Getting a Fresh Start

Keli Gwyn here to talk about new beginnings. I'm experiencing my exciting start as a Love Inspired author this month. My first Love Inspired Historical, Family of Her Dreams, will hit shelves any day now. Be sure to see the giveaway below.

I've been though the thrill of a book release before. Barbour Publishing released my debut novel, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California, in the summer of 2012.

Three years passed between my first and second contract offers, in which I felt like a One-Book Wonder. I came to dread the question, "What's next?" I'd give the eager reader a polite smile and assure her I was working on a new story I hoped would soon find a home.

It did!

On a memorable day in December 2013 my agent, Rachelle Gardner, called to tell me my dream of writing for Love Inspired Historical had come true. I did some serious happy dancing.

A First Sale is an incredible experience, but my second sale made me every bit as happy. I fell in love with the sweet Harlequin romances of the 70's when I was a teen and dreamed of writing stories like them. Here I am forty years later doing just that.

Some things are worth waiting for. That's a lesson Tess Grimbsy, the heroine in my first LIH, Family of Her Dreams, has to learn. She arrives in the small town of Shingle Springs, California eager to land a job as Spencer Abbott's housekeeper. The trouble is, she was dismissed by her previous employer.

Recently widowed with two small children, Spencer needs help, but he's hesitant to welcome another woman into his home. Even so, he gives Tess the opportunity to show him what she can do.

Tess embraces the fresh start she's been given, pouring her heart into caring for Spencer's two young children and his home. Along the way, she develops feelings for her grieving employer, but he's not ready to marry again. Will he ever be? And would he even consider her if he was?

I'm giving away an autographed copy of Family of Her Dreams
to one blog visitor with a US address.

To enter the drawing, leave a comment
with your answer to the question below.

 What fresh starts have you experienced in your life?

  

I'll choose a winner tomorrow and post the name here.

Be sure to leave your email address when prompted so I can contact you if you win.
Please don't leave any personal information in the comment itself.
We don't want spammers to get it and trouble you. 

 

A Family to Cherish

Headstrong Tess Grimsby loves her new job caring for the children of a recently widowed man. But she never imagined that she’d fall for her handsome employer. Yet Spencer Abbott is as caring as he is attractive, and Tess can’t help but feel for him and his family. Though, for the sake of her job, she’ll keep any emotions about her boss to herself.

Between his stationmaster responsibilities in a Gold-Rush town and trying to put his family back together, Spencer has his hands full. He soon finds his new hire’s kind personality warming his frosty exterior. But could he ever admit to seeing her as more than just an employee?

Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover art and cover copy used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Love Inspired at the Library

My name is Keli Gwyn, and I love libraries. I have a hunch I'm not alone.

Since the author copies of my first Love Inspired Historical, Family of Her Dreams, arrived recently, I'm busy thinking of ways to spread the word about my story.

Promotion can be fun, especially when it involves giving away copies to eager readers. (Heads up! I'll be offering an autographed print copy two different times next month when I post here at Love Inspired Authors.)

Since Family of Her Dreams is set here in California's Gold Country where I live, I'm sure local folks would find it interesting. But how can I get the book into their hands?

I asked myself where avid readers hang out. The answer was easy: at the library.

When my debut novel released, our local library was happy to add copies of my book to their shelves. A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California was a full-size trade paperback, so they had no trouble accepting it. I wasn't sure if they would accept copies of my LIH, though.

Having learned that it doesn't hurt to ask, I marched into the library with a copy of my shiny new book in hand. I asked the librarian who oversees their author events if they would shelve copies if I were to donate them.

To my surprise, the answer was yes! It turns out they have a new section just for the smaller mass-market paperbacks. Of course I had to visit the section and see if I could spot any Love Inspired titles

Sure enough I did! Sherri Shackleford's August 2014 release, The Cattleman Meets His Match, was on the shelf. There are several more Love Inspired titles in the collection, but they were all checked out.

Now that I know my library carries the LI titles, I'll be donating copies of those I've read so others can enjoy them as well. The more readers we can introduce to Love Inspired, the better, right?

Does your local library shelve books from the Love Inspired lines?

Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Love Inspired books on Scribd

Camy here! I’m super excited about all the Harlequin ebooks now available on Scribd!

