A Busy Week!

Hi friends,
This has been a busy week. Three deadlines in one week. Plus I've had to take my daughter to two doctor's appointments since she still can't drive after her accident.

Yesterday's appointment was in another town so after the appointment, we went bargain shopping. Believe me we needed a pick me up and the after Christmas sales are about over.

We had luck and found several new items for my daughter's slim wardrobe at very nice (read inexpensive) prices.

So that's my week. BTW, scroll down the right column to the Craftie Ladies New Facebook page item. Join in March and invite a friend for a special prize drawing.

Hope you're having a great end of February. Let's hope March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. However, that is usually reversed where I live. Can't think why.

Happy February!--Lyn

Author Roxanne Rustand & What She Loves About Romance

My guest today is my dear friend Author Roxanne Rustand. If you haven't read one of her beautifully written romances, you need to! Here's Roxanne:

"I enjoy writing about people who have faced serious trouble in their lives, and who must overcome adversity to find not only a solid, fulfilling relationship with their "once in a lifetime love" but finally come to fully understand and accept the joy of God's love for them.

To that end, I have really enjoyed writing about the three heroines in the first three books in my Big Sky Secrets series. Three cousins and a friend were the closest of childhood buddies, but when one of the cousins was viciously attacked and killed, it changed the remaining three girls forever. The experience destroyed their sense of security, leaving ghosts of the past that none were able to leave behind. under they each moved back to the wild mountains of Montana as adults, and faced their deepest fears.


In Fatal Burn (February, 2010 Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense) the heroine is Kris Donaldson, a woman who went down the wrong path as a teenager, but who is now given a chance for new beginnings and happiness when she starts to manage a private animal shelter. A perfect opportunity for her...until she discovers that someone will stop at nothing to ruin her, and would even like to see her dead.

It's fun to be here on Lyn Cote's blog today, because I adore her theme of Strong Women, Brave Stories. It carries through all of her wonderful books--all of which I have on my keeper shelf. She writes such a variety, too--between her historicals, contemporary romances, and romantic suspense novels, I can't wait to see what she'll have out next!

Wishing you all blessings,"--Roxanne Rustand

Thanks, Roxanne. If you like animals, you need to drop by Roxanne's
"The All creatures great and small Blog
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com
www.roxannerustand.com

Author Kara Lynn Russell & Her Mother's Love Story

My guest today is Wisconsin author and a dear friend, Kara Lynn Russell. (Her latest book is above.) She decided to share her mom's "surprising and quite shocking" (GRIN) love story. Here's Kara:

"My Mother and the Sailor

"Shortly after I graduated from college I moved back home with my parents for a time. When I began a long distance romance, of course my parents worried about me traveling by myself to and from my sweetheart’s home. By that time in my life, my mother had assumed the role of best friend and chief adviser. So she shared with me the details of her own wild love affair.

It began in 1961 when she had left the family farm behind her and fled to the big city of Milwaukee to live the crazy, carefree life of a stenographer. There she shared an apartment with two friends, Patti and Judy.

Once, Judy got into a fight with her fiancé (an air force man) and to spite him, arranged a date with a navy man who had leave from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. The only problem was the man needed a date for his friend. Judy volunteered Mom to be his date and she reluctantly agreed. She was sweet on someone else at the time, you see.

But then, my mother and the sailor hit it off. In fact they became quite an item and were soon dating seriously. The sailor took the train to Milwaukee on weekends to see my mother. During the week he worked on completing his training in electronics. It was a bad shock for Mom when, after three months his training was complete and he left without even saying good-bye.

Approximately two months later the sailor called my mother and asked her to marry him. Mom agreed and they began to plan the wedding. But true love never runs smoothly and this was the case when the political climate of the time made it impossible for the sailor to get enough leave for the wedding and honeymoon.

So now what? Should they call the wedding off? Should my Mom sit at home and wait endlessly for the sailor to come home from the sea? The Sailor didn’t think so.

This was his idea: She should give up her job and apartment in Milwaukee, get on a dirty, smelly bus and ride –alone- all the way out to New Jersey, where his mother, who she had never seen before, would meet her. My mom would live with his mom until she found a job and a place of her own. As soon as he got a couple days leave they would get married.

What a crazy idea! What kind of woman would agree to that! My mother would, of course. I’m certain that my grandparents were less than thrilled about the idea of their only daughter heading off alone to a strange city to marry a man they had never met.

