Amberly by Mary Elizabeth Hall

Author Mary Elizabeth Hall wrote our guest post today. Mary’s debut novel Amberly was released in August 2012, and is available in all the usual places. Amberly is the first of a series called Crestmere. Visit Mary’s website Writing to Inspire at maryelizabethhall.com. You can read her blog or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads. 

The story behind Amberly has been in my mind for more than 35 years. The characters grew up with me, and I know them as well as I know my own family. Two years ago, I realized with horror that I was forgetting snappy little pieces of dialogue, so I started writing. A conversation grew into a scene, which blossomed into a chapter. I sent it to a few friends, and they begged me for more! So I wrote out the full story between July and October of 2010 – whew! Then my family took a trip out west, and I brought along some books on how to write fiction. I realized I had some revising to do, so I joined critique groups, attended writer conferences, and began editing other people’s stories. I found I love editing as much as writing because I’m passionate about stories.Here’s a little bit about Amberly.

Amberly: A Romantic Adventure (with Touches of Humor)

Snatched by coldblooded enemies as a declaration of war, Ellie Williamston finds herself caught in a deadly snare—miles from home and lost in the wilderness. Her heart is drawn to the handsome guardsman who rescues her, but then is torn when he challenges her political ideals—and then reveals something that will make her choice even more difficult.

Marsten longs for a God-fearing wife, but cannot marry the lady he desires. The sassy young schoolteacher he rescues catches his eye, yet he fears she’ll turn out to be like the beautiful women who’ve broken his trust in the past.

Journey with them through the spectacular but treacherous Aspian Mountains while they evade enemy pursuit and wrestle through the challenges of wilderness and budding love, only to run headlong into Ellie’s family—and a whole new onslaught of foes.

“AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY…THE CHARACTERS COME ALIVE IN A RIVETING STORY WOVEN WITH RICHLY CRAFTED LANGUAGE” (Michael K. Brown, Atlanta Writers’ Club).

“MARY WEAVES MAGIC WITH WORDS. ROMANTIC, FUNNY, BIGGER-THAN-LIFE CHARACTERS TAKE YOU ON A WHIRLWIND JOURNEY TO A PERFECT ENDING” (Dianne Price, Author of Seahedge, Shadowtide, and Proud Captive).

“VERY ENJOYABLE TO READ!” (Jane Simerman, American Christian Fiction Writers)

Interviews with Author Mary Elizabeth Hall

• New Authors Fellowship - “Interview: Mary Elizabeth Hall, author of Amberly”
• Paris Mom (Author Kristy L. Cambron) – “Fan Fridays: Mary Elizabeth Hall”

Reviews for Amberly

• Goodreads
• Amazon.com
• Barnes and Noble

Order Amberly

• Amazon.com 
• Barnes and Noble
• Fiction Addiction

Sneak a preview - Amberly: Chapter One

Grand Prize Drawing – Leave a comment below (before Dec. 15) for a chance to win an autographed copy of Amberly!

Mary Elizabeth Hall home educates her three daughters at home in sunny South Carolina. They laugh about how they can’t roast marshmallows without experimenting to see how various snack foods burn on a stick. They’re also the only family they know with an 8-foot handmade catapult in their basement. Mary’s prayer is that her husband will dispose of it someday before he dies.

With degrees from Cornell and Syracuse, Mary has a professional background in human services and program management, but she’s found that her true passion is for writing and editing. She’s published community research and has done revision writing for Sonlight Curriculum. Her debut novel Amberly was released in August, and is available in all the usual places. Amberly is the first of a series called Crestmere. Mary’s short story “Healer” was recently released in 2011 in Fables for Japan, an anthology to benefit Japan’s tsunami victims, available at www.fables4japan.com.

Mary enjoys inspiring people to love the Lord and prays that all she writes will honor Him. When she’s not teaching, grading, scrubbing, folding, or chasing (and occasionally writing), she enjoys drawing and photography, teaching guitar, and helping lead worship. Visit Mary’s website Writing to Inspire at maryelizabethhall.com. You can read her blog or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

HALT! And Rise Above Your Biggest Writing Challenges

This is a guest post by Kristen Clark, a speaker and writer, and contributing editor for the online His Witness Ministries and New Beginnings Marriage Ministry. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines, while her inspirational stories have been published by Chicken Soup for the Soul.  She lives in Texas with her husband, Lawrence.

