Visit the Craftie Ladies of Romance Blog

Hi, Christmas is nearly here. Hope you're getting all your tinsel-decorated ducks in a row.

Drop by http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot. com and read about how I gave God a very good laugh.

Be sure to leave a comment this month if you want to be entered in the drawing for 4 copies of my Love Inspired Historical Romance, Her Patchwork Family.

Merry Christmas! Remember Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Lyn Cote's Christmas Miracle

Drop by my post today (Saturday the 19th) on the group blog:
http://loveinspiredauthors.blogspot.com/

Look for this title and read what God did for my family this week. Praise His Holy Name!

Author Terri Reed & Her Mother-in-Law

My guest today is Terri Reed, another Love Inspired Author. Here's Terri:

"When I think of strong women I think of my mother-in-law. I met her twenty eight years ago. She’s a petite spit fire who raised three kids on her own by working three jobs and doing the best she could to provide for her children. She welcomed me into the family with open arms and taught me how to be strong. Through the years, she’s been the one I turn to when I have questions about kids, health or most anything. She’s lived a hard life, an adventurous life and now an enjoyable life in retirement. She’s the glue that holds her children’s lives together, even though they are adults now. She’s been the best grandmother to her grandchildren and a good friend to me.

As I write this she is undergoing surgery to replace her knee for the second time. The first time was eighteen years ago. Her doctors say she’s strong physically enough at over seventy to come through the procedure well. I’m praying so.

When my mother-in-law found out I wanted to be a writer, she took my husband out and made him buy me a word processor (this was way back before computers) and then when they gave it to me she said, “Now write.”

I started and haven’t looked back. I thank God every day that He brought my husband and my mother-in-law into my life."--Terri

Terri, what a wonderful woman! You have been blessed. Now here's the scoop on Terri's latest Love Inspired Suspense.






NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T

When senior citizens start disappearing from a

Boston retirement home at Christmas time, heiress Kristina Worthington is suspicious.

Especially when she fears her beloved grandmother is next. Without

solid evidence, she’s forced to turn to the one police officer who might

listen—her former love, Gabe Burke. Now a seasoned cop, Gabe still

sees her as the rich girl whose family thought he wasn’t good enough.

And though he takes the case, Gabe seems convinced he’s chasing shadows.

Until they start dodging threats, bullets...and their own rekindled feelings.

Terri Reed

http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

www.loveinspiredauthors.com

http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas!--Lyn

Author Homes Tour-Merry Christmas from Lyn Cote

Several Inspirational Fiction Authors have created a loop on our blogs of videos or photos of our homes ready for the holidays. My home is buried in snow already but here's a Peek into my life-

Only weeks ago, autumn blazed outside my window--

Seasons change-winter at the lake...


A special memory of 2009, my son kisses his bride...



Here I am beside our tree (without ornaments yet!)



Merry Christmas from our home to yours! Now go on to Donita K Paul's blog http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/2009/12/christian-author-christmas-home-tour.html

to see her holiday preparations! I love her Dragon fantasy novels.--Lyn Cote

PS- Follow this link for a chance to win a basket of books and prizes.
http://www.bookreporter.com/features/holiday_basket_2009/contest.asp

British Author Veronica Heley Guests Today!

My guest today is Veronica Heley, a British writer of mysteries. I haven't read her books but I am going to --SOON!

Here's Veronica:

"Strong Women…

When the second World War broke out in 1939, we were living in Birmingham, a great manufacturing city in the Midlands of Great Britain. As bombing raids began, my mother took us four girls to lodge with a farmer and his wife in the country, and to go to school with his two children. Fortunately the farmhouse was a large one with two staircases and bedrooms leading off in all directions, but there was no gas or electricity, and the water came down by pipe from a reservoir up the hill.

It was an adventure for us children. For the adults it was something else.

My mother was torn between staying to look after us, and the need to return to Birmingham where my father worked by day in his office, and was an Air Raid Warden by night. My parents slept, when they could, in a damp cellar; the garden was turned over to geese, hens, and vegetables. The strain of the nightly bombing raids was a killer. My father was neither young nor physically very strong. My mother was a strong woman, but the constant anxiety told on her as she shuttled between the two parts of her family.

Back in the country, the house sheltered the farmer and his wife, their two children, an ancient cousin who’d been bombed out of her home, us four girls and our mother, two landgirls – and they were strong women, too – plus the occasional soldier who’d been billeted upon the farmer. Also needing to be fed, but going home at night, were two more men who helped run the farm. There were usually fourteen of us round the table in the dining-room for high tea, though we sat on benches on either side of a long scrubbed wooden table on the flagstoned floor for breakfast. A cooked breakfast, mind!

I wonder now how on earth the farmer’s wife managed, cooking on an open fire with an ancient oven built into the wall beside it, plus a couple of trivets for vegetables and the ever-simmering kettle at the front. There were oil lamps to trim and fill, plus candles at night. There were open fires in the two main rooms downstairs but none upstairs, of course. There were fourteen beds to change, though a woman did come in to help with the washing. On top of all that, the eldest daughter aspired to be one of the first women architects from her university, and succeeded! She was another strong woman.