The story has a happy ending though. The sailor and Mom did indeed get married. After a few years he left the navy and later bought my grandparents’ farm. The sailor became the farmer and enjoyed (still enjoys!) many years of marriage with my mother. By now you know, of course, that this man is my father.

And in turn, my father and mother worried when I started driving from Wisconsin to Illinois to spend time with my sweetheart. But that story had a happy ending, too as we have now been happily married for seventeen years. That’s two happy endings in one story! And, with God’s blessings, we shall all continue to live happily ever after."

I'm so happy, Kara, that your parents remembered how powerful love can be and didn't forget their own daring love story!

For more about Kara's books, drop by http://karalynnrussell.googlepages.com/home

Book Monday & Author Deborah Raney & Beneath A Southern Sky

Today's featured book is Beneath A Southern Sky by Deborah Raney from WaterBrook Press. I've endorsed Deborah's books and they are a joy. Here's the scoop about this timely reissue with a new cover as part of WaterBrook Press's new value line fiction.

SYNOPSIS:

Her Second Husband Healed the Sorrow of a Tragic Loss.

Her First Has Just Returned from the Dead.

Which Man Has the Right to Claim Daria's Heart?

After two years of serving as a missionary in a remote area of South America, Daria Camfield has returned to the States to mourn her husband, reportedly killed while providing medical aid to a neighboring Colombian village.

One family discovers how God can redeem any tragedy.

At first, Daria finds comfort only in the daughter born to her after Nate's tragic death. As she begins to heal, she also finds a listening ear and a tender heart in her new boss, veterinarian Colson Hunter. Determined to move forward with life, Daria ignores the still small voice calling her to wait and accepts Cole's marriage proposal. But after the wedding, Daria's new dream life turns into a nightmare with the arrival of an unbelievable
telegram:"Nathan Camfield found alive. Flying into K.C. Int'l. via Bogota…"

Now two men have the right to her daughter, her life, and her love. Will Daria return to her beloved first
husband, abandoning Cole? Or will she reject Nate and choose the only man her daughter has ever called "Daddy"--a man she has come to cherish with all her heart?

AWARDS:

• 2002 RITA Award from RWA
• 2002 FH&L Inspirational Readers' Choice Award
• Book of the Year for American Christian Romance Writers (now ACFW)
• 2001 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award
• 2002 HOLT Medallion Finalist
• 2002 Aspen Gold Award, 2nd place
• Named one of christianbook.com's Top 10 Fiction book of 2001

BIO: 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.

WEBSITE: http://www.deborahraney.com

PURCHASE THIS BOOK: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?event=AFF&p=1142383&page=561314&sp=67484

Deb~

Deborah Raney

COMING IN MAY! ALMOST FOREVER a Hanover Falls Novel from Howard/Simon & Schuster

www.deborahraney.com

Author Shelley Shepard Gray & Mrs. Ritchie

My guest today is a sweet friend Author Shelley Shepard Gray who is writing heart-touching Amish stories for Avon Inspire. She has a story to share! Here's Shelley:

"I’ve been so lucky to have met many women of character. Some have inspired me spiritually. Others have life stories which leave me breathless. Others have achieved so much, I know they’re an inspiration to many. However, some probably have no idea they made such an impression. Such as Miss Ritchie.

Miss Ritchie had a first name. It was Mary Ann, but it’s almost impossible for me to think about her that way. See, Miss Ritchie was my principal at Christa McAuliffe Elementary-the school in Texas where I taught for five years in the 1990’s. During the eleven years I worked in education I taught at six different schools in three states. Many administrators were gifted, all had much to share. But, for me, Miss Ritchie was special.

Maybe it’s because she was just so tough.

She was a nice lady, but demanding. Her standards were high-really high. She encouraged all of us to be the best we could, too. See, she thought of teaching as a wonderful profession-and assumed we felt the same way. She liked our diplomas hanging on our classroom walls. Men were required to wear ties. Women had to wear hose-even in ninety degree weather. She encouraged us to wear suits.

In short, Miss Ritchie was the type of woman you said 'yes, ma'am' to. Or, 'yes, Miss Ritchie.' Always.

I remember my first week at McAuliffe. I think I cried almost every night. Previously, I’d taught children who faced innumerable challenges. Children who hadn’t eaten breakfast. Who read below grade level and had never learned to add and subtract.

Suddenly, however, I discovered my fifth graders were a hundred and eighty degrees opposite of that. They were suburban kids with well-educated parents. They were sharp as tacks! Suddenly, everything I said was analyzed. Every paper I sent home was read and discussed. These kids were smart. They read at high school level. They spelled better than I did. They not only knew how to add and subtract, but were ready to tackle decimals and percentages. They were smart and inquisitive and college-bound-even in fifth grade. Oh, they were great kids-and boy, did they keep me on my toes!

