Fall into a Giveaway!

Hello Terri Reed here. It's fall and that means the leaves are changing and falling.
I have a huge oak tree in my front yard. It has been featured in the local newspaper as a heritage oak.
This time of year it become a lot of work.  And this is only the first of the season's racking and piling.

 By the time we're done we'll have all the leaves in bags to cart off to the debris recycle place.

Fall also brings tricker treaters to our house. I love to see the kids all dressed up.

This is throw back picture to when my kids were young and like dressing up. I'm not sure who my daughter was but she sure looked cute. And of course Spiderman is always a hit.  

I hope you all have a safe and fun filled week before we head into the Holiday season. 

Will you be going home for the holidays?

In my October release HOME FOR GOOD, Joelle Winslow returns home to say goodbye but discovers home is where the heart is. http://amzn.to/1ElXZlN  

And in the spirit of giving, I'd like to offer a signed copy of my latest release,  DANGER AT THE BORDER to one randomly drawn commenter. http://bit.ly/1wzDTjx

UNSAFE TERRITORY 

When a mysterious toxin threatens lives and livelihoods near the border between the U.S. and Canada, Dr. Tessa Cleary is called to trace the source. But when the no-nonsense doctor is forced to work with border patrol agent Jeff Steele, she finds the lone wolf's dedication to his job—and country—chipping away at the walls around her heart. Just as Tessa and Jeff are about to uncover the toxin's deadly source, armed thugs kidnap them in the forest. Now they must trust each other to survive before time runs out for everyone. 

Northern Border Patrol: Keeping the U.S.–Canadian border safe

Glynna Kaye invites you to a "High Country Holiday"

     The mountain country of Arizona is now ablaze with autumn color, the nights crisp with temperatures hovering just above freezing. Long brown ponderosa pine needles and the leaves of maple, locust and aspen are beginning to blanket neighborhood yards. Snow has already topped area mountains, and a cup of spiced cider hits the spot!
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     No, it’s not yet winter—that’s lurking just around the corner!—but arriving in stores any day now is my very first Christmas Love Inspired, “High Country Holiday!”.
 

     Christmas in the high country of northern Arizona is special, indeed. Just as the summers are an amazingly cool contrast to most of the state, winters bring snow—often in abundance—setting off the towering pines to perfection. It’s an ideal locale for a Christmastime romance, so I hope you’ll find yourself a copy of “High Country Holiday” and join Cody and Paris on their journey to love!.
 

Glynna Kaye

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A Holiday Reunion... When Cody Hawk returns to Canyon Springs, Arizona, to make peace with his ailing father, his bad-boy reputation is still intact. So is his love for the woman he was forced to leave behind.  But the privileged Paris Perslow is still off limits.

When Paris needs his help with the annual holiday gala, Cody braves the town’s disapproving glances for a second chance with his first love. Years ago Cody promised he’d return for her. But with everyone and everything against them, what will it take to prove to Paris that his love is the perfect gift?

 

Reader Appreciation Day by Cheryl Wyatt

Hello all! If I could create a new holiday, I'd make it Reader Appreciation Day. Perhaps one already exists, I'm not sure. I just know that every day I'm awed by the fact that people with limited time actually spend it reading my books. Also, any time an author hits a bestseller list (like today...more on that in a minute), I thank God all over again for readers. The truth is that no author hits a bestseller list simply by writing a book. Bestseller milestones happen ONLY because of readers like you. Readers who graciously spend precious resources of time and money to first buy then read our books and tell their friends about the book, providing they enjoy it.

Today I was privileged to be among a group of Love Inspired authors who hit one of Amazon's bestseller lists. I am completely sure that readers are why we reached that spot. It's very hard for authors to "put themselves out there" in terms of online marketing and such. But we do so in order to be able to continue giving you books and putting good words into the world. Knowing the heart of many of my authors, our reason for promoting ourselves isn't to make more money but rather to sell more books so that we can stay on the radar in terms of lists and publishers and meet the reading demands of our more voracious readers.

