First Page-Nowhere Carolina-Author Tamara Leigh

First Page of Nowhere Carolina by Author Tamara Leigh

Despite the occasional whisper, glower, and slight, I need no one to remind me of my high school days. I was the stereotypical cheerleader—self-centered, superior, and more concerned with hair and makeup than the state of the world. Let alone Nowhere, North Carolina. Well, not really Nowhere, though that is what I called the town of Pickwick, certain my future lay in some exotic locale like Hollywood. Funny thing is, that’s where my introverted cousin, Piper, went when she up and left Pickwick after high school. But that’s another story.

Yes, I was the real deal—a pompom-pumping, short-skirt-wearing, belly-button-bearing guy magnet. Not a bad thing. After all, Queen Esther, who in my teenage opinion was the only interesting character in the Bible, made the most of her beauty. And look where it got her. Fortunately for the Israelites, not where it got me.

Once I started acting on the attraction that made guys shove their way to the head of my line, I was all in. Competition for my attention was headying, and though I never planned to “go all the way,” things progressed until…

Well, they progressed. And not just the one time. Which is why, when I ascended the stage over twelve years ago to accept my high school diploma, I did so with a basketball-sized bump that was further proof I was one girl whose vocabulary lacked a two-letter word that my boyfriends said was overrated—“no.”

As for the bump, her name is Devyn, though it wasn’t until I delivered my baby that I thought of her as much more than an inconvenience and a threat to my figure. But she soon became everything to me, and I thank God I didn’t give her up as planned. Even when she’s like this.

www.tamaraleigh.com

Author Lyn Cote-Why I Write--And it's not for the BIG $$$

Why do I write?

As my title says, it's not for the big $$$. If you missed my series of blogs on "How It Works, Being An Author," click through to the one on what authors earn out on a book. Here's the link http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-it-works-being-author-show-me.html

So if it's not to be rich and famous, why do I do it?

Well, first I was born with the gift of story-telling. At first, I didn't realize that other kids weren't. In school, I got tired of kids saying, "Stop staring at me." I'd wake up from my present story and look at them. I didn't even know they were in the room! I wasn't staring at them; I was indeed miles and years and lives away, living in a story of my own making. I always had movies in my mind.

And second of all, when I write a story, it connects me to my readers in a way that is amazing. My stories aren't just entertaining. They can be agents of realization, self-examination and freedom. And when this happens, it gives me great joy.

Here's one of the most powerful reader letters I've ever received:

Letter: Dear Lyn Cote,

Thanks for you for your books, the Women of Ivy Manor…I love it when authors write books that they have done a lot of historical research…It makes the books feel like you are right there at that time frame. I am a survivor, a woman with a past of strong women who kept secrets…. But as your books point out, there are secrets that never get told and they cause so much hurt and pain and mistrust…Anyway after the first two books, the tears that I have stuffed away for many years broke.

I told myself that I did not want my children to go through what I did. Some have gone through things that I have. I have a lot of sorry (sorrow) and regret when it comes to my children. I have 7 children and 7 grandchildren. …I called all my children I could that day I finished BETTE and told them I loved them. It was quite shocking to some. I told them also that I could not repair the past but that the future was there and that the present was right here and we could make the most of it. …

We just have to ask God to soften their hearts and wait and prepare for the time my children will come to me and I’ll reach out to them and support them in all they do, no questions asked. …Thank you for letting the women of ivy manor come together to “air” their secrets. It was long overdue. Thank you for your books. They have helped me in my healing process. Books seem to come to me when I need a bit of healing to be done. Thanks, B.”

Wow, huh?

On Thursday this week, I'm going to share about another reader who read the same series of books as "B" but who had a different opinion altogether!

Let me ask you--
1-Were you born a story teller?
2-Has any book (not just mine) made a difference in your life? You never know I might be giving another prize!

Book Monday-Author Maureen Lang & Whisper on The Wind

Whisper on the Wind
Book 2 in The Great War series.

She risked everything to rescue him. But what if he doesn’t want to be saved?

In Brussels at the height of WWI, a small, underground newspaper is the only thing offering the occupied city hope—and real news of the war. The paper may be a small whisper among the shouts of the German army, but Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print. Meanwhile, Isa Lassone, a Belgian-American socialite whose parents whisked her to safety at the start of the war, sneaks back into the country to rescue those dearest to her: Edward and his mother. But Edward refuses to go, and soon Isa is drawn into his secret life printing the newspaper . . . And into his heart.

Advance Praise:

“The suspenseful climax kept me on the edge of my seat!” - Lynn Austin, best-selling author

“A suspense-filled romance. . . . an exciting page-turner.” - Robin Lee Hatcher, best-selling author

Maureen Lang has always had a passion for writing. She hand wrote her first novel around the age of ten, put the pages into a notebook she covered with soft deerskin for a “hardback” cover (nothing but the best!) then passed it around the neighborhood for rave reviews. It was so much fun she’s been writing ever since. Eventually Maureen became the recipient of a Golden Heart Award from RWA, followed by the publication of three secular romances. Life took some turns after that and she gave up writing for fifteen years, until her faith sent her in a new artistic direction. Soon she won a Noble Theme Award from American Christian Fiction Writers, and a contract followed a year or so later for her Inspirational historical fiction Pieces of Silver, (nominated for a Christy in 2007). The sequel, Remember Me, released in February of ‘07. She also has three women’s fiction novels from Tyndale House Publishers, The Oak Leaves released in May of ’07, On Sparrow Hill and My Sister Dilly released in ’08. She has a new 3-book series, the first of which will release from Tyndale in the fall of ‘09, set in Europe during the First World War. Maureen lives in the Midwest with her husband, two sons and their dog, Susie.

