She Walks in Power - New Medieval Romance!

Come celebrate with me the release of my latest Inspirational Romance Novel 

She Walks in Power!  

Do you enjoy a good Medieval Romance filled with Knights, Castles, evil warlocks, and damsels not-so-much in distress? Throw in a good dose of demons and angels, and you're in for quite an adventure! 

Another novel knocked out of the literary ballpark by author MaryLuTyndall! ~ Michelle Griep, author of THE CAPTIVE HEART and BRENTWOOD’S WARD

Alexia D'Clere didn't ask to be Protector of the Spear, but after her dying mother gave her the tiny metal object and made her promise to keep it safe, she had no choice. Orphaned at age eight, she began to take over the running of her parent's castle with the help of a trusted steward. Yet, when a plot to murder her was revealed, a friar whisked her away to live hidden in the forest. There, she learned to shoot expertly with bow and arrow and hone her skills to see into the spirit realm.

Now, at eighteen, Alexia continues to keep the Spear protected, provide meat for the starving village, while secretly caring for her ill sister who still lives in the castle. With Alexia's powers of spiritual discernment and her skill as an archer, she is no match for those who come for the spear. That is until she meets Ronar LePeine, one of the King's elite guard.

Ronar desires nothing more than to do his duty to God and King and pay penance for past sins. Yet a forest sprite with red, flaming hair blocks his every move, all the while enchanting him like no other. Something evil lurks at Castle Luxley, and both Ronar and Alexia are soon thrust into the middle of a spiritual battle which will not only test their very beliefs, but put them both in mortal danger.

This book releases on September 2nd, but you can PreOrder it now from AMAZON at a special preorder price of only $2.99!!

I'm also having a party on my website where you can enter to win a free copy and a set of Knight Book Ends. I've been posting something about the book each Friday this month, and it's not too late to go back to each post and enter. Click HERE for last Friday's post!

Thanks, everyone!  I hope you get a chance to check out my latest book!

God Bless!

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Book Recomendations

by Elizabeth Goddard

I'm always so stumped when it's my turn to recommend a book. I have multiple books going at any one time. How about you? Books by both my favorite authors and new authors I want to try.

Let me use this as an opportunity to strongly urge you to get out there and try new authors, read new books that aren't necessarily written by just a hand full of big name authors like Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE their books. Everyone does or else why would their books be everywhere? But when I participate in a book signings at Christian bookstores, I'll try to engage potential readers and ask them who they read, this is what I get:

"Well, I only read Karen Kingsbury."

OR

 "I've read all Francine Rivers books. She's so amazing."

OR

"Fiction? I only read the Bible. Don't have time for anything else."

Yes. I really do hear this. And these folks really don't read anyone else.

Right now, I have several books I can't wait to start.

I'm currently reading Without Warning by Lynette Eason. 

Intensity. Skill. Tenacity.
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.
Katie Singleton, a partner with the Elite Guardians Protection Agency, stumbles upon her next assignment quite by accident. Spotting blue lights at a familiar restaurant, she stops to investigate, only to discover that owner Daniel Matthews has become the target of someone who will go to any lengths to put him out of business.

Daniel might be concerned, but he's not convinced that a bodyguard--and a female one at that--is necessary. A new attack and his niece's urgings are enough to make him reconsider. He and Katie must figure out who's behind the intimidation and threats--before a would-be killer strikes again.







At the top of my TBR list:

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

Proper English governess Eleanor Morgan flees to the colonies to escape the wrath of a brute of an employer. When the Charles Town family she’s to work for never arrives to collect her from the dock, she is forced to settle for the only reputable choice remaining to her—marriage to a man she’s never met. Trapper and tracker Samuel Heath is a hardened survivor used to getting his own way by brain or by brawn, and he’s determined to find a mother for his young daughter. But finding a wife proves to be impossible. No upstanding woman wants to marry a murderer.

And Missing by Lisa Harris

Nikki Boyd isn't usually called in on homicides; her forte is missing persons. But when a case with two murdered and two missing pops up on a quiet suburban street, she's ready to start the investigation and find missing homeowners Mac and Lucy Hudson. When the first clues lead her to the boat of her friend Tyler Grant--and another dead body--Nikki must untangle what ties Tyler to the Hudsons. The clues pull her into a deadly maze of counterfeit drugs and a killer who will stop at nothing to silence anyone who threatens his business--including Nikki.