Speaking of reading, wouldn't you just love to cuddle up in this pretty cove and replace some of those knickknacks with a few of your favorite reads? Me too!

How many books do you read in a month? Most writers are avid readers. I probably read around 7 books per month. I'd love to know what you're reading now. I hope also that you will consider popping over to Amazon and ordering my two new releases, up for pre-order now.

I hope you'll visit my Facebook page and consider being part of the community of readers I love so much. https://www.facebook.com/CherylWyattAuthor.

I also have a newsletter sign up form on my website at www.cherylwyatt.com if you're interested.

I'm also excited to share that I have lots of books coming out in the next few months and beyond, including a FREE book, listed below:


NOVEMBER 2014 from Redbud Press: FREEBIE Out of the Flames (Prequel to Haven Bay Heroes Series) http://www.redbudpress.com/news-new-releases-email-blast/

DECEMBER 2014 A Refuge Christmas, included in a novella collection from Inspy Kisses pictured above (and which hit #1 on Amazon Bestseller Lists for Contemporary Religious Fiction and #3 on Contemporary Inspirational Fiction THANKS TO READERS!). Remember Officer Connor Stallings from Wings of Refuge (Love Inspired?) This is his story. :-) Pararescueman Brock makes cameo appearances as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Kisses-inspirational-romance-boxed-ebook/dp/B00ON4UXBU/ref=zg_bs_7588874011_3

DECEMBER 2014: Recipe for Romance: A special collection of short stories and recipes from Love Inspired authors. All proceeds donated to a worthy charity.

FEBRUARY 2015-Serving Up a Sweetheart-novella from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Zondervan imprint): http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Up-Sweetheart-February-Weddings-ebook/dp/B00J1UEBYQ

MARCH 2015-Out of the Deep-Book 1 Haven Bay Heroes from Redbud Press

Love Inspired: Books 4-6 Eagle Point Emergency, releases TBA

Thank you for enduring all of that promotion just to hear a thanks. Your readership is a tremendous blessing. It's the reason we're able to write. Bless you!

Cheryl Wyatt

CHRISTMAS READING from Marta Perry

It's not too soon to start enjoying Christmas reading, and Patricia Davids and I have a treat for you--An Amish Family Christmas anthology from Love Inspired, available in November. The book contains two novellas, my Heart of Christmas and Pat's A Plain Holiday. 

As you may know, the Amish celebrate Christmas in a way that is much simpler than our frenzied rush to the big day. One of the highlights of the season in most Amish communities is the Christmas Program at the Amish school. Focused on familiar themes of loving and sharing to celebrate Christ's birth, it's one of the few times of the year when Amish children actually "perform" in front of an audience, and the school will be crammed full of parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends who come to enjoy and celebrate with the young scholars.

My story is built around one such celebration. Combine two troubled children, an old love suddenly returned, and a loving, dedicated teacher, and you have the recipe for a joyful exploration of the meaning of Christmas.

If you'd like a chance to win a copy of An Amish Family Christmas, drop by my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MartaPerryBooks and enter the contest I have running this week!

Blessings,
Marta Perry

Seasons - Spring, Summer, Christmas

Monday blessings from Gail Gaymer Martin @ www.gailgaymermartin.com 

Only a few weeks we entered the fall season, but stores have seemed to ignore this and already they have seemed to forget about autumn, Halloween or Thanksgiving. The focus is already on Christmas.

Book publishers are already promoting their Christmas books and many are in stores today. Since Christmas is rushing toward us, I want to tell you about one of my new releases, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, that is a collection of nine short novels written by a variety of novelists. I'm thrilled to be part of this selection where you will find one of my rare historical novellas, Yuletide Treasures.

Stories Celebrate Christmas Traditions and Love from Bygone Years
Many of us have a secret picture of Christmases past—a time when windows shimmered with lacy frost and candlelight, fireplaces kept a home warm and snug, ladies’ skirts swirled and gracefully skimmed the floor, and gentlemen were gallant and true. Experience Christmases spanning over one hundred years through nine inspiring historical romances, beautifully and economically packaged for you and all your gift-giving needs.