For those of you who don’t know, Scribd.com is a website and smart phone app where you can pay for a subscription and read tons of books, just like Kindle Unlimited, except there are different books available on Scribd as opposed to KU.

I just got a subscription this past November (subscriptions were on sale during Black Friday) and a month or two ago I found out that a ton of older Harlequin books were now available to subscription holders.

Unfortunately, it’s a little hard to search for Love Inspired books. I could find them if I searched for titles or if I searched for authors. For example, if you search for Camy Tang, you can find my author page that lists all my books on Scribd. My newer Love Inspired books, Narrow Escape and Treacherous Intent, are not yet available on Scribd but I’m hoping they’ll become available to subscription holders when the books are a little older.

As another example, Margaret Daley has a whopping 57 books available for Scribd subscribers to read (and a few books listed but not available to subscribers, only available to buy). Cheryl Wyatt has 8 books available for Scribd subscribers, which includes all 7 of her Wings of Refuge series.

It’s mostly older books that are available on Scribd for subscribers, but that’s great because all of them are out of print and some of them are hard to get copies of. If I want to read an old mini-series, such as the Fitzgerald Bay or Texas Ranger Justice series, I can find all the books on Scribd and read them one after another!

Are any of you subscribed to Scribd? How do you like it? So far, I’ve read a lot. I mostly read on my phone or tablet using the Scribd app, which makes it really handy if I’ve got a few spare minutes waiting in line or something.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her romantic suspense, Treacherous Intent, released December 2014, and her romantic suspense novella, Necessary Proof, is available for free. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases or sales on her backlist.

Gardening and reading - two favorite things to do!

Susan Sleeman here. Summer’s in full swing in Oregon and I have to share a few pictures from my backyard. I love the multi-color of the two tall stands of zebra grass. It's also beautiful in the fall and winter if you leave the stalks with their seed heads.

The red flower is called Crocosmia and is my very favorite flower ever. I not only love the way it looks, but it’s a hummingbird magnet. They love, love, love it.

The heathers along the upper rock wall are out of bloom now, but in the spring we have a gorgeous show. They're covered in pink and purple flowers that remind me summer is coming. 

I wish I could take credit for how good the garden looks, but I have so many book deadlines this summer that I have had to forgo almost everything except working and my youngest daughter who still lives at home has taken up the charge and kept it in good shape. I’m so thankful that she shares my love of gardening. It would be a huge mess without her.

And this amazing picture is of the hummingbird that came to visit her when she was staking up the Crocosmia that likes to get a bit floppy. Isn't it an incredible picture?

My other favorite thing to do is take a book outside and sit on the patio to read. I could do that all summer long and never tire of it. I'd say I continue in the winter, but we have so much rain in Oregon and it's hard to read a soggy book. LOL

So what is your favorite summer activity and have you been able to do it this summer? 

DARK TIDE MISSION: PROTECT BABY

Gina Evans knows her brother was murdered—even if the police won't believe her. After catching a quick glimpse of the evidence her brother had gathered, the same criminals are after her and her baby niece. And Gina's only hope is the man she left behind. Despite the painful memories, private investigator Derrick Justice won't fail Gina and her baby. Yet now, the woman he never stopped loving and the baby he's come to adore are in a killer's crosshairs. But can Derrick trap the cold-blooded murderer before he strikes again?

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SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational and clean read romantic suspense books. Her first book, High-Stakes Inheritance was an ECPA bestseller. Award nominations include The Christmas Witness for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence and Thread of Suspicion for the 2013 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Best Book Award. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the popular website TheSuspenseZone.com. She currently lives in Oregon, but has lived in nine states. Her husband is a realtor and they have two daughters, a son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. . To connect with Susan outside of her – Website visit any of these social media sites-

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Lost and Found--Lenora Worth

Have you ever lost something really special, so special that you mourned the loss for a long time? I lost a bracelet about three years ago and I sure did miss that bracelet. I wore it everywhere and considered it a touchstone of sorts. It brought me a peace and calm when I traveled and it gave me instant joy each morning when I'd put it on. I thought I'd lost it on the road somewhere or maybe I'd misplaced it in my home. I even tried to find another one in the discontinued line at Brighton. When we moved to Florida, I went through every purse and jewelry box, hoping I'd find it tucked away somewhere. I remember thinking that maybe I'd put it in a safe place and somehow I'd forgotten where that place might be.