Now I write about two different heroines, Bea and Ellie, both older women trying to deal with crime today, and I wonder how either of my heroines would have fared in wartime. I can’t quite ‘see’ Ellie Quicke in uniform; perhaps she’d be second-in-command running a canteen or volunteering in a hospital? Bea Abbot is another matter. She’d have been officer material in the armed forces, or perhaps drafted into some secret Ministry of Information work. Perhaps a code-breaking operation?

Ellie would not consider herself a strong woman because she is inclined to underrate herself, though everyone else – except her greedy daughter Diana – thinks she’s a very special person . Bea runs her own domestic agency which does not ‘do’ crime – but occasionally finds itself doing just that. She offers a home to two awkward youngsters, and tries to keep her Member of Parliament son to his marriage vows. Both are Christians and try to act as Christians should. It’s a strength which underlies everything they do. --Veronica Heley

www.veronicaheley.com

THE ELLIE QUICKE MYSTERIES – Murder in House, Severn House, hb June 09

THE ABBOT AGENCY SERIES – False Pretences, Severn House, hb Dec 09

Veronica, thanks so much for sharing. I think that people were used to working harder with their hands than now. As I said to my children once, "My mother got way more work out of me than I've ever gotten out of both of you!" But that's another story!--Lyn

The Final Book Giveaway for 2009, Her Patchwork Family

I hope you all remember that during the month of its release, I give away one copy a week of my latest book. To qualify you must leave a comment and include your email address. (To confound the spammers, write it, using (dot) instead of a period and (at) instead of @.) Or go to my website and click Contact and leave your email address there.

In December, that is Her Patchwork Family which will be released next Tuesday, the 8th. If you want to purchase it, just click its cover to the right. That will take you to my website where you may purchase it.

This is the second in my Gabriel Sisters series for Love Inspired Historical about three Quaker sisters. Each believes she has a mission to help others in the aftermath of the Civil War. Did anyone of you read the first in the series, Her Captain's Heart? This came out last December and told the story of the first sister, Verity.

Personally I think the Gabriel sisters are the liveliest and bravest heroines I've ever written. Nothing gets in their way. Each risks everything even death to carry out her mission from God.

Who is your favorite heroine of mine?

Interior Designer & Friend Christine Smart Shares Uncommon Good Sense

Hello, my name is Christine Smart. Lyn asked me to share a blog post on surviving the holidays. I must say that having good friends, like Lyn, not only help you get through the Holidays but they help you get through life! Sometimes it’s the prayers and thoughtful words spoken by a friend that bring peace to chaotic times. Lyn knows I’ve had a few!
Here are a few tips that I have learned over the years to help me get through Thanksgiving and Christmas as a peaceful and sane woman.

• Accept where you are at. Let’s face it, not every Christmas is the “Norman Rockwell Christmas” we picture in our heads. Tragedies happen, divorce, deaths, children leaving the nest and all the reminders that go with the loss seem to appear during the holidays. It’s ok to skip some of the “normal” traditions if you aren’t feeling up to it. But, do find a friend to talk to, write in your journal, find a counselor or pastor to help process the feelings. Don’t just stay busy with holiday plans and spending money to avoid dealing with what is going on in your life.

• Remember to take some time each day to just be quiet. Play a relaxing CD in the car while you are out and about. If we don’t take time to pray and listen to God, to fill our minds with uplifting music, we soon find ourselves spinning out of control thinking we are too busy to have a moment of quietness which truly helps to keep our focus on what is most important.

• Stop comparing yourself to others. Envying the neighbor or friend who appears to have it all together is a waste of time and energy. We are all good at putting “masks” on and we really don’t know what is going on behind the “perfectly” decorated house and family.

• Be nice to yourself. Sometimes I have to remove myself from the situation that is stressing me out and talk to myself like I would my best friend. After all if you can’t love yourself how can you love your neighbor as yourself?

• Ask for help! Sometimes as women we think we have to do it all and leave our family out of our plans for the Holidays. Accept the help you get. Your husband may not put away the dishes exactly like you do and that’s ok! Don’t re do it, just let is go and be thankful for the help. There are a lot of great recipes online for help with the big meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check out www.savingdinner.com . The Thanksgiving menu and directions were a huge help to me when suddenly it was my turn to do the turkey and grandma wasn’t there to coach me!

• Sit down as a family and pick 7 things that make it Christmas at your home. Our pastor was doing a series about family and Christmas when my children were in grade school and this tip made a huge difference in my life. Was I ever surprised to learn that our children preferred putting lights up outside our house over making the gingerbread house! I was shocked at the things I had been stressing out about every year that didn’t even matter that much to them. So consult your family and others that are apart of your celebrations and see what they want to do.
Happy Peaceful Holidays!"

Now about Christine and her unique new business venture.

"I started my own business last fall called Designing Moves. I had been working at Ethan Allen and doing very well there with Interior Design Consulting. In early 2008 I started to feel like I would like to volunteer more to help other women and our community after the devastating flood in June. I struggled with God about this for a couple of weeks, it didn’t make sense to me to give up the job I loved and was making decent money at. Needless to say I told God I would see what He had planned for me. Shortly before giving my 2 week notice I had the thought of starting a business to help people move. I had helped my grandparents and in-laws through this process and saw an opportunity to help other families through this overwhelming task.