Yuletide Treasures
Arriving at the wealthy Mandalay home in Grand Rapids, Michigan shortly before Christmas, 1875, Livy is charged with her young nephew’s safekeeping and to slip Helen Mandalay a mysterious package from Livy’s brother.  A spinster, Livy is drawn to the handsome Mandalay son, Andrew, home from the lumber camps.  But Andrew has other thoughts.  Ignoring his mother’s urging to court a woman from the church — someone like Livy, Andrew prefers more earthly woman.  Despite their attempts to oppose God’s will, Livy and Andrew are led ‘on a path they had not planned to travel.’
To read more or purchase  To Read More Click Here

Or you might enjoy some of my Christmas LIs, many having won national awards and with 5 star reviews.

Small Town Christmas by Gail Gaymer Martin
When seven-year-old twins act up in temporary teacher Amy Carroll’s class, she meets their very apologetic widowed father, Mike Russet. The handsome man has his hands full—but can two mini matchmakers and holiday cheer open his heart to Christmas romance?
Winner Gold Quill Award 2011
Finalist Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence        
To Read More Click Here

Finding Christmas - Romantic Suspense

Her daughter Mandy had died in the icy waters of Lake St. Claire, Michigan, three years ago—or so widow Joanna Fuller, was told. At the urging of a family friend Ben Drake, Joanna tried to accept her loss and move on. But mysterious phone calls reawakened her doubts.
Finalist:
Gold Quill Award 2006
Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence 2006
Inspirational Readers Choice Award 2006
Award of Excellence 2006

To Read More Click Here

With Christmas In His Heart - set on Mackinac Island

Caring for her grandmother was a labor of love, but busy executive Christine Powers worried about the paper piling up in her office. And no sooner had she arrived on Mackinac Island during the frantic holiday season than her haughty attitude was challenged by Will Lambert, her grandmother’s enigmatic boarder. His laid-back style grew on her, as did his steadfast faith in this season of joy and wonder. But an ultimatum to return to work or lose her job forced Christine to decide between her heart and her career.

Winner National Reader’s Choice Award 2010

Finalist Award of Excellence 2010

Finalist Holt Medallion 2010

To Read More Click Here

Upon A Midnight Clear

A Child In Need
Little Nattie needed love, and Callie Randolph was just the woman to make her smile again. A licensed nurse with sorrows of her own, Callie felt a deep and special connection to the troubled child. And after years of heartbreak over a bitter secret, Callie was falling in love—with Nattie’s handsome daddy, David Hamilton.
It all seemed perfect—a beautiful little girl who adored her and a kind man who challenged her heart and made her want to sing. But it was time for Callie to trust in God and tell David everything. Did she have the strength to test her courage this one time—all for love?
Winner of the Holt Medallion

To Read More Click Here   

 

Holiday Defenders and M&M!

Debby Giusti here!

Lots of fun things are happening this month. HOLIDAY DEFENDERS released early in October and features three Love Inspired Suspense novellas with military heroes. The anthology includes my story, "Mission: Christmas Rescue;" Susan Sleeman's "Special Ops Christmas;" and "Homefront Holiday," by Jodie Bailey. I loved working with Susan and Jodie and hope our readers will enjoy the three stories.

For anyone in my local area, I'll be hosting a book signing on Wednesday, October 22, from 4-6:30 PM at Omega Book Center, 100 North Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, Georgia. Proceeds from the signing will benefit Wounded Warriors at Atlanta’s Shepherd Spinal Center, in conjunction with their SHARE Military Initiative. Orders can also be phoned in at 770-487-3977, and autographed copies can be held for pickup or mailed.

LtoR: Larissa Reinhart, Debby Giusti and Leslie Tentler
present "The Three Faces of Romantic Suspense" at M&M.

Last weekend I attended Georgia Romance Writers' Moonlight and Magnolias Conference and presented a workshop, "The Three Faces of Romantic Suspense," with authors Leslie Tentler and Larissa Reinhart. GRW is my home chapter, and the conference was filled with dear friend who made the weekend so special.

Love the tote I received at the M&M Conference!

