This blog has moved

In case you haven't noticed, I've moved my blog to the homepage of my website. Please drop by and click RSS feed so you don't miss any stories of strong women!

Also if you visit, http://booksbylyncote.com/SWBS/free-read
you'll see that I've begun archiving by chapter the free serialized novel I'm posting on my blog this year. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I post a new scene. Come watch as La Belle Christiane's story unfolds!"--Lyn

A New Year, A New Website and Blog

I am going to leave this blog up for the time being. But I've moved my blog to the homepage of my website: www.BooksbyLynCote.com

Today I've posted the ending of Chapter One of La Belle Christiane. Hope you'll drop by and find out which man takes her as his bride.

I've made this change because of some technical issues but the theme of this blog, Strong Women, Brave Stories will continue the same.

Please drop by and subscribe to my new location!--Lyn

Once More with Feeling

Can the beautiful daughter of a French courtesan find a love that will last forever?

Once more I'm suggesting chapter one, scene two of La Belle Christiane. Starting Monday, I'll be posting a scene or scenes of my first manuscript Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Hope you'll stop by and invite a friend!
Just click this link.
http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com/2010/12/preview-of-labelle-christiane-part-two.html

Author Michelle Stimpson & the Strength of Surrender

My guest today is author and speaker Michelle Stimpson. She shares about "The Strength to Surrender." Here's Michelle:

"I’m the oldest child and the oldest grandchild of a strong woman who was the oldest among her siblings. Given my genealogy, I was quite prone to making quick decisions and taking action. I called it “taking charge.” My husband called it “taking over.”

Generally, once I’d made up my mind about something that seemed pretty obvious to me, I’d jump in with both feet and get to swimmin’. I’d talk to God about my progression in a “Look, God, no hands!” kind of way. Needless to say, when I’d come to the end of myself and made a complete mess of things, I would go crying to God and He would rescue me for His namesake.

The main character in Last Temptation, Patricia “Peaches” Miller, happens to be on one of those self-appointed super-woman missions. (Wonder where I got that idea from?) Driven by guilt piled on top of guilt and regret, she quickly finds her life spiraling downhill in a series of compounding bad decisions.

God is certainly a present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). No matter what the circumstances, He has promised us that if we return to Him, He will return to us (James 4:8). I’ve found Him to be not only faithful to rescue us, but gracious about the rescue as well.

Perhaps even better, the Spirit of God can lead us and guide us around unnecessary drama, pain, and flat out foolishness if we’d simply consult Him before we go off on these wild goose chases. Can I get an amen?

Like Peaches, I’ve come to experience God’s strength in practical daily issues. A few weeks ago, I was peacefully writing in a corner of Panera restaurant when a man came into “my” area cursing and talking loudly on his cell phone. My first thought was to ask the man to lower his voice. But his conversation was so offensive, I wasn’t quite sure this guy was reasonable. My second thought was to move, but I already had my stuff strewn across the table. Now that I was out of Michelle-based options, I said a quick prayer and asked God to “do something.” Within just a few minutes, the man’s cell phone lost its signal. And within twenty minutes, he left without even unpacking his laptop.

No extra drama, no need for repentance, no ungodly display of Ruth’s oldest granddaughter. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit activated!

The truth is: no matter how smart or capable we think we are, the most perfect thing we’ll ever be able to do is surrender to God. It takes a strong, yet simple faith to realize that the sooner we come to the end of ourselves (assuming we have any power whatsoever), the more we’ll know His strength in every area of our lives. "--Michelle

Her latest book:

Will a dream come true push one woman to her limits?

Sensible single mother Patricia "Peaches" Miller isn't about to follow in her mama's footsteps and become dependent on a man--no, that would be too easy. But when she doesn't see eye to eye with the man she wants to marry, she knows that returning to a life of girls' nights out, retail therapy, and chocolate peanut clusters just won't do for her. Then Raphael, her son's father, steps back into the picture--and makes it clear that his attraction to Peaches is stronger than ever. There's just one problem. Raphael has already pledged his heart to another woman.

Peaches has been praying for a perfect family for a long time. Deep down she knows this can't be God's idea of an answer--but can you blame a girl for hoping? Now, as she battles with temptation, and with her faith, she's not sure which will win. . .

