Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List TextOur family always charges into summer with a to-do list that’s overflowing, and this summer is no exception. We always have grand plans, some of which we’ll follow through on, others we’ll regret not having made the time for. And it wouldn’t surprise me if we added to this list.

So, before summer kicks the bucket, here are some of the things we’d like to do.

What’s on your summer bucket list? Have you done any of the above?

The Power of Words

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

A song I’m hearing frequently on the radio right now is Words by Hawk Nelson and Bart Millard. As I listen to it, I can’t help but think of the power writers hold when we pen stories. Take a moment to listen to this song:

Writers (and readers) should comprehend the value of words. We know that a single phrase can offer encouragement or bring devastation. We know that a single word, even the seemingly innocuous the, carries tremendous meaning.

Consider this familiar passage (John 14:6): “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Just think of the difference in meaning by substituting a for the. “I am a way, a truth, and a life …” Talk about a drastic difference.

If the simple word the can make such a difference, imagine the impact stronger words can make.

It’s a reminder to me as a writer that my words aren’t empty. What I say and what I write must be prayerfully considered and delivered, so that my words may be graciously received.

Proverbs Passage

 

And the Winner of Wedding on the Rocks is …

*** Maryann! ***

Wedding On the RocksCongratulations, Maryann! I know you’ll love Wedding on the Rocks! To claim your prize, e-mail your mailing address to me at BrendaBryantAnderson (AT) comcast (dot) net.

Thank you to everyone who took time to stop by and meet Rose Ross Zediker. I do hope you’ll continue to visit my blog on Book Talk Tuesdays and Hot Dish Thursdays.

Special thank you to Rose for sharing with all of us!

Talking with Rose Ross Zediker

***Book Giveaway! See contest rules below***

Rose and I at the ACFW Conference in Dallas, September 2012

Rose and I at the ACFW Conference in Dallas, September 2012

 

I’m very excited to welcome author Rose Ross Zediker to my blog today! I had the privilege of meeting Rose at the ACFW Conference in Dallas last year–isn’t she lovely?! And Rose is the newest member at the group blog (which I’m part of), Inkspirational Messages.

Rose’s latest novel, Wedding on the Rocks, has just released–I can’t wait to read it! And I’m giving you a chance to win a copy below.

Rose Ross Zediker

Hi Rose – thank you so much for visiting my blog today. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know you over the past year, and I’d love to introduce you to my reader friends. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I live in southeastern South Dakota with my husband of 31 years. Our son and daughter-in-law blessed us with two wonderful and beautiful granddaughters. (Spoken like a true grandmother!) I work full time as an assistant at the University of South Dakota.

I’ve been writing professionally since 1991 with a focus on the Christian children’s magazines. I found much success in that genre with over sixty short stories, non-fiction, devotions, curriculum and crafts published.

In 2008, I decided to change my writing focus to inspirational romances. I immersed myself in market research and by 2010, Barbour Publishing offered me a contract on my book, Lily of the Field.

I’m asked all the time how I can work full time and meet the deadlines that come with book length manuscripts. My answer is “I don’t know how to write any other way since I’ve always worked a full time job.”

Wedding On the Rocks

Your latest novel, WEDDING ON THE ROCKS, has just been released. Congratulations!!! What is it about?

Here is the back cover blurb:

JENNIFER EDWARDS IS BACK HOME AGAIN…
When she traded small-town life for the bright lights of Chicago, Jennifer Edwards yearned to discover a world beyond Faith, South Dakota. So when her father’s illness calls her home to run their cattle ranch, she tells herself it’s temporary. Then why is she even thinking about a future with archaeology professor Brett Lange-the boy she left behind-whose life’s work is digging up the past?

Twelve years ago, Brett had a crush on Jennifer the size of the T-rex that put his hometown on the map. Now she’s a citified magazine editor who prefers designer duds to dungarees. Except that’s not the real Jennifer. Brett needs to make her see how a little faith can go a long way in uniting two perfectly-in-sync hearts.

Sounds like a very fun read! What inspired you to write it?

Hmm…I’m not really an ‘inspired’ writer. I think that comes from years of writing for ‘theme’ based children’s magazines. I’m more of a ‘what does the market I’m trying to ‘crack’ need then I try to fill the need. However, this book and my February 2014 book were targeted to a publisher of a specific line of books and were rejected. Not being a writer who is married to any one idea, I tweaked the proposal and my agent submitted them to Heartsong Presents when Harlequin opened up submissions for their newly acquired line.

I envy your flexibility, Rose–Admittedly, I’m not very good at writing what the market wants.

What have you written in the past?

Besides the short works for children that I mentioned above, I have written a children’s non-fiction book, Wealth in Biblical Times, and a quilting series, Lily of the Field, Job’s Tears, Rose of Sharon, for Heartsong Presents when they were published by Barbour Publishing.