Well, about two weeks ago I was going through a purse I hadn't used in a while looking for something else. (Probably money). I reached into a small pocket and felt something inside. And I pulled out my beloved bracelet! I was so shocked and overjoyed I had to sit down and just look at it for about five minutes. It was a bit tarnished in spots but it was my bracelet. I've used that purse so many times since I lost the bracelet, I couldn't believe I'd never felt inside that tiny pocket.

The lesson here is sometimes we search and search for something "out there" when the real treasure has been right here with us all along. I think God's love is like that. We search for answers out there when His love is tucked away inside each of us to begin with.

I hope you can find some tiny treasures in your life today. They are hidden in plain sight :)

Two books and a birthday--Lenora Worth

Hello, sunshine. I love the month of April because it means spring is on the way, Easter is close and Elnora gets to have another birthday. I don't like getting older but I don't mind birthdays. This month, I'm especially blessed to have two books out. While neither is a Love Inspired, I'm proud of both of them. The first one is actually a novella from Zondervan. An April Bride is one of the "A Year of Weddings" e-book novellas by twelve different authors. I enjoyed writing this spring book about a soldier and his bride. The second book I have out this month is a big Superromance  called "That Wild Cowboy." This story is more secular and a bit rowdy but it still has a lot of heart. But I haven't forgotten my beloved Love Inspired. I'll have a June LIS--Forced Alliance (Connor Randall's story). He showed up in In Pursuit of a Princess, which was out last year. And this summer I'll be working on another LI and the sixth book of an exciting suspense continuity. So while April showers might bring May flowers, I'll be busy writing stories for all the imprints I love.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter. I hope you have a great year. I'll be back in a few days to talk about finding treasures. (Of the personal kind.)

 

 

 

Love Inspired Suspense: THE SEARCH FOR THE KILLER VOICE!

Debby Giusti here, sharing big news from Love Inspired Books! If you're a writer who loves suspense, check out the great pitch contest the creative and talented editors at Love Inspired Books have put together. Follow the link at the bottom of the photo to learn all the details.

Good luck, everyone! Hope to see your story in the Love Inspired Suspense lineup!

799

1 day ago

Inspirational romantic suspense writers, we're looking for you. Join The Search for a Killer Voice! Details here: http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/1947-Announcing!-The-Search-for-a-Killer-Voice!

A Season of Love by Kim Watters

Kim Watters here. I'm proud to announce my newest release from Love Inspired.  A Season of Love is my fourth book with Harlequin and my second in Dynamite Creek, Arizona. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Blessings,
Kim

Blurb:

The Soldier’s Gift

Just in time for Christmas, a tall, dark and handsome Scrooge visits Holly Stanwyck’s holiday shop, threatening eviction. But once landlord Ethan Pellegrino sees the single mom’s plight, the former soldier becomes her protector instead. Suddenly he’s helping her with her struggling business and bounding with her troubled son. A wounded veteran come home to heal, Ethan is no stranger to sorrow. But something about the pretty widow fills him with hope. Will Holly be able to let go of her own painful past to see her future by his side?

Excerpt:

Ethan momentarily lost himself in Holly’s presence. Her swept back locks exposed her long, elegant neck and straight, slightly upturned nose. But it was her vulnerability that got to him.

Despite her attempts to keep it all together, he sensed just below the surface she suffered and struggled with her son, the shop, everyday life.

He should step away. Instead, when she turned her head toward him, he found himself staring into her deep green eyes that had seen so much pain. A pain he could identify with. He’d lost his father at a young age, and several of his friends in Afghanistan. But even that couldn’t compare to losing one’s partner, one’s soul mate.

He had no experience with that sort of loss, yet he felt the need to comfort. Protect. He wanted to draw Holly into his arms and absorb her pain and blend it with his own. 