 

I love keeping busy with writing activities and exercises, but recently found myself putting pen to paper with a less than grateful attitude; the craft I once cherished and delighted in had turned into a source of tremendous frustration.  The reason: I had taken on too much and couldn’t keep up with it all.

Every opportunity felt like an unbearable chore.  I struggled frequently with writer’s block.  I was easily overwhelmed by simple submission guidelines.  I reeled against the practice of re-writes.  I floundered with openings and compelling closings.  My spelling and grammar became an embarrassment.  I missed critical deadlines.  I cried at rejection letters. I created endless excuses for not attending a myriad of writer’s conferences.  My attitude about writing in general had hit rock bottom.

Thankfully, I discovered a tool that helps me maintain a positive attitude through most situations.  The HALT method suggests pausing long enough to assess if I am Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.  If I am hungry, I make time for a meal or quick snack. If I am angry, I take a few extra minutes to detach from my stressful situation; I breathe, relax, stretch my limbs, count to ten, pray, and emotionally regroup. If I am tired, I withdraw for a nap and some quiet time in an effort to recharge my battery.  If I am lonely and feeling secluded, I lift my spirits by visiting a neighbor or friend.

Zig Ziglar once said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”   He was right.  In fact, research conducted in the last ten years successfully links positive emotions (including gratitude) to the ability to more successfully face life’s challenges. Using the HALT method, I can more easily maintain a positive attitude, if not gratitude, and do my best at what I love most - writing!

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

 for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV)

How to you maintain a positive attitude?

Image/MicrosoftClipArt

Pamela Cable: Televenge, the Dark Side of Televangelism

ISBN: 978-1-9358741-6-4
Pages: 580
Publisher: Satya House Publications
Trade Paperback: 19.95
Available on Kindle
Distribution: Midpoint Trade Books

I am woman of great faith. Televenge may be a story about the dark side of televangelism, but is also about the light of God’s unconditional love. And that is why I wrote the book. (Pamela Cable)

Andie Oliver is a faithful woman—to God, to husband Joe, and to televangelist Reverend Calvin Artury, a Godfather in a Mafia of holy men.

Raised to be subservient and submissive in the tradition of the Bible-belt South of the 70’s, she becomes a prisoner of that tradition. As a reluctant member of Artury’s evangelical megachurch, the House of Praise in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Andie’s dream of children, home, and marriage falls apart when Joe is hired on the ministry team.

The charismatic Reverend conducts faith-healing crusades, creating the largest religious TV audience in the world, surpassing the income and followers of Oral Roberts and the Reverend Billy Graham combined. Working limitless hours, Joe is sucked deeper into the ministry while Andie attempts to free him from the Reverend’s control and far-reaching influence.

But it is Mavis Dumass, Andie’s best friend since birth, a sassy African-American woman and aspiring recording star, who holds the secrets to Reverend Artury’s carefully veiled debauchery. What happens to Mavis will not be forgotten as it leaves Andie near mental collapse and struggling for freedom from the cult’s grip.

Andie is still unaware of the extreme danger their pastor wields until she witnesses the murder of a church member. Fearing for her life, Andie plummets from a dreadful existence to a horrific one as she uncovers Reverend Artury’s long-hidden truths, and loses everything. But she strikes back, threatening to expose the Reverend to the world.

Reverend Artury reverts to the twisted “cleansings” of his childhood. Raised by two psychopathic aunts, he mentally declines and quickly, Andie must go into hiding. Fighting for redemption for her family and herself, Andie confronts the very definition of sin, and shakes the Christian evangelical world to its core. Evading ruthless adversaries who will go to any lengths to protect Reverend Artury, Andie battles the dark side of televangelism, forever changing a nation of evangelicals.

With more twists and turns than the Blue Ridge Parkway, Televenge exposes chaos in the megachurch, and embraces those who discover unconditional love in a world of religious deception.