As I searched on line I discovered there is such a thing as Senior Move Managers and some have been Interior Design Consultants. It was a perfect business for me to start. I’ve been able to keep working with many of my clients with Interior Design Consulting and begin to help people with Move Management. I’ve been able to help clients with unpacking after a move, realizing they moved too much and need to downsize even more, finding the best homes for the items they no longer need, to getting to know the retirement centers in the area, all the way through to estate dispersal. To find a Senior Move Manager in your area go to: www.nasmm.org

Visit Christine Smart at her website. And if you want to learn more about her, drop by her Facebook page.



Christine, wishing you blessings in your new venture and thanks for all that good advice. It helps to get the holidays and what's really important about them straight. And friends like you are rare and wonderful --Lyn

Book Monday & Author Gail Martin's Monterey Memories

MONTEREY MEMORIES - Three novels by Gail Gaymer Martin set in the beautiful Monterey area in the central coast of California. The Barbour anthology includes the novels And Baby Makes Five, Garlic and Roses and Butterfly Trees.

Book Description

Walk the streets and countryside of Monterey, California, with three couples who are surprised by love in the midst of their busy lives. Chad helps Felisa when she goes into labor in his lettuce field. Juli meets Alan while volunteering at a soup kitchen. Ross takes an overdue vacation at Alissa’s bed-and-breakfast. Can busy people slow down enough to realize the love God has brought into their lives?

Reviews from AMAZON

Monterey Memories, an anthology, is a must buy. I truly love this book. In each of the three novels, set in the central coast of California, Gail writes of God's love with such ease and weaves His love throughout each story.

We see how faith and growth in the Word affects every aspect of the characters lives. Everyday normal people with trials and decisions, which we too, can identify. From trust, or acceptance to forgiveness, each of the story's characters learn to lean on God through their faith.

I'm adding this book to my gift list for friends and family. Who wouldn't want to find this warm, engrossing book in their stocking at Christmas? Or simply a gift to share.
REviewer: Carolyn J. Devaney

Gail's Bio:

Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin is the author of forty-three novels with three million books in print. Her novels have received seven national awards and was presented the Favorite Heartsong Presents Author Award for 2008. She writes for Steeple Hill, Barbour Publishing, and is the author of Writing the Christian Romance from Writers Digest. Gail is a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers and a popular keynote speaker and workshop presenter at conferences across the U.S. www.gailmartin.com.

Purchase the novel is bookstores everywhere or click this link to purchase on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1602605823?ie=UTF8&tag=novgaigaymar-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1602605823

Author Lauralee Bliss & Tips for an Easier Christmas

My guest today is Author Lauralee Bliss who gives us a lot of ways to simplify our Christmas preparations--which BTW are nearly upon us! Here's Lauralee:

"As soon as I see the month of December looming, I must admit that a certain panic sets in. Oh, the amount of work to be done! Not only in gift buying for the family but wrapping the gifts, decorating, cards, cookies and parties, and of course, Christmas Day itself. Don't you just get dizzy reading this? My head is already spinning….

Okay, so I take a deep breath. I am a brave and courageous woman, faced with a multitude of responsibilities. And I do thank my dear Lord for giving me organizational skills that can really be useful this time of year. Without them, I know I would never be able to accomplish it all. Everything I listed is important to me. But I refuse to stress over it. I take it one step at a time. After all, this is supposed to be a joyous time of year. So I look at the calendar and begin making plans.

Cards. When do cards need to be done so people receive them on time? Order the cads (especially picture cards which are easy and come with signatures) now. Address envelopes while Christmas music is playing (that always soothes me). I order my cards online (like at Walmart.com) and have them shipped right to the store to save postage and time.

Decorating the house. Decide how or what you need to do. If we are having a party at the house, for example, we take more time to decorate it thoughtfully. Another idea is to make decorating a party itself. Invite family and friends to participate or make it your own family tradition. Have the kids and dad decorate the outside while you and the girls tackle the inside. Make sure to have the Christmas music playing. Order pizza for dinner so you don't have to worry about a meal.

Gifts. I tend to shop all year 'round so hopefully most of my shopping is done. But I have also participated in an annual event at my church that is fun. The first Monday in December, the ladies pile into a minivan and head for the big shopping mall in Virginia for a day of shopping . What fun to be with others and get the shopping done, too. It's a chance to fellowship and even brainstorm ideas for gifts.

Christmas cookies. Are you going to a party? Then decide on some easy cookie recipes to make. Don't try to make complicated cookies in difficult shapes and / or with fillings (unless you really want too, of course!). For me, time is precious. I love, for example, my old stand-by--Betty Crocker's Russian Tea Cakes (or I call them Mexican Wedding Cakes). A simple yet

elegant cookie for a cookie exchange or a party. The snow white color and delicate buttery flavor is wonderful. And they are so simple to make, with only a few ingredients.
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup finely chopped nuts
¼ teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

These are a few ideas to making the December madness a little less maddening and more joyous. But above all, take time to pamper yourself. Like picking up a good Christmas novel --of which I have a wonderful new release that will transport you to the time of the Gilded Age in, what else, the town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire in the beautiful White Mountains!

Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Lauralee Bliss.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Finds-You-Bethlehem-Hampshire/dp/1935416200

Bio

Lauralee Bliss has always liked to dream big dreams. Part of that dream was writing, and her career began with small creative works as a teen just for fun. After several years of hard work, the dream of publishing was realized in 1997 with the publication of her first romance novel. Since then, she's had over a dozen books published, both historical and contemporary. Lauralee's desire is that readers will come away with both an entertaining story and a lesson that ministers to the heart. Lauralee makes her home in Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Readers are welcome to visit my website at www.lauraleebliss.com to learn more about my books and writing, along with my other interests.

And my blog www.blissfulwritingthoughts.blogspot.com

Thanks, Lauralee--Lyn

Author Marta Perry & Leah's Choice

My guest today is Author Marta Perry who has been a Love Inspired author for years. God has now called Marta to write Amish stories. I had the pleasure of reading her first Amish story which Marta will tell you about. Here's Marta:

"We recently had a special celebration in our church. We were each asked to write a message about or bring a photograph of someone who had influenced our lives in a particular way. It proved to be an emotional exercise, as you can imagine, which caused me to think of the many Christian women whose spiritual gifts have inspired me over the years. One of these was the minister of my church when I was growing up.

It was highly unusual to have a woman minister back in the fifties, and even more so when the church was in a small rural Pennsylvania community. But then, Pastor Ruth was an unusual woman. She had come to our area years earlier, when her minister husband was called to our church. Although she was ordained herself, she took on gladly the traditional roles of a minister’s wife in those days—hosting ladies’ teas, helping in the church nursery, taking meals to the sick.

She became such an indispensable part of our church family that when her husband passed away, the church unanimously called her to take over the pastorate. And so I had for my spiritual mentor this lovely Christian woman. She was quiet, gentle, humble, and self-effacing. Despite those qualities, or perhaps because of them, she never hesitated to find the strength to combat wrong when she saw it. Her life was a testament to her faith.

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, Pastor Ruth must have been in the back of my mind when I started writing about Leah Beiler, the protagonist of my current Amish book from Berkley, LEAH’S CHOICE. Leah, a humble, devout Amish teacher, is confronted with a surprising turn to her life with the arrival of two men in her Pennsylvania Amish community: Daniel, an Amish widower with three troubled young children and a tragic mystery in his past, and Johnny, the fiancé who left her ten years earlier when he ran away to the outside world.

Leah faces decisions she never expected to make, and her life is further complicated by her rebellious younger sister and her dedication to her volunteer work with a clinic studying the genetic diseases that afflict many Amish children. She discovers that she must find her strength in God to make the right choices, even when they bring her pain, trusting in Him to guide her to the place He has prepared for her.

I hope, if you read Leah’s story, you’ll let me know what you think of it. You can reach me at marta@martaperry.com, and I’ll be happy to send you a signed bookmark and my free brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Or visit my website (under renovation) at www.martaperry.com or my blog at www.booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com."

I think any reader would love this book. I certainly did!--Lyn

Book Monday-Author Susan May Warren's Christmas offering

Book Monday is featuring Author Susan Mary Warren's Latest book. Here's the scoop in Susan's own words.

"Shoot...football season is over. I'm so sad....as we all know, I love Football...

So much so that I wrote a FOOTBALL STORY! Okay it's not JUST about football. It's about Christmas. And small town life. And church Christmas Teas. And family....and traditions. And the crazy things we do for each other. Basically my favorite things about the seaon!

Yes. I LOVE Christmas stories - and every year I read aloud to my kids (okay, my college kid MIGHT be too old), the Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. And recently Dave Barry's, The Shephard, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog. (SOOO funny). I wanted to write my OWN Christmas Classic.

So, I did. Well, at least I HOPE it is a Christmas classic. Check it out HERE!

Are you in ministry? Want a cool bulletin insert--flyer for the GCB?

And don't forget the cool CONTEST we're running this fall! It's a recipe exchange!! Send us your favorite Christmas recipe and a cool story - we'll publish it on the blog, and sign you up to get a preview copy of my new book (a world war 2 epic!) And/or a cool Harry and David Gift basket!

Warren’s tender holiday novella invokes both laughter and some sweet tears. The vivid portrayal of family connections and football fervor will bring the Christmas spirit to everyone. (Romantic Times)"

It sounds like a great read and a great contest!--Lyn

Two Autumn Recipes from Lyn

Hi! Today my dear friend Author Marta Perry was scheduled to share a story and tell us a bit about her new book out this month, Leah's Choice, an Amish romance I highly recommend. But Marta has had a death in the family so today I'm going to take her place. I hope she'll be available by next Thursday.

A favorite honorary niece has asked me to share my zucchini bread recipe with her. Also a group of readers on www.Goodreads.com Love Inspired Historical group are sharing autumn recipes. I want to share a recipe that is a life-saver if you have a lot of family and friends around the table at Thanksgiving who love stuffing! I always need more than I can stuff into even a 25 lb turkey.

So here are the two recipes:
1-Aunt Lolly's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups raw zucchini, grated
3 cups flour
1 Tb each salt and baking soda
1 Tb vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, & zucchini & mix well. Stir in flour mixed with other dry ingredients. Fold in vanilla & nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 F. for about an hour (or until toothpick comes out clean). Loosen & remove from pans and cool on rack.