Enjoy!

Blessings,
Elizabeth Goddard

Writers: Attend a Conference

by Elizabeth Goddard

End of summer and the beginning of fall is a busy time of year for most of us with the start of school, and for writers, it's conference season as well. Since 2001, I've attended the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference almost every year. I missed a couple of conferences due to various reasons--one year I'd just had a baby. So you get it. When I was an aspiring writer, attending the ACFW conference was vital to my career. Now as a multi-published author conferences are important for taking craft to the next level and for continued networking. I get to see all my writing buddies, editors and my agents.

Last year one of my best writing buddies flew in from Africa to attend the conference, (she and her husband are missionaries) so you bet I was going and we roomed together and caught up.

This year, though, my family has had a couple of serious personal struggles so for the first time since I started writing for publication, I allowed myself to rest. I didn't stress over whether or not to go.  I told my husband I wouldn't attend unless I was a finalist in the Carol Awards--and that I said as a joke. What are the odds of that? Well, then that miracle happened and Submerged (Mountain Cove book 4) was nominated  in the Romantic Suspense category!

I guess that'll show me. Still, I decided I shouldn't attend this year but I'll be watching the award ceremonies via live-streaming to root for all my friends who are up for an award.

Though I'm not attending my "big" conference this year, I can't stress the importance of conferences for writers. Where else can you talk to so many other like-minded people?

How about you? Are you an aspiring writer? Do you need some direction on your writing journey?

P.S. My publisher has put the early Mountain Cove books on sale starting with Buried, which is only a $1.99 for a limited time! CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD your Kindle version. If you have another ebook format you can still get it for $1.99.

Blessings!
Beth

Book Recommendation: Time for Love by Melinda Curtis

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I'm sharing a book recommendation with you today. As I've mentioned previously, life has been crazy for me lately, so I haven't gotten a chance to read the way I would like. So, I'm recommending a book from last summer: Time for Love by Melinda Curtis.

About the Book:
A fresh start—for both of them 
As a kid from a shattered family, Kathy Harris couldn't wait to get out of Harmony Valley. Yet here she is, back home, determined to rebuild her life and regain her young son's trust. But she doesn't expect to work miracles—unlike Dylan O'Brien, the enigmatic cowboy rumored to be a healer of misfit horses.
As they work to save an injured colt, Kathy starts to believe in a future with Dylan that she never thought possible. But one of Kathy's new rules is no more secrets…and Dylan has a big one. One that could destroy the life he and Kathy are building together.

What I loved about this book:
I'll admit that I can be really judgemental about parents who aren't there for their kids. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like Kathy, because even though she'd turned her life around, I was really angry that she would leave her kid. But, as I read the book and saw her trying, it made me realize that she'd made her decision thinking she was doing the best she could for him. It also gave me insight into what it's like to live with addiction and try to overcome it. I realized that her son was her motivation for overcoming her addiction. It was such an interesting look into people living with addiction and how they handle it.

All that sounds like it was a deep read, but there were so many light and touching moments that it ended up being a very easy read, and it wasn't until afterward that I realized just how it shifted some of my thoughts and perceptions.


What have you been reading this summer? 

Camy's playing Pokeman Go

So I’ve been playing Pokemon Go for a little while. I actually don’t really know what I’m doing—I have to ask the high schoolers at church how to play it, while my husband has been trolling the web for articles on how to play—but it’s surprisingly fun.

I like how Pokemon Go is kind of like virtual geocaching. It’s fun to capture Pokemon types that I don’t have yet and finding out where all the Pokestops are near where we live.

The best part is that my husband and I have been making an effort to go out walking together, so it’s been good for exercise and also spending quality time together. He and I spent about an hour at the park on Sunday walking around, capturing Pokemon, and talking about trivial things.

I also like that I have something to talk about with the high schoolers at church. They spend more time playing than I or my husband do, but we’re not doing too badly considering we both work all day and don’t have as much time to hang out at parks or walk around town.

We had the youth group overnighter a couple weeks ago, and since the church is a Pokestop, we set lures and had fun catching whatever Pokemon showed up. We’d hang out in the sanctuary and chat while waiting for Pokemon. If we saw something, someone would say, “Hey, I just caught XYZ” and everyone would walk around so they could find it on their own phones.