Pamela Cable is the author of the highly acclaimed collection of short stories, Southern Fried Women. Born a coal miner’s granddaughter and raised by a tribe of wild Pentecostals and storytellers, Pamela is an award-winning, multi-published author who loves to write about religion and spirituality with mystical twists she unearths from her family’s history. As a young adult she was married to a megachurch ministry team member and attended years of megachurch services. She has taught at many writing conferences, and speaks to book clubs, women’s groups, national and local civic organizations, and at churches across the country. More than a decade in the writing, Televenge is her debut novel. She lives in Ohio with her husband, Michael, and is working on her next novel.

www.pamelakingcable.com
Facebook Book page: https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedwomen
Twitter @pamelakingcable
Book Trailer: http://www.televenge.com/trailer.html

GRANDPRIZE DRAWING: Leave a comment below (before October 15, 2012) for your chance to win an autographed copy of Televenge. [Pamela Cable Televenge blog tour]

Image/Televenge (Pamela Cable)
Photo/PamelaCable
YouTube/pamelakingcable

Related articles

• The Countdown Begins (southernfriedwoman.blogspot.com)
• Southern Creatives – Pamela King Cable, @pamelakingcable (melindamcguirewrites.wordpress.com)

Mary May Larmoyeux: The Great Juggling Act

Sometime ago, while attempting to open a door to the office, I juggled my purse, a present to be mailed, a sack packed with old newspapers for a friend (or maybe I should say for a friend’s dog), and some files that needed to be returned to work. The handle to the brown paper sack broke and …

Juggling—can you identify?

Maybe you’re trying your best to focus on what’s eternal, while working full-time in an office by day and full-time at home by night and on weekends. After cooking dinner and helping Junior with homework, you often fall into bed completely exhausted.

I think that balance should be our desire—making God and family our first priorities and admitting our juggling limitations. We can simplify our lives as we practice the fact that we just can’t be all things to all people at all times.

“Okay, Mary,” you might be saying, “That’s easy to say, but how about putting some shoe leather to those words?”

Well, there’s a verse in the Bible (Ephesians 2:10) that tells us that God Himself prepared specific works for us to do. No, not just works—good works. My desire is to know God so well that I actually choose the activities and jobs that He has specifically designed for me. He makes my paths straight as I spend time in His Word, ask His advice, and follow His leading.

Quite frankly, a lot of times finding the right balance is hard. It means that I have to say “No” to some of the good things that I really want to do in exchange for the best things that God has for me … wonderful things to come that I might not even be aware of.

Here are some questions that you and I could ask ourselves:

• Read Luke 10:38-42. Why did Christ say that Mary had chosen what is better?
• What are my goals for today? For this week? For this year?
• Which goals are realistic? Why do or don’t my goals match God’s desires for me? (If you are married, discuss this with your husband.)
• An old Chinese proverb says, “The glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time you fall.” How can remembering this encourage you today … this week… this month?

The hours in my day often can’t possibly hold all that I plan to pack into it. Although it’s going to be a life-long process for me, I so want to follow God’s will and choose only His best.  What about you?

© Mary Mary Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Mary May Larmoyeux and her husband, Jim, live near Little Rock, Arkansas. Family is very important to her—just ask about her six grandchildren. She also loves anything to do with the great outdoors. Her articles have published in The Family Room, Discovery Years, Fresh Outlook, Maumelle Living, AY Magazine, etc.. She has a blog for grandparents, The Grand Connection, and also is a regular blogger for The Marketplace Connection. Mary has written several books including Help for Busy Moms: Purposeful Living to Simplify Life and The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild’s Heart.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How do you determine your priorities?

More articles by Mary Larmoyeux

• The Stresses of School (grandconnection.blogspot.com)
• When God is Silent (marymaywrites.com)
• Remember the First Moonwalk: One Small Step for Man (storywritingstudio.wordpress.com)

Diane Markins: Going Bold with Women in High Def

ISBN: 978-0-9854172-0-8
Paperback: 163 pages
Retail: $12.99
Release: April 20, 2012
Publisher: Words in High Def
Kindle: $6.95

BOLD IS BETTER by Diane Markins

“Your dress has really bold colors.” Does that sound like an insult in any way?

How about this one: “That was a really bold choice.” Would you consider this criticism?