& 2- Lyn's Crockpot Stuffing

1/3 cup butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 tsp. each poultry seasoning, salt, sage
1/4 tsp thyme
6 1/2 cups dry bread cubes
2 cups liquid chicken or turkey bouillon
1 can of cream of chicken soup (optional)
1 egg, well beaten

Saute onion and celery in butter till tender about 7 minutes. (Personally, I skip this step. I like my celery and onion firmer.) Combine all ingredients; add egg last and pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes. Then turn down to low for 5-8 hours. Determine if you should use all the liquid by the moisture of the bread cubes.
For larger recipe 13-14 cups, double all ingredients.

Hope those two recipes are of use to you. Our November has been warmer than our October. In our area of northern WI, October was the 7th coldest and wettest on record. Brrrr.

Like the squirrels that race back and forth on my front porch-deck, my dh and I are getting ready for the holidays and winter. Cleaning, putting away outdoor items, and bringing firewood close to the house. Hope your preparations are clicking along too!--Lyn

Book Monday & Author Robin Lee Hatcher & Fit to Be Tied

FIT TO BE TIED--Another great romance from Robin Lee Hatcher!

Who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?

Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.

Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy.

Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?

BIO

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. She makes her home in Idaho where she enjoys spending time with her family and her high-maintenance Papillon, Poppet.

About FIT TO BE TIED, the Library Journal said: "A master of lively historical romances, Hatcher demonstrates an expert ability to craft spunky, unlikely heroines who go against the tide of the times in which they live, making for fun, exciting stories. She also pays close attention to historical detail. This second series entry (after A Vote of Confidence) is highly recommended for readers of inspirational and historical romances and women's fiction."

A Note from Robin

The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series sprang from the question: Who says a woman can't do a man's job? And I can't fully express just how much fun I've had looking for the answer through the eyes of my heroines in this series. Although I have no favorites among the novels I've written (each were special to me at the time I wrote them), I do have some favorite characters. Cleo Arlington is one of them. I love her for her strong faith, for her quirky turns of phrase, for her confidence with horses and her lack of confidence with men, even for her impatience with Sherwood, the English aristocrat that she's supposed to turn into a cowboy. I've been so delighted that readers have taken her into their hearts the way they have. I hope you'll feel the same way about her.

*****************************

Here is the link to the book video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1VLeF15hr4

Here is the Amazon link:

http://is.gd/4P2qJ

Here is the Christianbook link:

http://is.gd/4P2pG

And here is a link to an excerpt of FIT TO BE TIED:

http://is.gd/4P46c

Author Lyn Cote & Lady Serenity Radio Interview

Drop by
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lady-Serenity

Monday November 9, 2009 and listen to an interview with Lyn and another author with From the Heart and Soul--Lady Serenity

Listen to Lady Serenity on Blog Talk Radio

How to Win 10lbs of Books!

Chapter A Week is a free email subscription. Members receive a chapter a week from two different Christian author's new books each week--a great way to find new authors to read!

If you're not already a member of Chapter A Week, now's the time to join and invite a friend! Here's the link to join. Then read on about one of the periodic book giveaways and how to be included.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChapteraWeek/join

Christmas is just around the corner! So we're giving away another ten-pound box of autographed Chapter-a-Week books to one Chapter-a-Week member. If you get a friend to sign up (and they mention your name in their email) you'll be entered twice! The more friends you sign up the more times you'll be entered!

Simply send an email with "Chapter-a-Week Christmas Giveaway" in the subject line to cawcontest(at)gmail(dot)com and you'll be entered in the drawing. We'll draw the winner November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving so the books will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas!

Get your entries in and be sure to tell your friends to sign up for Chapter-a-Week!

To qualify, the return email address must be on the Chapter-a-Week membership list. Continental U. S. residents only, please. Industry professionals should refrain from entering, and though we'd love you to share our books with your friends, these books are not for resale.

Thanks and happy reading!
Your friends at Chapter-a-Week

Author Margaret Daley Shares Her Thanksgiving Joys

My guest today is another Love Inspired Author and a friend is Margaret Daley. She is sharing a tip for the holidays. The theme this month is Wise November, a month where we can all share tips for helping us celebrate the holiday season without losing our good humor! Here's Margaret:

"Thanksgiving-the beginning of the holidays

By Margaret Daley

I love having my family over for Thanksgiving because after we have stuffed ourselves with too much food (love leftovers), I get our Christmas tree out (artificial because my husband is allergic to pine) and the ornaments and have my family help decorate the tree. Now that I have granddaughters it is extra special. They even have their own smaller tree we put up. Having others help decorate makes it funnier and it goes faster. That’s also when I start playing Christmas music.

My biggest tip for shopping this holiday is to avoid the day after Thanksgiving. I know that some people love crowds, but I like to get in and out. I have found some good sales going on right now. I think retailers are worried about this holiday season, so they are having good sales earlier. I think the funniest time I have is when I shop for a child on our church’s angel tree. That’s what Christmas is about--giving.

Does anyone have a good recipe for leftover turkey? I make a big turkey/vegetable soup with my leftovers. It feeds us for a week. In the soup I put whatever I have on hand—can or frozen vegetables—potatoes or rice. I’ll vary the seasonings, too. When it gets cold, my husband and I really like soups."