I heard about some people on the news doing really stupid things while playing Pokemon Go, but I think that as long as you’re paying attention and not trespassing (or driving) while playing it, it’s a great conversation piece and a fun game that’s surprisingly more social than I expected it to be.

Anyone else playing? Oh! I just saw a Pikachu!

From MaryLu Tyndall's bookshelves!

Hi everyone!  I have another great book recommendation for you all.

I had the privilege of editing the first couple chapters of this book a few years ago, and I was immediately hooked. Katie Morton is a young novelist who has a GREAT future ahead of her.  The Edge of Redemption is a wonderful fantasy romance that you won't be able to put down.  Here's some more about Katie and her book


KATIE MORTON grew up filling notebooks with stories and ideas. Now a 19-year-old sophomore in college, one of those stories has been published as The Edge of Redemption, her first full-length novel. A lover of traveling and the outdoors, Katie splits her time between a home with three brothers in Minnesota and a university full of adventures in California. She is forever thankful for God’s love and grace. Catch her next adventure at katieannmorton.com.

 The Edge of Redemption

When King Maurice of Alandar launches a surprise attack on her kingdom, seventeen-year-old Princess Lorelle—crown princess of Aundria—is forced to flee for her safety, leaving behind her country and her beloved parents King Norman and Queen Isabel.

She escapes the fortress and boards a ship traveling across the Jasmin Sea to the beautiful island of Julinar. On the journey, she meets Sir James Wellington, a young knight who will stop at nothing to protect her. Yet even hundreds of miles away from the fray, she is still not safe from the dangers and horrors of war.

As Alandar closes in on her, Lorelle must sacrifice everything to defend her country, find her way home, and fight for those she loves.




"Lorelle is a strong woman whose morals and actions land her firmly in role-model territory. Solid narrative arc…a solid effort by a young author." –Kirkus Review

Sounds really awesome, doesn't it? It is!!  

Click to go to Katie's Website
Click here to order her book from Amazon.  (Only $3.99, you can't beat that!)



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When is it Time to Quit?

by Patricia Bradley

Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart…”

In 1998 I attended my first conference, the Florida Christian Fiction Writer’s conference in Titusville, Florida. I had written two novels that I was sure an editor would want. I managed to snag a few requests for a proposal and although deeply disappointed none of them wanted to lug home the 700+ pages I’d brought with me, I was optimistic. 

Did I tell you it was my first conference?

Fast forward through rejections to my next conference in 2000. I was savvy now. I didn’t wait outside the stall door in the bathroom to catch an editor or agent. Nope, I didn’t leave getting my books in front of an editor to chance—I set up as many appointments as the conference allowed and hung around the appointment desk, waiting to snatch up any cancelled appointments.

Fast forward once again through rejections, retreats where I really learned to write, and more conferences where I still hounded the appointments person for more appointments with editors and agents. I had absolutely committed myself to delighting myself in the Lord and I fully expected God to give me my heart’s desire—a publishing contract. 

Then sometime in 2011, I stumbled on Psalm 37:7. “Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act.”

Huh?

A lightbulb moment. God would act when He thought the time was right. From that point on, I turned my journey over to Him and suddenly, the journey was much more fun. I didn’t have to hound agents or publishers. If God intended for me to be published, it would happen. And if He didn’t, well, that was okay, too, because I knew he would have something much better for me. 

So, if there is something your heart desires, ask God is this what He wants for you. He'll let you know. If it is, do all the hard stuff--learn the craft of whatever it is you want to do--and then let Him have the schedule. 

I promise you won't be sorry. I'm working on a proposal now for my 9th book. 

BARON OF BLACKWOOD: Book Three (The Feud)

So excited to announce the release of the third and final book in the best-selling medieval romance series, THE FEUD. Look for BARON OF BLACKWOOD on July 31st--just three more days!

THE FEUD

England, 1308. Boursier, De Arell, Verdun—three noblemen who secretly gather to ally against their treacherous lord. Though each is elevated to a baron in his own right and given a portion of his lord’s lands, jealousy and reprisal lead to a twenty-five-year feud, pitting family against family, passing father to son.

