and loved Nipped in the Bud. Susan is a gifted writer who will keep you on the edge of your seat with her newest release from Love Inspired. But let her tell you about it…

I like to be in charge. There I’ve said it. I like being the boss. I like having things my way. I like to control things. Not a bad thing on the surface, but it’s the reason that underlies my desire to control that makes it bad.

I’m a lot like Kat Justice in Dead Wrong, my November release. Kat lost both her birth and adoptive parents to violence. She fears losing her four siblings, too. So, she thinks she has to keep an eye on them to make sure nothing bad happens to them. If someone comes into their lives that she fears will hurt her siblings, she warns that person off. In her own life, she tries to control every little thing to make sure nothing bad happens to her, because then, who would protect them? And she feels as if she must worry about her siblings as well.

I never lost family members like Kat, but I was bullied in school. So, I learned that if I could preempt the bullying by taking matters into my own hands, then I wouldn’t have to go through the pain. I transferred this to my life as an adult by thinking like Kat. If I could control things, then I wouldn’t have to experience any pain.

But you know what? No matter how hard you control things, pain is an inevitable part of life. One that the Bible tells us to expect. One that helps grow our faith and spiritual maturity. And if you are in charge, then you’re responsible for the outcome which sets up the perfect opportunity to worry.

Through the years, I have worried with the best of them over little things and big things. But when my husband lost his job, we had zero income and had spent all of our savings on my medical bills, I knew I could do nothing about it and worrying about it wouldn’t improve my life in any way. As the Bible says, worry certainly didn’t add an hour to my life. In fact, all worrying accomplishes is to tell God that we don’t trust His timing. We don’t trust Him to work things out in His way. Point blank, we don’t trust Him to know what’s best for us. He does of course and He doesn’t want us to step ahead of Him or worry about things that are out of our hands.

So what did I do? I stopped focusing on the problem and left it in God’s hands. Of course, He not only took care of the problem, but gave my husband the best job he’s ever had. A blessing far beyond income.

Have I given up worry for good? No, but every time I am tempted to worry, I remember that whenever I focus on anything, be it good, bad or indifferent, it will grow in my life and take over everything else. I made a commitment to myself that as soon as I realized I was worrying that I would turn the thing I was worrying about over to God and each time it came back up, I’d recommit it. It took time and lots of effort to let it go, but the ensuing peace was well worth the effort.

So when you have that feeling in the pit of your stomach, your hands start sweating, or maybe you just don’t feel peaceful, give it to God in prayer. Leave it with Him and wait with expectation for Him to solve your problem. Have you been dealing with a problem lately? How did you handle it?

Dead Wrong –

A KILLER’S CLOSING IN…

When her client and old college friend is murdered, P.I. Kat Justice knows the killer will come for her next. Her survival depends on finding her unknown enemy first…and working with homicide detective Mitch Elliot, her onetime crush.

It’ll take all her professional skills to ignore the sparks between them, but Kat can’t allow the handsome cop to get close. She’s seen too many people she loves die, so she vows just to do her job without getting emotionally involved. Yet keeping her distance may not be the best way to protect her heart—or their lives.

For more info about and to read and except for Dead Wrong visit Susan’s website at about http://www.susansleeman.com/books/dead-wrong/

BIO -

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her first romantic suspense title, High-Stakes Inheritance earned a spot on the ECPA bestseller list and her Garden Gate Mystery series, which features Nipped in the Bud, and Read Between the Tines has enjoyed time on Amazon bestseller lists as well. And The Christmas Witness was named a finalist in the 2011 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. In addition to writing, Susan hosts the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.

She currently lives inFlorida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. To learn more about Susan stop by any of these locations on the web.

To learn more about Susan stop by any of these locations on the web.

Website           www.SusanSleeman.com
Facebook        www.Facebook.com/SusanSleeemanBooks
Twitter            www.Twitter.com/SusanSleeman
Review Site    www.TheSuspenseZone.com

Pat Trainum writing as Patricia Bradley
www.ptbradley.com
http://mbtponderers.blogspot.com/

I asked God to teach me patience and He gave me a book to write

Tags: Dead Wrong, Faith, God, Kat Justice, Love Inspired, romantic suspense, Susan Sleeman, worry

Posted in Faith, Inspirational Fiction, Life, Writing | 8 Comments »

He’s Been Faithful, by Debbie Holman

Oct 9th, 2012 by Patricia Bradley

Today I have a guest blogger, Debbie Holman. I met Debbie through Jamie Britt, an amazing young woman who writes touching women’s devotions at Encouraging Women.