Thanks, Margaret. I do the turkey soup too, but I also found a great recipe for Turkey Tretazini. I'll try to post it before Thanksgiving--Lyn

Together for the Holidays-Love Inspired, November 2009
Second Chance Family-Love Inspired, July 2009-see trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHiL5CLehA
A Family for Tory/A Mother for Cindy, Love Inspired Classic June 2009
http://www.margaretdaley.com
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com

Please Vote!

Hi! I'm just back from my son's wedding on Saturday. Yes, my son married on Halloween. I'll post some photos in the near future. Needless to say, I have a MOUNTAIN of laundry to do! How could we use up that much clothing in only four days away?

My title "Please Vote!" for this blog entry is about the poll you see listed to the right. If you enjoy the stories of strong women which I feature, please let me know. I'm trying to decide if this is a good blog theme or not. At the end of this month, it will be one year since I started my own blog. I'm happy that I'm up to 50 followers. Thanks. That's quite a compliment and it is appreciated.

This month and December I will be posting only twice a week. Life gets busier and busier. But Monday and Thursday, I'll have something good for you to read. Or that's my goal.
Happy November!

Author Kit Wilkinson & Protector's Honor

My guest today is Love Inspired Author, Kit Wilkinson. Here's Kit:

"Protector’s Honor released last month with Love Inspired Suspense. It’s my first novel and really is perfect for Lyn’s blog since we’re talking Strong Women.

Did you know that in the first chapter of Joshua God told Aaron three times in three different verses to, “Be strong and courageous.”? God does want us to be might warriors for Him. But sometimes we women are just too strong for our own good. You know what I mean? We try to do everything. Control everything. Our schedule. Our children. Our husbands. J We actually try to help God out with our life. We lead instead of follow. I don’t know about you, but I catch myself doing this all the time.

And my heroine from Protector’s Honor is just like that.

Tabitha Beaumont has her life all under control. She’s a successful lawyer with great family and friends. She leads a teen Bible study and runs triathlons in her spare time. Everything is picture perfect. Until—she’s attacked, followed, and hunted by two strange men and has no idea why. NCIS agent, Rory Farrell, wants to help, but Tabitha’s not sure she can trust him. A dark moment from her past leaves her thinking she can’t trust any man. In fact, Tabitha realizes she has some serious issues to deal with—that maybe she didn’t have things in such great control after all. This crisis has her turning to her faith and letting go of it all.

Ever had a moment like that? I have. I feel God is continually reminding me to let Him lead. And really, what am I thinking when I try to take control? That I’ll do a better job than the God that created the universe? Ridiculous.

So, I try to fix on His words from Matthew 6:33, a familiar but very powerful promise… “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given unto you…”

Being a strong woman is great when the strength comes from the Lord."--Kit

That's so true, Kit. Drop by www.kitwilkinson.com for more.--Lyn

Quick Review of Mindy Starns Clark's Book-Under the Cajun Moon

Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely LOVED Under the Cajun Moon. I loved the intertwining of the past and the present. I loved the setting and the characters. I could not stop reading till the end. And it was a satisfying believable ending. What more could a reader ask for?

View all my reviews >>

Author Stephen Bly & His Strong Heroine

My guest today is the irrepressible Stephen Bly. I can't resist a good Western, can you? Here's Stephen:

The Lady Who Lingered Too Long

The working title for my new release was The Lady Who Lingered Too Long, to aim for female readers and to reveal the hero’s desire for a woman who’ll stick with him despite a turbulent lifestyle.

However, Center Point Publishers insisted on a classic western title: Creede of Old Montana. Which do you prefer? I’m stuck with the latter.

And so are my two heroines, who both remind me of the Bly family gals: got awesome smiles and stubborn as bulldogs.

One of them, Mary Jane Cutler, will mind. She’s threatened to kill Avery John Creede and will protest appearing in a story with his name on the cover. When Creede ignores this angry gal with the unlikely nickname of Sunny, she becomes more menacing. Yet another reason to watch his back.

Creede longs for peace and quiet. He’s arrived in Fort Benton, Montana, for a reunion with three army pals. While he waits for them, he buys a diamond ring in a velvet bag, just in case Carla Loganaire appears. She torments his dreams and memories. Her daddy made his fortune with imported glass, partnered with Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. Carla visited their NY house many times. As a girl, she had a crush on Elliot, not TeeDee (Teddy, Jr.).

But now she adores Creede. She calls him “Avery, dear” and fawns on him when they’re together. She reminds me of a Mary at the feet of Jesus, focused only on the one she loves. And Creede sees something sturdy in her he admires, beyond the elegance and sumptuous scent. She also offers him a settled life, in a social arena he has at times embraced. But missed communiqués keep them apart, even though sparks between them have raised a roof or two. Then, just as they get close again, she’s deceived by the charms of a truly bad hombre. Creede can’t let that happen.

By Chapter 8, Creede winds up on a 12 x 50 foot sandbar with the gun-toting Sunny and quite an eclectic cast crowded on this piece of land. When Sunny befriends a moose, she threatens me, the author, that she’ll quit the book if I continue to call her Moose Lady. Got to keep my characters happy. So, Creede disposes of the moose. The way he does it gets Sunny really riled up…again.