Debby Giusti signs at the M&M!

I hope you're enjoying the cool temperatures and falling leaves. What's happening in your local area?

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THREE MILITARY MEN OF HONOR MUST DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SAVE CHRISTMAS

Mission: Christmas Rescue
by Debby Giusti
On the run from a killer, Elizabeth Tate must accept U.S. Army Captain Nick Fontaine’s protection for the sake of her young niece and nephew. Now her life is in the hands of the very man who broke her heart years ago.

Special Ops Christmas
by Susan Sleeman Researcher
Claire Reed’s top secret project is stolen, putting her at risk of being kidnapped to unlock it. Her undercover bodyguard—her former love, Green Beret Travis Chapman—is on his most dangerous mission yet.

Homefront Holiday Hero
by Jodie Bailey
When someone tries to kill the daughter of a military official, U.S. Army major Tyler Rainey must keep Kelly Walters from harm…while guarding his own heart against very unexpected feelings.

Order your copy here.

Buns & Roses Tea by Leann Harris

 This last weekend we held the 9th annual Buns & Roses Tea to raise money for the local literacy group.
 

 There were lots of authors who came to Dallas to host tables for their fans. I missed last year, but I was on the board for several years.

 

Addison Fox, Patience Griffin, me, Jaye Wells

 We also sell bear boxes with a small teddy bear for our readers that they buy. This year the bear had glasses and a book, with the cover of the authors books.

It's great fun to meet fans and eager readers. We had a great time.
 http://www.bunsandroses.org/author-hosts.html
 

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Coming This Week

Susan Sleeman, here. I'm departing from my normal posts to tell you about a fun opportunity to win great prizes.

So . . . without further ado, here's the scoop.

Follow the clues for a Chance to Win a Kindle Fire HDX or 30+ novels!

The Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014.  A group of 33 Christian Fiction authors have joined together to create a hunt for clues on our blogs and to give away great prizes. You simply start at the FIRST STOP collect a clue and write it down, then work your way through the sites, gathering clues. Along the way you can enter to win bonus giveaways by each author, until you reach the final stop where you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all of the weekend to finish it, so you can take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors have prepared for you. The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors.

So mark your calendar and join us for a chance to win the Kindle, the  fabulous books in the graphic and too many more prizes to list here.

 ____________________________

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of inspirational and clean read romantic suspense books. Awards include Thread of Suspicion-2013 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Best Book Award, No Way Out-2014 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalist, and The Christmas Witness-2012 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence finalist. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts the popular website TheSuspenseZone.com.She currently lives in Oregon with her husband, but has lived in nine states. 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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COMING IN NOVEMBER! 

Book 1 in the First Responders Series

HOSTAGE SITUATION

When armed robbers strike her bank, hostage negotiator Skyler Brennan’s life is on the line. Rescue comes from the last person she thought she could count on—the ex-boyfriend who chose his job over their relationship. 

FBI agent Logan Hunter knows how much is resting on this case. The promotion of his dreams…and the safety of the woman he’s never been able to forget. But when an unexpected twist in the case pulls Logan in two separate directions, he’ll have to make an impossible choice. Will he manage to have it all by Christmas—a career and love—or will he lose them both?

Allie Pleiter on those uppity secondary characters

One of the most amusing moments for a writer is when a secondary character refuses to stay “secondary.”  When, even after you have typed “The End,” a particular character starts shouting in your head, demanding their own happy ending now that they’ve been party to someone else’s.

My Gordon Falls series has been filled with these uppity characters who just don’t know their place.  Max Jones, who we met in THE FIREFIGHTER’S MATCH was one, stubbornly insisting he get his story told in A HEART TO HEAL.  I relented, and the results were not only personally gratifying, but an RT Top Pick! to boot.  So maybe Max was right.

Now, in SAVED BY THE FIREMAN, I get to give two familiar Gordon Falls characters the chance to fall in love with each other.  We know Charlotte Taylor as Melba’s best friend from THE FIREMAN’S HOMECOMING, and outrageous Jesse Sykes has been around for several Gordon Falls books.  When I got the idea to let these two fall for each other, the sparks were flying from the first page—some days it felt like I was just along for the ride taking notes. As an author, that’s about as much fun as you can have at the keyboard.