From Debbie:

Birthdays are suppose to be special, a day to celebrate! However,
November 18,1997 was not a birthday to be celebrated! Not your usual,
typical birthday!

It was my birthday and the day my husband chose to announce to me he
was leaving me for a sweetheart he had when he was in high school. No
amount of begging or pleading would change his mind. How would I
explain this to my friends and church family?

I was embarrassed, ashamed, and alone. How could I face them knowing
what an active role my husband had taken in church? Well, with much
prayer and support from my mother I went back to church and offered to
resign from leadership roles I had there. No one wanted me to
resign, and I found my church family to be supportive.

Five weeks later on January 9, 1998 another devastating event happened
in my life. My father died from complications of Alzheimers. What
would I do now? Just the presence of my father had been a comfort.

I was a daddy’s girl and loved him very much. What more could
happen and how much did God expect me to take? Losing my husband and
father just five weeks apart was too much for one person to deal with.

I asked myself over and over, where was God in all of this? Had
He left me to deal with all of this alone? One morning on my way to
work I put a CD in by one of my favorite Christian singers, Babbie
Mason. She was singing a song titled God Has Another Plan. I had
never really listened to the words of this song but for some reason
that morning was different.

I listened to the words. In her song she quotes Jeremiah 29:11 -

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I played that song over and over on my way to work. Suddenly it was as
if a voice from within said to me: “Debbie, trust me and have faith. I have a plan. For you are going through the storm now, but what a beautiful rainbow will follow the
storm. I will carry you through this storm each and every day. I will
give you hope and a future.”

If it had not been for this verse and my faith that God would provide
that rainbow at the end of the storm I could not have survived. He
proved Himself faithful. Through all of this I have become a
stronger person and my faith has grown tremendously.

So, whenever I discover someone I know is going through storms in their life, I quote Jeremiah 29:11 and tell them, “Let God carry you through this storm. Look for that beautiful rainbow He has waiting for you after the storm.”

What storm has God carried you through lately?

Debbie Holman,
Guest Blogger
Granite Falls

Tags: Christian growth, Faith, God, Storms of Life, Trust

Posted in Faith, Life, Uncategorized | 15 Comments »

What Is Scrivener and How Do You Use It? Part 2

Sep 11th, 2012 by Patricia Bradley

Last Friday I talked about Scrivener and the basics of using it at the MBT Ponderers blog last Friday. Today I want to talk about some of the things I love about it.

Inserting links to Websites in your folder:

Have you ever researched a topic and saved it to your favorites, then when you need it again three days later you can’t remember where you saved it? With Scrivener, you can have all your research material right at your fingertips. Here’s how I created a link to Scrivener’s tutorials when I first started using the program.

I created a folder under Research titled Scrivener Help. On the page I typed Tutorials, and then I went to the website for Scrivener tutorials and copied the address in the address bar. Then I returned to the Scrivener Help folder, right clicked the word tutorial and pasted the link.(Right click on the word you want to link, then ctrl+v) You can do the same thing to link to a Word document.

Now, anytime I need to look at a Scrivener tutorial, all I have to do is open the Scrivener Help folder and click on Tutorials and a web window will open up with the tutorials. You can create any kind of link you need. I write Romantic Suspense, and in my current book, I needed information on AK47s. When I found the information I needed, I simply created an AK47 folder and stored the links there.

Now for another favorite thing I love:

Character sketches. This is my hero for one of my books. (Nick, for those of you who have heard me talk about Shadows from the Past)

Here I describe my hero, give some of his personality, date of birth, well you can see what all you can do. You can also create your own template. I do this for each of my characters. That way if I need to know an eye color or how tall someone is, or their color of hair, (you know you forget those things, too) I don’t have to go looking in another folder. It’s right where I’m working.

There are all sorts of things you can do with Scrivener–this is just two of my favorites. If you’ve worked with Scrivener, leave a comment and tell what you like best. If you haven’t and have a question, leave it, and I’ll see if I can find an answer. Might know the answer, but if I don’t, one of their tutorials will.

Tags: characters, Scrivener, web links

Posted in Inspirational Fiction, Writing | 8 Comments »

Older Posts »