I hope not! I’d never wear something that would melt into the background of a beige room. I’d hate it if someone said, “You made a very safe, easy choice.”

Being bold means taking risks, not fearing failure or rejection and requires intentional thinking. When we live boldly for God we have empowerment and passion to make our boldness meaningful.

Settling for mediocrity in marriage, as parents, in careers, friendship, faith or ministry is not bold. God wants us to pursue everything we do with intensity and decisiveness. This means we are frequently checking the pulse of our pursuits and rapidly responding when we get a distress signal.

Is your marriage (especially in bed) ho-hum? Find some bold ways to rev it back up. Are your kids struggling? Don’t just shrug and follow the “traditional wisdom,” think creatively about taking brave actions no one else would.<

Do your prayers feel more like talking to the ceiling fan than conversations with a wise, cherished friend? Do something wild and new to transform.

Don’t confuse boldness with arrogance or recklessness. When your bold actions are paired with love, respect and clarity the results will translate as conviction with complete humility.

Jesus has a bold message and He is asking you to not only share it, but live it! Bold is truly better.

Women in High Def will remind you that when God writes your story, you are in for the adventure of a lifetime! Diane Markins has written a book addressing topics women deal with on a day-to-day basis. If you are looking for a contemporary, captivating read filled with practical advice that will give you insight and wisdom for daily decisions, this is it! ~ Carol Kent, Speaker and Author, Between a Rock and a Grace Place (Zondervan)

Women are as unique as snowflakes or butterflies, but after surveying hundreds of them, writer and radio host Diane Markins learned that the top needs they feel are the same. She also began hearing a recurring theme: I want more! I want to be better! I want to be bold!

Women in High Def aims to propel women out of a low-def, foggy life of going through the motions in a blur. The profound stories, intercessory prayer prompts and coaching elements work together to catapult women into living fearlessly for God…being bolder moms, having purposeful passions, pursuing marriage excellence, loving themselves with gusto, laughing with abandon, transforming mistakes into blasts of blessings and bravely seeking the Lord in all His majestic glory. The bonus Bible study at the back of the book points them to scripture to gain Biblical insight and direction for each need and role they play. It can be used alone or in a group.

Women in High Def is not passive reading. It cries out to the spirit of readers to be unafraid as they actively reach for clarity, vibrancy and intensity in all the meaningful areas of their lives.

DIANE MARKINS has always aspired to live in High Def. She uses her radio show, writing and speaking to inspire women to transform their lives from mediocre and complacent to bold and vibrant. She settles for nothing less in her own life as a wife, mom, grandmother, friend and colleague.

Diane writes two blogs at WomenInHighDef.com, and she is a regular contributor to the Presidential Prayer Team website and CBN.com. She and her husband of 33 years work and live close to their children in Arizona.

“GOING BOLDLY”BLOG TOUR GRAND PRIZE (Retail Value: $70): Leave a comment about the book or author on this blog post by September 21 for your chance to win the “Going Boldly” Blog Tour Grand Prize. (Kathy Carlton Willis Communication blog tour).

• Book (Women in High Def: Boldly Living Your Purposes with Vibrant Clarity)
• Bright and Vibrant Earrings
• Sparkling Cider (to celebrate life)
• Sumatra Coffee (Bold, Earthy Flavor)
• Into the Wild body wash and spray fragrance from Bath and Body Works
• Custom coffee mug: Women in High Def (front), BE YOUR BOLD SELF! (back)

What interests you most about Diane Markins or her new book, Women in High Def? Be sure to leave your comment below by September 21 your chance to win the Kathy Carlton Willis Communication blog tour giveaway.

Tara Ross: Naptime

Happy birthday, Tara! I wanted to offer this birthday tribute to my daughter Tara, a hard-working, stay-at-home mom with five children. You can still find Tara online writing her humorous antics about her kids on Facebook. Plus, we’re working on a book together that I hope to be telling you about soon.

“It’s almost naptime,” I announce as my toddler, Ethan, rubs his hazel green eyes with closed fists. Apple juice stains and a smeared banana dot his gray pullover shirt. His round, pink cheeks are sticky and wet. He lets out an exhausted squeal and frowns with arms outstretched. I kneel on one knee and pull him close.