THE PRIZE

England, 1333. When Lady Quintin Boursier leads an army against the Baron of Blackwood to demand the release of her abducted brother, she finds the same fate awaits her. Now she must free herself and discover where Griffin de Arell holds her brother before her family’s lands are forfeited. But as the long winter nights unfold and those prowling the black wood move the feud nearer its deadly end, Quintin realizes she may have wronged her captor. And he is as much a captive to her—she whose secret will spoil the prize others seek to make of a woman no man should want.

THE VICTOR 

Baron Griffin de Arell protects those who belong to him, and now that the tempest who dared put a blade to his throat is his, he intends to protect her—if only from herself. However, Quintin Boursier yet has games to play. Though Griffin resists her wiles, when it appears her family’s lands are forfeited, a glimpse of her woman’s heart tempts him to make the lady his in truth. Now with the enemy responsible for inciting the feud determined to claim her as his prize, Griffin must join his grudging allies in bringing peace to their lands and protecting the woman who first set herself at his walls—then his warrior’s heart.

Join Griffin and Quintin in the third and final book in this best-selling medieval romance series as the Boursiers, De Arells, and Verduns seek the light at the end of their long, dark feud.

To read an excerpt, visit: www.tamaraleigh.com

Story Ideas

by Patricia Bradley

What do you suppose is the one comment from readers most fiction writers do not want to hear? If you said: You ought to write a book about my life, you would be right. At least you would be right about me. 

Why do you suppose a writer wouldn't want to be given a ready-made plot with a really interesting character? That's what I had to explain to a friend just this week. 

The friend in question had led a very interesting life--I'm sure of that because she's a very nice person and some very interesting things have happened to her. But...

Unfortunately, for this writer anyway, that question makes me quake in my boots. I mean, how do you tell someone who is very serious about their life being perfect for the plot of a book that you can't take their life story and fictionalize it. Especially when this is someone you are really fond of.

I tried to explain that I write fiction and that while I might use something that had happened in her life as an obstacle in my heroine's life, I couldn't take her whole life story and write it. I can't even write a story based on my life. 

My story ideas usually come from nowhere. An example is my first book, Shadows of the Past (which is free as a digital download until August 31). I was sitting on my sofa, reading my devotion for the day when a woman popped into my head and said that someone was trying to kill her. Of course, I had to know more, and that's when I wrote the book. 

So, for the authors out there, what do you say when someone tells you they'd like for you to write their life story? And that it would be a New York Times Best Seller?

From the Reading Pile of MaryLu Tyndall - Book and author recommendation!

Hi Everyone!  I must introduce you all to one of my favorite authors. Her name is Michelle Griep. Remember that name because you will begin to hear it a lot.  I've been following her for years and have loved everything she's written.  And believe me, she keeps getting better and better.  Her last release was Brentwood's Ward and I list it among my favorite all time reads. 

There’s none better than NICHOLAS BRENTWOOD at catching the felons who ravage London’s streets, and there’s nothing he loves more than seeing justice carried out—but this time he’s met his match.

Beautiful and beguiling EMILY PAYNE is more treacherous than a city full of miscreants and thugs, for she’s a thief of the highest order . . . she’s stolen his heart.

Place an unpolished lawman named Nicholas Brentwood as guardian over a spoiled, pompous beauty named Emily Payne and what do you get? More trouble than Brentwood bargains for. She is determined to find a husband this season. He just wants the large fee her father will pay him to help his ailing sister. After a series of dire mishaps, both their desires are thwarted, but each discovers that no matter what, God is in charge.

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD (Christian Book Distributors) and other fine booksellers.



You can get to know Michelle on her website and blog.  She's really smart, quirky and just plain fun.

By the way, she has a new book coming out in October that I had the privilege to read for an endorsement. I'm posting the cover below. Honestly, it's one of the best books I've read.  Click the link and check it out. If it sounds interesting, you can pre-order it.



The Captive Heart is available for pre-order at Amazon. Here’s a blurb . . .

The wild American wilderness is no place for an elegant English governess
On the run from a brute of an aristocratic employer, Eleanor Morgan escapes from England to America, the land of the free, for the opportunity to serve an upstanding Charles Town family. But freedom is hard to come by as an indentured servant, and downright impossible when she’s forced to agree to an even harsher contract—marriage to a man she’s never met.

Backwoodsman Samuel Heath doesn’t care what others think of him—but his young daughter’s upbringing matters very much. The life of a trapper in the Carolina backcountry is no life for a small girl, but neither is abandoning his child to another family. He decides it’s time to marry again, but that proves to be an impossible task. Who wants to wed a murderer?