Can’t figure out if Creede’s naïve…or one smooth cowboy.

In the midst of the shooting, Creede manages to keep both ladies right where he wants them…or does he?

The whole time that Carla sweet-talks and soothes what ails him, Sunny jabs. He doesn’t tease well. She blurts out what she’s thinking, while Creede guards his feelings and thoughts. On the positive side, she proves to be a Martha type, able to handle most any situation with common sense solutions. He also learns that she’s a crack shot…and still more than ready to aim straight at him.

So, who do you think winds up with the ring?

On the trail,

Stephen Bly

www.BlyBooks.com

Friend me on Facebook

Or follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BlyBooks

Author of 101 books, Christy Award winning Stephen Bly’s newest release is Creede of Old Montana, available October 2009. Order through your local bookstore, favorite online book outlet, public library, or www.BlyBooks.com "

Thanks, Stephen. It sounds like a winner!

Book Monday-Author Cindy Woodsmall & The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Today's book is another great Amish story. It might make a great Christmas gift for someone you love!

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

The Sound of Sleigh Bells is a heartwarming Christmas novella where lack and abundance inside an Amish community has power for good when it’s tucked inside love. Romantic Times gave The Sound of Sleigh Bells 4 ½ stars, saying ~ This is a wonderfully written, transformative story of two Amish families at Christmastime. It will bring sleigh-riding memories to life as readers vicariously join in this jolly and exciting holiday tradition.

To read the first chapter of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, go to: http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/sound-of-sleigh-bells_excerpt.php

To purchase through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Sleigh-Bells-Cindy-Woodsmall/dp/0307446530/ref=pd_ts_b_5?ie=UTF8&s=books

To purchase through CBD.com: http://www.christianbook.com/sound-sleigh-bells-cindy-woodsmall/9780307446534/pd/446534?event=HPF2

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish has been featured on ABC Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Plain Mennonite and Old Order Amish families.