Do you have a favorite?

I can’t say that I have a favorite, but Rose of Sharon is kind of statement book for me about how our service men were treated when returning from the Vietnam war.

Which authors do you enjoy reading?

While I’m writing a book, I tend to read a different genre so I’m not comparing my work with a better author’s! I love, love, love E. J. Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse cozy mystery’s. For inspirational romance, my go to author’s are Mary Connealy and Debby Giusti.

Hmm, I’ll have to check out the Haunted Guesthouse stories. I hadn’t heard of them before.

When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to sew and embroidery. Right now, I’m trying to get an embroidered quilt top finished. I’ve been working on it for to many years to mention but my goal is to have the quilt top completed by December 31, 2013. There I made it a public goal, so now I have to accomplish it!

I admire anyone who sews and embroiders. Definitely not in my skill set.

Now the most important question: Milk, Dark, or White Chocolate? :)

  • Dark….Dark…. Dark….

Yum!

Thank you, Rose, for coming by today. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you better.

  • ~~~~~

Rose Ross Zediker lives in rural south eastern South Dakota and works full time for at the University of South Dakota. Rose uses her evenings and weekends to write. Besides writing inspirational romance novels, Rose has many publishing credits in the Christian children’s genre. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and SCBWI.

Books by Rose:

Wedding on the Rocks-Coming May 2013

Rose of Sharon-Now Available

Job’s Tears-Now Available

Lily of the Field-Now Available

Wealth In Biblical Times-Now Available

~~~~~

Find Rose at:

http://www.roserosszediker.blogspot.com/

http://inkspirationalmessages.com/

~~~~~

***Book Giveaway Contest Rules***

If you’d like to win a copy of WEDDING ON THE ROCKS by Rose Ross Zediker, in the comments below, tell me what your favorite hobby is. This contest ends Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. (CST). I will post the winner on Monday, May 20, 2013. The contest is open to residents of the contiguous United States.