One down. “You’re sleepy, aren’t you?” Firmly grasping the back of our jade green sofa, I slowly rise with a grimace, aware of the achy weakness in my lower back and hips. His twenty-five pound body twists and squirms in my left arm, as I maintain balance with my right. The pain subsides for a moment, as I rest on the barstool behind me.

I spot the white plastic box and pop open the top. Holding on to me firmly, Ethan curiously eyes my hand, as I reach in and pull out a wet cloth. He lets out a protesting screech, as I wipe the evidence of lunch from his face. A sigh of relief escapes his mouth when I finish. Then, I stand up, repositioning him on my left hip.

“Tell Aidan ‘night-night,’” I whisper.

Their eyes meet, and the brothers share a grin. Aidan bolts from his relaxed position on the loveseat and dashes behind it, giggling. As I turn to walk into the nursery, I glance over my shoulder with a loving smirk at my lively three year old.

Ethan and I stare out of his bedroom window for a brief moment before closing the blinds and pulling a dark shade over the window. I hear a hound barking in the distance. Ethan points to the sound machine and says, “This?”

I guide his tiny finger to the button, and he mashes down on it, kicking both legs with a squeak of delight. Crickets come alive in his bedroom, and his body begins to relax.

Reaching up onto a high shelf, I find his treasured pacifiers and clip one onto his shirt, as he grabs another with his chubby hand. His eyes almost roll back, as he takes it in his mouth and leans into my shoulder. Placing a gentle kiss in the center of his forehead, I whisper, “Night-night.” Then, I glide out of his bedroom, softly shutting the door behind me.

One to go. Two playful eyes peek at me around the corner of the living room entrance, but quickly disappear. Following the sound of padded footsteps, I stand before the loveseat, hands on my hips. Brief annoyance is overcome with an irresistible urge to grin at his mischievous snicker.

Regaining control of myself, I declare, “You have a choice, Aidan,” with as much sincerity as I can without cracking up. “You can walk to your room like a big boy, and we will read a story. Or I can carry you to your room, and we will have no story time.”

A frustrated grunt is followed by an expectant smile, “Okay. But can I watch a movie first?”

As we walk down the hall, I respond, “Maybe after naptime.”

“Can I have some hot milk?”

“You already had your milk.”

“Can I have some juice?”

“After naptime.”

Aidan climbs on his bed and frowns at me, “But Daddy says I can have some juice.”

“Mommy says you can have juice after naptime. Scoot over, so we can read a story,” I attempt to change the subject.

“Can I sit on you?” I nod in approval, as he crawls on my legs and squirms, until he has found a comfortable position. He rubs the back of his head into my chest, and his blonde hair tickles my chin. I close my eyes, as I take in the scent of Lavender baby wash.

“Once upon a time …” Aidan is fascinated by the illustrations and words he has seen and heard at least a hundred times before. Again and again he points and asks, “What’s that?”

Before we know it, the last page is turned, and before I can say, “the end,” Aidan is begging for just one more story. I close the story book, and I roll him over onto his bed. “Let’s say a prayer,” I suggest.

“Let me do it,” Aidan insists eagerly. Then, squinting with wrinkled forehead wrinkled, he sneaks a peek at me out the corner of his eye. I pretend not to notice, and I wait for him to begin his prayer.

“Dear Jesus,” he begins emphatically, “Thank you for Daddy and Mommy and Miles and Ethan and Nonnie and Pop and Grandma Susie and Mary and Pepaw and Adam and Jenni and Zach and Robyn and Karl and baby Ross and Jenny in New York and all my friends and … and … Mommy and Daddy… Amen.”

Yawning, Aidan curls up on his side, and I cover him with a soft baby blue fleece blanket. His sky blue eyes glisten, and his pale skin glows in the light from his bedroom window. I take pleasure in sharing the few seconds of stillness that has momentarily overcome his tiny body.

“I waked up!” Gently standing and reaching for the blinds, I am startled by his sudden movement. Sitting straight up, an innocent voice announces, “I waked up! Can I have a prize?”