Visit Maureen at:

www.maureenlang.com

http://maureenlang.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/maureen.lang

Whisper on the Wind is available at any bookstore, from Tyndale House Publishers or online at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Wind-Great-War-No/dp/1414324367/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276273621&sr=1-8

I was very happy about the responses to my blog on why do authors and publishers giveaway books. I will draw the winner after I have time to go over the replies. I'll post the winner soon!

A Question for You: Why Do Authors and Publishers

giveaway books on blogs? ????????????
That's question # 1-

I usually do most of the talking here. Most of you read and post occasionally. But this time I want you to do the writing.

More questions for you:

2-Have you won a book on a blog?
3-If you did, what did you do with that book?

4-Do you only visit blogs that give books away regularly?
5-Or are there some blogs you visit or read often? If so, why?

6-Please list any blogs you especially enjoy and visit often. Please give their URL or Web address so others may enjoy them. Have you ever visited any of the blogs I post in the right column?

7- Do you have a blog? If so, what is it about and please include your URL.

I know a lot of you are busy, but please share your thoughts and experiences. I'll have a drawing among those who reply with a real answer. I'll keep you guessing about what the prize will be. :-)

BTW, I've just updated my website. If you haven't visited, drop by and let me know what you think.

OKAY-start talking!--Lyn
PS-This drawing will be open for comments through Sunday night August 29, 2010!

First Page-Bridge of Peace by Author Cindy Woodsmall

Chapter One

Quiet hung in the air inside the one-room schoolhouse as the children waited on Lena’s next action. The curiosity she loved to stir in her scholars now filled their minds in ways she wished she could erase. The hush wasn’t out of respect or desk work or learning.

Staring into defiant eyes, she stood. “Return to your seat, Peter.”

With his back to the other students, he leaned across her oak desk. “Make me.” The threat in his voice was undeniable. She’d spoken to his parents about his behavior, but they’d believed that their son was only kidding and that she was taking his words and actions all wrong.

Nothing about the conduct of this six-foot man-child hinted at humor. He wasn’t teasing, but he was toying with her—like her barn cats did with field mice before killing their prey.

Feeling as unsightly as a wounded rodent was part of daily life for her. It even slipped into her dreams on a regular basis. But Lena was no mouse. When dealing with Peter, her will battled with her emotions. The teacher in her wanted to find a way to reach inside him, to get beyond the prejudices and surliness and find something of value. The rest of her simply wished he’d never moved to Dry Lake.

Still, she believed that most people had hidden wealth, good things within that made them more worthy than they appeared on the outside. For reasons that had nothing to do with Peter, she had to hold on to that belief.

She offered a teacher-friendly smile. “The assignment stands, and it’s due tomorrow. Take your seat, please.”

He slid her well-organized papers onto the floor and crawled onto her desk and sat. At fifteen he was the oldest student she’d ever taught—or tried to teach. He should have graduated sixteen months ago from an Amish school in Ohio, where he’d lived before moving to Dry Lake. Although she had no idea what happened to put him so far behind in his studies, he seemed to think she was the problem.

It would be easier to tap into his better self, or at least better behavior, if there was someone to send him to when he got this bad. During her rumschpringe, her running-around years, she’d used her freedoms to attend public high school. When her public school teachers faced a difficult student like Peter, they sent him to another teacher, a counselor, or a principal. If there was another adult nearby, Peter probably wouldn’t consider it a game to try to take control of her class. Maybe she needed to talk about this situation with her Englischer friend Samantha. Surely with her degree in psychology and her working this year as a school counselor, she would know some helpful tips.

“At your desk, Peter.”

“I’m not doing the work, and I better not get a zero.”

Author Cindy Woodsmall & The Bridge of Peace

The book I'm featuring today is The Bridge of Peace by Author Cindy Woodsmall.

Releases date Tuesday, August 31, 2010!

Headstrong schoolteacher Lena Kauffman finds herself at the center of controversy in her Amish community when a young man in her classroom refuses to submit to her authority. As her friends and family rally around her, especially longtime friend Grey Graber, things go from bad to worse when Grey’s wife, Elsie, becomes an accidental target in trouble meant for Lena. As the present unravels around them, each must find their own way through their private pain in order to find peace and a brighter future.

The Bridge of Peace is the second novel in the Ada’s House series and it returns to Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and the beloved characters from The Hope of Refuge. The Hope of Refuge—Christy finalist, Inspirational Readers Choice Contest finalist, and a Carol Award finalist.

To read the first chapter of The Bridge of Peace or see a list of places to order it online, go to http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/books/bridge-of-peace_excerpt.php.



Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times best-selling author whose connection with the Amish community has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She’s coauthor of an upcoming spring release, Plain Wisdom, which is a nonfiction book of touching and humorous life events written with an Old Order Amish friend.

I dropped by Cindy's official website http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/ and

WOW!!

She has a lot of stuff going on. She has a enewsletter you can sign up for and she's going on a book tour in Alabama and Florida starting next week on the 31st. So if you live in those states, you might want to see if she's coming to your town! Drop back tomorrow and read the first page of The Bridge of Peace.

Book Monday Review-Author Neta Jackson's Who Do I Lean On?

Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I met Neta Jackson and her husband Dave in Anaheim CA in 2002 at a Christian booksellers convention. We met again recently and she gave me an autographed copy of this book. THANKS, NETA! I had of course heard of her very successful Yada-Yada Prayer Group series but had not had the time to read one.

Well, I'm glad I took the time! This is a great read. Her character Gabby is a real "every woman." She's trying to raise her kids, deal with a marriage but she also wants to help others and obey God. Gabby, however, is enthusiastic--(just like me and maybe you too?)--and sometimes gets ahead of God. You won't go wrong reading this book, filled with reality, delightful characters and a spiritual message we all need to heed.



View all my reviews