Book Monday-Author Deborah Raney & Almost Forever

This Monday's book is Almost Forever by Author Deborah Raney. It's a Hanover Falls Novel from Howard/Simon & Schuster.

Unearthing a lost memory may cause her to lose everything she holds dear. but could it also set her free?

Volunteer Bryn Hennesey was there at the Grove Street Homeless Shelter the night five heroic firefighters died at the scene. Among them was her husband, Adam.

Now a terrifying absence of memory has her wondering if she might, in some way, be responsible. Garrett Edmonds' wife, Molly, was the only female firefighter to perish in the blaze. He was supposed to protect the woman he loved.now she's the one who's died a hero. How can he go on in the face of such unbearable loss? And what started the fire that destroyed the dreams and futures of so many? Investigators are stumped. But someone knows the answer...

Deborah Raney books always captivate me! Almost Forever is a beautifully written and enthralling read. It made my heart sing, dance, cry, and turn more than a few flips!

~CindyWoodsmall, New York Times best-selling author

As a fan of the very talented Deborah Raney, I expected a great read and I got it in the richly emotional Almost Forever, a story of faith, forgiveness and redemption. It began with a gripping scene and proceeded to hold me enthralled to the end. Don't miss this one!

~Karen Young, author of Missing Max and Blood Bayou

DEBORAH RANEY is at work on her 20th novel. Her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Almost Forever, first in her new Hanover Falls Novels series, will release in May from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They are new empty nesters with four grown children and two precious grandsons, all of whom live much too far away.

Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com

Order her books here: http://snipurl.com/raneybooks

Author Lenora Worth & Dress for Success

My guest today Love Inspired Author Lenora Worth shares the way she helps women find their inner strength. Here's Lenora, bless her heart.

"I believe in helping other women so when I decide to support a non-profit organization, I always do research to this end. Therefore, I’ve been involved in Dress for Success for many years, as both a volunteer and a board member. Our local affiliate has a nice boutique where women who need a helping hand to get back into the work place can come and shop for an interview suit and later, a work day suit, including accessories. Being a part of this has been so rewarding for me, I wanted to share this with everyone I know.

We gather gently worn clothes for the boutique all year long and once a year, we have a “Send One Suit” clothes drive where several local businesses help out with dry-cleaning and donations. We have various fund-raising events throughout the year, too. And we have several national sponsors such as Dress-Barn, Avon, Mary Kay Cosmetics and Lia Sophia jewelry, just to name a few. These sponsorships are distributed accordingly throughout the many affiliates. I’ve work as often as I can in the boutique, helping to dress clients. It’s so much fun to help the women shop for the perfect outfit for an interview. The women are referred by other non-profit organizations and we have guidelines and rules, but helping to suit them is a life-changing assignment. We start with asking them about themselves and what type of work they have applied for. Then we pick out blouses, skirts, pants and jackets to fit their work. We also help them find the right shoes and purses to go with their new outfits.

Women enter uncertain and embarrassed at times, but emerge looking confident and professional. I think the best part of being a consultant in the boutique is watching the transformation. They beam with pride when we find the right suit and so do we. Dressing to impress, what some might consider frivolous, is really a very important component in building a woman’s confidence and courage. It does make a different, in their minds and in the eyes of an employer. Dress for Success began in New York in 1997 and is now Dress for Success Worldwide. To date, we’ve suited over 300,000 women in over 80 cities and in five countries (and counting.) We also offer continuing support with a Professional Women’s Group that mentors by bringing in speakers and consultants on a monthly basis. And most affiliates offer a Career Center where women have access to technology and can improve their professional skills by updating resumes, practice business writing and take care of any type of business tasks. I’m so proud to be a part of such a strong, vital organization and I encourage women everywhere to learn more about Dress for Success Worldwide. It’s a network of strong women working to help other women. And that’s something we can all celebrate."--Lenora Worth

Here's Lenora's latest Love Inspired romance. She is donating a copy to my MEGA May gift basket. Leave a comment to be eligible for the end of the month drawing. Thanks, Lenora--Lyn

http://www.lenoraworth.com

May 2010--Hometown Princess

June 2010--Risky Reunion

August 2010--Mission: Bodyguard

December 2010--The Soldier's Mission

First Page-Rodeo Sweetheart by Author Betsy St Amant

First Page today is from Rodeo Sweetheart by Author Betsy St Amant:

If wishes were horses, the Jenson family breeding farm would be full of stud mares and furry new foals—not teeming with greenhorn tourists in stiff new jeans and shiny cowboy boots.