Cindy is the mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, and she and her husband reside in Georgia. Visit her Web site at www.CindyWoodsmall.com

~~~~~~~~~

LeAnn Harris & Her MASH Mom

LeAnn Harris, another Love Inspired Author, is my guest today. Here's LeAnn:

"The brave woman in my life I want to share with you is my mother. She is amazing. My mother was a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army and a nurse during the Korean War. She met my dad, a lowly private, who worked on her floor. After they got married, mother was assigned to a Korean mash unit. When she took her training at an Army base in the Southwest, they dropped the nurses in their white uniforms in the middle of a field, gave them maps and told to find their way back. My mother’s sense of direction is not the best, so she begged the poor driver t help her. He told how to get back. What a creative way to solve a problem.

I am awed at my mother’s determination and compassion. As a nurse, she is the best. It is a gift I think God gave her. All of her patients admired and loved her whether she did private duty or home health care. Where ever she worked, she won praise, and wasn’t afraid of doing what was right. When I was in the hospital and suffered a major brain bleed, mother was in the room and called for help immediately. If you were sick, she’s the one you want there.

Even into her seventies, my mother could run me into the ground with her energy. Growing up I could only stand back and admire her.

In my current book, Lilly Burkstrom has had to show strength when her husband left her when she was pregnant, and the later after their divorce he was killed. Lilly fought against the same force that killed her ex and was threatening her daughter. It is a strength that relies on God. I am in awe."--LeAnn

I am in awe too, LeAnn. Drop by LeAnn's website to learn more about her and her books.--Lyn

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

Author K.M. Weiland & Faith Enough

Author K. M. Weiland is my guest today. Here's Katie:

"Faith Enough: Hagar and Mairead

When we think of the great women of faith in the Bible, it isn’t often that Hagar comes to mind. Her story is surprisingly brief, almost a footnote in the larger tale of Abraham and Sarah and the chosen nation to which they would give birth. When I visualize this Egyptian maidservant, I inevitably bring to mind the vampish taunts of actress Zoe Sallis who portrayed her in John Huston’s film The Bible. But somewhere in the course of reading Genesis so many times, I’ve realized that the vague details of her story leave room for another interpretation.

This woman—who was also destined to give birth to a great nation—was abandoned, thrust out from her home by the father of her son, left to wander the desert, and presumably die. When at last she and Ishmael collapse beneath a bush, her hopelessness is tangible: “Do not let me see the boy die!”

Whatever Hagar may have been (and there’s little doubt that she behaved less than angelically toward her mistress, even as there’s little doubt that Sarah probably behaved less than reasonably toward her maid), whatever she may have become after this chapter ends and she exits the Biblical account forever, she stands as a beacon for the rest of us in our own moments of hopelessness.

She cries out to God in despair, probably doubting that this God of Abraham’s would even hear her, much less respond. She had not even faith enough to ask for a miracle. She didn’t ask to be saved; she asked only to be spared the sight of her son’s death. And from that tinier-than-a-mustard-seed grain of faith—just faith enough to speak up—God granted her a renewal beyond anything she imagined.

In my recently released medieval novel Behold the Dawn , my heroine, Lady Mairead of Keaton, is forced into a situation just as hopeless. Pursued by evil men, she flees to the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, only to be captured by the infidels and watch her husband die of his wounds. Alone in a hopeless situation, with only the kernel of her battered faith to support her, she too must find the courage to call out to God.

And when He answers in a way she never expected, by bringing her a rescuer in the shape of the condemned and embittered knight Marcus Annan, she must embark on a perilous journey that will force her to cast everything upon the Lord and trust that even in the midst of impossible circumstances, He is, indeed, a God of hope. He is a God who may lead us to the edge of our endurance—to the edge of Hagar’s desert—but He will never abandon us, so long as we have even just faith enough to speak up.

About the Author: K.M. Weiland http://www.kmweiland.com writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She is the author of A Man Called Outlaw and the recently released Behold the Dawn . She blogs at Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors and AuthorCulture ."

Thanks for that great insight and the book sounds truly intriguing.--Lyn

Book Monday-Author Susan Meissner & White Picket Fences

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will enjoy White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

The story in a nutshell:

When her black sheep brother disappears, Amanda Janvier eagerly takes in her sixteen year-old niece. Tally is practically an orphan: motherless, and living with a father who raises Tally wherever he lands– in a Buick, a pizza joint, a horse farm–and regularly takes off on wild schemes. Amanda envisions that she and her family can offer the girl stability and a shot at a “normal” life, even though their own storybook lives are about to crumble.

What led you to write White Picket Fences?

Several years ago I was a court-appointed advocate for children involved in protective services. There were times when I saw that despite the outward appearance of a less-than-perfect home, a child could be loved there. Just because a parent is unconventional or unsuccessful career-wise or makes choices that buck societal norms, it doesn’t mean that he or she is by default a “bad” parent. Likewise, parents who we would traditionally call “good” -meaning they provide, they protect, they don’t hit, they don’t ridicule - can nevertheless make decisions regarding their children that have hugely negative effects and yet their outward appearance would never lead anyone to suspect it. Even if you live behind a white picket fence, you still have to deal with the fallout of a living in a broken world. You can’t hide from it. The perfect, idyllic life is an illusion. Life is a weave of both delight and disappointment and it’s precisely these things that give it definition and depth. To ignore what is ugly is to cheapen what is beautiful.

You dovetailed a current day family drama with the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto. Why the connection?

I think it’s fair to say that the depth of the atrocities inflicted during the Holocaust wasn’t fully appreciated until after the war. There was ugliness happening, if you will, and much of the West failed to see it — for whatever reason. Within the horror, though, people made brave choices, selfless choices. And there were survivors who had to choose what they would take with them from the ashes of their suffering. I wanted to explore how a person makes that decision. Even the decision to pretend it never happened is a decision regarding those ashes.

What do you think interests you about the intersection of personal relationships and perceptions – a theme you wove into both The Shape of Mercy and White Picket Fences?

I see every great work of fiction being about human relationships. Gone With the Wind is so much more than just an epic story with the Civil War as a backdrop. It’s a story of human relationships. Scarlett and Ashley, Scarlett and Rhett, Scarlett and Melanie, Scarlett and her father. It’s within our closest relationships that our brightest virtues and worst flaws are exposed. That’s why there is such tremendous story value within intimate human relationships. We are at our best and our worst when we are responding and reacting to the people who shape who we are. Human history is the story of relationships and what they teach us about what we value. And what we don’t.

White Picket Fences is a different kind of novel than your acclaimed book, The Shape of Mercy, but there are some similarities too. Can you explain those?

As with The Shape of Mercy, there is a historical thread in White Picket Fences, though it is not as dominant. The invasion of Poland by the Nazis is woven into the story, and provides the backdrop for Chase’s and Tally’s discoveries about hope, dreams, and redemption. This thread is enhanced by visits to a nursing home where Chase and Tally meet a man blind from birth who survived the occupation of Poland. It is also a story that draws its pathos from family dynamics and the near-universal desire we have to make straight what is crooked. There are two young protagonists in White Picket Fences, like there was in The Shape of Mercy, as well as a third character, who, along with the two men in the nursing home, provide a similar multi-generational story thread.

What do you hope readers come away with after reading White Picket Fences?

The pivotal moment in the story for me is when Josef says to Chase: “[This] is what all survivors must decide. We have to decide how much we will choose to remember, how much courage we are willing to expend to do so.” It takes courage to acknowledge and remember what drove you to your knees or nearly killed you. If you choose to forget – and that’s assuming you actually can – then it seems to me you suffered for nothing. You are different but you don’t spend any time contemplating – or celebrating – how. I’d be happy if there was a takeaway for someone out there who needs to consider that.

My bio:

Susan Meissner is the multi-published author of The Shape of Mercy, named one of the Best Books in 2008 by Publishers Weekly the ECPA’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is also a speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. A devotee of purposeful pre-writing, Susan encourages workshop audiences to maximize writing time by mapping the writing journey and beginning from a place of intimate knowledge. She is the leader/moderator of a local writer's group, a pastor’s wife and the mother of four young adults. A native San Diegan, Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministries program at The Church at Rancho Bernardo.

You can purchase White Picket Fences here:

http://www.amazon.com/White-Picket-Fences-Susan-Meissner/dp/1400074576/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

And read an excerpt here:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074570&view=excerpt

Susan Meissner

www.susanmeissner.com

http://susanmeissner.blogspot.com

http://theshapeofmercy.blogspot.com