I smile and tuck him back in. “Night-night, Aidan.” I pull the shade over his window, and the room darkens. He is almost invisible under the covers. I press the button on the sound machine and listen to the familiar cricket song.I tiptoe across the room and start to pull his door shut when I hear, “Um, Mommy?”

“Yes, Aidan?”

“Um, Mommy, I love you.”

My heart melts.

“I love you, too.”

Tara Jordan Ross holds a masters in gifted education and degrees in early childhood and special education. She lives in Texarkana, Texas, with her husband Jonathan; they have five children. Tara was a special education teacher for several years before deciding to stay home with her children. Besides managing a busy household, she enjoys writing about her experiences as a mother and teacher.

Photo1/TaraRoss
Photo2/KarenJordan

Do you have some special naptime memories with your kids?

Related articles

•  Listening To Their Hearts (karenbarnesjordan.com)
• If I Could Go Back In Time (blog.karenjordan.net)

Lyndie Blevins: How I Reached 1000+ Twitter Followers

This week my Twitter followers top the 1,000 mark. I’m pumped! In Twitter world, this is a drop in the bucket, but in my world, ‘oh my.’  I still learning, but here is how I got this far. To grow your follower base you need to be intentional in your twitter life, both in ‘tweeting’ and gaining followers.

1. I set my Twitter policy and goals. I want to connect with as many people as possible sharing the message of Jesus.

2. I intentionally seek followers. When someone follows me, I check out their Twitter profile and bio. Profile photos are helpful, but if there is no picture, I definitely check their Twitter bio. I may check their website. I follow back unless: the photo, bio or website has sexual overtones, then I block the person. The bio and or the tweets are in a foreign language; I don’t follow the person back. I don’t feel comfortable about the person; I don’t follow or I block them.

3. I send a thank you tweet to the new follower with a message like “have a great mid-week” to show I’m responding and I’m not Lyndie-bot.

4. I follow Twitter’s suggestions. Twitter makes recommendations, which I follow using the same criteria as above. These users are most often in the publishing business.

Following begets followers. 

5. I intentionally Tweet. I’m tweeting at least 5 times a day most days. I use the free plan from Buffer (www.bufferapp.com) to schedule my tweets. They go out at 9 am, noon, 5 PM, and 8 pm.

6. I started a quotes database for content, collecting over 800 quotes. I use FIle Maker 12 for the data base (www.filemaker.com.) This is pricey software, but a good data base system. You can achieve the same results with Excel or Numbers. I capture date, quote, author, topic, title of book, page number, twitter information field, URL and comments. I collect sentences from anything I read: devotions, online articles and books. After I finished Mary DeMuth’s recent book, Beautiful Battle, I asked her if there was a hashtag to use to tweet from the book. She eagerly sent back the hashtag #beautifulbattle. This is the format of tweet from Mary’s book: ‘quote’ @MaryDeMuth #beautifulbattle. Mary’s quotes create retweets for me.

In Twitter world, following protocols like @username and #hashtags help your Twitter presence. Authors are including ready made tweets and hashtags for their books on their website to communicate to their tribe. Michael Hyatt included tweets for his new book, Platform, on his media kit page.

7. I add my Twitter contact information everywhere.

Join the fun tweeting! Find me in Twitter world at @lyndieb. I have no connections to the products listed other than as user. 

Lyndie Blevins - After a corporate career in Information Technology, Lyndie writes about people seeking wisdom.  find out what’s happening with Lyndie, check out her blog : www.lyndieb.blogspot.com, her web site WWW.GUIDINGWIND.COM or her family history site: www.ourtworabbits.com.

Do you have any social media success stories? 