Samantha Jenson loosened the lead rope in her hand, allowing Diego another couple inches of leverage. The hot Texas sun glinted off the gelding's chestnut hindquarters, and she swiped at the sweat on her forehead with her free hand. It looked as if this weekend would be another scorcher.

She clucked to the gelding as she studied his limber gait. "Just another lap or two." Diego's ankle injury was slowly healing. A few more days of exercise in the training pen and he'd be ready to hit the trail—though probably just to be manhandled by another wannabe cowboy.

Sam's lips pressed into a hard line and she drew in the rope, slowing Diego's willing pace to a walk. "Good boy." It wasn't the gelding's fault he'd fallen a few weeks ago. Thanks to a careless rider who'd ignored the rules of the trail, Diego had been pushed too hard over uneven ground and tripped in a hole. It was by the grace of God he had only sprained his ankle, rather than broken it. Of course, the tourist hadn't even been bruised—didn't seem very fair.

Sam pulled the rope in closer until Diego's gait slowed to a stop. That probably wasn't the most Christian attitude to have, but it was hard to feel differently in the circumstances. At least God was looking out for her and her mother with the little things if not for the bigger things Sam would prefer. Avoiding a vet bill was nice, but it wasn't going to help bring back her father's dream.

Sam met the horse in the middle of the paddock and patted his sweaty muzzle, drawing a deep breath to combat her stress. No, nothing other than a big wad of cash would bring back the Jensons' successful breeding farm.

www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com

www.betsystamant.com

RODEO SWEETHEART

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Sweetheart-Inspired-Betsy-Amant/dp/0373875932/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270825563&sr=8-2

Who can resist a rodeo cowboy??

Shirley from MS Pays Tribute to Her Grandmother

The first reader-friend to offer to share a story is Shirley S from Mississippi. Here's her tribute to her grandmother:

"The special lady that I would like to honor this Mother's Day is my maternal grandmother. She married at 16 and gave birth to 13 children. My grandfather was a preacher in a little country church that just met every other Sunday. Usually on the Sundays when that church was held, Grandmother had a houseful of company for dinner. There would be so many people at the house that we ate in shifts, but you never heard her complain about feeding them on her limited income. When I think of all the folks she fed on those Sundays I often think of Jesus feeding the 5000. The thing about Grandmother that made her so special to me was her faith. She had absolute faith that no matter what happened to her that she was never alone. She would tell you that when she buried two small children with three days of each other (one of them a newborn) that He was there for her. When you oldest remaining child died of unknown causes as a man with a young family He was with her. As she buried a young grandchild He was there. She knew that she was not alone as she battled cancer. In fact, her faith was what many of her family held onto in her last days. Her faith shone in everything that she did.

As a teenager and also as a young bride, Grandmother was a bulwark. She offered a shoulder to lean on and advice when needed. She didn't have a lot in the way of schooling having quit school in the eighth grade. She was well read in many subjects; however, her main source of knowledge and inspiration was her Bible. Her heart was open to God, and she shared His light with everyone she came in contact with. I can only hope to be the person that she was. I miss her dearly, but know that I will see her again one day. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."--Shirley

Thank you, Shirley. What a great example she set for you and all of us.--Lyn

Book Monday--To Be a Mother-Author Ruth Axtell Morren

Today's book is To Be a Mother, one novella of a pair under that title by Author Ruth Axtell Morren. Here's the scoop!

Rianna Bruce is a strong woman. She watched her husband die, nursing him in a Washington, D.C. hospital at the height of the Civil War.

But she couldn’t leave then, not after witnessing the desperate need for nurses. So, she remained for the rest of the war. She couldn’t have survived this ordeal without a strong faith in God. It was during this time that she began a closer walk with the Lord through the friendship of a fellow nurse.

This faith kept her going, even when she felt unsure and inadequate, even when she lost the baby she carried, and during the years of self-imposed exile from her native village of Woods Haven, Maine. This was the one area of her life where she felt weak, too weak to come back home an evident failure: a childless war widow. So, instead, she continued nursing private patients for several years after the way.