I like to think the fun I had writing this book shows up for you, the reader.  The fact that SAVED BY THE FIREMAN earned another RT Top Pick! rating tells me maybe you will.  After all, my favorite moments as a reader are when I figure out two characters are perfect for each other long before they realize it themselves.  I feel like all of Gordon Falls has been waiting for Jesse and Charlotte to get together—and hope you do, too!

What secondary characters have you longed to get a story of their own?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Jenna Mindel here, experiencing a very hectic week but trying to soak in the beauty of the season changing around me.   And that got me to thinking about a garden pest I found a couple of weeks ago.  I saw this huge thing on my tomato plant and yelled to my husband to come see the ginormous caterpillar I found.  He  pretty much blew me off, saying it was probably just a tomato worm.  Harumph!

Mr. Tomato Worm - Nope,  I didn't touch him

I've never seen a tomato worm before and grabbed my camera,  took a few pictures, and then googled what I found.  Yup, just a common garden pest.  But what this kinda ugly spotted worm turns into is something of a miracle and I think very beautiful. 

I got this one from Google under tomato worm moth...

I took this picture last year of a moth on my screen door.  Maybe this guy came from a tomato worm?

I can't help but think that God sees us this way - yeah, we might have some ugly spots, but He sees so much more.  He sees what we can become by placing our trust and faith in Him.  For we have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

Thanks for stopping in!  And please share your experiences with garden pests, cool insects or other interesting finds. :)


Jenna
www.jennamindel.com





 

Celebrating Fall and Giveaways and a New Release

Terri Reed here enjoying the fall weather. It's been so warm in the Pacific Northwest or maybe it's just me. I love fall! The changing colors, the cooler weather, the pumpkins everywhere I look. I made myself a homemade pumpkin latte this morning with pumpkin flavored almond milk, a splash of vanilla almond milk, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and really good Australian coffee that my husband brought home with him.  Yummmy.

What type of homemade coffee drinks do you make?
Or are you more a tea drinker?  My favorite is Earl Grey.

I just turned in the second book in my Northern Border Patrol books, as yet untitled, will be a July release. Book 1 in the series, Danger at the Border, is still available!

This summer while waiting to hear on a proposal, I wrote a novella. It released yesterday. HOME FOR GOOD is on sale for .99 cents today! Home for Good is part of the Montana Born Homecoming series. it's a sweet romance about coming home and following your dreams set on a Montana ranch! http://amzn.to/ZOTbWB

To celebrate the release of HOME FOR GOOD, I'm having a giveaway! One commenter on my Facebook page be randomly chosen to receive a $5 Starbucks gift card, four LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE backlist titles and swag! A winner will be chosen on October 13! This contest is separate and not affiliated with Facebook in any way.

And because the holidays are fast approaching twelve authors are offering a $500 Visa Gift card. You can enter from here, click on the GIVEAWAY tab.  http://on.fb.me/1naYIRv

Colorful Characters

by Keli Gwyn (@KeliGwyn)

I love creating characters. Some could be classified as colorful, in the lively, interesting or exciting sense of the word, but that's not what I'm talking about today.

The colorful characters on my mind are those who love color--in some cases a particular color.

Men in the Victorian Era, the period my stories take place, had few color choices. They wore a lot of black and white, which can get pretty boring.

Women, on the other, enjoyed the expanding array of fabrics and colors available, enabling me to have fun clothing them.

Tess, the heroine of my first Love Inspired Historical, Family of Her Dreams, coming June 2015, loves blue. It's pretty much the only color she wears. I have a hunch that's the color she'll be wearing on the cover that's currently in the development stage.

Blue used to be my favorite color, too, but as you can see from this picture of my closet, purple has captivated me. I wear all shades, from a deep violet to a light lavender and from a bold fuchsia to a muted mauve. I throw in black as my base color.

How about you? Do you wear a variety of colors, or are you partial to a certain one?