Both Samuel and Eleanor are survivors, facing down the threat of war, betrayal, and divided loyalties that could cost them everything, but this time they must face their biggest challenge ever . . .Love.


 Enjoy!!

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LADY EVER AFTER: A Medieval Time Travel Romance by Tamara Leigh

WIN 1 of 10 EBOOKS

Pleased to announce LADY EVER AFTER, a medieval time travel romance, releases Fall 2016. Until then, for a peek at my cover designer’s gorgeous new creation, click my Jigsaw Planet link below and assemble the 24-piece puzzle.

For a chance to win 1 of 10 ebooks, email the following to me at tamaraleightenn@gmail.com and you'll be entered in the drawing:

1) Screenshot of completed puzzle
2) Your email address to receive a LADY EVER AFTER eBook should your name be drawn

Jigsaw Planet: LADY EVER AFTER Puzzle

The End

by Patricia Bradley

The End

Pre-order Amazon

Have you ever wondered what an author does after they write The End? I wrote those words this week and I can tell you.

First, even though I wrote The End, I wasn't through. No, I went through it with grammar and spellcheck, which missed 90% of the errors, but wanted to change my fragments to whole sentences. Then I took three sheets of paper full of errors a friend found (Thank you, Delores Topliff!!) and made those corrections. 

Next, I read the story of the umpteenth time. Then ran spell check again because I made changes. This morning I attached it to an email to my editor and hit send.

Whew. And thank you, Lord!

So, what will I do today to celebrate? Take a vacation? Party? Go to the beach? 

No, I have a list of undone chores that I'm starting on. Like cleaning out my closets, and entering my checks into the computer so I can reconcile my bank statements. All seven months. And then there are those books on my TBR pile that I want to write reviews for. And oh, yeah. Start on the next book in the series which I think will be set at Graceland and will involve an Elvis impersonator. 

Of course, my editor will come back with edits, and then another editor will send me edits...

So, if you're an author, what do you do to celebrate finishing a book? And if you're not an author, what do you do to celebrate finishing a big project? 

Oh, and the book cover at the beginning? It's the first book in my new series. Don't have a cover for the one I just turned in. It's working title is Justice Buried because there's a body that's been buried for 28 years and somehow ends up at the Pink Palace Museum.

Two years ago, Bailey Adams broke off her engagement to Danny Maxwell and fled Logan Point for the mission field in Chihuahua, Mexico. Now she's about to return home to the States, but there's just one problem. After Bailey meets with the uncle of one of the mission children in the city, she barely escapes a sudden danger. Now she's on the run--she just doesn't know from whom. To make matters worse, people who help her along the way find themselves in danger too--including Danny. Who is after her? Will they ever let up? And in the midst of the chaos, can Bailey keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?

Link to purchase:

Amazon

The twisted view of "romance" in our culture

As a writer of historical romances, I find the display of so called romance on TV shows, movies, and some books a complete perversion of the true meaning and value of the way God intended romance to be.

This is how the story usually goes:

• Boy meets girl.
• Boy thinks girl is totally hot
• Girl thinks boy is totally hot
• They jump in the sack and have passionate sex
• Something happens that puts a rift between them (no wonder, they barely know each other)
• They separate. Miss each other.
• Problem gets fixed and they jump back in the sack
• They live happily ever after

But do they live happily ever after?
The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%; the divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%; the divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

Wow, you would think that by your third marriage, you'd have a clue what you were doing wrong!

There is a reason God asks us to reserve sex for after marriage. It's not because He's some kind of meany or kill-joy! After all, He created sex. And since He created it, He knows that the thrill of the physical act fades, along with the physical beauty of your partner, over the years.   If that's all your relationship is based on, you're in big trouble.

We live in a world where everything revolves around physical beauty. The beautiful, sexy people are the ones who get all the attention, have the fame, the money, have the hot boyfriends or girlfriends.  No attention is paid to the far more important aspect of a person. Their character. Kindness, Gentleness, Charity, Selflessness, Honor, Honesty, Patience... you get my drift.