But always a part of her yearned to return home…home not only to her family, but to the young man who’d first awakened her heart when she was barely fifteen. She’d heard he was a widow. What she didn’t know until she came back was that he also had a little girl…who now needed a mother.


Ruth says:

To write this story, I drew on the kind of strength I read about in history books of the women of the past century. I also wrote this from my own experience in my thirties, when my walk with the Lord deepened and I discovered the fullness of God’s Spirit. Rianna’s joy is a reflection of the joy I felt when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and came to understand how real and how very near God is to us daily in whatever circumstances we go through."--Ruth

To find out more about this book, drop by

http://www.ruthaxtellmorren.com

http://ruthaxtellmorren.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Be-Mother-Mountain-Rose-Historical/dp/0373828330/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270813981&sr=1-1

Thanks, Ruth!

How many of you enjoy a second chance at love stories?--Lyn

Book Monday on Friday-Calculated Revenge -Author Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Book Monday became Book Friday because of LIFE. Here's the scoop about--Calculated Revenge by Jill Elizabeth Nelson, a Love Inspired Suspense.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s been eighteen years since Laney Thompson’s sister was abducted and killed, but the pain Laney feels has never faded. And now the murderer is back, taunting Laney with mementos of her sister and threatening Laney’s young daughter. School principal Noah Ryder is her best hope for protecting her daughter—if she can convince the former investigator to take the case. As the threats accelerate, a string of clues leads Laney to uncover old secrets. Unless Noah steps in with his expertise, how can she piece together the puzzle before her child—like her sister—is lost to a killer’s revenge?

READER REVIEWS:

I just finished your book. I love Christian Suspense books and this one is the best one I have read in a while. I never figured out the solution until it was evident to all. Wonderful suspense weaving throughout the book. Thanks, I will look for more books by you. I could not put it down once I got started.

Excellent, excellent book! It caught my attention from the first page and was so hard to put down! Keep on sharing God's love and gospel thru your writing - it is important to those who need encouragement as well as need to know our precious Savior!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is an award-winning author of mystery and suspense. She writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith, earning her the tagline: Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth. Jill speaks at conferences, writer’s groups, library associations, and civic and church groups. She and her husband live in rural Minnesota where they raised four children and are currently enjoying their first grandchild.

Visit Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s website at http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com for excerpts, book giveaways, and contests.

You can order this book directly from your local bookstore, retail stores such as Walmart, or online here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0373443900/jillelizabeth-20

Jill Elizabeth Nelson
~~Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth~~
http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com

Reluctant Burglar, Reluctant Runaway, Reluctant Smuggler from Multnomah Books
Calculated Revenge (April 2010) and Legacy of Lies (October 2010) from Steeple Hill

Lyn's 2nd Annual MEGA May starts Monday May 3rd

Would you like me to send this postcard to some woman you love for Mother's Day?

Since the focus of this blog is Strong Women, I celebrate with Mother's Day with an all month special, MEGA May! I celebrate by asking readers to share their own family stories of strong women.

This year only two readers have so far shared their stories. Tuesday is Shirley from Mississippi and later in the month Edna T from South Carolina will pay tribute to their mothers. I have room for more if you have a story about a beloved mother, grandmother or daughter, let me know! You can email them to me at l(dot)cote(at)juno(dot)com

This year three brave men are going to pay tribute to their wives, authors Thom Lemmon, Harry Kraus, and Jeff Gerke. Also authors, Betsy St Amant, Linda Goodnight, Cheryl St John, Ruth Axtell Morren, Sharon Dunn, Stephanie Grace Whitson, Irene Hannon, Marta Perry, and Elizabeth Johnson will be sharing stories.

MEGA May is the only month where I ask authors to donate books for a HUGE once a year prize. Drop by this month and share a story or comment and your name will be entered to win the MEGA May basket of books and goodies.

Finally I always offer to send the postcard above to those you love. The postcard says: Happy Mother's Day from Author Lyn Cote. Someone who loves you asked me to send you these loving wishes. On the back, I give your name.

If you'd like me to send one of these postcards, send me the person's name and address. I will of course NEVER share this information with anyone. Deadline Monday May 3rd.

So don't miss MEGA MAY!--Lyn