Also, it would be super-nice if you’d Subscribe to my blog, but it’s not required.

~~~~~

TO FIND MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN BOOKS, CHECK OUT

FICTIONADDICTIONFIX.BLOGSPOT.COM

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Invisible QuoteThis past week and a half at Inkspirational Messages we’ve been blogging about beauty tips. My post today has a decidedly different take as I talk about seeing ourselves through God’s eyes, not the world’s. If you struggle with poor body image or have self-esteem issues (or even if you don’t), I hope you take a moment to read through this devotional.

http://inkspirationalmessages.com/2013/05/dont-you-know-youre-beautiful/

Also at Inkspirational Messages, we’re having a giveaway for Rose Ross Zediker‘s new release, Wedding on the Rocks. You can find contest rules at Inkspirational Messages.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow as I’ll be hosting Rose and offering a giveaway here as well.

Novel Anticipation, Part Two

UNWRITTENUNWRITTEN by Charles Martin – No one does romance like Charles Martin, always with a spiritual thread–sometimes overt, other times subtle. His prose alone is swoonworthy. ;)

Story Description:

An actress running from her past finds escape with a man hiding from his future.

When someone wants to be lost, a home tucked among the Ten Thousand Islands off the Florida coast is a good place to live. A couple decent boats, and a deep knowledge of fishing and a man can get by without ever having to talk to another soul. It’s a nice enough existence, until the one person who ties him to the world of the living, the reason he’s still among them even if only on the fringes, asks him for help.

Father Steady Capri knows quite a bit about helping others. But he is afraid Katie Quinn’s problems may be beyond his abilities. Katie is a world-famous actress with an all too familiar story. Fame seems to have driven her to self-destruct. Steady knows the true cause of her desire to end her life is buried too deeply for him to reach. But there is one person who still may be able to save her from herself.

He will show her an alternate escape, a way to write a new life. But Katie still must confront her past before she can find peace. Ultimately, he will need to leave his secluded home and sacrifice the serenity he’s found to help her. From the Florida coast, they will travel to the French countryside where they will discover the unwritten story of both their pasts and their future.

Fear Has a NameFEAR HAS A NAME, Crittendon Files Series #1 by Creston Mapes – Yeah! Finally another book from Creston Mapes! I LOVED his Rock Star Chronicles series and the standalone NOBODY. I’m very excited to read this new series.

Story Description:

How Far Would He Go To Keep Them Safe?

It was more than a break-in. More than a stalking. It was personal. When a stalker targets his family, journalist Jack Crittendon must uncover who the person is and what his motives are—if he is to protect the ones he loves. It will lead Crittendon into a world of behind-closed-door secrets and faith gone awry, as does his investigation of a missing pastor, whose apparent suicide is more than it appears. Each move Crittendon makes weaves him tighter and tighter into a web of lies, greed, hypocrisy, sin, and danger. He believed he’d never give in to fear. But that was before. And holding on to his faith won’t be easy. Nor will keeping his family safe, and ending the terror. Because that might require him to step over lines he never dared to cross.

FearlessFEARLESS by Mike Dellosso – Mike Dellosso has proven himself a master in the Christian thriller genre–isn’t that cover completely creepy? His stories always give me goosebumps. I expect no less from Fearless.

Story Description:

A child mysteriously appears in the lives of Jim and Amy Spencer. Will her presence be a blessing…or a curse?

When a nine-year-old girl named Louisa mysteriously appears in the middle of a house fire with no memory of how she got there or where she came from, Jim and Amy Spencer agree to take her in. Wrestling with the recent loss of their own child, Amy is hurt and angry while Jim is just trying to make it through each day and hold their marriage together.

For Jim, Louisa is the daughter he always wanted, but Amy isn’t as comfortable with her. The girl has a special gift, and soon that gift will unknowingly push them all into contact with a serial killer who has been terrorizing the small town of Virginia Mills. Only by uniting can Jim and Amy save themselves and Louisa before it’s too late.

A Mother’s Day Reading List

Don’t know what to get your mother for Mother’s Day? Well, I’m here to help you out with novel suggestions in several different categories. I know one or more will fit her tastes!

On my wish list:

UNWRITTENUNWRITTEN by Charles Martin (Center Street)

Sunday hasn’t spoken to anybody other than his priest in years. When the clergyman asks him for a favor, Sunday agrees to help. Driven by a dark secret, superstar Katie wants to end her life, but Sunday provides an alternative escape. Can Katie overcome her past, and will Sunday accept a future without isolation?

Fear Has a NameFEAR HAS A NAME by Creston Mapes (David C. Cook)

With his family’s safety on the line, journalist Jack Crittendon fights to reveal a stalker’s terrifying schemes, investigates a pastor’s mysterious disappearance, and struggles to keep his faith amid unthinkable fear. With danger lurking at every turn, can he muster enough courage to trust a God who allows such inconceivable trials?

Contemporary Romance

Undeniably Yours

UNDENIABLY YOURS by Becky Wade (Bethany House)

Soft-spoken Meg is more interested in art than business—but when her father dies, she inherits his oil company, his fortune, and his Thoroughbred horse ranch. In an effort to preserve her sanity, she asks the caretaker, Bo, to shut down the ranch. But will Bo prove the only part of her father’s empire worth keeping?

Wishing on WillowsWISHING ON WILLOWS by Katie Ganshert (WaterBrook Press)

A 3-year-old son, struggling cafe, and fading memories are all that Robin has left of her husband. When the unnervingly handsome Ian McKay tries to buy riverfront properties, Robin refuses to sell, splitting the town’s loyalty. As attraction ignites and old wounds break open, can Robin and Ian overcome the past to embrace a second chance?

Historical Romance

When Love CallsWHEN LOVE CALLS by Lorna Seilstad (Revell)

Determined to make it, three sisters promise to help each other in life and love! Working the telephone switchboard as a “hello girl,” Hannah Gregory insists on reimbursing the charity of lawyer Lincoln Cole. After a run-in with the law, she’s forced to accept his help, but When Love Calls, how will she answer?

 

Women’s Fiction

InvisibleINVISIBLE by Ginny Yttrup (B&H Books)

Cafe owner Ellyn DeMoss seeks protection from pain behind extra pounds. So why is a handsome widower attracted to her? Abandoning her family, Sabina Jackson comes to Northern California to heal. But is she doing more hiding than healing? And Twila Boaz once wanted to disappear. Now she wants to conquer her eating disorder. Will she succeed?