Trouble is, determining a person's character takes time, perhaps even years. Romance in God's eyes is far too slow for our fast-paced society.  God wants us to wait. To get to know a person before we hop into bed with them. Believe me, you don't get to know a person that way. Sex is a very powerful force that will consume a couple and steal their focus off of what's truly important in their relationship. It glosses over all the possible problems that will surface later. It covers up a person's true character and replaces it with the allure of "having a good time."

When a relationship is based purely on physical attraction, it is doomed to end tragically, leaving behind heartache and a feeling of dirtiness and unworthy.  The worst part about it is, the same promiscuity that is found in the world is also found among Christians. Why? Because somewhere we bought the lie that the rules laid down by the Being who Created us, rules meant for our happiness, are archaic and need to be adjusted for our contemporary culture. Somehow we believe that God couldn't have possibly predicted that someday it would be accepted and normal to have sex with whomever we wanted, whenever we wanted.

Might I suggest that in His wisdom and foreknowledge, that's exactly why He gave us His Word in the first place. He knew that in the middle of the darkness, we would a compass to point toward the light.

Thoughts?


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Feeling a little nostalgic over the holidays

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and the holiday has me feeling a bit nostalgic. We spent the Fourth in a nearby mountain community, and I loved how they had a parade with floats and a lot of family-oriented fun. They also did fireworks over the lake, which was nice. We also took the long road home, and meandered through some small towns, did a little shopping, and soaked in the slower pace of life.

My daughter and I have been reading Nancy Drew books together at night before bed, and as much as I love some of the things we have in modern times, even just fifty years ago, life seems like it was simpler. Maybe that's why I love writing historicals. Even though we don't have the modern conveniences, I love how they lived such simpler lives. Over the holiday, our family toured a couple of historical museums, and even the wealthy people didn't have as much stuff as the middle class of today has. We're cleaning out my daughter's room, and I made a deal with her: If she could get rid of 50-100 things (to donate, not throw away), we'd give her the rest of the money she needs for the iPod she's been saving up for. Hubby thought it would be hard to find that many things, and that I was being unreasonable, but guess what? We found that many things, and we're still not all the way through her stuff!

Kind of a rambling post today, but it all fits into the nostalgia that I'm feeling right now. Loving the life I have, but hoping to simplify. Because I think I will end up loving it more.

What do you think? Does the fast pace of today drive you crazy? Have you found ways of slowing down and simplifying?

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor

What Camy's reading: Library Wars

I’ve been into manga lately, maybe because there’s so much emotion and storytelling that can be conveyed in a visual medium. Some of my favorite manga authors (called mangaka) are like great movie directors, setting up the scenes visually for greatest emotional impact while also writing powerful dialogue.

I recently finished reading the series, Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi (mangaka) and based off of the Japanese novels by Hiro Arikawa. I really enjoyed the series—it has action, humor, and lots of romance. The setting is slightly science fiction—it’s an alternate present day Japan—but it wasn’t futuristic or anything like that. Here’s the blurb for volume 1 in the 15 book series:

In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves---the Library Forces! Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the Library Defense Force ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore when she was younger. But now that she’s finally a recruit, she’s finding her dream job to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially since her hard-hearted drill instructor seems to have it out for her!

As someone who loves books and reading, the series really struck a chord with me, and for people who love their local libraries, this series will also make them appreciate them even more. As a romance reader, this series had plenty of that with a lot of great romantic tension.

You can borrow Library Wars from you local library :) or buy it from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

Happy Fourth of July to all blessed by this beautiful country. And those are too many to number :) ~ Tamara Leigh

Summer is for Traveling to Exotic Locations

By Elizabeth Goddard



I hope it’s okay for me to share with you here how much I love my job. Of course, I’m a wife and a mother first, but I have an honest to goodness work-from-home job writing novels! Despite what you might think after reading the title of this blog post, I'm not a travel agent. But I am involved in the travel industry, in a manner of speaking. Ahem. . . I earn a living writing books. Of course earning a living is relative to each person. I’m not making enough money to own three houses, one in Hawaii, or even two houses but you never know when things will change!

It’s taken me years to get to this point and I’m so grateful that I persisted. I give the credit and the glory to God for opening those doors, for planting those seeds and watering them, putting that dream inside of me.


So in my work as a writer, I get to dream about the next place I’d like to go and set my story there. It might be a place where I’ve traveled or lived or plan to take a research vacation. But once I’m back in my writing chair, I can spend endless hours every day with my head in that exotic location on an adventure and, at least some of the time, running for my life—living vicariously through my characters, that is.