"Michelle Stimpson does a wonderful job of creating characters that are believable and loveable. The Divas of Damascus Road will make you laugh, cry and laugh some more." --Good Girl Book Club

Michelle Stimpson Bio

www.MichelleStimpson.com

Bestselling author Michelle Stimpson has penned several works, including Boaz Brown, Divas of Damascus Road, Breaking Bondage to Biscuits, The Good Stuff, Trouble In My Way, and her latest release, Last Temptation. She also publishes short stories through her educational publishing company. Michelle is a part-time language arts consultant and serves in the Creative Tyme Ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Michelle lives near Dallas with her husband, their two teenage children, and one crazy dog.

Thanks, Michelle, for sharing. I think you and I have a lot in common. I've had to learn to let matters go and depend on God. When I don't--bad.--Lyn

For more info:

Links:

Website - www.MichelleStimpson.com

Blog - www.Womengic.blogspot.com

Book Tuesday-Author Leann Harris & Second Chance Ranch

My guest today is Author Leann Harris, whose book Second Chance Ranch, debuts this month! Here's Leann:

I want to thank Lyn for this opportunity to share. But I’d like to give the readers just a little different twist on a brave story. I’m going to let the heroine in my latest book, Second Chance Ranch, do the talking. Sometimes our characters are more articulate than we are.

Thanks, Leann, I appreciate it. My name is Sophie Powell and I grew up in New Mexico. After college, I joined the Army and became a medic and was sent to Iraq. When I went for training at Walter Reed midway through my deployment, I visited one of my ex-patients in the hospital. Jack lost his legs in a road-side explosion, but when I caught up with him, he was going riding at a stable outside D.C. in the Maryland countryside. Equine therapy is what it is called.

You should’ve seen Jack’s face as he settled into the saddle and rode around the ring on his mount. I saw hope and victory in his eyes. I remembered the despair in his eyes as I worked to stabilize him in the field and knew then what God wanted me to do with my life after the Army. Of course, I am a horsewoman. I love to ride and had a horse when I was a girl. God knew that I needed the healing that horses and helping others could bring to my heart. It brought my family back to me and it brought me the love of my life, Zachary McClure.

I want to say that God took the ashes of Zach’s and my lives and turned them into beauty. When both Zach and I thought our lives were useless and were in a fog, He showed us the path to take. And that path brought healing, joy, and love. I hope you’ll read our story.

I am humbled to serve the great men and women of our military. The courage it takes for a soldier to put his/her life together after being wounded is amazing. Our prayers should be with them and their families. . . Sophie Powell

Now, Sophie might be a character in my book, but her words are the truth, and our soldiers and their families need our prayers and thanks."--Leann

Barbara Harrison aka Leann Harris Bio
When Barbara was first introduced to her husband in college she knew she would never date the man. He was a graduate student getting a PhD in physics, and Barbara had purposely taken a second year of biology in high school to avoid taking physics. So much for first impressions. They have been married thirty-nine years and still approach life from very different angles. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Barbara taught math and science to deaf high school students for a couple of years until the birth of her first child. When her youngest child started school, Barbara decided to fulfill a life-long dream and began writing. After both her children left home, she went back to teaching.

She is a former president of the Dallas Area Romance Writers and founding member. Barbara presently lives in Plano, Texas with her husband. Her thirteenth novel Second Chance Ranch. is a Jan ‘1 release

Visit her at her webpage www.leannharris.com or barbharrison.com
Another book for my TBR pile!--Lyn

Remember this?

Friends,
I've been planning to share something with you for the past few months and have been preparing for it.

In 1980's, I began writing my first manuscript. I literally ran after my two toddlers with a clipboard in my hand and wrote whenever they paused. GRIN.

Anyway I wrote that story without knowing anything about the market. In fact, I told myself just to write the book and then I'd think about marketing it. The thought of that was overwhelming at that time.

It took me three years of writing to finish my first manuscript-1,000 handwritten pages. Whew!

I found out that while it garnered interest from agents and editors, it never found a publisher.

I think that's because there are "unwritten" rules for inspirational fiction and I didn't know them or follow them. I still think it's a good story and I've revised it and am revising and improving it once more. Also I don't want it to sit ignored on my shelf forever.

So I decided to post it here as a serially each week, starting in January. That's right.
I'll be posting my first manuscript here, a three scenes each week starting now.

This week, I plan to post the December previews for you. then beginning next week, I'll post 2-3 scenes a week, usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

So be sure to drop by! And tell your friends!

The title is LaBelle Christiane. The tag line is: Can the beautiful daughter of a French courtesan find a love that will last forever in early America?

Don't miss this gift to my readers. Here's the link to Chapter One Part 1
Tell your friends! The more the merrier!--Lyn