For further information, check out my website at www.kimwatters.com

Echoes of Eternity by Cheryl Wyatt

It has been a difficult week in the writing community, still reeling from the loss of a beautiful friend and sister in Jesus whose favorite quote holds even more poignancy now that she's gone to be with Jesus. "What we do now echoes in eternity."-Dee Stewart. My heart aches for her daughter and others she left behind, while she is physically gone, her echoes on Earth remain. Please uphold Dee's family in prayer, and especially her daughter. Please also, whatever you do, make it matter for the good of eternity. Each and every one of you has gifts and talents. If you're not using it for God, let it go or get on track. Life is too short to work for the wrong side. Sorry if this offends you, but when you lose someone as important as Dee, it causes you to realize what's important with regards to using (or misusing) our talents for God. He is worthy. If you write, write as worship or don't write at all. Life is too short to make the wrong kind of difference. If you don't believe you can make a difference, ask God to show you. He has already given you everything you need. I love you, all! Write (or paint, serve, sing, clean, pray, cook, sew, knit, crochet, plan, lead, follow, feed, give, encourage, etc, etc, etc) on! If you don't know what your God-given gifts or talents are, ask those who know you best to clue you in. :-) Then believe it. My next release is up for pre-order now on all online booksellers such as Amazon. If you pick it up, I sincerely thank you and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your readership is a tremendous blessing to me...as well as to all of my Love Inspired sisters. Their books are among my favorites.

To God be the glory and honor and may Jesus be magnified and made more famous by the talents we offer and commit to him for the sake of touching others. My website is udnergoing an amazing makeover, thanks to the crew at Jones House Creative. I hope you will check in and take a peek once it's done in a couple weeks or so. www.cherylwyatt.com Cheryl Wyatt

Kim Watters here.  Cancer. I shudder every time I hear that word, yet these days its almost as common as breathing. Every time I turn around, I know someone who knows someone with the disease.  As the mother of two young children, I can't even begin to know or comprehend what it would be like to have a child with cancer like my heroine does, and my heart breaks for those parents who do.  I pray daily that God helps us find a cure.

Writing And Father Makes Three gave me the opportunity to explore the complex subject of bone marrow transplants. The stories and testimonials were truly inspirational and humbling at the same time. A portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the Be The Match program to defray the costs associated with the testing. Straight from their website: "The National Marrow Donor Program ® (NMDP) and our Be The Match Foundation ® are nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it."   http://www.marrow.org/

From a personal perspective, one of my dear friends from high school was diagnosed with Large Cell B non-hodgkins Lymphoma and needed to have a bone marrow transplant to put her cancer into remission.  In her honor, I have dedicated this book to her. Today she is in remissionand living life to the fullest.

And Father Makes Three
July 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0373877560
“Your Daughter Needs You.”She’s saved countless lives, yet there’s one person emergency room doctor Elizabeth Randall can’t rescue—her adopted daughter, Jordan. Perhaps meeting her biological father, Blake Crawford, will be the lifeline Jordan needs. The handsome, guarded firefighter takes risks every day. But facing the daughter he never knew—along with lovely Elizabeth—has him thinking about family. With fatherhood thrust suddenly upon him, there’s no way he can turn his back on his sick child. Will working together to give Jordan a second chance at life also lead them to a second chance at love?

Letting Go--Terri Reed

Terri Reed here.  This is a crazy season for our family.   There are only thirty days or so left of school for my kids.  I have a senior who is anxious for it to be over.  Senioritis has hit her hard.   For me, its been an emotional and overwhelming time as we plan for her college education.  She has decided to go aboard to study at Richmond, The American International University in London.  Letting go is going to be hard for me as she and I are very close. 

Does anyone have advice? Can you relate?  

Fifteen years of writing what I love--Lenora Worth

I'm so excited! This year marks the fifteenth year anniversary for Love Inspired Books. I was there at the beginning and I'm still here. I'm also still amazed that I get to write my stories every day! This is a dream and a blessing and the best job ever. Of course, this is a job and some days, it seems exactly that--work. But most of the time I feel as I've been set loose to play away in a fantasy land. I love creating my stories and learning about my characters. I love hearing from readers and knowing that I've given them some entertainment and food for thought. It touches all of us to hear from readers who have turned back to God because of our books. So ... this post won't be long and drawn out. Just a big "Thank-you" to our publisher Harlequin, our editors at Love Inspired and our readers who have remained so loyal for all these years. We are truly blessed to be a part of the wonderful world of fiction. C'mon, readers, tell us what you love about our books. Tell us what you'd like to see in the future. We so appreciate the support. And I for one hope to continue writing my little love stories for a very long time to come.