I mean, is that a cool job or what? And what’s even cooler about it is that you, the reader, can also enjoy this exotic location and experience the adventure of a lifetime and the adrenaline rush, the action that comes with running for your life or some unseen danger or assailant—from the safety of your own home.


That’s the service I provide as a writer of escape fiction!


So if you’re traveling this summer, take a book with you to read along the way. Or if you lounging on the beach, make sure you have your adventure romantic suspense novel handy—and that would be a two-for-one. (You’re in an exotic place reading about another exotic place.) If you're not going anywhere at all for a vacation, then you need an adventure romantic suspense to take you places.


The point is, enjoy your summer. Travel to some place exotic. Have an adventure whether from the pages of a book or in real life!



Blessings!

Beth



P.S. May I make a suggestion? Buried and Backfire of my Mountain Cove series are 2016 finalists in the DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MYSTERY/SUSPENSE! Add to that, this week it was announced that Submerged (Mountain Cove) is a CAROL AWARD FINALIST! I LOVED writing these books set in stunning southeast Alaska–the perfect setting for adventure, suspense and romance! How would you like to travel to Mountain Cove, Alaska?

Get the series on your eBook today and have it ready to enjoy for the July 4th weekend!

Summer Reading

by Patricia Bradley

When summer hit here in Mississippi, it hit! Temps in the high 90s and sometimes a heat index of 119! But what an excellent excuse to stay inside and read. 

I have so many books on my TBR right now as I finish up the second book in my Memphis Cold Case series. But one night when I couldn't sleep, I picked up H. L. Wegley's Voice in the Wilderness. 

Big mistake! Instead of reading for a half hour to unwind, I.Couldn't.Put.It.Down! It's a political thriller, with romance, about two people who must decide if they are willing to sacrifice their lives to save the United States. 

Imagine if a group of people in power wanted to completely take over our country, and they used the military and NSA to do it, and two people stood between them and victory. That's why I couldn't put it down. I had to see how it turned out for Brock and KC.

It has murder and intrigue, romance, spies...here's the blurb from the back of the book:

As catastrophes drive the US into martial law, all eyes are on America, waiting to see what emerges. KC Banning, network specialist, discovers President Hannan’s tyrannical plans and is branded a terrorist, sending her fleeing the Beltway to find her childhood soulmate and protector, Brock Daniels. Brock, a writer and man of faith, gives CPR to a dying nation through his blog, which is read by military members still loyal to the Constitution. But starting a grassroots insurgency while reconciling KC’s and Brock’s broken relationship proves difficult. When Hannan sends Special Forces to kill Brock and KC, starting a war in the Central Oregon desert, reconciliation, like staying alive, might be impossible.

H. L Wegley has the credentials to write a book like this--he's served as an Air Force Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. He knows his stuff!

If you're looking for a fast-paced read with a sweet romance intertwined in it, Voice in the Wilderness is a great choice. It can be found at Amazon.

FRIENDSHIP SNIPPET #6

Tamara Leigh here, back with Friendship Snippet #6. In my last snippet, I addressed Christian friendship. This time—non-Christian friendship.

Though God doesn’t want us to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bless and be blessed by friends who don’t share our faith. I have a friend I love and admire tremendously. For years, she was in the innermost circle—an “iron” friend. But as my faith grew, her lack of faith caused me to move her to the “good friend” circle since any attempt to talk about my faith resulted in borderline aggressive posits that if there is a God, how could I be so arrogant to believe my God is the true God?

How did this friend’s attitude affect my faith? It made me question it to the point the edges crumbled and the middle began to sag—until I moved her to the “good friend” circle. Today, when she faces tough times, I quietly pray for her and, where possible, offer advice on how to deal with her hurdles. And sometimes I put a toe over the line to see if anything has changed. “Like it or not,” I’ll say, “I’ll pray for you.” This is usually met with silence, a change of topic, or a derogatory comment. However, there was a bit of progress a while back when, in response to my offer of prayer, she said, “I guess it couldn’t hurt.” I long for this friend to be in that innermost circle, but until we meet over Christ, neither of us can be our best for the other.

And there you have it. Next Friendship Snippet—Unhealthy Friendships.