Related articles

• How I reached 1000+ Twitter followers (lyndieb.blogspot.com)
• HOW TO BECOME A TWITTER NINJA IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES A DAY (michaelhyatt.com)
• Make A Tweet List To Save Time! (www.marydemuth.com)

 

DawnSinger: Epic Fantasy Fiction by Janalyn Voigt

DawnSinger: Paradoxical Truths Revealed

ISBN:
978-1-61116-199-1
978-1-61116-200-4
Pages: 342 pgs
Publisher:
Harbourlight Books
(Pelican Book Group)
Paperback: $16.99
Kindle: $4.99

A new speculative fiction story releases this summer that captures several paradoxical truths, including: freedom comes through sacrifice – AND – victory comes through surrender. Allegorical fantasy readers will be spellbound by the incredible imagery and symbolism throughout DawnSinger, authored by Janalyn Voigt. Some of the key points in the book include:

• Freedom through sacrifice. When the willful but reverent main character, Shae, learns her secret identity, she has to decide whether to accept her true calling. Although it may cost her everything, the salvation of a nation hangs in the balance. Shae represents the church. We each must lay down our will and our lives to bring freedom to others.

• Overcoming prejudice with unity. In DawnSinger, the clash is not over color of skin but between classes of being. Elderland was already inhabited by the Elder nation when the Kindren entered it from another world through a gate that closed behind them. The Elder accepted the Kindren’s occupation of Elderland because they didn’t want to live in the areas where they settled—areas within reach of garns (goblenesque creatures) and welkes (giant birds of prey). DawnSinger opens as an unknown enemy stirs strife between Kindren and Elder in an attempt to divide and conquer Elderland. As a result, the alliance of Faeraven, a group of Kindren kingdoms ruled by a widowed High Queen, begins to fall apart. This story arc, which spans three novels, is based in large part on Voigt’s father’s experiences of prejudice as a half-breed Native American.”

• Serving rather than ruling. As the High Queen’s health fails, Kai, the hero of DawnSinger, must choose whether to reign and rule in his homeland or to continue in service to the new High King at her death. Kai’s decision inspires Shae to make her own.

• Conquering fear by not letting it consume you. In Pilaer Hold, an ancient place of defeat for the Kindren, wraiths rush toward Kai and Shae’s other protectors. They draw their swords, but the more wraiths they dispatch, the more arise. They learn that to defeat fear, something else is needed.

From the Back Cover

The High Queen is dying… At the royal summons, Shae mounts a wingabeast and soars through the air to the high hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens. But then there is Kai, a guardian of Faeraven and of Shae. Secrets bind him to her, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes. On a desperate journey fraught with peril and the unknown, they battle warlike garns, waevens, ferocious raptors, and the wraiths of their own regrets. Yet, they must endure the campaign long enough to release the DawnKing—and the salvation he offers—into a divided land. To prevail, each must learn that sometimes victory comes only through surrender.

About the Author

Janalyn Voigt’s epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven, starting with DawnSinger, is published by Harbourlight Books. Janalyn also writes in the western romance genre. She is represented by Barbara Scott of Wordserve Literary. Her nonfiction publication credits include Focus on the Family, Scripture Press (now David C. Cook) and Pentecostal Evangel. She serves as a literary judge for several national contests and is an active book reviewer. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. Janalyn lives in a quiet corner of the Pacific Northwest, where she discovers worlds of adventure in the great outdoors.

CREATING WORLDS OF BEAUTY AND DANGER
Website: http://janalynvoigt.com
Blog: http://janalynvoigt.com/blog

$25 Starbucks Gift Card

GRANDPRIZE DRAWING: Leave a comment below (before Aug. 23) for your chance to win an autographed copy of Dawnsinger and a #25 Starbucks card (Kathy Carlton Willis Communications blog tour).

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David Andrews: Unfinished Business

I’ve decided that it’s time to admit to myself that I am now a writer.

I write poetry. I have had my poetry published, and now, I’ve recently published my first book–all in the space of about 12 months.

My writing defines part of who I am; it defines my approach to my life and my faith.

I have discovered many other writers who are travelling down this same road. It’s easy to think we are all alone, but there is great support if you know where to look.

Like most writers, I sometimes get writers block. I get stuck, and sometimes I’m not sure if something I’m working on is barely started or half-finished. I guess that would depend on whether I see my glass half full or half empty. Generally, I don’t like to do things by half, and I get great satisfaction when something is complete.

I’m discovering with writing that a half-finished poem is something great to come back to later, rework, and look at again through a different lens–change and adapt.

I have a lot of poetry and writing that is finished, and I have a lot that’s half done. I have even more that are just at the idea stage, and I haven’t really progressed much further.  No doubt there is more that I haven’t even thought about yet. I hope so.