But they also scared me half to death. I was so worried that I was going to make mistakes. Or that I wouldn’t be able to do enough for them. The other teachers in my wing assured me I was going to be just fine. They helped me and answered questions and gave me hugs.

But it was Miss Ritchie who gave me courage.

See, we had to turn in our lessons plans on Friday before we could leave for the weekend. Being a first year teacher there, those lesson plans took me hours. Objectives and homework assignments had to be notated, as well as a whole host of other items. Anyway, one Friday afternoon, when I was turning in my plans in the office, Miss Ritchie walked out of her office and took them from my hands herself. For a moment, there was complete silence at she looked them over. Looked me over. I still remember standing in front of her, feeling kind of ill. What had I done wrong?

Then she nodded. “You’re doing fine, Shelley,” she said.

For most, that would be faint praise. Sometimes, I think we all look for superlatives from others. That we’re great. Awesome. Terrific. But that ‘Fine’ from Miss Ritchie meant everything to me.

During the five years I taught at Christa McAuliffe, I went on two maternity leaves. We bought a house. And I grew up. I started becoming more confident. I started asking more of myself-and of the students I taught. Oh, it was never easy. And I didn’t always agree with everything my principal said or did. But I respected her like no other.

Eventually, my husband had got a promotion, and it was time to move to Denver. And, just like my first day with Miss Ritchie, I vividly remember my last. That last day, I could hardly function, it was so tough. Leaving the school was going to be so hard. But eventually, it was time.

I knocked on my principal’s door, waited to be invited in, and then awkwardly stood in front of her desk and made a little speech. I thanked her for giving me the job. And for my years there. Actually, I don’t really remember all I said. I’m sure it was flustered and silly. But when I was done, she stood up, walked around her desk, and gave me a hug.

I hugged her back and walked out with my head high. Trying to be as cool and as professional as she’d taught me to be. It wasn’t until I got to the privacy of my car that I cried.

Over the years, I heard Miss Ritchie retired. And then that she was sick. A few years ago, she passed away. Cancer, I think she had. She wasn’t the type of woman you wrote to, just to say hi. I didn’t call her up to see how she was doing. I didn’t send her Christmas or birthday cards. See, she had been my boss, I was a little afraid of her.

But ever since my days with her, I’ve measured myself and others to her memory. Rarely do any of us come close. But that’s okay. I think all of us need someone in our life at one time or another who instills a little bit of awe~who makes you want to be better than you ever imagined you could.

I’m very grateful I’ve had that pleasure. I’m very grateful for Miss Ritchie. Just as I imagine God is grateful for her now."--Shelley

What a wonderful story. As a former teacher too, I know how much a good administrator can add or detract from teachers. Thanks for sharing that story, Shelley. I've also added the GORGEOUS cover of her latest release, Winter's Awakening.--Lyn

Another Good Book to Read

The Right Call: A Novel

"Kathy Herman's The Right Call is a tour de force of all that's best
in her books--deep family connections, emotions that ring true and
heart-speeding suspense. Put this on your TBR pile for sure!"

View all my reviews >>

A Family Love Story from Australia

This month I've offered the chance to win the first copy of my June book, Her Abundant Joy. If you have a family love story--funny, unusual or touching--please email it to me. (l.cote (at)juno (dot) com) If you do, I will put your name into the hat for this drawing.
Mary Preston, a reader from Australia sent me the first one (only one I've yet received). Here's the story in Mary's own words:

"A family love story.

My parents met when they traveled to high school by train. They never spoke because that would NOT be correct. One day my father, then 16, said to my mother, 14, I'm going to marry you one day. My mother said she was shocked by this brazen behaviour. They began a friendship as much as could be allowed by convention.

WWII came. My father enlisted at 18. They wrote to each other. My mother realised that if he did not come back from fighting overseas she really would miss him.

When the war ended & my father was finally released from the army he proposed to my mother again. He knew that if she said yes she would have to give up teaching , which she loved, because married women did NOT teach. He gave her time to decide. My mother wrote back yes.

They have been married 60+ years now & still hold hands when out shopping.

I love this story. One of my mother's most treasured possessions is a coin with a hole in the centre from New Guinea my father sent her during WWII. She had it made into a brooch--Mary Preston"

What a lovely story, Mary. Times have surely changed!

Now do you have a story you'd like to share? Deadline is February 26, 2010.