When the Morning Glory BloomsWHEN THE MORNING GLORY BLOOMS by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon Press)

Like a flowering vine, the effects of an unwed pregnancy reach into the lives of three generations of women. As the Korean War rages, endangering the man she loves, Ivy works in a nursing home trying to provide for their unborn child. Will one resident’s rambling, grace-filled stories help her see the blossoming simplicity of truth?

Romantic Suspense

AvengedAVENGED by Janice Cantore (Tyndale House)

Officer Carly Edwards finds three young gangbangers shot execution style. This alerts Carly and her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, head of the gang unit, fear Las Playas may be on the verge of a gang war. The Las Playas Police departmentD is put on high alert as tensions escalate between rival gangs, especially after Carly confiscates weapons from a gang leader and learns they were stolen from a military base along with explosive devices.

However, something doesn’t add up,and Carly suspects there might be more going on than is on the surface. As she prepares to testify at a major trial, Carly’s reputation is shredded by a reporter apparently trying to discredit her professionally. Facing pressure on all fronts, Carly must rely on faith and trust God in a deeper way during one of the biggest struggles of her career.

PoisonPOISON by Jordyn Redwood (Kregel Publications)

Keelyn Blake’s stepfather blamed a hallucination named Lucent for his unthinkable acts, culminating in a stand off with the FBI that killed part of her family. Now Lucent is back-but this time he is no hallucination. Is he behind the disappearance of Keelyn’s half-sister? Or the mysterious deaths of the people involved in the standoff? And, will Keelyn, or her budding romance with FBI agent Lee Watson, survive?

For fans of inspirational suspense fiction, Jordyn Redwood weaves compelling characters and dizzying twists that explore the boundaries of faith and family and what happens when both are put to the test.

What’s on your Mother’s Day Reading and/or Wish List?

May 2013 – Novel Anticipation, Part One

A Season of MysteriesA SEASON OF MYSTERIES, Seasons Series #2 (Kregel) by Rusty Whitener - It’s been a few long years since the first novel in the series (A Season of Miracles) was released. In 2010 it was a Favorite of mine with its beautiful prose, heart-tugging story, and characters you rooted for. I’m so excited to see that a sequel is finally coming out!

About A Season of Mysteries:

Some may think the ability to recall entire conversations verbatim is a remarkable gift. But to fifty-year-old Dr. Richard Powell, it is a disruptive burden. He is being haunted by words. The words take him back to 1976, to the unforgettable summer when he and his friends of Boy Scout Troup 44 first witness an epic conflict between good and evil.

Faith was relatively new to Zack, Donnie, Skeeter, and the other boys who had played together on the 1971 champion Little League team. That baseball season was forever imprinted on their souls, due in large part to the life-changing actions of a boy named Rafer. But this summer–1976–they would discover the real depth of their souls and the dangerous influences battling for control of their lives.

A follow-up to Whitener’s acclaimed debut novel, “A Season of Mysteries” takes readers back to a time between the innocence of childhood and the uncertainty of teenage years; where girls, studies, and life’s bigger issues become a reality. With the same gripping prose that made Whitener an award-winning screenplay writer, “A Season of Mysteries” explores the seen and unseen spiritual powers at work and the Ultimate Power who controls it all.

Sweet MercySWEET MERCY by Ann Tatlock – Another author gifted at writing musical prose, whose characters leap from the pages. Ann’s books are perennially on my Favorite’s list. I expect the same from this novel.

About Sweet Mercy:

When Eve Marryat’s father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve’s uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.

St. Paul seemed like a haven for gangsters, and Eve had grown fearful of living there. At seventeen, she considers her family to be “good people.” They aren’t lawbreakers and criminals like so many people in her old neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a “safe haven,” Eve is blissfully unaware that her uncle’s lodge is a transfer station for illegal liquor smuggled from Canada.

Eve settles in to work and makes new friends, including an enigmatic but affecting young man. But when the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. How can she ignore what is happening right under their very noses? Yet can she risk everything by condemning the man whose love and generosity is keeping her and her family from ruin?

The Judgment Stone

THE JUDGMENT STONE, Immortal Files Series #2 by Robert Liparulo

The first book in this series surprised me. It’s in a genre I don’t typically read, but Robert Liparulo managed to make me believe his implausible tale could actually happen. I’m hoping book number two will achieve the same results.

About The Judgment Stone:

The Clan is on a mission to defy God by destroying those with the strongest faith.

When a group of ruthless immortals—known as The Clan—attack St. Catherine’s monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai, they steal one of the world’s holiest artifacts: a piece of stone from the Ten Commandments. Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angels, demons, and the blue threads of light ascending to Heaven that signal the presence of believers who are connected to God.

Only Jagger—a spiritually wounded husband, father, and former Army Ranger—and Owen—an immortal himself—have any hope of stopping the Clan’s horrific plans.

But another group of immortals, who believe that Jagger’s wife holds the secret to salvation, is after her. Torn between stopping the Clan and protecting his family, there are no easy answers for Jagger. Laying aside his faith in high-tech gadgetry and in his own strength and abilities and embracing true faith isn’t easy for someone who has resisted for 3,000 years. But it may be the only key to his salvation.

And The Winners Are …

Undeniably Yours

The Winner of Becky Wade‘s UNDENIABLY YOURS plus a box of See’s Candies is …

karen!

Congratulations, Karen!

When Love Calls

And the Winner of Lorna Seilstad‘s WHEN LOVE CALLS is …

Marissa E!

Congratulations, Marissa!

Winners, please contact me at BrendaBryantAnderson (at) comcast (dot)net with your mailing address, and I will get your prizes out to you!

A warm Thank You to all of you who took time to stop by and greet Becky and Lorna. I hope you’ll consider visiting again.

Coming up …

Tuesday, May 7: May Novel Anticipation, Part One

Thursday, May 9: A Mother’s Day Reading List

Tuesday, May 14: May Novel Anticipation, Part Two

Thursday, May 16: Getting to Know Rose Ross Zediker