I wrote a poem a while back, when I shelved my half-finished book, about the lonely existence of a writer and how sometimes it plays on my mind. If you’re a writer or someone who just wants to finish something, then some of these words may just resonate with you. I’d be interested in your thoughts, fully cooked or half-baked. It may just be time to start work on the other half.

Unfinished Business

On my bookshelf
Of half-finished dreams
Lies my hopes and my fears
At least that what it seems

I’ve journaled my faith
Many words I have rhymed
But now I’m stuck fast
In the malaise of time

I’ve toiled with my time
Sweated blood, hopes and fears
My dream remains only half-baked
It brings me to tears I feel half awake

I feel half awake
In my struggle for self
As cobwebs and doubts
Bury my dreams on the shelf

I feel so alone
Isolated and cold
Wondering if anyone cares
As I write and grow old

I have journeyed alone
Taking long leaps of faith
I now need your prayers
As I stray life a waif

You can help me my friend
Pray I wake from my dream
Pray my words see the light
And the lights go all green

David Andrews writes for Poetry in Motion. His writing is an expression of his faith in a world full of paradox. David is married with three sons and lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

© www.poetryinmotion.co.nz

Feeling alone in your writing life? What advice can you offer other writers?

Pam Sims: Staggering Thought

Staggering–that is my word for the week.

It seems as though writing efforts are often staggering. There is trying to find the time to get those thoughts down on paper, or maybe just trying to get some thoughts to even put down on paper! Between the 40-hour work week, taking care of my family, the deadlines, and the proposals–all of this can be staggering in terms of feeling overwhelmed.

For the past few weeks, I have been working almost continuously on two things–writing for my blog and preparing my book proposal. Writing for my blog takes a lot of effort, coming up with not just good information, but helpful and encouraging information–information that will empower, encourage and enlighten the reader.

It is a task that I do not take lightly. No writer who writes in the Christian market should and most don’t.  The scriptures tell us that we are to “rightly divide the word of truth.”

This brings my writing at times almost to a complete stop. How can I do this? What if my words aren’t theologically sound? What is the basis of my writing?  Who am I to write such things?  Who will read them and how will it impact their lives?

 Staggering thoughts!!

When I begin to write there are times I do it because I feel a sense of obligation to the readers, those who will take the time to stop what they are doing for a few minutes and read my post. I want to keep them engaged, connected, and coming back again and again. If I know that there is a chance that one person may be encouraged to walk in a “manner that is worthy of the calling of Christ,” then I must be prepared spiritually for the possibility that those 500 or so words will change someone’s life.

Staggering thought.

However, my sense of obligation is not to the readers, but to my Heavenly Father. He is the reason for my having anything to say.

When my children were young and they did something I thought was extraordinary, or outstanding, I wanted everyone to know just how wonderful they were. Not just because they were my children, but because I thought what they had accomplished, or who they were, was worthy of the world knowing such great people.

We have the same opportunity to share with the world just what we think and feel about God. We can bombard people with constant twitter updates. We can blog daily and post to Facebook multiple times a day. But the message has to be one that will resonate with the one person who will take the time to read it.

I have to ask myself, What makes my message worth reading? Why do I do what I do?

It’s about the message, not the messenger.

As writers we know that a great story cannot be told unless we can tell a great story. God gives us the story, and He gives us the ability to tell it in a such a way that it will touch hearts and lives for His glory.

It is a staggering thought to know that God wants to use me to tell His story!

Pam  Sims - Writer, Speaker and Singer ~ Practicinghispresenceministry.wordpress.com ~ @PamSimsWrites (Twitter)

Pam Sims and her husband Jim make their home in Conway where Pam serves on staff at Second Baptist Church.  She is the author of Making Designing Women out of Desperate Housewives. Pam loves to sing and is passionate about music as a vital part of worship.  She is active in the Women’s Ministry of Second Baptist Church and loves to see women using the gifts God has given them to become all God wants them to be.  She is the founder of Women of the Word Ministry, a traveling conferenece team, and Practicing His Presence Ministries.

Do your writing efforts seem staggering at times? How do you handle those moments?

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Photo2/PamSims

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